Chapter 8 – Part 7

“Paul, as I asked last time, how’s the business going?”

The Count turned his gaze to Paul first.

“I’ve been waiting for you to tell me how things were going on your end, but I haven’t heard anything.”

“Well, Father…”

Paul clearly wasn’t prepared to give an answer.

“Ah, it’s in progress.”

That was all Paul said.

“Didn’t you say a competent broker would bring in the wine? Has it passed through the port?“

“It hasn’t passed through yet, and since the deal got delayed, they refunded 10 million gold.“

“Is that so?”

Despite Paul mentioning the refund, the Count’s gaze toward him was sharper than ever.

‘He doesn’t trust Paul’s words.‘

“I’ll handle the business myself, so Father, for now, you should focus on your health outside the capital.”

Paul, seemingly unaware of the atmosphere, added such remarks.

“Refunded 10 million gold? Is that really true?“

“Yes, of course.”

Paul responded, glancing at Matilda as if seeking her help.

“Count, given the large investment, I understand your concern, but Paul is handling things wisely. You should trust him a bit more. The deal was delayed, not lost… so there’s no actual loss.”

Matilda tried to smooth things over, covering Paul’s failure as a mere delay.

“No loss?“

“Yes, Count.“

“Well, whether there’s a loss or not, I can’t proceed without objective data. Oliver!”

The Count called out to Oliver in a loud voice.

“Bring the ledger I had prepared.“

“Yes.”

Oliver went to fetch the ledger. Seeing this, Paul and Matilda exchanged glances.

‘Prepared? What does he mean by prepared?’

Eliana could read Matilda’s anxious expression.

‘What else? It means he’s checking into the funds you used to cover Paul’s mistake like I told him to.‘

Eliana thought to herself.

“I’m merely verifying how the money I invested for you is being used. Don’t take it personally, Paul.”

The Count of Austin said this as he began reviewing the ledger.

10 million gold gone out, 10 million gold returned. If that was the case, there should have been no loss on the records. The Count didn’t take long to check the money on the ledger.

‘Because I told him last year to check the price of the wheat we sold.’

The Count’s gaze gradually hardened. Matilda couldn’t have missed that expression.

“Count…”

Matilda reached out to grasp the edge of the ledger as if to stop him from looking any further. But it didn’t take long for the Count to realize that a significant loss had occurred and that the deficit had been covered using the proceeds from the wheat sale.

“10 million gold is missing!”

The Count exclaimed in shock. It was the very thing Eliana had already informed him of, and now he had confirmed it.

“You said there was no loss, so why is such a large amount missing?”

Count Austin shouted at Paul, his voice filled with fury.

“Paul, tell me exactly what’s going on without hiding anything. Now!”

Paul glanced at Matilda, searching for an escape. He claimed he could handle everything but couldn’t escape his mother’s influence.

“I’m not hiding anything, Father. I’m sure there must be some sort of mistake.“

Failing to admit defeat often leads to even more significant losses. But Paul wasn’t the type to readily admit his failure, nor was he ethical enough to accept it.

“You seem unable to properly explain what’s happening.”

Eliana spoke up.

“From the start, the deal was uncertain. If you realized it wasn’t working, you should have backed out. But you dragged it out, lost money, and covered it up with the proceeds from the sale of grain, didn’t you? Mother probably helped with that without Father knowing, right?”

Eliana calmly exposed the truth without a change in expression.

“Eliana!”

Paul yelled.

“What do you know? Shut up!“

“Did you use the entire 10 million gold solely for the deal?”

At Eliana’s probing, Paul’s eyes widened in shock. Even if his words were false, his expression betrayed him.

“There were rumors in town about you recklessly spending money right after Father gave you 10 million gold for the business.“

Paul’s face twisted in panic.

“What’s this now!“ the Count bellowed. “Is this true?“

“F-Father, Eliana is lying. She’s accusing me! Yes, there were some issues with the funding, but what Eliana is saying is not true.”

Paul desperately crafted an excuse. However, Count Austin, unconvinced, turned his gaze to Eliana.

“Eliana, you tell me everything you know.”

Her father asked, and there was no reason to hold back. Eliana began to recount everything she knew.

“Jack Kernier, the middleman, is a fraud. Paul didn’t even invest all of the money you gave him; he set some aside for gambling. Mother brought in additional funds to cover the loss when things didn’t go well. Paul has even been sneaking into your room to get into your safe. He seems to have a gambling addiction.“

“Eliana! Shut your mouth!”

