‘On top of that, the head priest has the lowest affection rating……!’

It’s annoying but it can’t be helped. I’m a slave to the mission after all.

‘By the way, getting a written agreement from Gwen and her daughter before was a stroke of genius.’

Thanks to the promise that they’ll hand over the family and territory to me whenever I wanted, excluding the debt, this mission seemed like it could be resolved without much effort.

I announced to the Diart ducal family my intention to go down to Sharofe County.

“Everyone, I’m planning to return to my family home for a while.”

Those who had been eating as usual simultaneously stiffened and looked at me.

“Why, what’s wrong?”

“Did they do something to you again over there?”

“Shailyn, just stay at our house. You can keep living with us forever.”

“Sister, don’t go. You said you’d stay here until you found your husband.”

Since they seemed to misunderstand that I was leaving for good, I waved my hands frantically to clarify.

“That’s not it. I agreed to inherit the family and territory from my mother during the last kidnapping incident. I’m going to receive that.”

“Ah, what? That’s what it was?”

Dain was the first to smile in relief. Deborah’s expression also softened, but Duke Diart and Lord Diart didn’t.

“What’s your reason for suddenly wanting to inherit the title?”

“Shailyn, you…… did you find a man you want to marry?”

As expected, these two are sharp.

I answered, admiring how they ghostly grasped the mission’s intent.

“I can’t say there isn’t one. I also want to gradually organize my family affairs.”

I couldn’t let the guilty people continue living grandly as a count and a noble lady forever.

Lord Diart, who felt my strong will, sighed and nodded, and Duke Diart asked worriedly.

“Will you be okay going alone?”

“I’ll be fine. I’m not going alone.”

I have my reliable maid Mandy and bondservant Carl with me.

Seeing me smile confidently, Duke Diart also didn’t say anything more.

Two days later, I packed my bags and prepared to go to Sharofe County.

When I came out dressed lightly and comfortably for the long journey, an unexpected person was waiting for me.

“Lady Sharofe.”

“……Your Highness the Crown Prince?”

The crown prince, who had been awkwardly pacing around the carriage, approached me as soon as he saw me.

“I heard from Dain. You’re going down to the county for a while.”

“Yes, that’s right…… Did you come to see me off by any chance?”

When I probed him since it was strange for him to be at someone else’s house so early in the morning, the crown prince couldn’t deny it and his ears turned red.

Wow, he really came to say goodbye to me!

When I looked at him with sparkling eyes, he cleared his throat and asked quietly.

“When will you return?”

“I’ll come back within a month at the latest.”

“Don’t stay too long. Without you…… it’s a bit boring.”

The crown prince, who had been slowly stroking the back of his neck, said bluntly. I clasped both hands together with a moved expression.

“Gasp, does that mean I’m the only joy, pleasure, and happiness in Your Highness’s life?”

“……I always feel this, but when I say one thing, you tend to inflate it to three.”

He chuckled and extended his hand to me in greeting.

“Travel safely.”

“Yes, Your Highness. I’ll see you when I return.”

After shaking hands with him, I got into the carriage. Carl, who had gotten into the carriage first while we were talking, slammed the door shut as if being spiteful.

Ugh, the crown prince and I were having a somewhat wistful eye exchange……

Anyway, the carriage carrying me, Carl, and Mandy departed vigorously toward the county.

“I still can’t believe it.”

Mandy said in a voice that couldn’t hide her excitement inside the carriage.

At first, when I said I would go to the territory, she expressed opposition.

‘Your life at the ducal family is sufficiently satisfying and happy, so why are you trying to return to a thorny path.’

‘What if I’m going to inherit the family and territory?’

‘……Then you must go. Let’s go!’

But after learning my real purpose, she changed her attitude.

“For Miss to become Count Sharofe…… But I actually think that’s right. The current count hasn’t been able to properly manage the family and territory. You will do much better, Miss.”

She firmly packed the luggage and boosted my confidence.

I really wouldn’t have to worry about my self-esteem crumbling wherever I live as long as I have Mandy.

That’s probably why the original Shailyn also stood up to Janice to protect Mandy.

After traveling for several days, we arrived at Sharofe County. Since we deliberately didn’t send word and barged in, the servants of the count’s house were flustered.

“Sh, Shailyn Miss……?!”

“No, how could Miss……”

“I don’t care about that, where is my mother? I need to see her right now.”

I wanted to quickly inherit the family and territory and return to the capital. That way I could also conquer the remaining male leads.

The butler and head maid of House Sharofe exchanged glances with flustered faces, then coldly reported.

“Please show proper manners, Miss. If you don’t have an appointment, you cannot see the count.”

“The count is such a busy person. She doesn’t have the leisure to listen to the whining of a miss who’s been fooling around in the capital—”

“Oh my, you must not have heard from my mother.”

I sneered at them who were treating me oppressively like in my childhood.

“That I’m about to inherit House Sharofe.”

“Wh, what!”

“That’s impossible!”

The butler and head maid’s faces turned pale. As I’ve said repeatedly, when I was being abused, only Mandy helped me in this household.

The rest were either bystanders or accomplices, so I planned to kick them all out as soon as I inherited the family.

‘No matter how urgent the game is, I need to resolve my grudge before leaving.’

More precisely, it’s the grudge of the original Shailyn Sharofe who merged with me.

“Since it’s real, stop making a fuss here and go figure out how you’ll make a living when you’re fired. I’m going to see my mother.”

I passed them coldly and went to the count’s office. Carl and Mandy stood straight on either side of me.

When I opened the office door wide without knocking, what greeted us was—

“Huhuhuk!”

“What are you doing there?”

Gwen Sharofe sitting collapsed on the floor, crying loudly.

What’s this about.

Gwen, who had been wailing while clutching some papers, looked at me in surprise.

“Sh, Shailyn? Why are you here……”

“I came to fulfill the written agreement. Please hand over the family and territory to me and leave this house.”

Despite seeing her crying, I said without emotion while crossing my arms.

I cried harder and more than that, after all.

But Gwen didn’t budge. She continued shedding tears while just watching my reaction.

“What are you doing? You didn’t forget that you wrote the agreement, did you? Even if you make excuses, I’ll just file a lawsuit and it’ll be over.”

“I know too! But…… we have a problem.”

“I don’t really want to know about that, so please just hand over Sharofe quickly.”

“……Why are you so heartless?”

Gwen stared at me with a shamelessly hurt expression.

I frowned and retorted.

“If you whine to me one more time, I’ll just go up to the capital and file a lawsuit immediately.”

“Wa, wait! Listen to what I have to say!”

When I turned as if I would really leave, only then did she stop crying and jump up, desperately grabbing me.

I reluctantly sat on the sofa facing her. Gwen hesitated and slowly moved her lips.

“Actually…… when Janice and I were staying in the capital, we received quite a lot of help from my brother, Viscount Roben.”

“So what.”

“At that time, in exchange for financial support from my brother…… I promised to hand over Sharofe to that family’s eldest son!”

“Are you insane?”

No, who gave you permission to make such a promise?

I was so dumbfounded I was at a loss for words, but I calmly confirmed the important fact first.

“Did you write up a contract?”

“No……”

“Then it’s fine. Hand over the family and territory to me, and work out an agreement with your mother’s family on your own.”

Unlike me, if they didn’t have a notarized written agreement, it was my victory.

Since what would happen to Gwen and her daughter after that wasn’t my concern, I held out the documents I had prepared in advance.

It was what I had organized regarding title succession and property inheritance.

If Gwen just signed, I could submit it to the capital office and officially become Count Sharofe as the mission condition required.