~Chapter 32~
“Yes, young lady.”
Riden once again examined the wall of the treasure vault. After a short while, she found another brick that looked different.
When she turned the brick, a keyhole appeared through the gap.
Without hesitation, Riden took the key from the knight and turned it. The hidden second treasure vault revealed itself.
It was filled with stacks of gold coins and dozens of treasures.
Unlike the first treasure vault, which only contained a pile of silver coins and a few jewelry pieces, this one was on a whole different level in terms of quality and quantity.
‘I can’t believe they recreated everything just like this.’
As Riden gazed down at the treasures with mixed emotions, she turned around.
“How much would the penalty fee be if I decide not to marry? Since these items originally belong to the Duke’s family, I can’t just pay for them in full.”
“……”
“Still, since these are invaluable items, I believe you can at least offer an example for finding them.”
Riden calmly dropped the bombshell.
“I will not marry His Grace the Duke.”
The scene shifted back to the study, where the Duchess, excluding Riden and herself, handled everything.
Even though her marriage partner was Ethan, the fact that the mother-in-law was taking charge of the situation left Riden feeling a little lost again.
The room fell into silence.
Between the two seated, the recovered war trophies lay.
The Duchess, quietly observing Riden, spoke first.
“So, Henji figured it out by looking at the bracelet?”
“Yes, Your Grace… Mother.”
“Still, you seem like an innocent child who doesn’t know much of the world, but I must say, that’s impressive. You have remarkable taste. You were born into a humble family, probably never surrounded by fine things, yet you still possess such an eye for beauty… Now I understand the rumors about you.”
To people who had no appreciation for art, that bracelet must have seemed like just any other piece. But it was a subtle difference.
Riden, who had grown up knowing such fine distinctions, knew exactly what that difference was. Samantha, noticing this, was genuinely impressed.
‘A girl with such taste, born into a humble family and forced to settle for items beneath her standards… no wonder she would feel resentment and bitterness toward the world.’
Samantha could completely understand the bad rumors about Riden.
“I’ll give it to you.”
Samantha said, looking at the jewelry on the table.
“All the things from the treasure vault we found today, they are the ones you discovered, aren’t they? I never even knew they existed, and honestly, I don’t care for such things. I’ll give you the right to dispose of them, so do as you please.”
This was why Samantha had been calm even after Riden’s declaration that she wouldn’t marry.
She viewed Riden’s refusal as nothing more than a tantrum.
Given that the Duke’s family had let the Baron and his daughter act so freely, Samantha understood how disheartened Riden must have felt.
‘No wonder the child is so angry.’
Originally, Samantha had planned to let Riden practice on the Baron’s family before bringing her into high society, but her thinking had been short-sighted.
She had thought scolding the Baron’s family and comforting Riden would solve everything.
‘I need to wake up.’
On the other hand, when the Duchess casually declared that Riden could do whatever she liked with the treasure, Riden felt her mind go blank.
She grasped the hem of her dress as if trying to hold on to her sanity.
“Is it unreasonable to substitute the penalty fee with the discovery of the hidden treasure? If not, please let me know how much I need to pay.”
Samantha interpreted Riden’s words as a request for something better.
Riden’s approach—never giving in immediately, always pushing for what she wanted—reminded Samantha of herself when she was young.
This made her feel satisfied.
“You, always demanding more, never satisfied, just like my daughter-in-law. Go ahead, tell me.”
“What do you mean?”
The Duchess arrogantly lifted her chin.
“What do I have to give you so you’ll stop speaking that cute little complaint of yours? Tell me. If it exists in this world, I’ll find it for you. If it doesn’t exist, tell me, and I’ll make it for you.”
Riden felt a sense of urgency.
This was the turning point in the game—the moment that would lead to either a happy ending or a bad one.
She needed to answer wisely.
‘What can the Duchess, who has influence over both the Western and Eastern Empires, get for me…?’
What could it be?
Only one thing came to mind, but was it really okay to say it?
After hesitating, she carefully opened her mouth.
“Love.”
“……”
“I don’t love His Grace the Duke. Really… not even a little bit.”
This was the usual case in a political marriage.
In this marriage, where everything was perfect, including conditions everyone would envy, Riden had been quietly slipping away, unable to find a trace of her real feelings.
And even the all-powerful Duchess couldn’t give her the truth that she was seeking.
At that moment, from the direction of the study door, they heard a sound of something scraping along the floor.
Riden ignored it and tried to focus on looking directly at the Duchess.
“Can you create the feeling of love for His Grace the Duke?”
“……”
Samantha, seeing her future daughter-in-law, who was so desperate not to marry her son, spoke absentmindedly.
“I thought I had picked up a little chick, but it turns out it’s an eagle chick?”
At that, Riden flinched.
Her throat dried with fear, but she did not react.
Samantha had tried to gaslight her into being a well-behaved, obedient daughter-in-law, but it had failed, so this remark came out.
On the other hand, Samantha, in that moment, had fallen in love.
‘I thought she was just a cute chick, but she’s just like me.’
Samantha remembered the moment she had first fallen in love.
As soon as she saw her husband, she had fallen for him at first sight and without hesitation, she left her position as the empress of the Western Empire and ran to the Eastern Empire.
Riden’s face, determined as she was, reminded Samantha of her younger self.
“Hahahahaha!”
At first, Samantha had tried to build a relationship with her daughter-in-law, just like she had with her two sons.
She’d evaluated her children’s worth as she looked at them, wondering if they were deserving of love. She’d sworn to love them unconditionally.
That’s why, until now, Samantha’s feelings for Riden had been closer to responsibility.
But now, Riden was showing the same face she had when she had fallen in love.
Samantha’s heart raced once again after a long time.
How could she not love a daughter-in-law like this?
She could never let her go.
Samantha casually said,
“What could be lacking in my son, for you to not love him? I want to hear the truth from you, so speak freely. If not, the penalty fee will double.”
‘How could I say that to my future mother-in-law?’
Riden hesitated but, aware of the potential penalty, gathered her thoughts. Having already decided to break the engagement, she wasn’t as afraid as she had been before.
“First of all…”
“……”
“Who would want to marry someone who tells them to get along with their mother? I’ve had enough of that.”
“Hmmm.”
“Then, while he tells me there’s no choice, looking at that face, I find that I do have a choice.”
Samantha, knowing her son well, couldn’t argue.
“It’s impressive, really. A young one speaking truth to an adult’s face like that.”
But, unwilling to give up on Riden, Samantha complimented her briefly before pointing out her son’s good qualities.
“Ethan is cursed. He won’t live long. Can’t you at least live off him until then?”
Riden imagined Ethan’s face.
Long, clear eyes, a sharp nose, elegantly curved lips.
If she had no prior experience with marriage, she might have said yes.
But she shook her head.
If he had that handsome face and still cheated, it would only hurt more. She didn’t want to go down that road.
“I’m sorry.”
“……”
“Please consider this my penalty and call off the marriage, Your Grace.”
“……”
Samantha looked down at Riden, who bowed deeply.
After a long pause, Samantha finally spoke.
“I suppose that’s how it must be.”
‘For now, at least.’
Riden thought she had successfully broken off the engagement.
She had no idea what Samantha was truly thinking inside.
