~Chapter 15~

“I beg your pardon?”

My lips trembled slightly.

“Just as I said. The nine of us on the committee are here to tell you we won’t be staying with Graham Bank now that the Graham Marquis is no longer involved.”

The elder noble glared at me coldly.

“We’ll also be withdrawing our deposits soon. We’ll give you a generous time frame—so prepare the funds before then.”

My heart sank at the one-sided declaration.

The committee… nine members?

Then what about the tenth?

Count Simon left the room as if he had said all he needed to. I was frozen, like a mouse in front of a cat, unable to move a single step.

I simply held my breath, staring at the closed door.

The one person left behind sighed and took a seat.

“You wouldn’t neglect the meal just because I’m the only one here, would you?”

It was Countess Aiple. She was the only woman among the ten committee members. Her sharp, seasoned eyes turned toward me.

“…Of course not.”

I barely managed to answer in a faint, choked voice.

“Sit down.”

My legs trembled so badly it took a long time to finally lower myself into the chair.

My mind had gone completely blank.

I didn’t know what to say, what to think, or what kind of decision I should be making.

Even as the waitstaff brought out meals for two, I remained speechless.

“You always talked so smoothly, like you were oiled up. Now you’re quiet.”

The elderly lady sighed once more.

“I tried persuading the others on the committee, but it wasn’t easy. They’re deeply entrenched in their classist mindset.”

“…So then, they’re really…”

“They’re really planning to withdraw their money. And no one can stop them.”

Even if they withdraw their funds, the Graham Bank wouldn’t collapse—but it would be severely shaken.

“…What about you, Countess Aiple?”

“I plan to remain with the Graham Bank. The others have blinded themselves. No matter how much I spoke, they wouldn’t listen.”

She didn’t touch her food, sipping only from her wine glass.

“Stubborn old fools. After what happened to Zerares, it was entirely your effort that kept the Graham Bank running. I value that highly. If that fool Egbert had inherited the bank per Zerares’ initial judgment, it might have already been in decline.”

Tears welled up in my eyes.

Those words—acknowledging my effort, which no one else had—soothed the heart that had felt stranded in a vast, snowy wilderness.

“That’s why I’ve decided to trust you.”

When I still couldn’t say a word, Countess Aiple sighed once again.

“Are you feeling wronged?”

At those words, I clenched my fists tightly.

I was resentful. Deeply, painfully resentful.

I had given my all to the bank. I had poured every ounce of passion I had into it, doing everything I could to fill the void left by Grandfather.

But all of my efforts were being treated as if they were worth less than dust.

This was just too unfair.

I bit down hard on my lips.

“Sigh… It was Egbert who swayed the committee,” said Countess Aiple.

My whole body flushed with heat.

Egbert, that damn bastard.

He was still ruining my life. He never cared about the bank, not even once.

Even the reason I had to step into that pile of dung named Sofia—at the root of it, was Egbert.

The very foundation of my miserable life? It was all him.

I, who had never even properly dated, had fallen in love, gotten hurt, and ended up in tatters—all because of Egbert.

What kind of twisted fate tied me to him?

At this point, I might have committed some huge sin against him in a past life. Maybe I even killed him.

That would explain why he keeps tormenting me like this!

I gritted my teeth.

As I trembled, fists clenched and tears silently falling, Countess Aiple handed me a handkerchief.

“Are you that bitter?”

“Yes, Countess. I probably shouldn’t say this, but I’m sure even the gods would forgive me. If I could, I’d wring Egbert’s neck like a chicken.”

Countess Aiple let out a chuckle.

“That kind of spirit is what reassures me even more. When I was young, divorce wasn’t even an option. Even if your husband had dozens of mistresses and brought home illegitimate children like fish, you had no choice but to endure.”

Come to think of it—

I had heard rumors about the Aiple family having many illegitimate children. After her husband’s death, there had been a long legal battle for the title.

I vaguely remembered hearing that since the eldest son was illegitimate, the entire estate nearly went to him. In the end, the legal wife had secured the title and the inheritance.

And the person who had survived that long and harsh history was the very Countess Aiple sitting before me.

Now I could better understand why she chose to stand by me.

“I support you in many ways,” she said. “I won’t withdraw my deposits. It won’t be enough to turn things around, but it’s what I can do.”

I took a deep breath and drank some water. As my emotions settled, everything became clearer.

Egbert would continue to drag me down at every turn.

He must have been humiliated by losing the bank—his pride wounded.

What a petty, filthy man.

For Graham Bank to survive, I needed a shield.

And I needed a way to instantly restore its credibility.

It would also help to have a promising business venture—something big enough to attract major investors. If Graham Bank decided to invest in such a project, others would want to join in and profit too.

I stared down at the table.

The food was the same as before.

The atmosphere and my feelings were completely different, but the meal was identical—the salmon steak and fresh salad I had eaten with Baldwin were presented beautifully again.

And I was still thinking of the same person.

The best solution to overcome this entire situation was already in place:

The cruise ship project with Constantine Corporation.

Baldwin was someone with sharp business instincts. He wouldn’t start something that wasn’t bound to succeed.

I needed to give up on the profit-sharing ratio and immediately grab Baldwin’s hand. It felt like the gods had foreseen my hardship and prepared this path in advance.

Still, there was no need to rush the dinner with Baldwin. No need to move up the public announcement either.

I didn’t want Baldwin to realize we were desperate. And if there were people still wavering due to Egbert, perhaps it was better to let them go now.

They could pose a risk to the bank when it mattered most.

“You don’t have to worry, Countess Aiple. Graham Bank will remain strong. I’m confident it will continue to be your golden goose for years to come.”

“So, you do have a plan.”

I nodded brightly with a confident smile.

“I’ll make sure the nine committee members who abandoned us today end up banging their fists on the floor in regret. I have no doubt about that.”

Countess Aiple smiled, finishing her white wine.

“I truly admire that confidence of yours. It really makes me believe you can pull off anything. I’m looking forward to seeing what move you make.”

“Thank you for believing in me, Countess.”

And I would never betray that trust.

That was my resolve once again.

So that next time we raise a glass, it would be to celebrate.

I returned to the bank, feeling slightly tired. Mr. Janus and Heres were reviewing documents with serious expressions.

“Constantine?”

“Ah, Madam. You’re back?”

Heres greeted me with a refreshing smile.

“Yes. Are we almost done?”

“Yes. Based on Constantine’s proposal, we’ll be losing about 5%. But…”

“Can we add one more condition for Constantine? Let’s accept the profit ratio.”

“What condition?”

“To have them move part of their deposits from Hedges Bank to ours.”

Janus blinked.

“…I’m not sure they’ll accept, but it’s a strong offer.”

“Then calculate what percentage we should propose and let me know.”

“Yes, Madam!”

Heres answered energetically.

Despite his rugged frame, he worked with incredible precision and speed. He was truly a secretary I could rely on.

Janus, too, was still working hard for Graham Bank.

Still, there was news I needed to deliver.

“…The committee will be disbanded. All members except Countess Aiple will withdraw their funds.”

“What?”

Heres looked shocked. On the other hand, Janus remained calm—had he already expected it?

“So, it came to this,” he said.

“You suspected this might happen?”

“There was a party held recently at the Graham estate. I can imagine what was said there.”

I see.

“I wasn’t sure, so I was waiting for confirmation before telling you… But I guess those people ended up switching sides.”

“Yes. That’s exactly what happened.”

The freshness in my mouth had once again turned bitter.