Chapter 1.4

Fortunately, her mother didn’t leave the Baron’s house. Or rather, she couldn’t. The Baron’s men were keeping an eye on her. Whenever her mother suffered from withdrawal symptoms and tried to harm herself, the Baron—or his men—would forcibly intervene. They even administered alternative medications to alleviate her withdrawal symptoms.  

Leticia was genuinely grateful for this. While the Baron had initially spoken harshly to her mother, his actions had more than made up for it, even helping her forget his earlier insults.  

Because of this, Leticia focused on finding a job as quickly as possible to free herself from the guilt and debt.  

A noble who works isn’t a true noble.

That was what people often said. But Leticia wasn’t truly a noble; she was no different from a commoner. The “Evris” family name she carried was nothing more than a façade. Although her mother and the Baron were not yet divorced, Leticia decided to abandon her family name and live as a commoner—just Leticia.  

She combed through the job listings in the newspaper.  

Server, cashier, maid, tutor… There were various positions available, but she hesitated to reach out. After all, she had never worked a day in her life.  

After much deliberation, she decided to apply for a server position at a café. But just contacting them didn’t guarantee she’d be hired. She was repeatedly passed over for more experienced candidates, but eventually, she found work at a small café on the outskirts of downtown.  

As expected, her lack of skill earned her plenty of scoldings.  

“Why can’t you even do something this simple?”  

Anne, a staff member one year younger than Leticia, looked at her with a mix of disbelief and frustration. In the café, age didn’t matter—what mattered was competence.  

Having shed the pretense of nobility, Leticia was nothing more than an inexperienced and utterly inept young woman. It took her a long time to accept and come to terms with this realization.  

How many people could quickly and honestly acknowledge their own worthlessness?  

Once she resolved to accept it and learn from the ground up, things started to change. Gradually, she adapted to the work and even began handling customers smoothly. Anne, who had once scolded her, eventually patted her shoulder and praised her.  

“Finally getting the hang of it? Let’s keep working well together.”  

Even though it was a small café, the sense of accomplishment was enough for Leticia. She started to take pride in her work. Initially, everything had seemed overwhelming, but now it wasn’t. She began to enjoy working. The feeling of being useful, of being needed—these things filled the void inside her, even if only slightly.  

But, as expected, life didn’t go smoothly.  

On her way home after finishing work, Leticia’s steps faltered as she noticed men loitering nearby.  

Their faces were familiar. They were the same men who had barged into her house before and left it in ruins.  

As soon as their eyes met Leticia’s, they approached her. Her body froze.  

One of the men held out a promissory note, waving it in front of her face.  

“You recognize your mother’s handwriting, don’t you? Do you know how much she owes me?”  

Leticia had no idea how much her mother owed or to whom. She stepped back and shook her head.  

“I don’t know anything about my mother’s debts.”  

“Don’t play dumb! Your mother’s been hiding from us for ages! Isn’t that obvious?”  

“No, she must’ve hidden the money at home!”  

The men surrounded her. Fear surged as several burly men closed in on her. There was no room to retreat. Her body stiffened, her hair stood on end, and her mouth went dry. Leticia clenched her fists, trying to feign calmness.  

“I… really don’t know anything.”  

“Whether you know or not doesn’t matter. You have to pay up! Hand over the money!”  

Leticia did have some money, but it was nowhere near enough to cover their demands. Her mother’s debt was far too large for her to pay off through her earnings. The pride and hope she had felt while working crumbled in an instant, as though she had crashed into an insurmountable wall.  

Overwhelmed by the harsh reality, Leticia lowered her head. One of the men grabbed her shoulder and shook her violently.  

“You and your mother couldn’t pay off this debt even if we sold you both as slaves! If we sold you to Lusa, the money you’d make wouldn’t even cover the interest!”  

Lusa. The name alone made her head spin. It was a notorious brothel located on the outskirts of the capital, Rebram. Every citizen of the Empire knew of Lusa. The saying went that once you entered, you could never leave. Being sold there was tantamount to losing all hope of escape.  

