16. The Sexy Loan Shark

“What’s going on? I was worried because you didn’t come.”

Bianca, who had secretly brought Katya to her room without being noticed by the servants, sat her sister on the bed and asked.

“There was too much rain at night, so I stayed at an inn halfway.”

“Aren’t you afraid to be alone? Weren’t you scared?”

“Is there a place scarier than Ivan’s house?”

“True.”

Although she said that, even Katya knew that the roads at night were dangerous.

While the city was relatively safe, stepping out of residential areas meant encountering bandits or various criminal groups.

That’s why Bianca initially suggested sneaking out of the room and leaving with the duke’s knights.

But Katya knew that Ivan might come looking for her at any time.

If that happened, a bloody situation would be unavoidable, and she didn’t want the knights to unnecessarily shed blood.

In the worst-case scenario, Ivan, cornered and desperate to keep everything hidden from Duke Smirnov, might call a priest and force a wedding before anyone found out.

A marriage conducted before a priest took effect immediately, even before registering it.

To avoid being dragged back to Petrovsky’s villa, Katya chose to run as far as possible while Bianca bought her time.

If she had ridden alone through the darkness, Katya would have been scared.

If a woman stayed alone at an inn, she wouldn’t just be overcharged for the room.

There was always the chance of becoming a target for crime by those around her.

‘But Niki was there.’

Katya, who had never spent a night out before, could sleep peacefully in a strange place because she was with him.

“Anyway, I’m glad you made it here safely alone.”

Since Nikolai had left first, Bianca hadn’t seen him.

Katya was about to mention the man who brought her here but closed her mouth.

If Bianca, who often lost her composure when it came to her sister, found out she shared a room with a stranger, she’d be shocked, if not faint.

And when she woke up, she’d probably track him down to hold him accountable.

It was a natural reaction since her sister didn’t know how kind Nikolai was.

Katya didn’t want to cause him any more trouble.

“Anyway, you were right. I told them you were asleep and not to wake you, then left, but Ivan caught up a while later.”

Ivan’s subordinates, who had been defeated by Nikolai at the office, reported back to him, saying they saw Katya.

Ivan, who was tracking Katya, found Bianca’s carriage and stopped it, searching inside despite the knights’ attempts to stop him.

But of course, Katya wasn’t inside.

“He was completely fooled. He was shouting about why I was being so rude, asking if you had disappeared, then ran away scared.”

Ivan was probably trembling in fear now, worried that the duke might make an issue out of his daughter’s disappearance.

“It was raining, but everyone wanted to get home quickly, so we didn’t stop and just came straight through. I felt relieved seeing the ribbon you tied along the way.”

It was fortunate they had prepared several raincoats.

“But when I got home and didn’t find you, do you know how surprised I was? I couldn’t sleep at all.”

“Sorry. Get some rest now.”

“You must be tired too. Let’s sleep for a bit. Father stayed up late drinking with friends last night, so he’ll wake up later than usual today.”

There was no need to ask why her father, who had quit drinking long ago, indulged himself.

He must have been excited and popped a bottle to celebrate the fact that his beloved eldest daughter, Katya, was getting married.

How should she tell her father about the broken engagement?

Imagining his deeply disappointed face, Katya felt heavy-hearted.

***

As expected, Duke Smirnov was shocked when he learned of the broken engagement from his daughter.

But it wasn’t disappointment over the failed marriage.

“Did something bad happen to you?”

The duke’s hands trembled as he asked, hoping the answer would be no.

“Did he lay a hand on you…?”

“No, Father! Nothing like that happened.”

If Ivan had been violent, Katya wouldn’t have stayed silent.

“Then why are you suddenly calling off the engagement?”

Although there was mental abuse comparable to physical abuse, she decided to keep it to herself.

If the duke found out what Ivan had done to his cherished daughter at the Petrovsky villa, he might rush over and turn Ivan into a living corpse.

Ivan would deserve it.

But Katya was worried about her father.

She couldn’t bear to tell him everything, fearing he might be so upset that he’d collapse from the shock.

Moreover, Ivan held a secret of Katya’s that she wanted to keep hidden.

