Chapter 7 – Part 1

Kristin glanced at the clock in the bar.

It was already afternoon.

The minute and second hands continued to move endlessly.

As she thought about the workers still trapped inside the mine, she couldn’t afford to waste any more time.

If it got too late, the consequences could be disastrous.

“It’s already been ten minutes. If you keep delaying like this, the problem will only get worse. If you can’t find anyone else to help, just accept my help. But, don’t try to run a business anymore if you can’t manage it properly.”

“I have nothing to say.”

Liam could only stare at the floor, unable to meet Kristin’s gaze.

It seemed he was afraid of his father, Neil Morrison.

His father would not leave him alone once he found out about this situation in the empire.

The consequences of mismanaging and carelessly spending money were quite severe.

On top of that, dealing with the accident in the mine was also a problem.

However, if he were to sell the mine without a word, his father would undoubtedly be furious.

Liam had no choice.

Kristin looked at Liam and said,

“What are you going to do? Sitting here drinking alone won’t solve anything. You’d better come with me now and…”

“I’ll do it.”

“What?”

“I’ll sell the Levi Mine. And I’ll also ensure that the injured workers and their families receive compensation.”

He finally gave the answer Kristin had been waiting for.

Just as Kristin felt a wave of relief and was about to speak, Liam said something unexpected.

“My Lady, may I ask why you want to buy this mine? It’s not even a mine that yields valuable minerals.”

“As her guardian, I’ll answer that. We’re buying it because we need it.”

Beatrice, who had been quietly observing the conversation between Liam and Kristin, finally spoke up.

Kristin was about to address her as ‘My Lady,’ but Beatrice shook her head slightly, signaling her not to.

“A guardian?”

“Yes. Even though she’s a noble lady, there’s no law against her owning a mine as property. We simply want to purchase it. So please, don’t misunderstand.”

“Well, if that’s the case. But really, are you going to not only buy the mine but also compensate the workers? Are you certain about the compensation?”

“Do you have money? Is there any money in your possession?”

“If you’re asking that, I’ll answer you. No, there isn’t.”

Liam suddenly seemed like a different person, shamelessly smiling. He was relieved that the noble lady and her guardian were taking care of the mess he had created.

But then, he began to take a closer look at them: a noble lady, a guardian, and a young girl who appeared to be a servant. Liam, who usually dealt with noble ladies and their attendants with ease, stood up, his demeanor abruptly changing.

Kristin was taken aback by his transformation. She had hoped he would genuinely repent, but it seemed she had been foolish. Causing a major accident and then spending his time drinking in a bar—what a despicable man.

“Now that I see, it’s just three women who have come. Did you bring enough money for the down payment? If I’m to hand over the mine, my father won’t let me off easily. So, I should get a hefty sum, don’t you think?”

Kristin was infuriated by Liam’s change in attitude. How could someone be so vile? But this was no time to argue with him. Reluctantly, she threw a pouch of jewels from her purse onto the table where he was sitting.

Just as Liam was about to check the pouch that fell in an arc, a man’s voice came from behind Kristin.

“Marquis Liam Morrison, return that pouch to the young lady immediately.”

“Who dares to speak to me like that?”

“Marquis Liam Morrison, if you do not change your behavior, you will surely regret it.”

When Kristin turned around to see who it was, she met the blue eyes of Winston. It had been a while since she had seen him since the wedding.

Though she didn’t know how he came to be here, he was now ordering Liam right in front of her.

Winston continued, pointing a sword at Liam.

“Return the pouch of jewels to the young lady.”

“And if I refuse?”

It was then.

At that moment, Liam took a closer look at the sword pointed at him and noticed the crest of the Zenon family – the shield pattern and six-petaled flower engraved on the blade.

Even a nobleman living so far from the capital could not fail to recognize the Zenon family.

As a nobleman who frequently attended imperial court events, Liam was well aware of the renowned Zenon family.

The blade was adorned with a gold shield pattern and six petals, with the Zenon family name engraved.

Liam had often heard about the excellent swordsmanship of Winston while mingling with other nobles.

Moreover, Winston was known to handle various matters for the Emperor during significant events in the empire, and today happened to be one of those events.

Realizing his mistake, Liam prostrated himself on the floor.

“Spare me, please. I was wrong, My Lord.”

“What were you planning to do to the lady?”

“N-nothing, nothing at all.”

“Weren’t you just disregarding her a moment ago?”

“Th-that was, well…”

“Marquis Winston,” Kristin interjected.

“Lady Kristin,” Winston acknowledged her.

“How is it that you are here?”

“The chaos surrounding this situation has reached the capital. I came to handle it. But why are you meeting with this man?”

“I came after reading the news. I wanted to help if I could.”

“But it was still quite dangerous for you to come here. This is no place for a lady like yourself.”

The Marquis’s gaze was fixed solely on Kristin’s face. Kristin, in turn, took in his familiar features – the brown hair, the kind smile, the deep blue eyes. She was glad to see him again, the one who had always been on her side since her childhood, after her mother and Beatrice.

“The Edith family is facing ruin, and I must pay the annulment fee to Duke Raphael,” Kristin explained.

“But I also came here to buy the mine from this man, as the incompetent management has caused harm to the commoners.”

“The Levi Mine? The one where the accident occurred?”

Beatrice, who had been listening, finally spoke up.

“Kristin is right. She read the article and came here with her jewels to purchase the mine.”

“Is this true?” Winston asked.

“Yes. These jewels are nearly all I have left,” Kristin confirmed.

She deliberately refrained from mentioning her mother’s inheritance, knowing that if Winston knew, he would insist on protecting her even more. Just as Kristin was about to say more, Winston turned to Liam.

“How much were you planning to sell the mine for? Surely you weren’t trying to sell the collapsed mine for more than it’s worth?” Winston demanded.

“Of course not, My Lord. I never intended to take the entire pouch of jewels. Just one jewel will suffice as the down payment. After all, it’s just a pile of rubble now,” Liam stammered.

“What did you just say?” Winston’s tone grew sharper.

“I-I said it’s just a pile of rubble.”

“Such a worthless pile of rubble could never be worth the price of a jewel. Since you said that yourself, name a fair price.”

Liam cornered and hesitated before finally extending his palm.

“Surely you didn’t mean to ask for five million, were you?”

“Certainly not. 1,000 gold coins would be sufficient,” Liam said, naming a ridiculously low price.

However, it was clear that Liam simply wanted to get out of this predicament.

Seeing his expression, Beatrice spoke up,

“Very well then, the price shall be 1,000 gold coins. We’ll be grateful for the low price, and we’ll make sure to properly compensate the victims.”

Kristin smiled gratefully at Beatrice.