TCBUP 16

16. Ruin.

Even though Nox had said that, I couldn’t give up without trying anything.

So, grasping at straws, I wandered around from place to place.

I went to the administration office, lawyers, and even the police. I considered organizing collective action and visited other tenants, but no one would engage with me once they heard it was under an imperial decree.

An imperial order that supersedes the law.

The landlord is above the creator, and above that, the Emperor.

I never imagined I’d experience a society this imperialist, this feudal, so vividly.

“Sigh. My building, my future, my hope…”

I sat in a café with a good view of the building and muttered blankly.

It had become routine to gaze at it longingly, like staring at an ex-boyfriend I hadn’t wanted to leave but was forced to part ways with.

Watching the workers busily moving back and forth, as if something was indeed being done, only made my insides boil with frustration.

“What exactly are they building?”

That high, oppressive wall didn’t look like something for a welfare facility.

I was curious, but the intimidating men guarding the entrance chased me off so fiercely that I couldn’t get anywhere near.

One day, after time had passed and I’d moved from anger to resignation, I noticed something suspicious while sitting at the café again in the late afternoon.

The tall, rough wall remained the same, but carriages were entering from a rear entrance, not the one by the street.

It wouldn’t have been strange for people to come and go at a welfare facility, but all the carriages were the elegant kind used by nobles.

“This is suspicious.”

It was supposed to be a welfare facility for commoners, but all the visitors were clearly nobles.

So I watched for a few days, and it was always the same.

I got up from the café and slowly made my way toward the building.

I figured that, since I’m a noble too, I might be able to get in.

“Hm.”

I hid around a corner and observed the people entering.

My hunch was right. Everyone was dressed in extravagant clothing.

I suddenly realized how plain I looked in comparison, but since I’d already come this far, I decided I might as well snoop around. I straightened my clothes.

Then, holding my chin high with confidence, I headed to the front gate.

My heart was pounding, but I tried to blend in naturally with the others—only to be stopped right away.

“What is it?”

I looked up at the security guard who had grabbed me with a frown.

“Why?”

“Please show your invitation.”

“I’m Siena from the House of Hargreaves.”

“Even so, you cannot enter without an invitation.”

I tried to push past him, but the burly man blocked the way so completely that I couldn’t move forward at all.

Even when I tried to peek around him, he shifted his body to block my view.

“I just forgot to bring it. The House of Hargreaves must be on the guest list.”

“Even if it is, I’ve been ordered not to let anyone in without the physical invitation.”

The tighter-than-expected security only raised more suspicions.

I glared at the guard, but he remained still, hands behind his back.

“Please come back with the invitation.”

He stepped forward threateningly.

As the large man loomed closer, casting a shadow over my whole body, I got scared.

Reluctantly backing away, I glared at him as I retreated, a small act of defiance.

But when our eyes met, he shot me a threatening look that clearly meant “Get lost.”

Startled, I quickly turned the corner and ran away.

“I need to find out what’s going on inside to come up with a plan.”

But I had no idea who to ask—or how—to get an invitation.

Since the building now belonged to the imperial family, the invitations must have been sent out by them. Most nobles probably received one.

“Did my parents get one too?”

But I couldn’t just barge in and demand an invitation from parents who hadn’t contacted me once.

Even mentioning the invitation might get me thrown out immediately under the excuse of the agreement.

“Who else can I ask…?”

Actually, someone did come to mind.

The greatest beneficiary of our fund, and someone who surely received an imperial invitation: Duke Damian Ortiz.

But if I were to ask him for an invitation, I’d have to explain why I wanted it.

“Should I just say I’m curious and want to see it?”

After all, I had told him never to see me again, even listing the places we might bump into each other and asking him to avoid them. And now I’d show up asking for an invitation with some flimsy excuse?

I had some shame; I couldn’t do that.

“Or should I tell him everything?”

Actually, I designed the fund you invested in.

I need to find out why this situation occurred.

Please help me.

Like that.

“……”

Either way, I didn’t like it.

But I couldn’t think of any other options.

Damian was the only high-ranking noble I knew, and he was involved.

* * *

The next day, I stood before the grand front door of Duke Ortiz’s mansion.

I reached for the doorbell but hesitated. Then reached again, then hesitated again.

After repeating that several times, I finally managed to press it with my eyes tightly shut.

A few seconds passed—what felt like an eternity—and the heavy front door opened to reveal a familiar man.

“It’s been a while, Lady Siena.”

The butler bowed politely as he opened the door.

“Indeed. Have you been well?”

“I’m always the same. Are you here to see the Duke?”

“I don’t have an appointment, but I have urgent business.”

“I see. The Duke is in the middle of important work right now. Would you mind waiting a moment? I’ll inform him right away.”

“Of course.”

“This way, my lady.”

The white-haired butler, who had served the Ortiz estate for many years, must have been surprised to see me—someone who had broken off an engagement—suddenly appear, but he remained composed.

Without showing any emotion, he led me to the drawing room and left.

A short while later, he returned with a silver tray holding neatly cut fruit, cookies, and the lavender Earl Grey tea I always drank whenever I visited.

“Please enjoy while you wait. I’ve informed the Duke—he will be with you shortly.”

“Thank you.”

With a faint smile, the butler left the room again.

Left alone, I anxiously reached for the teacup.

I hadn’t had much of an appetite lately, barely eating, and though the fruit and cookies looked good, I couldn’t bring myself to touch them.

I rehearsed what I wanted to say to Damian, going over it in my head and muttering under my breath while I waited.

“Sigh.”

After emptying the teacup, I took a deep breath and finally looked around the drawing room.

It was a familiar space.

In fact, the whole mansion was, but especially this room I had visited since childhood—it now felt oddly unfamiliar.

As I was quietly looking around, I heard the door open and quickly stood up.

Damian walked in, loosening his tie with a weary look on his face.

“Hello—”

“I thought that kind of letter meant you didn’t want to see me again.”

“……”

I stopped mid-bow.

I had sent Damian a letter listing the places I absolutely couldn’t give up, asking that we never run into each other at those locations.

“Yes, that was the intent behind that letter.”

“Then?”

“Something urgent came up that I need to discuss.”

“What is it?”

Damian furrowed his brows slightly and stared at me intently.

His gaze slowly scanned me, as if trying to read my intentions, and just when it began to feel burdensome, he sat down on the sofa.

“I also have something I wanted to ask, so this works out. Let’s sit and talk.”

“Alright.”

As I sat, his gaze followed me and landed on the table.

He noticed the empty teacup and untouched plates of fruit and cookies.

“You should’ve asked for more tea.”

“No, thank you. I know you’re busy, so let me get straight to the point. Have you received an invitation from the imperial family?”

“Who knows. I’ve been turning down all invitations lately, so I haven’t checked closely.”

“Then that’s perfect. Please transfer that invitation to me.”

Damian stared at me for a moment, then called the butler and instructed him to bring all the unopened mail from his office.

He also told him to refill my teacup.

I declined again, hoping to get the invitation quickly and leave, but Damian didn’t budge.

That hadn’t changed. I figured it would be useless to argue, so I kept quiet.

“Why do you need the invitation?”

“I designed the structure of the real estate fund you invested in.”

“What?”

“I’ve suffered a loss because the building was forcibly seized, and I recently discovered it’s being used for something suspicious. I want to check it out.”