If pushed to the edge, he might self-destruct and reveal everything.

Katya planned to secretly write to Ivan, urging him to leave the South if he didn’t want to die at her father’s hands.

Though she desperately wanted to kill him, she couldn’t become a criminal over such a scoundrel.

“It’s a personality difference. Living with him, I found we didn’t match at all.”

“I see. If that’s the reason, it’s a relief you parted ways before marriage….”

Katya knew what her father was worried about.

A broken engagement was better than a divorce, of course.

The southern social circles would buzz about her broken engagement for a while, but it would be forgotten over time.

What was more damaging to Katya’s reputation was the fact that she had cohabited with Ivan before the engagement was broken.

Living together with someone you were to marry wasn’t an issue, but if it ended without marriage, it became a problem.

Especially for women. The fact that they lived with a man would follow them like a shadow for life.

The duke’s heart broke at the thought of his beloved daughter’s name being gossiped about, causing her pain.

“When you sent that letter, I shouldn’t have hastily allowed the cohabitation. I was short-sighted.”

“No, Father. It’s not your fault.”

Katya held her father’s hand tightly.

He didn’t know that even the letter was part of Ivan’s scheme.

“I’ve always had high standards and never intended to marry. As long as I’m confident, who cares what others say?”

“If anyone speaks ill of you, I’ll find them all and make them pay.”

“Father, are you prepared to live with your grown daughter for life?”

“I’d rather not be lonely. I was worried about living alone in this big house after sending my daughters off.”

The duke said with a bright smile.

“Can you live your life taking care of an old father?”

“As long as you provide the money, what couldn’t I do?”

“You rascal!”

The Smirnov father and daughter burst into laughter together.

While the duke, feeling better, spent a pleasant time playing chess with his daughter, someone knocked on the study door.

“It’s me, Your Grace.”

“Come in.”

When permission was granted, the butler entered.

“What’s the matter?”

“You have a visitor.”

“Did someone come to see Bianca? Tell them to wait a bit. She’s talking with the suitor who arrived first.”

“It’s not that… they wish to see Lady Katarina.”

At those words, the father and daughter exchanged surprised glances.

After Gregory fled from the crossbow, suitors had stopped coming.

Moreover, since Katya was still officially engaged to Ivan, it couldn’t be a suitor.

“Did they not give their name?”

The butler smiled awkwardly at her question.

The visitor had insisted on not revealing their identity and just asked to bring Katya.

The butler, who had served the duke’s family faithfully for years, couldn’t refuse the gentleman’s request.

“Well, I’ll go see who it is. It could be someone sent by Petrovsky.”

“Will you be alright alone? You said you parted on good terms, but if he starts bothering you, this father will—”

“It’s okay, Father. If they’re here to deliver that kind of message, I’ll shoot them with a crossbow and send them away.”

Reassuring her father, Katya left the study and followed the butler to the reception room where the man was waiting.

When the door opened and she walked in, she saw a man standing with his back to her by the window.

As she stood there unsure, the butler quietly closed the door behind her.

“You asked for me. May I know who you are?”

At her words, the man slowly turned around.

“Niki?”

But he looked very different from when they parted that morning.

Unlike his commoner attire then, he was now dressed neatly and elegantly like a noble.

Moreover, his hair, which was a dark gray, was now silver.

Before Katya could even process the incongruity, she approached him, her joy at seeing him again taking precedence.

“What brings you to my house?”

“I came to settle a debt.”

“Oh, right! I’m glad you’re here. I’ll give it to you now.”

She rummaged through her pocket, took out her purse, and pulled out some gold coins.

“By the way, the interest has increased significantly.”

“How did it go up so much in just a few hours? Are you a loan shark by trade?”

Katya grumbled as she took out more money, but Nikolai didn’t take it.

“I don’t need money, but I’m here to collect something you might find hard to handle.”

“What is it?”

“In the noble world, spending a night together means taking responsibility for the rest of the person’s life.”

“What… what?”

“Not to mention, we even shared a bed, didn’t we?”

The merciless loan shark, who had come to collect, raised one corner of his mouth and gave a seductive smile.