Ch#90
Ch#90
Ch#90
~Chapter 90~
If Angelique had truly been a medically safe drug, Cedric wouldn’t have even thought to investigate it deeply from the start.
But according to his investigation, the drug was already leading people into crime. Some obtained prescriptions through friends with depression, others faked symptoms of lethargy to get it filled, and there were even those who bribed doctors for it.
This was no longer just a drug.
“Angelique is a narcotic.”
“Well, they say even narcotics can be beneficial in small doses. Albert must have exploited that to line his own pockets.”
Cedric clicked his tongue lowly, not in surprise but with irritation.
Whether the emperor would actually punish Albert was anyone’s guess. Cedric knew well how these things worked. Power had a way of protecting the guilty.
“For now, we’ll watch and wait. By the way, have you looked into the drug’s ingredients?”
“We’re still investigating,” Edgar said. “But in my opinion… something’s off. If the goal was just to monopolize the formula, why is it so hard to find information? The very lack of it means there’s more to this.”
He flashed a suspicious smile backed by conviction.
“They’re hiding something. That’s for sure.”
Cedric leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. He mentally reviewed Albert’s connections. He recalled that Viscount Kingsley, one of Albert’s close associates, had once been under the Duke of Kailas’s family. Events around them were usually reported to Cedric, who maintained a tight surveillance network.
But such “official” connections alone wouldn’t have sufficed for such clandestine dealings.
That meant there were likely links even Cedric didn’t know about.
“I remember Albert starting to associate with shady characters when he got into the pharmaceutical business.”
“Just investors in the drug?”
“Could be… or maybe not.”
“Hmm… Understood. Let’s dig into those suspicious figures as well.”
Edgar rose from his seat immediately. He might look lazy on the surface, but he was Cloud’s top informant, and once he decided to move, he never delayed.
Meanwhile, in another part of the empire, a man named John was growing increasingly anxious. After the banker Howard left, John had doubled the number of people searching for a woman who resembled Harriet.
He had to hurry. He couldn’t let that man show up at Bella’s engagement party. If that happened, hiding the fact that Harriet was in the Perillas region would become nearly impossible.
He needed a stand-in. A woman who could impersonate Harriet just long enough to sign the inheritance documents.
John scoured theaters, back alleys, and even brothels, desperately hunting for someone bold enough to pass as another woman. After sleepless nights of persistent inquiries, he finally found the perfect candidate.
Her hair was a shade lighter than Harriet’s, but she was similar enough to fool anyone.
“What’s your name again?”
“Lily Adler,” the woman replied, narrowing her eyes.
“A fake name?”
“I forgot my real one.” She shrugged.
John let out a short, dry laugh. “Doesn’t matter who you were. As long as you can walk into Aseti Bank and confidently declare yourself Harriet Listerwell, that’s enough.”
He handed her a small scrap of paper.
“This is Harriet’s signature from childhood. You have two days. Learn to forge it perfectly.”
Lily raised an eyebrow. “If I pull this off, you’ll really give me 50,000 durum?”
“Of course. But if you breathe a word of this to anyone…” His voice dropped low and cold. “I’ll flay fifty thousand durum’s worth of flesh from your body.”
She didn’t know exactly how much that was, but she knew it meant death.
Terrified yet desperate for the money, Lily agreed. She moved into Listerwell Mansion and spent two days practicing Harriet’s signature over and over, mimicking the handwriting until she could reproduce it flawlessly.
John also drilled her in basic noble etiquette—how to sit, speak, and walk like a lady. Fortunately, Lily had experience as a minor actress in small theater productions, so she adapted quickly.
When she finally signed without hesitation, John’s eyes lit up.
“Perfect. That’s it.”
He dressed her in one of Harriet’s old gowns and prepared a carriage. Though the tight schedule was grueling, John—having barely slept for days—yearned for this issue to be resolved as soon as possible.
As the carriage sped toward Perillas, John leaned back against the seat, a satisfied smirk tugging at his lips.
‘That land will finally be mine.’
