IYGBYD 24

CHAPTER 24………………….

Yuan smiled with satisfaction as he looked at Jeremy’s dazed face.

It had been worth coming all the way here. He’d have to breathe in the dawn air a little for the trouble, but it was worth it.

“Your Grace… why are you here… how…?”

Jeremy still looked stunned and babbled incoherently.

“Please, sit down first.”

Yuan politely offered him a seat. Jeremy, bewildered, nodded and sank onto the sofa.

Blinking, Jeremy stared across at Yuan from the sofa. He couldn’t make sense of the situation at all.

The man who’d bought the title deed and house deed was Duke Prekthuster. What on earth was going on?

“You look very surprised.”

“Yes.”

With his spirit still seeming to have left his body, Jeremy nodded at Yuan’s remark.

A trace of Sereret crossed that face, and Yuan felt quietly pleased. Siblings were siblings—he liked the man before him.

Even for causing this whole mess.

“When I heard that the Viscount Inohater’s title deed had been put up on the market, I ordered it secured immediately.”

“Oh—yes.”

Jeremy still hadn’t fully grasped the situation and merely nodded blankly.

Then it dawned on him how fortunate it was that the title deed and house deed were in Yuan’s hands.

“Thank you, Your Grace! Thank you so much.”

Jeremy’s voice was on the edge of tears as he repeatedly thanked Yuan.

He felt immense relief that the deeds were not in someone else’s hands. He’d been saved.

“We’ll return the title deed to you.”

At Yuan’s words, the aide beside him promptly withdrew an envelope from a bag and handed it to Jeremy.

Jeremy hurriedly opened the envelope and checked the title deed inside. It was worth more to his father than life itself.

“Thank you. Really, thank you.”

Holding back welling tears, Jeremy managed to express his gratitude.

After carefully returning the title deed to the envelope, Jeremy stared at the aide. There was one more thing he expected to receive.

He looked at the aide with a face that plainly asked why the house deed wasn’t being returned as well, when Yuan spoke.

“There is one more thing.”

“Yes, Your Grace. The house deed…”

Jeremy trailed off, glancing at Yuan.

“If it’s all right, could that be returned a little later?”

“Huh? The house deed?”

“I have a use for it.”

Yuan’s eyes took on a serious look. He now held the most certain way to keep his runaway fiancée from escaping entirely—something to hold her by the ankle.

She might have run off, saying she needed neither the emperor’s letter nor a medal, but she would still need the title deed and the house deed.

“Use? For what would you use it…?”

Jeremy watched Yuan anxiously.

“You needn’t worry. I will return it.”

“Of course. The duke will naturally return it.”

Jeremy nodded repeatedly at Yuan as if to soothe his own anxiety.

“I’d prefer that the Lady Inohater not know I was involved.”

Yuan spoke. He already knew that Sereret planned to stay longer at the duke’s residence because of the trouble Jeremy had caused.

The coachman and the servants who guarded the estate gates had told him enough—about Sereret meeting Jeremy as she packed to leave, about how she had chased after the fleeing Jeremy, handed him clothes and jewels, and sent him away. With the report that the Inohater title and deeds had been circulated, matching up the before-and-after was easy.

“Keep it a secret?”

Jeremy blinked as if to ask why.

“Tell her that the title deed has been returned, but that the house deed has not yet been recovered.”

“Ah—yes. I understand.”

Jeremy nodded earnestly.

“Say that the title deed was recovered, but the house deed has not yet been returned.”

“All right. Besides, Sereret probably only gave that to him to get the title deed back—she wouldn’t have expected the house deed as well.”

Jeremy glanced at the box placed on the seat beside him. “What’s that?” he added.

Although he knew Sereret had given Jeremy clothes and jewelry, Yuan pretended ignorance.

“Oh, it’s clothes and a necklace… well, it’s—”

Jeremy looked to Yuan for guidance.

Those were expensive items; of course they weren’t Sereret’s own—likely purchases from Yuan. Jeremy, having brought them along, felt like he was sitting on a bed of spikes.

“Did Lady Inohater give them to you?”

“She was in a hurry, so she gave them. Because she was in a rush. It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t been tricked—”

Jeremy defended Sereret, his lips pressed tight.

Watching Jeremy’s tearful face, Yuan fought not to smile. Sereret’s flustered act of quickly handing gifts to solve the problem struck him as rather endearing.

It didn’t feel bad at all—rather satisfying to see something useful put to use.

“I’ll take that with me.”

“Yes, of course—you should.”