Despite knowing the truth, Paul jumped to his feet, veins bulging in his neck.

“Father, there’s not a single lie in what I’ve said.”

Matilda glared at Eliana with such intensity it seemed she wanted to strangle her. She hated Eliana more than her son, who caused all this trouble, for pointing out his faults.

‘You’re an accomplice too.’

Eliana shot Matilda a look just as sharp. The tension between their gazes was so thick that it felt like sparks would fly.

“Did you touch my safe, Paul?”

The Count’s voice dropped, heavy with menace.

The atmosphere in the room chilled instantly.

Paul, realizing he could no longer salvage the situation, was frozen. Matilda’s face mirrored his, her lips moving slightly as if trying to devise an excuse but knowing it would be futile. Watching her expression change in real time was quite fascinating.

‘Anger, concern, fear, the desire to escape accountability… Every emotion is written on her face. Yet, there’s not a trace of remorse.’

The Count’s face was a mask of betrayal and rage. He trusted Matilda and even accepted her son, generously providing him with funds.

“How dare you do such things while I was away! You took the money under the guise of business, yet there’s no sign of proper results!“

“N-no, Father! That’s not it at all! Eliana’s dragging me down because things aren’t going well for her!”

Paul spouted nonsensical lies, desperate to escape.

“My lord, please calm down and listen to both sides. Why do you believe everything Eliana says? Don’t you feel any sympathy for Paul?”

Matilda pleaded tearfully.

‘Tears now? Really?’

Eliana was dumbfounded.

‘After all the trouble he’s caused, Paul deserves no pity. If anyone deserves sympathy, Sylvia has been cowering in fear, too scared to even breathe because of all this. I’d understand if someone felt sorry for her.‘

“You, too, have much to answer for, Matilda! You wrote letters to me, covering everything up with lies instead of telling me the truth?“

“That was all for the sake of your health, my lord.“

‘Oh, please.’

Eliana shook her head at Matilda’s deceitful attempt, her lip trembling in faux sincerity.

“If it were truly for Father’s health, I would’ve gone to care for him outside the capital. Instead, you stayed here scheming, trying to cover things behind his back.“

Eliana’s cold voice cut through Matilda’s lies effortlessly.

‘This girl…’

Matilda glared daggers at Eliana. Though unsure of how she knew everything, Matilda was now overwhelmed, her weak points relentlessly being exposed by Eliana.

She had always believed she could somehow smooth things over, as she had done many times before. But thanks to Eliana, her plans were unraveling completely.

“What are you going to do about this situation!”

Matilda stared at Paul. Paul was racking his brain.

“Father, I admit it was wrong to fail in business. I didn’t tell you the truth because I was worried about your health. Please give me one more chance, and I promise to make things right. And it wasn’t me who tried to open the safe. It was the maid, Hilda. She did it on her own, trying to gain my favor.”

As Eliana had predicted, Paul blamed everything on Hilda.

‘Hilda?’

The Count furrowed his brow, muttering her name before shouting for Hilda to be brought immediately.

A moment later, Hilda appeared with Oliver, looking pale. She, already thin, had grown even more gaunt in just a few days. Matilda glared at her as if looking at a criminal.

“You wicked woman! You dared to lay hands on the Count’s safe! You should be sent to the guards and hanged immediately!”

Matilda, clearly deciding whom to blame, seemed eager to punish Hilda as if she were catching a rat.

“Oliver, what are you waiting for! Call the guards at once and punish her!”

Eliana glanced at Hilda.

That night, after speaking with Hilda, Hilda had sought Eliana out again. Eliana had detailed exactly how Paul would react.

“You’ll be used and discarded. No matter how involved you were, no one will believe you. When cornered, they’ll throw you under the bus and wash their hands clean.”

Everything had unfolded just as Eliana had predicted.

“Trust me and tell the truth.”

Eliana signaled to Hilda, while Paul also signaled to her. One wanted her to tell the truth, while the other wanted her to lie.

“My lord, I’ve committed a terrible sin. But…”

Hilda knelt on the floor, looking up at the Count. Her gaze was pitiful beyond words.

“I didn’t act alone. How could I dare? It was all under the orders of Master Paul. He told me to pretend to clean while spying on the butler as he opened the safe’s combination. He promised to take responsibility for me and even said he would take me as a second wife if I did it.“

“No! It’s a lie! You mustn’t believe the words of a lowly maid!”

TL NOTE: A more advanced chapter of this story is already up on the site. Visit dusk blossoms for more advanced chapters and stories.