Chapter 40

After dinner with Duke Valentin, Earl Crowley Richard moved to the tea room overlooking the garden. They intended to review the Valentin Duchy’s financial status together.

Lionel spoke first.

“I met Fabian this morning. Now our family’s remaining debt is 750,000 gold, and the money we have is 350,000 gold.”

“If you pay it off as is, the debt will be reduced to 400,000 gold.”

“Yes, if I pay it.”

At Lionel’s meaningful words, Richard simply blinked, wondering what he was about to say.

“Lionel, ‘if you pay’? Of course you have to pay, don’t you?”

“I’ll pay within ten months. But there’s no need to pay it right now, is there?”

Lionel lightly sipped his tea and spoke to his cousin.

“Tell me your thoughts, Richard. If I quickly start a business with the 350,000 gold on hand, what kind of business would be best?”

As he had once said, Lionel truly intended to make money in earnest. Richard shook his head with a troubled expression.

“Lionel, I didn’t ask you to start a new business and succeed within ten months. I meant you should manage the existing businesses properly.”

“Existing businesses? I’ve liquidated them all—only a few are left. The biggest is the railway.”

“Wait, you liquidated everything? Then what’s left now?”

Richard looked at his cousin in disbelief. He thought Lionel was quietly earning money through auctions, but hadn’t expected him to do something like this.

Lionel answered calmly.

“The railway, two mines, and one forest for lumber. That’s it.”

With so few left, Richard felt a slight headache. Where had all those businesses gone? He managed to speak calmly.

“To manage the railway, you need a forest for timber, so that makes sense. And the mines…”

“I handed over the copper mine’s mining rights to the Belvard family. The other is a tin mine, but its profit is minimal.”

In short, the only business truly left was the railway. After hearing Lionel’s explanation, Richard frowned slightly.

“You said you’d consult me, but when did you hand over the mining rights? Was that what Marian Belvard wanted?”

“She initially asked for the mine itself, but I refused. I plan to keep any resource-producing assets for now. Who knows what use they’ll have later?”

For such a vague reason? Richard sighed. After mentally calculating based on Lionel’s words, he reached a conclusion.

“Lionel, you have only ten months left. If you’ve already liquidated all the existing businesses, just sell the rest. That way, even after paying off the debt, your children will have enough to live on.”

“What? If I sell the ducal residence, where am I supposed to live?”

“Stay at my southern estate. I’ll let you live there as long as you want.”

It was a cousin’s generous offer, but Lionel scoffed.

“I’m the Duke, and you’re telling me to leave the Duchy? Have you lost your mind, Richard?”

“You just don’t have enough cards left! Who would’ve guessed you’d liquidate all those businesses? You should’ve cut only the minimum and revived the rest! If only you’d let me handle it from the start…”

“Richard, I’m Duke Valentin, not you. All this mess was caused by my father anyway. Those were all ventures he started recklessly—why bother salvaging them? It’s better to wipe the slate clean and start over.”

Their voices grew louder. After a moment, Richard cleared his throat and tried to regain composure.

“Lionel, it’s already too late. You can’t start anything new now. Even managing what’s left will be tough, so how do you expect to succeed at a new business with no experience?”

“Enough with the discouraging talk, Richard. My position remains unchanged. The ducal residence, railway, mines, and forest—I won’t sell those, no matter what. I’ll find a way to earn the money and pay off the debt.”

Lionel’s tone carried a stubbornness. Richard shook his head and stood up.

“Even if you trade with Miss Belvard and squander your money on business, you’ll still have 750,000 gold in debt. At this rate, you’ll lose your title.”

“We’ll see about that.”

What gave him such confidence? Richard left the tea room, thinking Lionel was blinded by greed.

‘He’s impossible to reason with. Is he drunk on luxury, chasing some big score? What does he know about business anyway?’

To Richard, Lionel was woefully lacking as a leader for the great Valentin Duchy. If only he’d been given full authority from the start, he could have paid off the debt much more smoothly.

‘If only I had become Duke Valentin. Instead of that illegitimate child, I…’

Richard paused in the corridor, reaching a dangerous thought. He glanced at the black glass window without thinking.

The man reflected in the glass wore a grim, defeated expression.

Richard quickly composed himself, clearing his throat in case anyone was watching. He glanced around nervously.

Unfortunately, there was a witness.

“…Miss Sollier?”

Near the pillar at the end of the corridor, Clarette Sollier was watching him. She stood clutching the curtain, looking rather suspicious—like a child caught playing hide-and-seek.

“What are you doing there? If you’re looking for His Grace, he’s in the tea room.”

“Oh, no. I was just heading back to the annex.”

Clarette gave him a quick greeting and turned away in a hurry. Richard felt quite displeased, sensing she was avoiding him. She had probably seen the face he wanted to hide.

‘Don’t tell me, is Lionel suddenly obsessed with the ducal residence… because of her?’

It was plausible. Men blinded by women often made poor decisions.

Even the previous Duke had been infatuated with a blonde commoner, bringing an illegitimate child who looked just like his mistress into the family. Lady Valentin, the legitimate wife, used to say she was lucky Lionel’s mother died young.

<Women like that have always ruined families.>

Remembering Lady Valentin fondly, Richard opened the main door of the ducal residence, a place he’d visited countless times since childhood. The garden before him was dozens of times larger and more elegant than that of Crowley Earldom.

Once, this place had been his home. The dead Duke was his father, and the late Victor was his one and only brother. Even strict Lady Valentin had adored him, saying that if he weren’t the Earl’s heir, she would have adopted him.

All that was in the past.

But if Lionel de Valentin drove the Duchy to bankruptcy and plunged the domain into crisis—if he brought chaos to this vast estate near the capital—

The Emperor would strip the title from an unqualified illegitimate child and seek someone capable of cleaning up the aftermath.

Someone with blood ties to the Valentin family and proper legitimacy, who understood the Duchy better than anyone, and could win the support of the people.

Someone superior to Lionel de Valentin in every way, someone with true noble dignity, someone who cherished this beautiful Duchy as his own…

* * *

After Richard left, Lionel paused near the neatly cleaned dining room. He’d been so preoccupied with money matters that he’d forgotten something.

“Your Grace, is something wrong? Earl Crowley left about ten minutes ago.”

Head Maid Susan approached the Duke, reporting the situation. But Richard was no longer Lionel’s concern.

“Susan, I heard that when guests are here, Clarette usually eats in the tea room by the garden. I was in such a rush to discuss things, I accidentally used it myself.”

“Oh, don’t worry. Miss Sollier didn’t eat in the main building today. She stopped by the kitchen and packed her food.”

“Really? That’s a relief.”

Lionel, reassured, immediately headed for the annex. Susan watched her master stride away.

The once notorious playboy Lionel had always slept alone since becoming Duke. He never called women to his room, and contrary to fears, never bothered the maids. Perhaps the position really did change a person?

‘Or maybe, it’s people who change people.’

Susan gazed at the lit windows on the second floor of the annex. That was the Duke’s destination—the studio of the beautiful painter, the young lady who insisted she wasn’t his lover.

‘If Miss Sollier has helped His Grace become more diligent, that’s a welcome change. As long as she doesn’t try to marry him, it’s fine.’

Susan recalled her old days working in the annex and sighed quietly. It would have been better if Lionel’s mother had been the same.

‘Miss Sollier knows her place. She’s wise, so it’s fine to leave her be.’

Susan quietly turned and went up to the second floor, planning to tidy the Duke’s bedroom once more.

After all, tonight too, His Grace would return to his own bed.