If her father had still been alive, he would have pressed the issue aggressively, but now the situation had become uncertain.

The one who deserved punishment was gone, and the royal sword from the ancestors remained in the Blante family’s tomb.

Moreover, the current Emperor was not the Empress’s son. His legitimacy was his weakness, so he would never go against the will of his ancestors.

Thus, the punishment would likely be a demotion in title or the confiscation of the fief. Either way, they could survive.

Of course, with their current financial situation, even if the Emperor spared them, they would probably starve to death on their own.

As Ariel examined the financial records, she let out a heavy sigh full of concern.

“The most pressing issue right now… is the debt of the Kuno Trading Company…”

The Kuno Trading Company, the third largest in the Empire.

When the shipping company went bankrupt and dealt a heavy blow to the Blante family’s finances, her father had borrowed a significant amount of money from the Kuno Trading Company.

At that time, before the treason incident, the company had trusted the Blante family’s credit and lent the money without hesitation. But now, the situation had drastically changed.

As soon as the Kuno Trading Company’s owner learned of her father’s death, they immediately began pressuring Ariel to repay the debt.

Although the contract stated that the principal payment wasn’t due for 30 years, there was no obligation to pay immediately, but the company was relentless.

Knowing that the weakened Blante family couldn’t fight back, they ignored the contract and began applying pressure.

“If this ends up in court…”

Ariel narrowed her eyes.

While going to court could delay the repayment, she had no money for a lawyer.

And even if it went to trial, there was no guarantee she would win. After all, legal battles were more about connections and power than justice.

Ariel sent a letter to the Kuno Trading Company requesting their understanding, and began selling everything that could be converted into cash within the Blante family estate.

These were valuable treasures gathered by her ancestors over centuries, but there was no other option. Even if she sold everything, it wouldn’t be enough to settle the debt.

She set aside the financial records and picked up another piece of parchment from the table. It contained a list of lower-ranking nobles who had lent money to the Blante family.

There was still a significant amount of money owed. Ariel had sent letters to them two days ago, asking for repayment, but had yet to receive any replies.

“…I can’t just keep waiting.”

Ariel rang the bell on the table, and soon the butler entered the room.

“You called for me, miss?”

“Butler, none of these people have responded yet, right?”

The butler nodded somberly, his expression filled with concern.

Ariel sighed and set the parchment aside before asking about other matters.

“What about my father’s close friends? Have they responded? Is there still no word from them?”

In addition to the lower nobility, Ariel had sent letters to the high-ranking nobles who had connections with her father, asking for their assistance.

Though none of them had attended her father’s funeral, she had sent the letters in desperation, hoping for any help. Her words were filled with urgent pleas.

But once again, it seemed her efforts were in vain, as the butler lowered his head.

“…There has been no response from anyone, miss. I apologize.”

Though she had anticipated this outcome, Ariel still hoped that at least one person would believe in her father’s truth and honor him.

But reality proved to be harsh. Ariel hid her disappointment as best as she could and spoke.

“It’s not your fault. It’s fine.”

The butler, lifting his head, seemed to hesitate, his lips moving slightly as if he wanted to say something.

“If you have something to say, feel free to speak. At this point, nothing really surprises me anymore.”

Ariel gave a light smile, though she was sincere.

After all, if something else were to shock her now, she might not be able to handle it.

She was already at rock bottom; any further push would lead to a fall.

The butler stepped closer to Ariel and cautiously began to speak.

“Miss, even though we’ve sold off half of the Blante family’s assets, it seems impossible to cover the debt. The estate’s operations are in a similar state. Perhaps filing for bankruptcy would be the best option…”

Ariel shook her head decisively.

“No. If we do that, it will be the end of everything. We need to find a way to survive, somehow… There must be a solution.”

A way to raise the money.

‘…Kylance.’

For a moment, his image came to her mind, but she quickly dismissed the thought.

It was the lingering familiarity that made her think of him. Until recently, Kylance had been a solid companion she could rely on.

But that was no longer true. She couldn’t turn to him for support now, not when things were this difficult.