“Forget it. She’s useless. Selling her is the best option.”  

Another man spoke, and voices of agreement echoed around her. Leticia felt as though all the blood had drained to her feet. Fear manifested physically, and her body began trembling uncontrollably despite her attempts to stay calm.  

“Take us to where your mother is. Now!”  

The man who had grabbed her shoulder now seized her wrist and started dragging her forward. When she didn’t move, he shouted at her.  

“Move before we sell you off on a ship!”  

Sell her off on a ship… The implication was clear. They were threatening to sell her as a s*x slave to another country. Being sold abroad was just as infamous as being sent to Lusa. In a foreign land where she couldn’t even speak the language, the only work she’d be forced into was obvious.  

At least Lusa offered the faintest hope of escape, but once aboard a ship, even that hope would vanish like a mirage.  

Her teeth chattered audibly. Unable to resist the man’s threats any longer, Leticia began walking forward.  

Leticia could feel the stares around her. While there was some pity in those glances, they were few and far between. Most people looked at her with nothing but curiosity.  

The closer she got to the Baron’s house, the harder it became to breathe. By the time the house came into view, the man escorting her stopped walking. Leticia, who had been walking with her head half-lowered, slowly raised her gaze.  

Standing before her was Karl Lavresion. Unlike before, his usual sly smile was nowhere to be seen. His expression was completely blank, his crimson eyes cold.  

Two of his subordinates stood beside him. Karl scanned Leticia and the men surrounding her before he began walking toward her. Leticia could only stare at him, unable to comprehend the situation. She didn’t know why he was near the Baron’s house or why he was approaching her.  

“Leticia Evris.”  

He called her name. Leticia’s response came a beat too late.  

“Hand me the promissory notes.”  

Karl Lavresion extended his hand toward the men surrounding her. The men holding the notes quickly handed them over, recognizing his status from the way he was dressed.  

“Hmm… these are all copies. Where are the originals?”  

“The originals are with us.”  

“Copies aren’t accurate. Lending money to a mentally unstable woman and demanding repayment… your employer must be quite something.”  

Karl spoke with a sneer before letting a sly smile creep onto his lips.  

“Fifty thousand slems should suffice, right?”  

Fifty thousand slems. The amount was staggering, and Leticia’s mouth fell open in shock. Upon hearing the figure, everyone except Karl Lavresion reacted—Leticia and his subordinates with shock, the debt collectors with glee. Karl casually pulled out the money, as if retrieving a cigarette, and handed it to the debt collectors.  

“Handle this properly. Ah, Ronan, look into Haniel Evris’s debts. Find out exactly how much she owes and to whom.”  

“Yes, Your Lordship.”  

One of Karl’s subordinates bowed and left the scene. Karl then glanced at the debt collectors, who were busy dividing the money among themselves, before fixing his gaze on Leticia. The moment their eyes met, Leticia flinched and turned her head away.  

The men, now holding the money, had a sudden change in demeanor. The one who had been dragging her by the wrist now smiled sheepishly, as if he had never been aggressive.  

“Go on. You’ll hear about the remaining amount soon enough.”  

“Yes, Sir!”  

With their purpose fulfilled, the men quickly left. The only ones remaining were Leticia, Karl Lavresion, and one of his subordinates.  

“Hans, you can go too.”  

After the subordinate left, only Karl and Leticia remained. He looked at her and smiled.  

“You owe me one now, don’t you?”  

Leticia pressed her lips together before looking up at him with defiance.  

“I never asked for your help.”  

“Then how about repaying the fifty thousand slems right now?”  

Her mouth clamped shut again. She didn’t have that kind of money. Fifty thousand slems… her monthly wage was twenty Sols. Even if she worked her entire life, she wouldn’t be able to repay it. She couldn’t even believe her mother had accrued such a debt, let alone that fifty thousand slems wasn’t the end of it.  

“How about sleeping with me to settle the debt?”