Ch#88
Ch#88
Ch#88
Chapter 88
~Chapter 88~
Even after downing a full glass of water, Tritia couldn’t calm her rage. With hands trembling in fury, she pounded her chest.
「My big brother didn’t raise his children like this. Arthur might have gotten more attention as the heir, but John was brought up with the same values. What in the world happened during all that time for him to turn into such a monster?」
Harriet remained silent. That question had lingered in her heart for years.
In her childhood, Uncle John had always been warm and kind. What had changed? Or had that kindness been nothing more than a mask from the start?
There was no point dwelling on it anymore. The damage had already been done.
Once Tritia finally calmed down, Roxana stepped forward and quickly reviewed the documents Howard had brought.
「This bank is unusually honest.」 She commented. 「They’ve kept detailed records of every transaction, and the asset management is unbelievably solid. And this land itself—now I see why Baron Listerwell wanted it so badly.」
The Perillas region was renowned for its fertile soil and exceptional crop yields. The income from selling produce was already substantial.
But its true value wasn’t limited to farming.
Located just a 2-3 hour carriage ride from Genoa and situated at the junction of roads stretching southeast into the empire, this land held tremendous development potential. It was worth far more than mere farmland.
Of course, no reason could justify stealing property from a rightful heir.
「We got lucky.」 Harriet said with a wry smile. 「Or maybe it’s not luck. Perhaps my parents… are watching over me. I didn’t even know I had an inheritance.」
Tritia raised her voice again. 「Go to Perillas right now. Check the land yourself and make sure everything is in order—especially verify the finances thoroughly. Roxana, you go with her.」
「But ma’am,」 Roxana hesitated. 「Who will attend to you in the meantime…?」
「Is this house short on maids?」 Tritia snapped. 「Don’t worry about me. Securing Harriet’s estate is more important right now.」
Seeing Roxana still waver, Tritia yelled exaggeratedly. 「I won’t die while you’re gone!」
In the end, after Harriet apologized several times, Roxana reluctantly agreed. The two women set off together for Perillas.
The carriage ride was long, but the countryside scenery was peaceful. Roxana spent most of the journey gazing out the window. When the landscape began to change and they neared the estate, she finally spoke.
「This place has quite a bit of traffic. That’s a very good sign. Being close to Genoa with well-maintained roads—this area has enormous potential. It’d be a shame to leave it as just farmland.」
Harriet seemed hesitant. 「Honestly, I still don’t know what to do with it. I don’t want rumors spreading that the new owner chased out all the tenant farmers the moment she arrived. So for now, until a better plan comes along, I’m keeping it as farmland.」
「Reputation matters in rural communities.」 Roxana agreed. 「But eventually, you’ll have to make a decision. Just don’t try to save everyone. You’re not a savior.」
Harriet let out a soft laugh. 「You’re right.」
But when she first laid eyes on her own land, all her heavy thoughts melted away.
「This… all of this is mine?」
Her breath caught.
Young barley sprouts the color of her hair spread across the earth, shimmering in soft green under the sunlight.
In other sections, carrots and beans had just been planted. Life was already blooming across the vast land. The sight deeply moved Harriet, making her glad she’d decided to keep it as farmland.
Come summer, she’d see waves of golden barley… and in autumn, harvests of pumpkins and potatoes. What a wonderful thought.
Just imagining it warmed her heart.
Still, Roxana was right—this land needed to grow.
「The fellow farmers will be thrilled.」 Howard, who had accompanied them as a guide, said. 「They’ve tilled this soil their whole lives. Most of them don’t know how to do anything else.」
Harriet gave a faint smile but shook her head.
「That might be true for the older generation. But their children are different. With more and more imported foreign goods, farming alone won’t sustain profits forever. We can’t keep doing things the old way indefinitely.」
She was realistic. The crops were beautiful, but for the region to thrive, the young people needed reasons to stay, and traditional farming alone wouldn’t be enough.
But that was a task for the future. Right now, Harriet had more urgent matters to handle.
First, she needed to fix up the neglected Belburn Mansion. Structurally sound but somewhat dilapidated and damaged, it required basic maintenance, minor renovations, and interior work, which she commissioned immediately.
Next, Harriet reinvested most of the savings accumulated in the bank account over the past ten years into high-yield financial products recommended by Aseti Bank. In gratitude for her continued trust, Howard applied a special interest rate to the estate farm’s revenue account.
It sounded simple, but the process was extensive. Even handling it swiftly, they had to stay in Perillas two more days.
On the evening of the third day, Harriet returned to the newly spruced-up mansion and proudly flipped through her passbook.
Roxana, reading the newspaper on the sofa, looked up and asked.
「You’ve accomplished quite a lot, haven’t you? A stable income source and a proper house… What’s next?」
Harriet blinked. 「What do you mean?」
「If you decide to settle here, no one in the region will look down on you. And the people here probably haven’t even heard the nickname ‘Scandal Maker.’ Suitors’ proposals will come pouring in before long.」
Harriet’s face flushed. 「Ah…」
「If you hate the countryside, you could hire a steward and live in a small house in the capital. Either way, you have options now.」
Only then did Harriet realize the truth. It had all felt like luck handed to her on a platter, but in reality, she had already surpassed the goals she’d set when leaving the convent two years ago.
Her first emotion wasn’t joy. It was a stunned disbelief.
Is it really okay to be like this? she thought.
Roxana sighed and continued. 「I’m not trying to pull you away from Lady Pellon. I just wanted to let you know that new paths have opened up for you now.」
Harriet fell quiet, understanding why she had hesitated so much.
There was still one promise she hadn’t kept—one mission left unfulfilled.
「I haven’t finished everything I promised Grandmother.」 She said softly. 「I’ll stay in Genoa until that’s done.」
Her fingers traced the crisp cover of the new passbook.
「The people who killed my parents and stole everything from me… they haven’t paid yet.」
「…You mean your parents were murdered?」 Roxana asked cautiously.
「That’s what I believe.」
Harriet gave a faint, bitter smile.
「There were times I almost gave up. When my uncle ended his guardianship, I wanted to quit altogether. But then someone helped me find my strength again—someone I’d never even met. Baron Alfonso Billey.」
She told Roxana everything the baron had revealed before. About the sunken ship, and John’s suspicious behavior.
To others, it might sound like mere hearsay, but Harriet had lived in John’s house long enough to know.
「My uncle knew that ship was going to sink. And thinking back, I should have been on that ship too. I always traveled with my parents.」
The memory had come late, but it was vivid. That day, she had thrown a tantrum to stay with her friends. John and his wife had oddly persisted in trying to convince her.
At the time, she hadn’t thought anything of it.
But now? She couldn’t ignore it.
「I know there’s no proof. I won’t accuse him publicly. I won’t even try to kill him. But…」
「But?」
「I can’t forgive him. I’m not a saint. I’m just the Scandal Maker.」
She smiled again. A cold, resolute smile.
John had tried to take her name, her inheritance, and her future. And he would probably try again.
「You don’t have to believe me. I was planning to tell you after I proved my abilities more. But…」
「I believe you.」 Roxana said without hesitation. 「Honestly, knowing Baron John Listerwell as I do, it’s exactly the kind of thing he’d do.」
She sighed again, but her expression didn’t change.
「Now you need to get stronger. Once he finds out you’ve reclaimed the land, he’ll come after you.」
「Should I hire some guards?」
「Of course. And raise your public profile. Make yourself visible. If you’re in the public eye, he won’t dare touch you.」
Harriet nodded—and, surprisingly, burst into laughter.
