Episode 10
“Why are you like this, Hestia?”
He asked in a flustered voice, and I brushed it off, saying my wound was just hurting.
“Hestia, I didn’t know this had caused you so much pain. I should’ve thought of this sooner. Duke Maydern may have committed a grave sin, but no one will hold you accountable for it. Don’t worry. That will never happen. If it eases your mind, I’ll write it down and promise you in writing.”
“There’s no need to go that far.”
I grew increasingly anxious, thinking the conversation was heading in the wrong direction.
“Hestia, your heart is truly noble. No one else would think like you in this situation. I realize now that I didn’t really know you. I truly admire you.”
I inwardly shook my head, wondering how the conversation had turned this way.
“Hestia. Since we’re already here, having tea together should be alright, shouldn’t it?”
“No, Your Majesty. I feel tired after walking for the first time in a while. I think I need to go back and rest.”
“I see… That’s unfortunate, but I understand. Alright, then.”
I had no choice but to admit there was a big flaw in the approach I’d taken.
‘Stupid. Even I look noble from his point of view.’
I shook my head as I walked out.
Beatrice, who had been waiting for me, came up and asked how it went, and I simply shook my head.
Beatrice couldn’t hide her disappointment.
On the way back to the palace, I explained the reason for my failure to Beatrice.
She too regretted it belatedly, saying it made sense.
“I guess this method doesn’t work. Then I’ll have to use something that makes him utterly repulsed.”
“How, Your Majesty?”
Even I didn’t have a solid idea yet.
But by the time we reached the palace, I had come up with a few clever tricks.
“Beatrice. I think I’ve got a good idea.”
“What is it, Your Majesty?”
I gave her a sly smile and looked at her.
Under the Ministry of Finance, there was a department that provided monthly allowances to royal family members.
As queen, Hestia was receiving 100,000 feors each month.
Considering that it cost about 50,000 feors to run a duchy for a month, 100,000 feors solely for the queen’s personal expenses was a hefty amount.
The duchy had to pay salaries to numerous people, but the queen used the money entirely as she saw fit.
First, I thought about converting the money Hestia had saved into easily tradable jewels.
That way, it would be easier to carry. If the divorce didn’t go through and the king demanded we share a bed again, I planned to just grab the jewels and flee.
But then I discovered something new—that Hestia had no money and all of her income had been taken by Rotron.
I couldn’t let that stand and immediately made preparations to go to the ducal estate.
I planned to get back every coin Rotron had essentially extorted from me, with interest.
However, people misunderstood the sudden visit to the ducal estate.
Many thought I was finally reconciling with the family.
When I arrived at the estate, a large crowd had already gathered.
Among them were Hestia’s mother and older brothers, who couldn’t hide their anger toward her.
“Hestia! How ungrateful you are! After everything we did to raise you, how could you do this to your father?!”
Hestia’s mother shouted with foam at her mouth, and I told them I would speak only with the steward.
They were clearly shocked that I neither greeted them nor offered any apologies.
It was baffling to me why they ever thought I would apologize.
“It seems your mother misses Father a great deal. I wonder if there’s room for one more in his cell? If this disrespect toward me continues, my knights will have to intervene. They’re not here just to stand around like scarecrows.”
When I said that, the knights—who had hesitated to act against the duchess out of courtesy—suddenly came to their senses.
The effect was immediate on Hestia’s mother, and her sons also fell silent.
Their father had one day left the estate as usual and never returned. No one wanted to meet the same fate.
The steward, unaware of why I summoned him, followed me.
Without wasting time, I said directly:
“I’m here to reclaim the money Father took from me—plus interest. If you return double the principal, I’ll overlook this matter.”
“W-What are you talking about, Your Majesty?!”
He looked at me in shock.
“Playing dumb, are we? Then maybe I should bring in my knights so you can explain it to them instead.”
“Your Majesty!”
“Think carefully. Do you really think saying ‘the duke made me do it’ will lessen your guilt?”
He looked at me with a pale face.
“Do you want to be praised as a loyal servant? Remembered as the man who safeguarded the ducal family’s wealth? Then I’ll make sure you’re remembered—as the loyal fool who lost his head for protecting the ducal estate’s money.”
“Y-Your Majesty…”
It seemed he was finally starting to understand what he had to do.
“Father won’t be coming back. Even if he’s released from prison, he won’t be returning here. He’ll likely head straight to the execution grounds. No one would say it’s too harsh for a man who routinely beat his daughter just because she was his child. And right now, I’m enjoying more of His Majesty’s favor than ever. I’m sure you’ve heard.”
I tapped my finger on the table before standing up.
“Still not getting it?”
“No, Your Majesty. I’ll prepare it right away.”
“Good. How much do you think I’m owed?”
“…”
“Take the total amount Father took from me and double it.”
“Then… the total would be around 18 million feors, if we include the inheritance from your maternal grandfather and grandparents.”
The sum he mentioned was far beyond what I had imagined.
I had only thought of the monthly queen’s stipend, but apparently there was also an inheritance I hadn’t considered, leaving me speechless for a moment.
“You’re saying you can prepare all that right now?”
“…If you give me a moment, I’ll check and give you a definite answer, Your Majesty.”
“Alright. Do that. And think carefully about the consequences if you try anything funny.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
When he left, I looked blankly at Beatrice.
“Beatrice. Did you hear what the steward just said?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. I can’t even imagine a hundred thousand feors. But we’re talking nearly twenty million here? Isn’t even this grand estate worth less than five hundred thousand?”
Beatrice had been amazed by the palatial estate from the start, and the fact that this huge mansion—backed by a river—was worth under five hundred thousand feors made the money I was owed feel even more surreal.
The steward returned shortly after and told me how much money I could take that day, and how long it would take to prepare the rest.
He said the full amount could be ready in three days, and I was genuinely astonished.
It made me realize the true power of the Maydern family.
Even the portion prepared for me that day totaled 6.5 million feors, and I agreed to take it.
“Beatrice. Do you think the Jaiphron Merchant Guild can convert this into jewels? The bulk of it is going to be massive.”
“Let’s stop by on the way, Your Majesty. Also, if we don’t want the knights reporting this to the king, we should probably bribe them a little.”
“We should give them a bonus.”
I gave everyone who accompanied me 10,000 feors, and they seemed to understand exactly what that meant.
Without further discussion, we headed for the Jaiphron Merchant Guild.
Cassia came out hurriedly upon hearing of our arrival, and I explained the situation to him.
Cassia appeared to have heard everything, but was too stunned to respond at first.
“Can you do it?”
After much deliberation, Cassia asked if he could consult with his father.
“If you entrust that money to us, we can give you a certificate. It would greatly reduce the volume, but if you don’t trust us, then it’s just a piece of paper. But if you trust us and leave the money with us, we’ll pay you interest. Your Majesty.”
I immediately began negotiating the interest rate.
Whether or not I trusted the Jaiphron Guild was a major decision.
It was just as important as deciding whether or not to trust Beatrice in the beginning.
I told Cassia that Beatrice and I would discuss it first, and he agreed to speak with his father in the meantime.
“What do you think, Beatrice?”
She didn’t hesitate long.
