Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Chapter 8.“Yes? Really?! Madam, as expected you have some thought! I believed! Madam's great insight!”

“From the beginning, this contract itself is a scam.”

“Yes?! A scam you say?!”

I explained to Naul step by step.

“Think about it. Something is strange, right? Even if the great-great-grandfather generation was a fool, would they have borrowed money under these conditions?”

“That...”

“Even the great-great-grandfather generation wouldn't have fallen to the point of not even having firewood to burn the fire like now. At that time, about 50 million marks would have been lent by other families too. But why of all places did they borrow from the Fox Merchant Union under such unfair conditions?”

“Yeah. Hearing Madam's words, something is strange.”

“Right. Clearly there is a trick we don't know on this promissory note. And if we prove that we were scammed...”

“We don't have to repay the money!”

“And on top of that, we can receive compensation!”

Naul put both hands together as if praying to a god.

A light of respect gathered in his eyes.

“Madam is really amazing! I only thought that I had to repay the money quickly, I never thought that the contract itself was strange. To point that out! I don't know how fortunate it is that Madam took charge of the household.”

He even took out a handkerchief and wiped his tears.

“Really, if it weren't for Madam, what would have happened to this castle... Just thinking about it is scary. Isn't Madam proof that God hasn't abandoned the Valfruga ducal house yet.”

“The important thing is to find the evidence of the scam as soon as possible. When did you say we have to repay the debt by?”

“Since it's next Monday... There are 5 days left now.”

“Good, stop all work for 5 days and concentrate on finding the scam evidence! And you know this matter has to be kept secret?”

“Of course. I'll keep my mouth tightly shut. If they know that we know, who knows what those fox-like guys will do again.”

“Good!”

All-nighters continued for three days.

Naul and I stayed up all night trying to find evidence that we were scammed.

“The family seal?!”

“It's genuine!”

“The contract paper?!”

“It's genuine!”

“Isn't it that they changed the numbers?!”

“There are no traces of manipulation!”

“Then what on earth is it!”

In the end, I threw the documents I was looking at.

No matter how much I look at the documents, I don't know how on earth they scammed.

Outside the window, the appearance of people from the Fox Merchant Union taking a walk was visible.

I narrowed my eyes and looked down at them.

As if this way their inner thoughts would be visible.* * *“Achoo! Why on earth is it so cold here?! And what's with that kid?! Is this completely ignoring us?!”

One of the Fox Merchant Union sneezed.

Anyway this damn castle. From the first time I saw it, I didn't like it.

The ducal castle was on a rough mountain so hard that even horses had difficulty climbing, making people suffer, and what came out to the contract place was a young girl about fifteen years old.

The fluffy pink hair and blue eyes were lovely like a doll, but a child is a child.

The Fox Merchant Union completely ignored Felia.

“If they even treat such a young girl as a Duchess, it seems true that the Valfruga family has completely collapsed! Can we receive 1 billion marks?”

“Still, they say money has come in after a long time. If not now, when else can we receive money again?”

The man leading the merchant union, Lewan, smiled and said.

“Haha! What if there's no money! This castle is the collateral! On this continent, we're probably the only ones who held a ducal castle as collateral! But will such a castle really sell? It's white and pretty so nice to look at, but the location is... What is this, is the weather good, is there something worth seeing around. The territory is all ruined, and the mountain has only monsters.”

“Hey, still it's Valfruga. I heard the stones used to build this castle are also extremely precious materials...”

Another merchant retorted.

“What do you mean by precious materials?”

“Was it a stone that blocks magic? There's such a saying, right?”

“Hmph. How expensive is that. That's just people saying it as a joke because the Valfruga ducal house's prestige is so outstanding! If it was real, when they sat on that pile of debt, they would have sold the castle bricks first long ago!”

“Right, that would be so? Then why does Mr. Lewan covet the castle so much?”

Lewan appeared suddenly one day.

Although he inherited the management of the trading company from the previous generation, no one among the people of the Fox Merchant Union had seen a man named Lewan before.

In the merchant industry where connections are important, it was an unusual matter.

Usually, they take the successor around early and introduce them to other merchants.

Of course, looking at him managing the trading company well, and bringing them saying he'll make them earn 1 billion marks with the promissory note they had forgotten, he seems to have ability.

Before coming here, Lewan put one condition.

If they receive 1 billion marks, they will divide according to shares, but if they can't receive 1 billion marks and receive the castle held as collateral, he will pay the price so sell the ownership of that castle to him.

Lewan seemed more interested in the castle than 1 billion marks.

Lewan quietly smiled and looked up at the castle.

“It's Valfruga, isn't it.”

That word was the answer itself.

The white castle built on the snow-piled mountain.

