Chapter 88
Ten days ago, Sylvia officially registered her name with the Simon Count’s household.
Until then, she had persistently urged the Count to prepare the marriage contract before holding the wedding ceremony.
Finally, the marriage contract they signed had even received the imperial approval.
Sylvia immediately informed Icarus’s master of this.
Three days ago, Sylvia had also notified all the servants working at the Simon Count’s mansion that they were being dismissed.
Everyone was shocked by the sudden dismissal and asked why, and Sylvia, holding back tears, explained:
“The Count’s recent business investment has gone terribly wrong. As a result, this mansion will soon fall into the hands of creditors…”
Sylvia looked around at the servants, buried her face in a handkerchief, and sobbed. After some time, she finally lifted her head.
“When the creditors start to arrive, you will also lose your jobs and have to leave. The Count won’t pay anyone while the family is collapsing.”
Her words caused a stir among the servants.
“As you know, I myself once worked here as a maid. I understand your situation better than anyone. That’s why, without the Count knowing, I’ve prepared this month’s salaries and severance pay for you.”
Sylvia gave them generous severance pay and urged them to leave the mansion quickly, before the creditors arrived.
“If the Count finds out about this, he’ll take back even the severance pay you’ve received!”
Knowing the Count’s notoriously harsh temperament, the servants left the mansion without hesitation.
Two days ago, only the butler, determined to stay until the very end, and a few servants who had not yet packed their belongings, remained in the Simon Count’s mansion.
The Simon Count, who had spent the previous day drinking and enjoying himself with Sylvia, only woke up late in the afternoon.
Upon waking, he immediately demanded a meal and looked for Sylvia and Aiden, but they were nowhere to be seen.
“Madam has gone out with the young master…”
The butler lied as Sylvia had instructed.
‘The Count drank a lot last night out of frustration; he’ll surely be irritable when he wakes. I’ll avoid him with Aiden for a few days. Please, be careful too,’ Sylvia had said before leaving the house early.
“Even Aiden? It’s still cold, and you’re taking that child around!”
The Simon Count slammed the table and shouted.
“Why is the food so poor? And where are all the servants? Are you the one serving me now?”
When the butler brought the food himself, the Count noticed something was odd.
“Well… you see…”
The butler hesitated, recalling Sylvia’s repeated instructions:
‘Don’t you feel sorry for those who worked hard here, enduring the Count’s beatings? Keep secret what they did until they all leave the mansion!’
No matter what he said, the Count would soon discover the truth.
‘Maybe I should have left the mansion back then…’
Though he stayed out of loyalty, serving the Simon Counts since his grandfather’s generation, he began to doubt whether it had been the right choice.
As the butler clenched his eyes shut, preparing to tell the truth, a loud voice interrupted:
“Count Simon! I wondered where you hid after taking my money, and here you are!”
The Count’s door burst open, and large men stormed in.
“Who are these men? Do you have no one outside?!”
Normally, the Count’s guards would have rushed in, but strangely, there was no response.
“Enjoying your meal after cheating me out of my money, huh?”
“And who are you to barge into my house without permission?!”
The Count shouted at the men before him.
“What did you say? Forgotten my face already? The goods you promised to deliver to our Swindle Guild last month never arrived! You assured me it would meet the deadline! Do you know how much we lost? How do you intend to fix this?”
The Count vaguely remembered—they were customers who had recently placed large orders from his factory.
“Ah, I remember! But the goods haven’t arrived? That can’t be. I’ll check immediately!”
Though he was displeased at their rude tone, he restrained his anger since they were still a client.
“Quiet! The deadline has passed, so according to the contract, pay damages and penalties! I doubt we’ll ever deal with you again.”
The man glared, showing the contract.
Only now, seeing the penalty clause, did the Count become fully alert.
“Well, even so, I’ll investigate immediately. Calm down and sit here.”
The contract stipulated that missing even one day of the delivery date required huge damages and ten times the contract deposit.
“We already checked everything. We heard the factory was sold to someone else, yet you lie shamelessly!”
“Sold the factory? Who sold the factory!”
The Count slammed the table in anger.
“Count Simon!”
Then, Marquis Martino, who had long been a business partner, stormed into the room.
“Ah, there you are. I thought you’d fled since the mansion was empty!”
“And what brings you here, Marquis Martino? Fled? Look! Is there no one outside?”
The Count was furious at the servants who had allowed uninvited guests to enter.
Yet, no one answered outside.
“Butler! Where has the butler gone?”
The butler, who had been nearby moments ago, was also missing.
As he stepped outside to search, Marquis Martino grabbed him.
“Where are you going? Didn’t you grant me exclusive rights to this diamond mine? And now you dare to cheat me?”
“Cheat? What are you talking about?”
“I found out you signed multiple contracts for the mining rights with others. I won’t let this slide!”
The Count was overwhelmed by the sudden chaos.
Heading to his business to assess the situation, he realized not even the coachman was available.
Today, the Simon Count was unable to recover from the chaos of creditors suddenly flooding the mansion since yesterday.
The mansion was empty. Since last night, not only Sylvia and Aiden but also the butler and the servants had disappeared.
Even his private soldiers had vanished for some unknown reason.
Threatened by the Swindle Guild to pay the penalties, the Count couldn’t sleep.
He spent sleepless nights scrutinizing the contracts and papers brought by the creditors, but could not make sense of them.
“Who the hell stamped my seal on these?!”
The Count’s seal was on documents he had never approved.
“Could it be… Sylvia?”
She was the only one he suspected. The sudden disappearance of her and the servants was suspicious.
“Damn them all!”
He decided to report the documents as forged to the guards.
As he stepped out, Swindle Guild members blocked his path.
“Move aside at once!”
“Where are you running? If it’s to the bank, I’ll follow. But it seems more guests are coming,” the man said, glancing back.
Looking toward the mansion entrance, the Count saw dozens of burly men approaching menacingly.
“What… what is this…?”
The Count swallowed hard, his tension palpable.
