Chapter 6 – Part 2

Kristin hoped it was someone else.

But Beatrice seemed to read Kristin’s mind and steeled herself as if compelled to say the name. Her expression hardened, and then her features suddenly contorted as she cried out.

“It was Rose!”

“Even I thought Elesia had died of illness six years ago. I went to see the doctor who had given her the final examination. But at the time, I couldn’t find out anything. Losing Elesia, who left behind a fifteen-year-old daughter, was unbearable.”

“My Lady, I tried to survive the six years after losing my mother. I thought I had finally overcome it…”

Beatrice Charlotte shook her head and gently stroked Kristin’s shoulder as she sank to the floor.

“The doctor confessed to me. He sent a letter to Sharon Boutique a year ago, making a conscience-stricken admission.”

“What did he say?”

“Viscountess Elesia did not simply die of illness. During the examination, there were dark spots on her body, and she had symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea. The doctor said this was a sign of poisoning.”

Poisoning?

Kristin had never heard such words from her father, who had been by her mother’s side, caring for her throughout her illness.

After her mother’s final examination, Kristin’s father told her that the doctor had gone on a trip to another region.

However, if what Beatrice said about meeting the doctor was true, then her father’s statement was a lie.

At fifteen, Kristin had been too young to investigate her mother’s death properly. There had been no one to listen to a young lady’s words.

She had no choice but to accept the situation as it appeared before her eyes.

Her father remarried Rose three months after her mother’s funeral.

Though the timing had felt unsettling, Kristin had been too grief-stricken to think clearly. She simply lacked the strength to do anything about it.

A few months later, Kristin sent letters to Beatrice Charlotte but received no replies for six long years.

“I never imagined that Viscount Vernon would remarry so quickly after Elesia’s death. But I understood. Kristin, you were still a child, and Lady Rose seemed like she would take good care of you. A mother’s presence, even a stepmother’s, is necessary.”

“I wasn’t happy. I barely managed to survive. I feared that if I met my mother in heaven, she would be sad.”

“Kristin, I had my suspicions about Elesia’s death and investigated further.”

Beatrice placed the envelope on the table and pulled out something from the drawer—an old medical record and a letter.

Dr. Declan.

Kristin had always had to wait at home while her father and mother went to the hospital together, so it was only now, at twenty-one years old, that she learned the doctor’s name.

The contents below revealed more than what Beatrice had mentioned.

The doctor had been threatened with losing his license if he disclosed the true cause of Elesia’s death.

He had to relocate and couldn’t reveal this to anyone. But he could no longer bear the guilt of covering up a patient’s wrongful death, so he confessed to Beatrice.

Kristin steadied her trembling hands and closed her eyes, trying to process it all.

If she hadn’t come back, she would have never known the truth.

She faced a truth that would have remained hidden forever.

With her eyes closed, Kristin quietly listened as Beatrice Charlotte continued.

“The doctor hid the diagnosis, which revealed that Elesia had been poisoned with a toxin. Viscount Vernon and Lady Rose conspired to bring about Elesia’s death.”

At Beatrice’s words, Kristin’s pupils trembled. The overwhelming revelation caused her to collapse on the spot.

* * *

“My Lady, please wake up. Please!”

“Kristin, are you all right?”

When Kristin opened her eyes again, she found herself in a hospital bed. Beatrice Charlotte, seeing Kristin finally awake, spoke softly.

“You were unconscious for over three hours. You’re very frail, and the doctor said you need to rest both physically and mentally. So, Kristin, how about staying in the hospital for a few days?”

Despite the concerned gazes of Beatrice Charlotte and her servant Rosa, Kristin knew she couldn’t afford to rest. No matter how feverish she felt, she couldn’t just lie down in this situation.

“My Lady, you mentioned earlier that my mother left something in your name. What is it?”

“Oh, that…”

Beatrice Charlotte pulled a document envelope from her bag and handed it to Kristin.

“A week ago, I received a notice from the Union Imperial Bank that a bank account had been opened in my name. When I went to the bank to inquire about it, I was shocked by the amount of money listed in the documents.”

“If it’s an account in your name, could it be that my mother had set it up for you?”

Beatrice Charlotte nodded.

“Yes. While the account is in my name, I’ve always thought this money belongs to you.”

“The money is mine?”

“Elesia had been saying something for years, even before she fell ill. She said that if she were to die early, she would leave enough money in a bank account for you to live independently. Elesia always thought of you, Kristin. She once asked if it was all right to use my name for the account, fearing someone might target the money if it were in your name.”

