Raising my Fiancè with Money

Chapter 102: Heir of House Evantheon

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“You don’t want to……?”

Rebecca repeated, as if she had misheard. Karhan looked at her in silence without denying her.

“It’s not even your seat, so don’t be mistaken.”

Rebecca could no longer hold back her anger and raised her voice,

“The successor of Evantheon is Blair. You do not belong here!”

“Duchess.”

Rebecca was startled. His voice sounded unfamiliar. When she closed her mouth, Karhan said the words he had been keeping inside him all this time.

“What did I do so wrong?”

Karhan was always curious. He never knew why his mother hated him so much. Karhan always shrunk away whenever Rebecca accused him of being a mean child and of being hopeless. And he defined himself based on her words.

— What do you mean by that? There’s no one as good as you.

Lilia told him that he wasn’t wrong to worry, but that he was a good man. So he will believe what Lilia says.

“Horrible thing.”

Rebecca trembled with her fist clenched.

“Did you forget everything you did?”

“…….”

“You drove me crazy.”

Karhan’s eyes shook at her gaze filled with hatred.

“Yes, since you were a kid. You always pretended not to.”

“What do you mean?”

“You broke my cherished possessions and threw the mutilated animal body into the bedroom……!”

Karhan also remembered that incident. He could still vividly see Rebecca looking at him in condemnation. At that time, he couldn’t understand what was wrong with Rebecca and why she blamed him. Now that he thought about it, something was strange.

“I didn’t do it.”

“It’s shameless of you to lie calmly.”

But it’s been a long time since Rebecca concluded that it was Karhan’s fault.

“I don’t want to see you, so hurry up and go to the conflict zone.”

Previously, Karhan had a deal with the Duke of Evantheon. That he’ll go to the conflict zone in exchange for helping Heinley Bloden. She seemed to have heard about the agreement.

Karhan, who was silent, recalled what had happened in the past. There was only one person who would benefit from Karhan and Rebecca’s fall. A person who acts differently from what they look like on the outside……. He only knew of one person.

“Have you ever suspected him?”

When an accusation to Blair came up, Rebecca’s face crumpled fiercely,  like a man whose weakness was caught.

“What are you talking about?”

“If what you just said is instead what he did…….”

“Shut your mouth!”

Forgetting that she was no longer inside the main mansion, Rebecca shouted. She always acted like an unreasonable person whenever she talked about Blair.

“You’ve been doing something you don’t usually do these days. Is it Bloden who taught you this nonsense?”

When she mentioned Lilia, this time Karhan’s face hardened to a frightening degree.

“That’s right.”

I should’ve just pushed for the engagement with Delotta……. murmured Rebecca to herself. She wanted to tell him to break up the relationship, but she hasn’t achieved her goal yet. It would only be possible to secure funds if she pursued an engagement with the Bloden family. Rebecca murmured, with her expression stiffened,

“I wish you were dead.”

When he heard that, Karhan felt his blood grow cold. I just wanted a little affection, but was it so wrong? Karhan was now determined to let go of all the lingering feelings.

“I will survive.”

Rebecca opened her eyes wide. Looking at her, Karhan said with strength.

“So that I’ll be the Duke of Evantheon.”

***

Days passed after the Imperial Palace banquet. All kinds of rumors began to circulate in the capital over what happened at the banquet hall. It was Karhan who became the talk of the town by far. The bad rumors surrounding Karhan Evantheon were so famous that even children would know. A killer, a bloodthirsty warhead, a mad dog…….

At the banquet, however, Karhan showed that the rumors were wrong. Polite, intelligent and handsome, the lord seemed well qualified as a successor……. Karhan’s reputation has improved beyond comparison.

Of course, not all rumors were good stories about Karhan. A few people have rumored that Karhan is still a madman, but he met Lilia Bloden and was restrained.

After Karhan, it was Richard who became a hot topic. Richard had already caused a scene that will go down in history for a long time[1]. Despite that, he showed up at the banquet, and everyone was outraged that he was trying to harm Lilia.

In addition, the news that Richard had been scammed was widely known. The historic Terssian mansion was taken over by the bank, and the toy business into which the money was poured into was put up for auction.

Nevertheless, there were rumors that he still has not been able to pay all his debts. Richard, dreaming of a brilliant comeback, fell into the abyss.

“Huuu.”

Lilia put down her pen. She could hardly concentrate on her work. There were a lot of documents she had to look into, but her head was full of other thoughts.

Lilia thought she’d go for a walk to cool off. As soon as she got out of the chair, her eyes met with Malek, who came in with a lot of documents.

