Chapter 3.1 – The Scoundrel of the Arthus Family  

“Enjoy your meal.”  

“Thank you, Miss!”  

The children who received the bread Yvonne handed out bowed politely before walking away. Following them, other impoverished individuals, including an elderly man standing behind, also received bread.  

They expressed their gratitude as well, but as they left, they began gossiping about Yvonne.  

“Miss Jeanne, you know, she was gravely ill, but hasn’t she changed a bit since then?”  

“She used to be a bit aloof—like a typical noble lady. When did she recover from her illness?”  

“It must have been around the beginning of spring. At first, I thought she’d stop handing out bread every weekend soon enough…”  

“I thought the same. But it’s been nearly three months now, hasn’t it? It’s truly a blessing. Even if this only lasts until she gets married…”  

“Well, it’s still something, isn’t it? I didn’t realize she was such a kind person. And now, with the weather getting warmer, she’s even considerate enough to come out in the evening to hand out bread when the sun isn’t blazing.”  

“Indeed. Oh, such a beautiful and kind-hearted person—how unfortunate that she’s marrying someone like Earl Marlon, an old man…”  

“That’s right. Monsieur Marceau is really too much. How could he send a young lady, barely twenty, to a man over forty?”  

“Is that why? Actually, there’s a rumor that Miss Jeanne ran away with another man before returning.”  

“What? So she wasn’t sick after all…?”  

“Shh! It’s not confirmed. It’s just hearsay.”  

“You’re the one who said it… Still, I can see why such rumors exist. If I were Miss Jeanne, I wouldn’t want to marry Earl Marlon either.”  

“That’s true. Poor girl.”  

Though they pitied Yvonne, that was the extent of their concern. They couldn’t do anything to change her circumstances.  

Meanwhile, having distributed all the bread, Yvonne returned to the mansion.  

At that moment, Marceau, who was at the mansion, noticed the empty sack in Yvonne’s hands and frowned.  

Knowing what the sack signified, he didn’t bother to hide his displeasure.  

“You’ve been handing out food to those vagrants again?”  

“It wasn’t only to vagrants.”  

“Of course. Those rat-like creatures surviving longer serves no purpose. You’re just unnecessarily prolonging their lives.”  

“…Nothing in this world is meaningless.”  

“Ugh.”  

Marceau clicked his tongue. That girl, though usually obedient, occasionally had an eccentric streak. She was especially so when it came to caring for children.  

“Thanks to your weekend charity work, the vagrants have formed lines to wait for you. The rye expenses are no small matter either.”  

“But haven’t there been fewer beggars and thieves?”  

“That’s true, but…”  

“Moreover, Father, our reputation has improved, and Earl Marlon seems pleased as well. The better my reputation becomes, the more leverage you have in negotiations with Earl Marlon, Father.”  

Faced with her sharp rebuttal, Marceau couldn’t argue further. She was right.  

The better Yvonne’s reputation became, the more Earl Marlon smiled with satisfaction. The reputation of his future bride was, after all, his own reputation.  

Thanks to this, Earl Marlon had been exceptionally kind to Marceau recently. It was hard to believe this was the same man who, about half a year ago, had dismissed Jeanne when they lied about her illness, saying a sick woman couldn’t possibly produce heirs.  

Of course, that wasn’t the only reason. Yvonne had requested some time alone with Earl Marlon.  

After their private conversation, Earl Marlon had said he’d think it over but soon sent a letter confirming the marriage as planned.  

Marceau was surprised by Earl Marlon’s change in demeanor. Though the Earl was a womanizer, he wasn’t foolish enough to base everything solely on a woman’s looks.  

Even when Yvonne, already beautiful, became even more radiant after staying at the Debroge family estate, Earl Marlon hadn’t immediately agreed to marriage.  

Despite her enhanced beauty, he had treated Yvonne coldly. But after a few words exchanged, his attitude shifted so drastically?  

Unable to contain his curiosity, Marceau asked Yvonne how she had managed to win over the Earl.  

Her reply had been:  

“I told him that if, within a year and a half after our marriage, I failed to produce an heir, he could take as many mistresses as he wished.”  

“And that alone convinced him to accept you?”  