“So, my mother…”
“She left this inheritance for you. If she hadn’t been poisoned, Elesia would still be alive today, living for your sake.”

“I can’t stand it anymore. My Lady, I cannot forgive my father and stepmother.”

“Kristin.”

“My Lady.”

Kristin’s shoulders trembled. Beatrice Charlotte embraced her, showing her the account balance on the document.

[10 billion gold]

A staggering amount. Enough to buy a mine and then some. How could there be so much money?

“Elesia probably sold all her jewelry and saved every penny for your future.”

“My father doesn’t know about this, does he?”

“The Viscount knew nothing. Not at all.”

However, Kristin couldn’t help but feel uneasy. In her previous life, she had died without knowing any of this.

She hadn’t met Beatrice Charlotte because she believed their connection had been severed. Moreover, Beatrice Charlotte had likely been unable to contact Edith’s estate regarding the inheritance.

She must have been waiting for Kristin to reach out to her. But Kristin had died in an accident just a year after her marriage, never discovering the inheritance her mother had left.

Even if she used the money to buy the mine, how would she get revenge on her father and stepmother for her mother’s death?

Kristin forced herself to calm her trembling body, taking slow, deep breaths. This was not the time to be led by emotions; she needed to be rational. She couldn’t afford to make a mistake.

“My Lady.”

“Yes, Kristin.”

“If you have time, could you accompany me to the Oakley region? There are some things I’d like to look into regarding the mines.”

“Oakley Mine, you say.”

At that moment, Kristin’s eyes fell on a newspaper article lying on the table. It was about an accident at a mine, with workers trapped inside a collapsed mine.

“This article…”

“Kristin, a few days ago, there was a collapse at the Levi Mine in the Oakley region. The families of the trapped workers have been waiting anxiously outside the mine.”

Kristin felt a strong intuition and spoke firmly.

“My Lady, I must go there and buy that mine.”

This was the mine she had been searching for, the one she had to find – the Levi mine in the Oakley region.

“Kristin, why do you want to go there? It’s already a dangerous place because of the accident. Moreover, if a viscount’s daughter becomes a mine owner, people would likely say nasty things. Nobles don’t typically engage in business. They might dismiss you, saying you know nothing about it.”

Beatrice Charlotte was genuinely worried about Kristin.

Since her broken engagement, Kristin had been followed by unpleasant rumors throughout the empire. Additionally, after the tea parties with other noblewomen, more rumors spread that Kristin had changed for the worse.

As someone who ran a boutique frequented by noble ladies, Beatrice Charlotte was aware of these circulating rumors. She often heard unkind comments about Kristin that she wished she could ignore.

Managing the Sharon Boutique had allowed her to gather extensive information from her noble clientele, who enjoyed gossiping. Conversations frequently included disparaging remarks about Kristin Edith.

Kristin couldn’t tell Beatrice the real reason she wanted to purchase the Levi mine.

“The Edith family’s reputation has long been tarnished. I don’t feel the need to restore it. No matter how hard I try, the noble ladies who dislike me will never welcome me.”

“Kristin…”

“As you already know, My Lady, the Edith family is gradually falling apart.”

“My father keeps frequenting illegal gambling dens, and my stepmother and Elena are squandering the Edith family’s wealth.”

“At this rate, the Edith family will lose even more,” Kristin said firmly.

“Indeed, I’m not unaware of the situation. I can’t understand why the Viscount continues to gamble. If the Edith family collapses, you’ll lose your title as well,” Beatrice Charlotte replied, her voice tinged with concern.

“That’s why I thought it was fortunate you were to marry Duke Raphael. I wanted you to be in a better environment than remaining with the declining Edith family.”

“My Lady, I don’t want to raise my status through someone else,” Kristin responded resolutely.

“What do you mean by that, Kristin?” Beatrice Charlotte asked, puzzled.

“I have to save the failing Edith family. Right now, the only choice I have is to invest in a mine using my mother’s inheritance. As the future head of the family, if it’s an iron ore mine, at least we won’t have to worry about our income in the future.”

“But the newspaper article showed that mine has already collapsed and is in a terrible state. It will take time to restore, and the entrance is collapsed, requiring rescue operations.”

Beatrice Charlotte couldn’t grasp Kristin’s reasoning. Is she becoming the head of the family? Reviving a declining family?

For a young lady from a fallen family, becoming the head and leading the house was a daunting task.

“Kristin, I have one more question,”