Chapter 11
At Aria’s words, Askin frowned. It was utter nonsense.
That woman hadn’t said a word or done a single thing?
“Aria, you promised never to lie again. I’ll ask one more time. Did that woman really do nothing?”
“Yeah….”
“Not a single word?”
“Yeah……. She didn’t do anything at all.”
Aria hesitated for a moment, then clutched tightly at her skirt hem.
‘Rather……’
The way she’d looked even more startled when Aria herself had started trembling.
Aria was bewildered by this expression she’d seen on Charlize for the very first time.
“Is there no one there? No one at all? Someone’s collapsed…!”
She hadn’t fainted right away in that moment. That’s why Aria had heard Charlize’s desperate voice calling for help.
It was strange.
That was absolutely not something Charlize Altizeit would do.
“I don’t know exactly. But Brother, Lady Charlize really didn’t say anything or do anything.”
“……”
After a moment of silence, Askin let out a small sigh.
“She just hasn’t done it yet.”
Standing politely beside Aria was Gerry, the family physician of the ducal house. When their eyes met, he gave a slight nod.
It meant Aria was fine.
“The young lady is all right, Your Grace. She merely fainted from the shock.”
Even though the doctor, Gerry, said as much, Askin couldn’t bring himself to believe it.
But this was his chronic condition—excessive worry—and he knew it well enough, so instead of saying more, he simply stroked Aria’s head.
“As long as you weren’t hurt, that’s a relief. I’ll break off the engagement with that woman soon, so just hold on a little longer.”
“……Yeah.”
As Aria nodded, she pushed down her lingering confusion.
Maybe she’d just been seeing things with Charlize today, after all.
* * *
The next day.
Askin woke unusually late, in the mid-morning hours. The previous night, he’d stayed up late handling work to calm his rage over that woman’s outrage that had turned the mansion upside down.
’Not much time left. Just need to prepare a way to pay off the debt.’
Yesterday, when that woman had so brazenly demanded money, he’d panicked without realizing it. But the days of being controlled by money were coming to an end.
“Take my hand whenever you’re ready, Your Grace. I’ll be waiting.”
Recall the ally who had extended a hand to him, Askin rose from bed.
When he stepped into the corridor, it was unusually noisy for some reason.
The Remute Ducal House might bear the name of a duchy, but due to the endless expenses for Aria’s treatments, they had very few servants.
Yet right now, it felt like every one of those scant servants had gathered in the corridor.
“What’s going on?”
“Ah, Your Grace…!”
The one who startled was a veteran servant of the household.
He was usually cheerful and diligent in his duties as a seasoned worker, but for some reason, his face was filled with embarrassment, shock, and an unpleasant sort of fascination.
“Y-Your Grace, you’re awake, sir.”
Answering in place of the flustered veteran was the head butler, Bond.
“You may find it perplexing, but there’s something you need to see for yourself, Your Grace…”
“What is it?”
Rather than hearing it from Bond’s troubled expression, it would be better to see it directly, so he guided Askin along.
And there, Askin beheld an astonishing sight.
‘That’s……’
Beside the front garden of the mansion stretched a broad driveway, wide enough to accommodate two carriages side by side. Right now, a single carriage was parked there.
And in front of it—somehow procured—was Charlize Altizeit, sitting comfortably in an armchair, even holding a teacup.
Askin had always maintained his composure no matter the circumstance, but in this moment, he couldn’t help but let his mouth fall slightly open.
‘What in the world am I looking at?’
The gleaming, ostentatiously luxurious carriage bore the Altizeit crest, so it wasn’t a mistake on his part. Nor was he dreaming.
Askin rubbed his face and let out a groan.
“What the hell kind of insanity is this……”
“……”
He’d always thought of her as no ordinary madwoman, but upon reflection, Charlize’s “viciousness” was the sort that left one speechless.
Excluding her drunken rampages and wicked deeds, she was—when sober—the type who fancied herself the epitome of refinement, arrogant and fiercely proud.
She wasn’t the sort of madwoman who transcended all common sense.
’No way.’
“If you don’t give me the money, there’ll be no breakup. I’m not moving from here.”
“……Do whatever you want. No matter what, things won’t go your way.”
Had she taken his words completely at face value?
Askin refused to believe this stemmed from his own response.
His groan lasted only an instant. Anger gathered in Askin’s eyes.
Just how far would she mock him and his house? There were limits to such ridicule.
“Your Grace? Your Grace?”