Furthermore, Kylance had openly handed her the annulment agreement on the day of her father’s funeral.

To ask for his help now?

Not only would he refuse, but she didn’t want to degrade herself that much.

If Kylance was the only option left, she’d rather choose bankruptcy. Even if it meant losing the mansion, she would never reach out to him.

Ariel regained her composure and said with determination.

“Butler, I’ll have to handle this myself.”

“Excuse me? You mean you’re going to do it personally?”

“I need to meet them face to face. They can ignore my letters, but they won’t be able to shut the door on me so easily.”

“But miss… no one will respond to a letter requesting a visit.”

“I’ll go without an appointment. It might be a little rude, but that’s the only way.”

“I’m concerned that you might face difficulties, miss.”

“…Facing hardship is better than going bankrupt. Butler, please prepare the carriage.”

Ariel made up her mind and rose from her seat.

***

The Blante family’s carriage was headed to the Bayern family estate.

While not as prominent as the Blante family, the Bayern family had risen swiftly due to the success of their mining business.

They had made a fortune almost overnight, but their lack of legitimacy led them to strengthen their ties with the Blante family.

Through this long-standing connection, Ariel had become close friends with Cier of the Bayern family since childhood.

She had often helped him navigate high society when he struggled, and he, in turn, had become a reliable friend.

So… at the very least, Cier wouldn’t coldly reject her.

After her engagement, Ariel had been consumed with Duchess lessons at the Duke’s estate, so she hadn’t seen Cier much… but she hoped he would still remember their old friendship.

With a trembling heart, Ariel tightly held the gift box she had prepared for her friend.

“Lady Blante, daughter of the Duke of Blante, has come to see Lady Bayern,” she heard the coachman announce outside the carriage.

Since she had arrived without an appointment, the carriage had to pass through the guards.

After a brief stir, the guard’s response came.

“Please, you may enter.”

Ariel, who had been nervously worrying about being turned away, let out a sigh of relief.

“Miss, please step down.”

The carriage rolled forward a short distance after crossing the gate and came to a stop.

As Ariel stepped out of the carriage, which the coachman had opened for her, she was surprised to see several other noble carriages lined up along the side of the estate.

“Could it be…?”

The carriages from other noble families and the faint sound of music signaled that a party was taking place at the Bayern estate.

“…Miss, would you like to leave?”

The coachman asked cautiously.

She hadn’t been invited to the party, after all. Uninvited guests were usually met with disdain and mockery.

Though she had swallowed her pride to come uninvited, she wasn’t ready to face the humiliation of being ridiculed in front of so many people.

It would only cause trouble for Cier. She would just be an unwelcome guest, disrupting the party’s atmosphere.

Should I leave?

As Ariel was about to turn away, thinking that today might not be the right day, a maid hurried toward her.

“Lady Blante, you’ve been asked to come to the party hall.”

“Cier… wants me to come in?”

Ariel froze in place, taken aback.

Surely, Cier knew how uninvited guests were treated.

The mood of the party would surely be ruined if she entered… so why was he inviting her in?

Ariel hesitated, but the maid nodded and answered.

“Yes. You’ve been asked to come to the party hall.”

Ariel glanced toward the party hall with a strange look in her eyes. After a brief pause, her lips parted slowly.

“…Alright. I’ll go.”

It wouldn’t be polite for an uninvited guest to arrive and then leave without attending. Since Cier had invited her in, she couldn’t turn back now.

And… Cier wouldn’t have called me in just to make a fool of me.

Despite the unease creeping inside her, Ariel chose to ignore it and walked toward the party hall with the maid.

Unfortunately, her uneasy feeling was not mistaken.

As Ariel entered the party hall, her face immediately stiffened after only a few steps.

There was someone there she most certainly didn’t want to encounter.

Kylance Seyerd.

And, not long after their annulment, he was standing next to her friend, someone she knew well.

Watching the two of them together, Ariel couldn’t help but think that perhaps Cier could no longer be considered her friend.

At that moment, whispers began to spread among the nobles as they noticed Ariel standing there, frozen.