“I also said that if he had illegitimate children, I would adopt them as my own and raise them as heirs. Furthermore, I assured him that even if I produced an heir and was recognized, I wouldn’t interfere with his affairs with other women. I even offered to put it in writing if he wanted.”  

“Didn’t Earl Marlon get angry at you?”  

“…I assumed that a man who desired a bride twenty years his junior would naturally be pleased.”  

Marceau was impressed by her reasoning. She was right.  

Earl Marlon was a notorious womanizer. While many male nobles weren’t satisfied with just one wife, they still had to tread carefully and couldn’t openly flaunt their mistresses.  

But here was a young and beautiful woman willing to not only tolerate mistresses but also accept illegitimate children as her own and raise them.  

For Earl Marlon, it was an offer with no downsides. It was only natural for him to seriously consider marriage.  

“Those illegitimate children could steal your inheritance and drive you out. What will you do if Jeanne returns?”  

“…Father, the canal rights are what matter to you, aren’t they? Whether I’m driven out later or not, it’s not something you’d concern yourself with. The same applies if the real Miss Jeanne returns.”  

She was correct again. Marceau didn’t care if Yvonne, who wasn’t his real daughter, was cast aside by Earl Marlon. What mattered to him was securing the canal rights and the massive profits they would bring.  

Even if the real Jeanne were cast aside, it would make no difference to him. He’d likely curse her for being too foolish to win over her husband.  

Following this, Marceau leveraged Earl Marlon’s favor to sell off 20,000 gold talents’ worth of spices that had almost become a liability. This had been the highlight of last spring.  

But human greed knows no bounds. He was now preparing to use the canal to sell spices once again.  

Naturally, Yvonne’s role was crucial. Marceau gestured toward the basket on the table. Inside were chicken br*ast sandwiches, quinoa salad, and a few pieces of fruit.  

“Enough. Take this basket and go to Earl Marlon. I’ve already informed the coachman.”  

“To Earl Marlon?”  

“Yes. The meeting that should’ve ended during the week is still ongoing at his mansion today.”  

“But why should I…”  

“His mood will be foul, so go and sweeten it with dinner and a bit of charm. Don’t forget to say you made the food in the basket yourself. If you’ve fed the vagrants, it’s only fair to feed your future husband too, isn’t it?”  

“Yes, I’ll do that.”  

Reluctantly, Yvonne picked up the basket and climbed into the carriage heading to Earl Marlon’s mansion.  

***

Natong de Marlon.  

Commonly known as Earl Marlon, Natong glared at the young man before him, his weariness evident.  

The man, whose dark brown hair was so deep it appeared almost black, had a face that seemed to have broken many hearts—a typical image of a young gentleman.  

However, his behavior was far from gentlemanly. He had deliberately sought out and picked apart the proposals Natong had passed with discretion, dragging the discussions on endlessly.  

As a result, the meeting, which should have concluded during the week, had spilled into the weekend, forcing everyone to endure hours of deliberation.  

Before Liam’s arrival, the Rido Canal meetings were more akin to social gatherings than actual discussions. Proposals were swiftly passed according to Natong’s preferences, followed by drinking, poker games, or hunting trips.  

Ordinarily, he would have been hunting now, but instead, he was stuck in a room with others, engaged in prolonged discussions. His head throbbed with frustration.  

‘Damn Arthus…’  

About a hundred years ago, five families had come together to construct the Rido Canal: the Arthus Family, the Marlon Family, the Pontoise Family, the Biohel Family, and the Conflans Family.  

However, aside from Arthus and Marlon, the other three families had contributed so little that their shares were almost negligible.  

The more funds a family provided, the stronger their voice and the greater their share of the profits. Over time, the influence among the five families diverged, and the canal usage rights were often decided by the Arthus Family.  

This arrangement changed only a few years ago. Benoit de Arthus, the head of the Arthus Family, had four daughters and no male heir. As he aged without a successor, he began missing meetings more frequently than attending them.  

Everyone believed the Arthus Family line would end. According to royal law, daughters who married into other families were not entitled to inherit property.  

Thus, Natong became the de facto decision-maker. His influence grew to its peak since the canal’s construction, and people scrambled to curry favor with him.  

What should have gone to the Arthus Family now came to him, and, having lost his wife, potential brides were abundant. He was even preparing to marry a beautiful, young second wife.