Chapter 3
It was not just that.
“C-Count! Count!”
The aide who had gone to review the contracts came running back, pale as a sheet.
“All the signatures on the contracts are gone!”
“…W-what?”
“All of them disappeared except for one! The only contract that still has a signature is this one—look at it!”
With trembling hands, the aide held out the Property Transfer Contract.
It was the contract transferring all the property of former Duke Michele Fiochedad Lionet to Hugo Lionet.
Even in his dizzy state, Hugo thought that as long as this contract was still valid, it should be fine.
But then—
“His Grace’s property only includes this house!”
“What?! That’s impossible! Fine, maybe the private funds and personal vault are one thing, but what about the pawnshop?!”
“No, sir—read this!”
The aide shoved forward the property documents issued by the bank.
After reading them, Hugo pressed a hand to his forehead. He felt faint.
“Three days ago… he transferred everything except this house to his granddaughter…?”
“And that’s not all! He also took out a loan using this house as collateral!”
“What do you mean, he took out a loan? How much?”
“Thirty million gold.”
Hugo staggered, then finally collapsed to the ground.
“Tell me there is nothing else left that can shock me.”
“Well… about that…”
Thirty million gold, using this old house as collateral.
Was that even possible?
Thirty million gold was enough to buy the Count’s residence in Fanon, Hugo’s own territory. Fanon was deep countryside, so land was cheap, but still.
While Hugo sat there half out of his mind, the aide continued.
“It wasn’t from an official bank, but from a private lender… and the interest rate is fifty percent per month…”
“…”
“And since Your Lordship inherited not only the house but also the debt along with it… you are required to repay all of it…”
Hugo let out a broken groan, grabbed the back of his neck, and fell over.
The aide, panicking and stomping his feet, finally looked at the completely empty house and shouted,
“No, more importantly, why is the house empty?! Where did the Duke go?! What in the world happened here?!”
No one knew how things had ended up like this, but one thing was certain.
“That girl really inherited Uncle’s awful temper exactly—!”
Hugo finally fainted.
After coming down the mountain, I looked up at the clock tower.
By now, Hugo should have opened the front door.
Imagining him sitting there in shock, completely blank-faced, made me smile.
“Ha, that feels so satisfying.”
After returning to the past, the very first thing I did was receive all of Grandfather’s property.
Everything except the house.
It wasn’t that the house did not matter to me. I had lived there from the day I was born until now, at age twenty.
But if I had to choose between keeping the pawnshop and keeping the house?
Of course I would choose the pawnshop.
“Grandfather would think the same.”
I also needed money, and I needed a way to hit Hugo back, so I chose to throw away the house.
Then I went to the most notorious loan shark in the capital.
“I want to borrow thirty million gold using my house as collateral. Give me the highest interest rate possible.”
Even the loan shark looked dumbfounded.
What kind of debtor willingly asked for the maximum rate?
But my case was different.
‘I’m not the one who’s going to pay it back anyway.’
To make sure no one could dispute it later, I recorded the whole conversation too.
Hugo had clearly said it himself.
Even if there was only debt, it would not be a problem, right?
‘So I kindly gave him a debt that wouldn’t be a problem.’
That was how I got the thirty million gold.
Out of that, I spent twenty million on Grandfather.
‘I saw it in the newspaper in my last life. Belcato Sanitarium.’
It said the facilities and staff were top-class, and the security was excellent.
Back then, I had felt relieved, thinking Grandfather was staying in such a fine place.
‘…But in truth, instead of putting him somewhere nice, they dumped him in the slums.’
Just thinking about it made my heart ache.
So this time, I paid one full year in advance.
The best room, the best treatment program, the best nursing staff—the full VVIP package.
I also asked the sanitarium to sign a confidentiality agreement.
‘They signed it so easily. Money really is powerful.’
I also bought the recording magic tool I had used on Hugo earlier, and a magic ink tool whose writing disappears into the air.
After renting a warehouse to store all the things I had moved out of the house, I had 9.5 million gold left.
‘I need to save the rest.’
Because I would need it for the pawnshop.
Stretching hard, I searched through the pocket of my paint-stained apron.
Even in the dark, the pawnshop key gleamed.
‘By now, Hugo must have checked all the property documents too.’
Hugo would definitely come to the pawnshop soon.
But not immediately. Hugo was simple-minded, the sort of person who could still be talked around.
‘That’s why I acted cooperative. He was so happy that things were going better than expected, he didn’t even check properly.’
There was another reason I had acted obedient.
In my previous life, I had thought over Hugo’s proposal and refused in the end.
Because I would not sign no matter what, he reluctantly called for backup.
A woman who was said to be Hugo’s older sister.
Lady Rosanne, a baroness.
Unlike her younger brother, she was cold and cruel.
‘If it had been her, she wouldn’t have cared about paint at all. She would have gone straight inside to check whether Grandfather was there. Fooling her would’ve been much harder.’
Luckily, Hugo was afraid of Rosanne.
Now that he had secretly signed the contract by himself, been tricked, and even taken on a huge debt, there was no way he would report it to Rosanne. He would desperately try to hide it.
He would probably struggle to fix it himself in secret and only make things worse.
That meant I had bought myself time.
Touching my necklace like it was a lucky charm, I headed to a small hotel in the city.
“I’d like to rent a room.”
Grandfather used to say this:
Before doing something important, you must eat well, rest well, and sleep well.
I was planning to follow his advice.
While waiting for the bathwater and room service, I took out a notebook.
To-Do List
Writing those big words across the first page made my resolve feel stronger.
I carefully wrote down what I had been thinking ever since I returned.
To-Do List
[1. Take back the Lionet family]
When I thought about what kind of revenge would hurt them the most, this was the answer.
After investigating for three days, I learned that the Lionet family was already a complete mess.
They had split titles among themselves while fighting over the inheritance, and had already sold off the most valuable territories.
I wanted to take back the Lionet family that those people were ruining so thoroughly.
Along with Grandfather’s honor, after he had been cast out.
‘To begin with, does it make any sense for someone as high as a Duke to be expelled from the family?’
Unless someone had framed him and driven him out to steal his title and territory.
And the reason for Grandfather’s expulsion had never been made public.
Would they really let someone who had committed some terrible secret crime off with only expulsion?
That made no sense.
‘I need to find out who dared do that to him.’
To-Do List
[1. Take back the Lionet family]
[2. Run the pawnshop well]
Since I had inherited the pawnshop anyway, I had no intention of doing things halfway.
It was a way to earn money, and it was also Grandfather’s beloved shop—but more than anything, I loved that place.
To me as a child, the pawnshop full of strange and fascinating objects had felt like a treasure house.
‘Though he didn’t take me there often. He was probably worried I’d break something.’
I had always dreamed of running the pawnshop together with Grandfather, quietly and happily.
Now it was time to use everything I had learned.
To-Do List
[1. Take back the Lionet family]
[2. Run the pawnshop well]
[3. ]
I stopped for a moment before writing the last item.
For some reason, my eyes felt hot.
After taking a deep breath, I carefully wrote the words as neatly as I could.
To-Do List
[1. Take back the Lionet family]
[2. Run the pawnshop well]
[3. Find a way to treat Grandfather]
The truth was, things would be much easier if I asked Grandfather for help.
Running the pawnshop, taking revenge on the Lionets, even finding out exactly how much private wealth Grandfather had—the very thing those people were so desperate to steal.
‘But…’
I could not do that.
I simply could not.
“…Who are you? Who are you, and why are you here?”
“Grandfather, what are you saying? It’s me. I’m your granddaughter, Elisha…”
Because Grandfather sometimes forgot even me.