It boasts delicate beauty, but anyone who learned the empire's history knew well how solid a fortress it becomes if war breaks out.

In the time when the empire was in chaos, Valfruga who faced the northern enemy army that invaded the empire blocked a hundred thousand troops with a thousand army in this castle.

To attack the empire, one must pass through the empire's gatekeeper, and the empire's sword.

Valfruga was such a family.

The Fox Merchant Union looked at the castle they were in with fresh eyes.

Anyone born and raised in the empire couldn't not know Valfruga's fame.

Such a family was about to be finished by their own hands.

Someone opened their mouth worriedly.

“Is it okay for us to urge the debt like this?”

“It doesn't matter. Since it's a collapsed ducal house anyway.”

Lewan answered powerfully.

“As I said several times before I came, if anyone is not confident, you may return. But remember. The money we will receive is 1 billion marks.”

At Lewan's words, desire gathered in people's eyes again.1 billion marks.

Even if divided each, it's 100 million marks.

That level is a large sum that a family of four can live without working for life.‘Right. Anyway Valfruga is a collapsed family.’‘No matter how great a family Valfruga is, in this situation how can they survive? It doesn't make sense.’‘If only I close my eyes for a moment, our family can live without money worries for life.’An unspoken agreement passed between them.* * *Naul and I ultimately failed to find the method of the scam.

We put our heads together hard even postponing reading a fairy tale book to Lus, but we couldn't figure out how on earth they scammed.

Generally, the method often used in scams was forging the family's crest, seal or letters.

Naul who reviewed the promissory note for the dozens of times already was convinced.

“I really don't know. The content of the promissory note on our side is also the same. Although I was away from this work for several years, my eyes for recognizing such things haven't died.”

Uwa, I'm really going crazy.

Time keeps flowing but nothing found, what to do.

Naul said worriedly.

“Madam... It's already Saturday. In two days we have to produce some result. Shall we get some money now and try to postpone the deadline even a little?”

“Do you think they'll postpone?”

“No...”

“...

Then just leave it.”

“Yes...”

Naul and I were completely exhausted and sprawled in the office.‘The original shouldn't only talk about the romance of the female lead and male lead, it should talk about things like this too...’Write the male lead's biography!

Who, when, where, what, how, why they scammed!

Narrate according to the six principles of reporting!

When reading the original, I was dissatisfied that the settings and descriptions were written too detailed, but now that the situation is like this, I'm dying of regret.

I really want to send a cuckoo to the author and ask.

“Knowing that they scammed, but not knowing how they scammed, it's too frustrating.”

“That's what I'm saying... Shall we also just give them counterfeit currency...”

“Madam, if you get caught doing that, you'll be arrested... Counterfeiting money is a serious crime...”

We simultaneously let out a long sigh.

“Since it has come to this, there's no choice.”

I stood up from the desk where I was lying face down with a resolute attitude.

“Yes? As expected of Madam. You were hiding a secret move!”

This method isn't certain to succeed so I didn't really want to use it, but since it has come to this, there's no choice.

Whether we collapse like this or collapse like that.

In the end if we collapse, we should try something and collapse.

“We have no choice but to use the blank cartridge operation.”

“Yes? Blank cartridge?”

Ah, there's no guns in this world, right.

“There's such a thing. Naul, do you trust me?”

“I always trust Madam.”

“Good! Then call the Fox Merchant Union. Before that...”* * *The Fox Merchant Union who were suddenly gathered had a bewildered appearance.

Especially, the atmosphere of the reception room different from last time seemed hard to adapt to.

I was heavily armed with flashy accessories, and behind me soldiers with firm spirit were aligned.

Even if they know our castle's situation clearly, people are weak to what they see.

Today as well, Lewan opened his mouth first the same as last time.

It seemed that man is the representative of this trading company.

“I know there's still some time left... It seems you already got the money? As expected of a ducal family.”

“No. I didn't get the money. Because there's no need to get it.”

I said haughtily.

Today my concept was a noble Duchess.

Flashily dressed hair, arrogant gaze, and even a heavy necklace so heavy that the neck is heavy.

I don't know if this appearance will work well, but I have to do as much as I can.

“Yes?”

Lewan made a puzzled face, then explained the situation again.

“Duchess. Do you know that if you don't repay the money to us, you have to hand over this ducal castle? I'm saying is it okay even if the ducal castle goes over to the merchant union. We plan to get money even by selling this castle right now. If it's the castle of the Valfruga ducal house, there will be many families who want to buy it.”

“You don't have to worry about that. Rather, will you guys be okay?”

I rested one chin and scolded the merchant union.

“Daring to scam the Valfruga ducal house. And thinking you can survive even after that?”