“I’m going for a short walk. Bring me the urgent documents to the back garden. I’ll read it over with tea.”

Lilia immediately left the main building. Perhaps because it was noon, the hot sun poured down like a shower. As she took refuge under the lush trees, Lilia began to walk quickly with no place in mind. She then came to her senses and saw that she had arrived in front of the annex.

She checked the porch. As if there was no class today, Karhan’s carriage was nowhere to be seen. Not long ago, it was natural for Karhan to be there when she stopped by the annex, so the empty porch looked somewhat lonely.

It had been about a week since she went to the banquet. She hadn’t seen Karhan’s face since then. They were avoiding each other as if they had made a promise to. Again, her chest tightened.

In fact, Lilia has had a crush on Karhan for a long time and is increasingly attracted to him. But afraid of the relationship changing, she had been putting a lock on the door of her heart and ignoring it all along. She thought she had done well so far, but she hadn’t been. There was a gap in the door which she had thought was completely closed.

Karhan came in little by little like mist and seeped into the crevice. In the blink of an eye, the mist turned into a puddle, soon a wave and he swept Lilia away. So strong that she can no longer lie to herself.

‘What do I do?’

Love, which came after a long time, excited Lilia and threw her into anxiety. She didn’t have the confidence to love at ease.

Lilia would always have the end in mind when she first started. If she’s going to break up in the end, it’s better not to even start. Above all, she wasn’t sure if Karhan liked her. She’s sure that he has a good feeling about her.

‘Will that good feeling be the same as mine….’

Karhan is such a sweet man. In addition, she did things that Karhan had never received before. Therefore, of course, he has no choice but to have good feelings for her. Like other people who have liked her so far, it was painful to think that money might have bought him those feelings.

At last, Lilia, who had shaken off thoughts about Karhan, walked slowly and arrived at the back garden. Malek, who had arrived first, pulled out the chair. As soon as Lilia sat down in her chair, Malek began to report.

“The case was filed this morning.”

“What about Richard?”

“Maybe tomorrow you will receive the papers too.”

At last the divorce proceedings began. Richard’s side had no money to appoint a lawyer, and the trial was much more advantageous for Lilia. In addition to causing an unprecedented political scandal, he tried to use violence at the banquet.

After winning the case and breaking up with Richard, the Duchess will push for an engagement. So she was going to completely consolidate Karhan’s position as the successor until the outcome of the trial came out.

His reputation has improved a lot through this banquet, so there will be few complaints in the family.

“As I said last time, the business place operated by the Tersian family has been put up for auction.”

“All right, buy it.”

“It’s a ruined business……Would that be all right?”

“After all, it was meant to be a joint venture with our family. We’ll take it back.”

Still, the foundation was well-established because Richard poured a lot of money.

“Let’s see how lucky my fortune is, even though Richard has ruined it (the business) once.”

Malek, who nodded, continued his next report.

“Miss Vanessa has contacted. She’s going to start working on it, so please visit her when you have time.”

She was trying to draw a painting commissioned by the Empress. Come to think of it, Lilia couldn’t properly talk to the Empress at this banquet. She thought she should visit the Empress if she had to enter the palace next time.

Malek’s report continued. He said construction was now starting on the hot spring site. Since the hot spring had already been compacted, it would not take long to raise the building.

“And next month, there will be a swordsmanship contest at the Imperial Palace.”

Lilia, who was handing over the documents, paused. It was earlier than expected. Last year, it was held after the fall, so she thought it would be around that time this year as well.

Any nobleman could participate in the sword fighting competition hosted by the Imperial family. The winner is guaranteed a career path, so if Karhan wins this time, he can fully establish himself as the successor. It’s an excellent opportunity.

Thinking of Karhan again, Lilia sighed. What should I do in the future? I can’t keep avoiding it, but I don’t have the confidence to act as if nothing had happened.

“Lady?”

Malek, who saw Lilia sighing, asked her carefully. Lilia, who was contemplating for a while, slowly raised her head. Still, Malek has lived ten years longer than she has, so she thought he must have had this worry at least once. I think some counseling…….

“Lady!”

A loud voice rang out in the distance. Lilia and Malek turned their heads at the same time. In the distance, Frances was running toward the back garden.

“Frances!”

At Malek’s shout, Frances hesitated for a moment, then ran to stand in front of Lilia. Lilia asked with her puzzled face,

“I heard you’re going out today”

“I’m on my way back from going out. No, that’s not the problem. There is some trouble now!”

“……What is it?”

Frances answered with a hardened face.

“Businessmen near the hot spring are protesting in groups!”

***

[1] That line means he created a scene but it’s written in a more sarcastic yet elegant way