Chapter 20

The carriage moved through the city, eventually entering a district filled with financial and legal offices. It stopped in front of a stately wooden building painted in muted tones. Inside, a man seated at a large desk rose and greeted them politely.

“Duke Estricen. Miss Amelie, we’ve been expecting you.”

The man, who introduced himself as a lawyer, presented a document to Amelie, which had been carefully placed on the desk.

“This is…”

Amelie’s peach-colored eyes widened as she read the contents of the document.

It was her parents’ will.

“Viscount Grint and his wife, fearing that Marcus Grint might seize your inheritance in the event of an untimely accident, prepared this will in advance.”

The contents of the will stated that the Grint family’s inheritance was to be divided equally between Amelie and her brother. Amelie’s eyes reddened.

“But the notary told me that my parents left everything to my brother…”

The lawyer’s face briefly twisted in anger. He sighed softly, as though in regret, and began to explain slowly.

“First of all, they weren’t notaries.”

“What?”

“They were nothing but thugs hired by Marcus Grint to impersonate notaries. Marcus Grint forged the will, but since he couldn’t acquire Viscount Grint’s seal, he was unable to show you the actual document.”

“…”

“So, he used those thugs to deceive you, intending to later forge a will with the seal after securing it.”

The Viscount’s seal had another purpose. Only the person who possessed the seal could be recognized as the next Viscount. Unable to obtain the seal, Marcus decided to bribe the relevant parties to gain recognition for the title, pouring all his money into gambling. In the process, he even came to the capital and stole the money Amelie had saved.

“That damned Marcus Grint…”

Amelie muttered through clenched teeth. In the end, this scoundrel, unworthy of being called her brother, had squandered their parents’ fortune in his greed to seize the inheritance.

Amelie wasn’t a violent person, but at that moment, she thought she would have slapped her brother with all her strength if he were in front of her. Kailo, who had been watching her, gave a faint smile. At his signal, the lawyer continued speaking, his tone brighter.

“Fortunately, Marcus Grint was unable to lay a finger on the Viscountcy’s assets.”

Amelie blinked her large eyes.

Hadn’t he just said Marcus had gambled away all his money?

This time, Kailo, who had been quiet until now, answered her unspoken question.

“The keys to the Viscountcy’s treasury were hidden with the Viscount Grint’s seal in a secret location known only to you, the Viscount’s daughter.”

“…!”

When the lawyer opened a drawer and placed a familiar item on the desk, Amelie couldn’t help but be surprised.

On a velvet cloth lay the Viscount Grint’s seal and the key to the Viscountcy’s treasure vault.

As if entranced, she reached out to touch the seal and the will. Seeing these items, infused with her parents’ essence, felt as though she were seeing them again. Her eyes grew wet.

“You… you wouldn’t have had time for something like this.”

Quickly wiping her eyes, she turned her head, and Kailo gently tucked her hair behind her ear.

“How could I not make time for you?”

Amelie blinked in a daze.

“Feeling that your sudden change in attitude was strange, I did some investigating.”

“…”

She recalled the days after she had told him she wanted to end things, during which Kailo hadn’t appeared. 

‘So he went to the Viscountcy during that time?’

She had assumed he was either busy or had grown tired of her, but he had been working on this. Before she could fully process her emotions, Kailo surprised her again.

“Marcus Grint’s misdeeds left a long trail, making it easy to gather evidence. After throwing him into the capital’s detention center, I was pondering how to recover everything that belonged to you.”

“D-Detention center?”

“Marcus Grint has been charged with concealing and forging the Viscount couple’s will, embezzlement and misappropriation of assets, fraud, and illegal gambling. He is currently in custody.”

The lawyer answered. Amelie felt bewildered.

While she had been worrying about Marcus’s threats and schemes, Kailo had already locked him up.

“It seems he caused quite a commotion, demanding to see the Duke of Estricen and claiming he had some document, insisting on meeting you, Miss Amelie.”

At the mention of a “document,” Amelie’s expression darkened for a moment. But Kailo patted her back reassuringly and chuckled softly.

“Trying to blackmail the Estricen family with something as trivial as a deposit slip? Ridiculous.”

“…You’re right.”

“The Estricen family is not so careless as to leave room for such threats, Amelie.”

Amelie nodded quietly.

Although she had known it wouldn’t work, she had still been unreasonably frightened when the situation arose.

‘I should’ve just told him sooner.’

Now that the matter was resolved so cleanly, she regretted not trusting Kailo earlier.

“By any chance…”

He hesitated, looking slightly concerned.

“If you feel inclined to meet Marcus Grint or help him…”

“No, not at all.”

Amelie cut him off firmly.

Even though her blood relative was in prison, she felt no pity. She felt a strange mix of emptiness and relief, but that was all. There was no reason to stop Marcus from paying for his crimes. If possible, she hoped never to see him again.

“Good.”

Kailo’s lips curved into a satisfied smile at her resolute answer.

“But how did you find these?”

She gestured toward the seal, key, and will on the desk. It was the last question lingering in her mind.

Kailo smiled as he replied.

“You told me.”

Amelie tilted her head in confusion, then widened her peach-colored eyes as realization dawned.

Slowly but surely, the pieces fell into place.

〈When I was young, my parents used to hide gifts for me in the tree on the south side of the garden whenever I did something well or when they wanted to encourage me.〉

〈The keys to the Viscountcy’s treasury were hidden with the Viscount Grint’s seal in a secret location known only to you, the Viscount’s daughter.〉

“Th-Then…”

Amelie was at a loss for words as she looked at him.

The things she had mumbled during the stormy night had been nothing more than pathetic ramblings. Hardly worth remembering for someone as remarkable as Kailo, who could forget them in a single night.

She had assumed he had let her words go in one ear and out the other, never imagining that Kailo had listened so intently. Not only had he listened, but he had also investigated her family’s troubles and resolved them. 

All within a single night, he had sent people to the Viscountcy and found the tree in the southern garden where the items had been hidden.

It was something only the Duke of Estricen, with his power and decisiveness, could have accomplished.

How could she possibly repay such immense kindness?

No, this wasn’t just a matter of repayment.

‘Your Grace’s feelings…’

Her heart pounded wildly as the realization hit her. Beneath the layer of tension and doubt lay a joy so overwhelming it felt ready to burst.

Amelie understood.

The desire to be with him, to touch him.

The jealousy he felt toward other men close to her.

The willingness to spend time and effort to help her and recover what was important to her.

Kailo von Estricen loved her.

A pure, radiant smile blossomed on Amelie’s face. Seeing it, Kailo instinctively leaned in to press his lips to her cheek.

“Ahem, ahem!”

The tense atmosphere was broken by the lawyer’s deliberate cough. Startled, Amelie quickly stepped back, and Kailo cast a sidelong glare at the lawyer.

“Your Grace, Duke of Estricen, there is still an important matter left to address.”

“What is it?”

Kailo’s icy gaze finally softened as he turned to face the lawyer. The lawyer, who had been sweating nervously, cleared his throat again before speaking. What he said next was the most surprising news of all, as though delivering a final blow.

“According to the Viscountcy’s regulations, if the heir is unable to move freely due to long-term hospitalization or imprisonment….”

“…!”

“The next Viscount Grint is none other than you, Lady Amelie.”

The lawyer gestured respectfully towards the two treasures of the Viscountcy before bowing his head.

“Congratulations on your succession, Viscount.”