Askin turned on his heel and headed somewhere. The place he arrived at was his study.
“Your Grace, you’ve arr— Uh, Your Grace?”
“Ben. Bring ‘that document’ right now!”
Askin took a seat.
It wasn’t long before a letter, penned in his elegant handwriting, was complete in his hand.
‘The debt? She’ll make an issue of the debt?’
In order for Askin Remute to break off his engagement with Charlize Altizeit, he had to repay the debt he’d borrowed at the time of their betrothal.
But the Altizeit Duke hadn’t stopped there; he’d threatened that upon breakup, they would also have to pay a massive penalty interest on top of all the interest received thus far.
“We can assist with that… Your Grace, we would make excellent partners.”
Thanks to the one house that had offered him their cooperation, a ray of light had appeared in what had seemed an impossibly dark debt.
Unsure of their true intentions, he’d held off on taking their hand—but no longer.
“Send this letter to them immediately. As quickly as possible.”
“Yes!”
From yesterday’s visit to his sister to this spectacle now, wasn’t she clearly losing all sense of propriety?
“And keep a close eye on that woman who’s set up camp outside. Make absolutely sure she never crosses paths with Aria again.”
“……Yes!”
And so, Charlize Altizeit began her encampment in front of the Remute Duke’s Mansion.
* * *
The mad villainess Charlize Altizeit is camping out in front of the Remute Duke’s Mansion!
“…is what the rumors are saying?”
“Yes, yes! My lady.”
The maid nodded vigorously, all the while sneaking glances at my face.
She was clearly worried she’d upset me by relaying such gossip.
I gave her a bright smile.
“Let them talk.”
“Huh?”
“It’s the truth, isn’t it?”
I took a sip of the steaming tea.
‘Wow, what a view.’
The lawns of the Remute estate were so beautifully, vibrantly green.
Days had passed.
Three days had gone by since I’d started my “campout.”
‘At first, she got the cold shoulder at the door for two days straight, right?’
Charlize had been ignored by her fiancé for two full days, only to stubbornly pitch camp in the garden like the tough one she was(?).
‘Rumors are spot on.’
I took another leisurely sip of tea.
To be honest, it was camping, but not exactly. Once word spread that I was staying in the garden, the maids had brought over a mobile luxury carriage, so I was spending my time quite comfortably, thank you very much.
‘Who knew magic could be this wonderful.’
Thanks to that, I was enjoying myself with piping hot tea.
……Is it okay to have this much fun on my first-ever campout?
I’d been encamped like this for over three days now. Had I not seen my fiancé in that time? Oh, I’d seen him.
When he passed nearby, his face was twisted in a teeth-grinding scowl.
The problem was, seeing that divinely sculpted pretty-boy face didn’t bother me at all.
‘……I know you’re baffled too, so cut me some slack. I’m the wronged one here.’
My body was managing just fine, but my mind was another story—not entirely at ease.
After all, I had to prevent this breakup… but no clever solution had come to me.
“Break up.”
The look in Askin’s eyes when he’d declared it was the real deal—what you’d call “the genuine article.”
His face had brimmed with 100% pure sincerity, no doubt about it.
I’d felt the heart-wrenching pain when a breakup loomed for real.
If this actually happened, I’d drop dead on the spot.
‘So how’s he planning to handle the money?’
He couldn’t break things off without settling the debt.
But I couldn’t for the life of me guess his means.
The Altizeit Ducal House was on a level where only the Imperial Family served as comparison.
When it came to cash, gold, and wealth, they were second to none—no one would dare claim otherwise—and they were infamous behind the scenes for their money-lending prowess.
‘Repaying a loan possible only because it was the Altizeits won’t be easy by half.’
On top of that, my grandfather was the sort to bolt upright in bed at the mere whiff of money.
If Askin sensed it slipping from his grasp, he wouldn’t just forgive the debt—he’d demand a mountain of interest along with it.
With no better ideas, camping out like this was my only option, yielding no real progress.
‘I can feel his eyes growing icier by the day. And now he’s starting to outright ignore me. It’s unfair, but……’
The thing is, I never asked to wake up in this body. But for my happy return home, you’re absolutely essential……
‘Is there a way that’s a win for me and a win for him too? Actually, yes.’
The catch? He’d have to trust me, even just a little, for me to use it.
Back to square one.
As things stood, I was just stoking his anger. It was time to bring this to a head.
And that day arrived far sooner than I’d expected.