The thought alone brought a rush of euphoria, enough to momentarily erase the stress of the past week. Even giving half the fortune to Bella no longer felt like a loss.
Two hours later, the carriage arrived in Perillas.
Lily clutched her stomach and groaned. “Ugh, I think I’m gonna puke.”
“Pull yourself together, Harriet,” John snapped. “You know what to do, right?”
“Yes. Go in, act like a sweet niece, don’t talk too much, and just sign where I’m told.”
“Exactly. Let’s go.”
John strode into Aseti Bank with his head held high, exuding confidence, followed deferentially by Lily in her noblewoman’s attire.
It was business hours, and a few customers were present, but John ignored them all and went straight to Howard, the branch manager seated behind the counter.
“Mr. Scott! We’re back as promised!” he called out cheerfully.
Howard looked up. A subtle change crossed his face, settling into an unreadable expression.
“What brings you here today, Lord Listerwell?”
“Why else? Unlike last time, this visit will go much smoother. I’ve brought my beloved niece!”
Howard’s gaze shifted to Lily.
“Ah… I see. Are you Miss Harriet?”
Lily stepped forward, bowing her head slightly in a feigned show of shyness and politeness.
“Pleased to meet you. I’m Harriet Listerwell.”
John grinned widely. “Took forever to find her. Knowing you’re busy, shall we get to the paperwork?”
But Howard didn’t budge. He simply shook his head with a smile.
“I’m afraid I don’t understand, Lord Listerwell. Miss Harriet Listerwell has already been here and claimed her inheritance.”
“What?” John’s voice cracked.
Howard remained calm. “Yes. About five days ago. She came in person, verified everything, and opened a new account.”
John’s head spun. His eyes darted around as if grasping for an invisible explanation.
“Th-that can’t be! Harriet… already signed the documents?”
“Indeed. She inspected the land and mansion herself.”
“Impossible!” John shouted, his polite facade shattering. “Someone’s impersonating her! How could you let that happen? Didn’t you verify her identity?”
Howard didn’t flinch.
“If I may be so bold, I don’t see why you’re so agitated. Per Sir Arthur Listerwell’s instructions, we followed a two-step verification process for Miss Harriet’s identity.”
“Verification?” John’s hands trembled with rage.
Howard pulled out a sheet of paper.
“Sir Arthur specified two checks if Miss Harriet came for the land. First, her signature must match.”
“Then sign it, Harriet!” John barked.
But Howard was immovable.
“And the second condition: she must accurately fill in the missing words here.”
He handed over a short note with several lines blank. John glanced at it and realized it was a lullaby.
“This? This childish nonsense is your verification process?”
“Sir Arthur said the real Harriet wouldn’t get a single word wrong. And the woman who came five days ago got it exactly right.”
Howard slid the paper and pen toward Lily.
“Here you go. Fill it in.”
But Lily had never heard of this. Frozen, she looked to John, not knowing what to do.
Panicked, John slammed his palm on the paper and crumpled it.
“I’m the head of the Listerwell family! That fortune belongs to our house, and my word is law! What is this ridiculous nonsense?!”
Howard’s expression was impassive.
“Unfortunately, imperial law disagrees. Frankly, we could report you for business interference and attempted fraud.”
“What did you just say?”
“Miss Harriet has been staying in Genoa for some time now. She left Listerwell Mansion years ago to live under another guardian. Yet you’ve been lying to us.”
Howard’s eyes turned icy.
“Unable to forge legal documents, you brought in a lookalike to fake the signature? I wonder who the real fraud is.”
“You bastard…!”
“And frankly, she doesn’t even resemble Miss Harriet. Same hair color doesn’t make someone the same person.”
He even clicked his tongue in disappointment.
Every eye in the bank turned to them. Murmurs filled the air. The atmosphere grew hostile.
“You’ll regret this!” John spat as he stormed out of the bank.
Terrified, Lily nearly tripped on her dress hem in her haste to follow him.
The plan that had seemed perfect crumbled into public humiliation.