Jeremy quickly set the box on the table.

“It would be nice to have a meal together, but I don’t have the leeway today. We’ll do it another time.”

Yuan rose from his seat.

“Yes, Your Grace. Thank you very much.”

Jeremy stood and bowed properly, thanking Yuan with formality.

Receiving Jeremy’s thanks, Yuan thought inwardly that he, too, wanted to be the one offering thanks.

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

Dellabaing’s scrutinizing gaze made Sereret smile. She set down her cup of coffee, cleared her throat once, and spoke.

“I know how strange it must seem to ask a lawyer about how much alimony someone who hasn’t even been married can claim.”

“……”

Dellabaing offered only an awkward smile in response.

Seeing that she understood, Sereret took another sip of coffee.

“But this is a very important matter for me.”

“Well, Miss Inohater must have reasons for that.”

At last Dellabaing smiled in understanding.

“Yes. It’s a matter that couldn’t be helped.”

“My concern is simply that she shouldn’t suffer from an unwanted marriage.”

“That won’t happen now.”

Sereret spoke with a bitter expression. She knew of Yuan’s scheme and planned not to submit quietly.

She just had to make sure she didn’t bear a child. She had killed a child before—if she avoided childbirth, at least her life wouldn’t be in immediate danger.

“If you marry with a plan to divorce before it even begins, is that not a marriage foredoomed to unhappiness?”

“If I don’t marry, I’ll be in even worse shape.”

Sereret had a clear view of her situation.

If she broke the engagement now, having not recovered her father’s title and house, she would lose her last shield of protection.

At worst she might be sold off in marriage to another man.

Realistically, the best option was to marry Yuan and then divorce him. The Prekthuster family was Sereret’s only financial lifeline at present.

If she became the Duchess, she might not be able to clear all the debts, but she could manage to raise some funds.

With that she could show a willingness to repay and prevent the title and estate from falling into another’s hands.

Her plan was to receive alimony after divorce and then pay off the debts completely.

“Very well. I respect Miss Inohater’s decision. I’m always on a woman’s side.”

Dellabaing gave a reassuring smile, which put Sereret’s mind at ease.

“First, you should know that alimony itself isn’t that important. The truly important thing is property division.”

“Property division?”

“Alimony amounts are small. Whether you live together one year or ten, even if the other is at fault, the maximum alimony is ten thousand lufings.”

“Ten thousand?”

Sereret felt a sharp disappointment at Dellabaing’s words—only ten thousand lufings.

“But property division is a different matter. It can range from one-tenth up to half.”

“Half?”

The mention of half made Sereret’s heart race. Could she possibly take half of the Prekthuster fortune?

“Half is only possible for couples who have been married over thirty years.”

When Sereret’s eyes widened, Dellabaing chuckled.

Thirty years made Sereret sputter and shake her head. Living thirty years with Yuan? She’d rather be sold off to a random man.

No—she probably couldn’t survive that long. Yuan would kill her within that time.

“I’d be happy with the minimum.”

Sereret spoke. Even one-tenth of the Prekthuster fortune would easily exceed the 170,000 lufings she needed.

The label of being a duke’s ex-wife would follow her forever, but she didn’t care. She had no intention of remarrying. She and her father could live quietly in Morshly.

“To secure one-tenth, you must be married at least one year. And that is only possible if the spouse has clearly committed a wrongdoing.”

“Clearly committed wrongdoing?”

“Such as an affair with another or acts of violence…”

Dellabaing’s voice trailed off, as if to question whether Duke Prekthuster would really commit such acts.

Sereret wanted to blurt out that the scoundrel had done far worse—murdering his wife might suffice—but she kept her mouth shut and merely nodded.

After the consultation with Dellabaing, Sereret headed back to the duke’s residence.

Her conclusion on the way back was: marry first. Since one year was required to claim a portion of the property, she had no choice but to marry Yuan at least for now.

As soon as she returned, Sereret asked the butler where Yuan was.

“He just returned and is in his study.”

Upon hearing this, Sereret made for the study. As she was about to knock, the coachman opened the door first.

The coachman looked surprised at seeing Sereret, bowed his head quickly, and left.

Wondering why he had reacted so, Sereret entered the study.

Yuan, standing by the window, turned at the sound of her presence. He looked oddly pleased, which put Sereret in a bad mood.

Despite her irritation, she had to speak plainly. She pushed aside any cordial greeting and got straight to the point.

“I want to marry. As soon as possible.”

“In my past life, I’ll at least collect the price of my life—Yuan Prekthuster.”