Chapter 80. The Appropriate Punishment for an Enemy

“Isabelle?”

The Duke asked in disbelief. He hadn’t expected Isabelle’s name to come up suddenly.

“Yes. We are currently investigating what orders were given. The problem is that all those who went on the mission are now missing.”

“That’s not important. What matters is where Sezad Vaikan is.”

“We are currently tracking Sezad Vaikan’s whereabouts, but based on the evidence, it appears the Black Shadow executed him…”

Marco stumbled and fell. The Duke had struck his shin with his cane.

“Ugh.”

Marco barely suppressed a groan and stood up straight, only to be struck several more times. Strangely, though blood flowed freely, it soon stopped, and new flesh grew.

Knowing he wouldn’t die, the Duke’s assault was relentless. He was furious that the Black Shadow had succeeded in killing the target.

It seemed Isabelle had taken care of the subsequent disappearance.

After a while, the Duke, unable to contain his anger, questioned with bloodshot eyes.

“How do you manage the organization? Why are you telling me this important information only now, Marco?”

“I apologize. We communicated personally using a disposable network, so it took time to confirm.”

“Are you trying to blame the communication stone I gave Isabelle for this mess?”

“No, it’s my fault. I didn’t realize someone from the organization had disappeared because I was living undercover.”

“Damn it! Find those missing people immediately!”

The Duke pounded his cane on the floor, clearly showing his displeasure.

Then, suddenly sensing something suspicious, he asked,

“How do you know Sezad was killed?”

“I confirmed the telegram sent to the Duchess through the network. Given that the location tracking is broken, it seems hiding the body was part of the mission.”

The communication device allowed the Black Shadow to be used without conditions. It was given with the promise of no interference in any command. Who knew it would backfire like this?

“So, you haven’t confirmed the body.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Hmm.”

The Duke calmly collected his thoughts. He couldn’t rule out the possibility that Isabelle had hidden Sezad without his knowledge. The fact that she had been using the Black Shadow without revealing it, despite knowing he was searching for Sezad, was highly suspicious.

‘She’s been acting strangely these past few days.’

He couldn’t have missed the signs that Isabelle was trying to organize her affairs, suddenly telling Paris to go to the countryside.

With growing suspicion towards Isabelle, the Duke issued a new order.

“Keep an eye on Isabelle. Track who she meets and what orders she gives.”

This marked the moment a fatal rift appeared between the seemingly solid couple.

* * *

A while later, the Duke of Blanche quietly summoned me to his study. It was good news, as I had been waiting for his call.

“You called for me?”

“Sit.”

Upon arriving at the study, the Duke got straight to the point. In short, he urgently needed money and wanted Francis to guarantee a loan.

Currently, the Blanche family’s credit rating was at its lowest due to the Shepherd Gate scandal in Apelli.

Banks were eager to end their dealings with Blanche early. They saw Blanche’s business as a red flag and feared being blindsided.

It was a raging fire. Who in their right mind would jump into a burning house?

I muttered with a sullen expression,

“I want to help, but I can’t guarantee a loan right now. I’ve used up all my guarantees expanding my business.”

“Are you saying you won’t help?”

The Duke pressed, clearly not wanting to beat around the bush. For someone asking for a loan, he acted as if he had deposited money.

He was full of bluster, as if the current situation was no problem at all. This was proof of how desperate he was.

I calmly intertwined my fingers on my knee and led the conversation.

“So, you need money urgently.”

When I pinpointed his need, the Duke’s face twisted even more. This time, it seemed I had hit too close to home.

It was hard to know how to respond. Anyway, the Duke was the one in need, so it didn’t matter to me. The Duke spoke.

“Yes. If you help me put out this fire, I’ll repay you handsomely. Isn’t that what in-laws are for, to help each other in times like this?”

“Of course. I should help.”

“Thank you…”

“So, I’ve been thinking. While I can’t guarantee a loan from a primary financial institution, how about introducing you to a financial institution under Francis? Have you heard of Montagra Bank?”

“I know Montagra well.”

It was a bank with sharply rising interest rates based on the loan amount. It was often used by wealthy people in need of quick cash.

“Though the interest is high, as you said, we need to put out the fire first. If you handle the collateral well, the money will be sent quickly.”

“Collateral, you say…”

“Wouldn’t the Rain Mine I gave as part of my dowry be enough to put out the immediate fire? Or you could use part of another estate as collateral.”

“……”

“Of course, if you’re not comfortable with that, you can look elsewhere.”

It was a harsh choice for someone who had already been refused help elsewhere. Knowing this, I pretended not to notice.

The Duke of Blanche, cornered, had no choice but to accept. He let out a deep sigh and said,

“Tell them to come to the castle as soon as possible.”

“Yes, I will.”

I smiled brightly, having achieved my modest goal. Seeing how readily he agreed, it seemed he had a financial plan in place once the immediate crisis was averted.

Having reached an agreement, the Duke casually mentioned,

“I’m thinking of giving Aster some responsibilities soon.”

After Paris’s massive blunder, the Duke’s trust in Aster seemed to have increased slightly.

“If you entrust him, he will do well.”

“Yes. It’s fortunate to have you both.”

The Duke made a show of gratitude with transparent flattery. In reality, he planned to have Aster clean up the mess Paris had made.

Knowing his true intentions, I pretended not to notice. It was bait I had thrown out anyway.

I continued to shower the Duke with flattering words, using all sorts of flowery language. But as I left the study, my eyes were colder than ever.

May the rightful punishment befall the enemy who killed my mother.

Today marked the beginning of that retribution.

* * *

Despite the chaos, the regular Blanche family dinner proceeded as scheduled. Due to the internal and external turmoil, it was held at Blanche Castle instead of the villa.

As a result, Alyssa, who had been staying at the villa attached to Blanche Castle, was also present. For the first time in a long while, the entire Blanche family gathered for dinner, but the atmosphere was colder than before.

The mood was slightly better because the Duke had successfully negotiated a loan agreement with Montagra Bank. Consequently, Aster’s standing in Blanche Castle was rising day by day.

The Duke of Blanche praised Camilla’s efforts.

“It’s all thanks to Camilla that we can gather happily today.”

“I’m glad to be of help.”

“Aster, you’ve also worked hard. Thanks to your good management of the Rain Mine, we’ve smoothly procured the needed magic stones.”

“I just did what I had to do.”

When Aster humbly responded, the Duke laughed heartily. In reality, Aster had intentionally provided the magic stones, but the Duke was unaware of that.

“You’re much more reliable than some others.”

The Duke muttered, glancing at Paris. Paris, thinking the comment was directed at him, hunched his shoulders.

Unable to bear it, Isabelle spoke up.

“You’re being too harsh on a son who is about to leave.”

“Do you expect me to bless a troublemaker who’s running away?”

Uncharacteristically, the Duke’s sharp response froze the atmosphere. Surprisingly, Isabelle didn’t remain silent either.

She retorted sharply,

“No matter what, aren’t you being too heartless about our son? We don’t even know if Helen is alive or dead, and all you care about is cleaning up the mess.”

When Helen was mentioned, the Duke’s eyes naturally grew sharper. He slammed his glass down and sneered.

“If the body hasn’t been found, she must be somewhere.”

“What a careless thing to say!”

“If Helen were dead, you wouldn’t be this calm, would you?”

The implication that Isabelle knew about Helen’s fate made her face harden like stone.