# 30
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They l it for money...?
For precious Dana to be treated like this...
Edwin's eyes sparkled with deadly coldness.
But in front of Dana, he had to be infinitely gentle.
He relaxed his stiff features and asked in a calm voice.
“You said bomb, what kind?”
Dana answered him in a steady tone.
“My family was using my identity to borrow from banks.”
“That is, they used you as collateral.”
“And I intend to change that.”
Dana began calmly explaining her plan.
“I will make the palace itf the security instead of my name.”
“Is this possible?”
“Yes. You know, since the monster incident, imperial law has become fragile. All I need is my father’s ID card, as the head of the family, and it won’t be difficult.”
'I will return the reward to them in equal parts. Just like they did to me.'
Since then, Dana's ID has been under the management of her older brother, Jimmy.
Then, debts began to accumulate without her realizing it.
She decided to do the same with them.
She wanted them to know for themves how terrifying the consequences can be, and to taste the feeling of being deceived without knowing it.
The Viscount had entrusted all important documents to Jamie as the next family heir.
The first thing she needs to do is find out where he keeps those documents.
Dana said with a stern face.
“I will no longer pay their debts. Whether they lose the palace or not is their business.”
Edwin nodded as he looked at her. Dana broke free from the family cage with intelligence and determination.
‘Burning them… I have to postpone it for a while.’
Edwin decided to postpone his plan. He didn't want to get in the way of her revenge.
He reached out and took her hand.
“And if you succeed in your plan, what then?”
“Huh?”
“Do you think they'll leave you alone?”
She shook her head no. Once you mess with Jimmy's safe, you'll become a target.
Edwin said quietly.
“Then come to my house.”
“So fast?”
“No need to be surprised. We'll just start living together earlier than expected.”
Edwin looked at her with affectionate eyes.
He saw that her true place was beside him, where he could protect her.
Protecting and monitoring her was his responsibility alone.
He said in a gentle voice.
“You are a precious person, Senpai.”
“You are not one to be treated so harshly.”
He extended his hand through her hair.
Her night-black hair slipped between his fingers.
Dana said with a faint smile.
“I told you before, I was naive. I thought I was a bad kid.”
“Why did you think that?”
“In difficult times, we didn't even have money to hire a maid. But my father refused to give up the palace.”
Edwin's face hardened.
He hoped to himf that the idea that came to him was not true.
But Dana continued with painful coldness.
“So I was working in the maid’s place.”
“A little girl alone?”
His hunch was correct, unfortunately.
“Otherwise I would be beaten violently. I am told that no child is worse than me.”
Dana laughed sadly.
“When I grew up, I realized that people don’t live like that. Fortunately, when our conditions improved, we hired servants.”
In Edwin's mind a fire burned.
A burning flame rises inside him, about to explode.
He wanted to crush those who had hurt her, to curse them all. But he didn't want Dana to see his ugly, angry face.
He closed his eyes and opened them deeply.
The feral gleam disappeared from his red eyes, replaced by a cold serenity.
He chose his words very carefully and said with deadly calm.
“They should be punished.”
Dana smiled bitterly.
“Isn't it?”
Fortunately, Dana seemed to be satisfied with just those words. Edwin felt proud that he had managed to curb his desire to tear those bastards apart.
“Senpai, you said your family came to the magic department last time, right?”
“Yes...”
Dana's face suddenly changed when remembering that day.
“I think it's time for you to take a vacation.”
"vacation…?"
Her eyes widened in surprise that she did not expect.
“A vacation without thinking, without burden. You sleep until late, eat what you want, and read the books you love.”
Her heart shook with those strange words. As he watched her confused eyes, Edwin said.
“With me, of course.”
Dana smiled brightly at him.
Edwin felt his heart tighten with pain and with a burning desire that was almost out of control.
'Looks like I'll have to take Senpai to live with me soon...'
His gaze deepened and became more intense.
***
When Dana arrived home, the evening had just begun. One of the maids was surprised by her early return.
Although she did nothing more than return as soon as her regular shift ended.
“Miss, what's wrong?”
“I forgot some papers. Where are my parents?”
“They went out with the young master as well.”
Dana nodded.
She knew they were all either at a party or in a gambling club late at night.
When they return, the three sit in the dining room drinking until dawn.
As for her, who had to go to work early, she would stay up every night to their loud voices.
'Looks like I have enough time.'
She said to the maid.
“You look like you're cleaning the stairs?”
“Yes, miss.”
“Go on with your work. I’ll have a cup of tea in the kitchen and then go out.”
“Shall I bring you tea?”
“No need.”
Unlike the rest of her family, Dana did not need to serve anyone.
The maid returned to her work while Dana quietly headed towards the corridor.
'How quiet, I have never been happier with so few servants as I am now.'
There were only two maids in the house, and both were busy with their work, allowing her to move freely.
But her surprise visit was not in vain.
'It's time to look for Dad's ID card...'
I entered the Viscount's library.
The Vicomte was not a fan of reading, and rarely stepped into that room.
After he gave up his land in exchange for debts, he no longer had any desire to work at all.
Unlike Jimmy, he was careless, didn't care about anything. Because everything around him bored him, he probably left his card somewhere without thinking.
Dana opened his desk drawer. Papers were scattered, and many things were scattered here and there.
'Found it...!'
In the corner of the stairs, the Viscount's identity card flashed. Fueled by curiosity, Dana also searched for her own card.
She remembered how much trouble her stolen card had caused her. Although she is now officially married, issuing a new card takes a long time.
During that time, her family could do anything stupid, so she had to get her back quickly.
But no matter how much she turned the drawers, she found nothing.
'As I expected, she's not here.'
Jimmy, the debt manager, must be holding it himf.
At that moment, I heard the voices of the maids behind the door.
“We can clean out the Viscount’s library quickly, no one is entering it anyway.”
“True, he hasn't set foot in it for a long time.”
The door was about to open, and Dana ducked under the desk.
She didn't know how her presence there might be interpreted, and she didn't want to risk it.
She held her breath and listened hard.
One of them said complainingly.
“Oh, I brought the old broom!”
“I told you to get rid of it!”
"I forgot. I'll go get a new one."
“Okay, I’ll accompany you.”
Then their voices began to gradually grow distant.
Dana calmly raised her body and inserted the Baron's ID card into her pocket.
Her muscles were tense to the point of stiffness.
She left the library without anyone noticing her. There was no one in the hallways yet.
She crept into the dining room and prepared a cup of tea deliberately, leaving a trail of her presence there.
As time passed, the color of the tea began to darken.
I heard the voices of the maids returning with brooms.
She made a deliberate sound as she placed the cup on the table.
“Miss, are you still here?”
“Yes, I was out now.”
She gave them a calm smile, so that they could confirm that she was in the dining room.
They nodded and entered the library.
Then Dana opened the utensils cupboard and took out a small magic recording ball.
The device was working smoothly, but the green light around it was starting to dim — a sign that it was running out of recording capacity.
'See what I've recorded so far...'
After examining everything carefully, she left the palace with steady steps.
It is time to return the entire burden of the past to its rightful owners.