At the mention of the name ‘Declen,’ Viscount Hardin’s hand, which had been stroking his chin, stopped abruptly. The tremor in his hand, a symptom of his struggle with alcohol, seemed to have subsided. She couldn’t be sure if he had quit drinking completely, but it was clear that he had cut back.

Despite her anxiety, Chloe felt a glimmer of hope and began to observe her father closely.

“That matter has been resolved, so don’t worry about it.”

Chloe sensed something was amiss when Viscount Hardin brushed off her question as if it were nothing. ‘That matter’ and ‘resolved’… It was clear that there had been some kind of problem.

But before she could speak, Viscount Hardin casually asked,

“By any chance, do you still have ties with Duke Dietrich?”

Chloe’s face hardened at his unexpected question. Ties with Duke Dietrich?

“What do you mean?”

“I just thought I should know, just in case. If there’s anything going on, you should let your father know.”

Chloe didn’t miss the hint of curiosity in Viscount Hardin’s expression. Andert and her father were no longer on good terms. So why was he asking this? She had a bad feeling about this.

“Did something happen with the Dietrich family? Please tell me everything, exactly as it happened.”

Pressed for an answer, Viscount Hardin coughed repeatedly. Chloe took a deep breath to calm her rising frustration.

“Father!”

Only after repeated calls did the Viscount finally confide in her.

“I don’t know the exact reason, but some time ago, Duke Dietrich helped me out. You see, I got caught up in a fraud case and was sued. And the person who came to the Hanover Police Department and settled the matter cleanly was a lawyer from the Dietrich family.”

“……”

Chloe was at a loss for words.

Not only had her father been involved in a fraud case, but he had received help from the Dietrich family again. She couldn’t comprehend the situation and finally managed to speak.

“What was the name of the lawyer who came to the police station?”

“His name… Ah, Daniel Hansen. I think that was his name. Chloe, this time, I was falsely accused. I had nowhere else to turn, and I thought maybe you might be in touch with them, so I even went to Countess Declen.”

Viscount Hardin threw up his hands defensively.

But Chloe had to struggle to contain her anger. The fact that Daniel had gotten involved meant that the Duke had given the order. Her father, receiving help from the Dietrich family even after their divorce…

She wanted to face Andert with her head held high, at least one last time. But why was even that so difficult?

“Father, you went to the Duke Dietrich for help?”

Her sharp question was laced with tears she couldn’t hold back. Chloe was devastated by the confirmed truth.

Just how much money was it?

Chloe’s lips trembled as she learned the amount stated in the complaint filed against her father. Even if she saved every penny of her monthly salary, it would take her over ten years to repay the debt.

It was an amount she couldn’t easily repay. Her future, which had been filled with the promise of a new career and a sense of purpose, suddenly felt insignificant.

“Father, why…… did you take that money? Do you still not understand how I felt when I left the Dietrich family?”

Tears streamed down Chloe’s cheeks, and her voice shook uncontrollably. 

She couldn’t believe this had happened. She felt ridiculous for pretending to be calm and composed in front of Andert yesterday, acting like she knew nothing about it. What must he have thought, seeing her like that, completely oblivious? 

Besides, he hadn’t even hinted at something like this happening. Why?

“Chloe, it was an unavoidable situation. I couldn’t get in touch with you, and I had nowhere else to turn for help. If it weren’t for that, I would never have gone to Duke Dietrich.”

“Father, please!”

Viscount Hardin, about to make more excuses, closed his mouth at his daughter’s sharp cry. 

He couldn’t deny that he was ashamed of himself for this incident. Still, the accusation of being a fraud was truly unfair. 

After Chloe left, he had been working hard to quit drinking. It was those scammers who first approached him, a man who had been living quietly, and suggested he introduce investors to them. 

“Viscount, would you introduce investors from Hanover to our company? As it is an investment that guarantees stable profits, a certain amount of profit will be distributed to you as well.”

Of course, he had no excuse for being completely fooled by the plausible name of an investment company. 

But for them to all disappear with the money at once! After confirming the truth, the Viscount was devastated, as if the sky had fallen.

It was a clear mistake to drink alcohol in a fit of anger and cause a scene. He fully understood the demand for compensation for the damaged furnishings. 

But fraud! He was also clearly a victim. But there was nothing he could do against those who, without knowing anything, accused him of being a criminal. 

“Aren’t you in cahoots with them, Viscount? That’s why you lured me into investing my money there. I invested my money trusting the Hardin family, so naturally, you should return it to me, shouldn’t you?”

If it hadn’t been for such a crazy situation, he wouldn’t have gone to Duke Dietrich. 

He had already politely sent Andert away when he visited Hanover. This was because he was bothered by his daughter’s last request not to lower his head to the Dietrich family anymore. 

To go back to such a person and ask for help again… No matter how much he swallowed his pride, it wasn’t an easy path.

But he couldn’t just be falsely accused of fraud and imprisoned, could he?

So, Viscount Hardin swallowed his shame and went to Duke Dietrich. At the time, he felt like he was really clutching at straws. 

Andert, however, had only sent word through the butler that he wouldn’t meet him. He hadn’t expected that Dietrich’s lawyer, a pale man, would visit him afterward. 

“I will take charge of the complaint filed against you, Viscount. I will also handle all matters from now on.”

Anyway, as he was in desperate need of help, the Viscount accepted the favor without a word. 

The power of money was truly great. Those who had been red in the face, accusing him of being a scammer, all turned into meek sheep at once. 

Viscount Hardin was also curious about Andert’s true intentions in providing such unexpected help. After all, he was a cold man who could make even his patient and gentle daughter give up. 

Lost in thought, Viscount Hardin cleared his throat, glancing at Chloe, who was catching her breath. Seeing his daughter’s reaction, it was clear that it was over between her and Duke Dietrich. 

Did he help them out of consideration for their past relationship? Or because he couldn’t bear to see the Hardin family name become a laughingstock?

“Ahem.”

Viscount Hardin, continuing his own speculations, cleared his throat awkwardly. It was painful for him to face his daughter, whom he was seeing after several months, with a look of utter devastation on her face.

“Don’t worry. The Hanover Police Department is investigating those scammers. It will soon be revealed that I am innocent.”

It was an attempt to somehow change the subdued atmosphere, but it had the opposite effect. Chloe, who had been sitting silently, asked back listlessly.

“What about the money? The money that the Dietrich family compensated with. Will that be resolved too?”

Even if they caught the scammers, there was no way to repay the money Andert had given them. 

Chloe lowered her head at the familiar reality. She felt her whole body drained of energy, to the point where she had to struggle to maintain her posture. 

“I had no choice at the time. Like I said, your father could have been falsely accused and imprisoned. Besides, if that problem hadn’t been resolved, you wouldn’t have been able to avoid the stigma of being a scammer’s daughter.”

Viscount Hardin’s face, full of resentment, hardened. It was a face that couldn’t hide his frustration at not being understood for his own situation and feelings.

Continuing the conversation wouldn’t lead to any clear solutions. Viscount Hardin wasn’t inherently a bad person. 

However, her father, who had caused countless problems, always blamed something. The target was different each time. Friends who refused to help, relatives, even his own family’s circumstances that led to him losing his entire fortune. 

Viscount Hardin always looked for the cause of his mistakes elsewhere. Just like now. 

“You have no idea how desperate I was at the time. To be falsely accused overnight! No, those bastards must have planned this. There’s no way they could have lured me in like that with all those sweet words otherwise.”

Would anything change even if she tried to talk to her father like this? No, it wouldn’t. 

As soon as Chloe accepted that fact, she got up from the bench. 

“Let’s go.”