# 78 - 78
I tilted my head, but Leon Fraser suddenly grabbed the handle of my wheelchair forcefully, distracting me. I felt this was ominous.
"…What?"
“I'm hungry now, let's go eat.”
“No, push it slowly…ah!”
This crazy bastard!
* * *
“What should we do, Viscount Lelius? If Young Master Tidric is dismissed as a lowly knight on the border like this...”
The advisor who was staying next to Viscount Lilius, who was under house arrest, muttered with a worried expression.
The borders were already teeming with barbarians.
"It's obvious what those barbaric bastards are going to do to the knights. What if they turn our son into a half-cripple?"
Viscount Lilius also looked like he was on the verge of madness. Then O'Pray, who was unconscious as if having an epileptic seizure, woke up.
“What, what does that mean, my dear!”
My dear! Please calm down. Bring the medicine!
They barely managed to give her a sedative, but O'Pray was still shaking.
“Is this evil and cunning thing that drives our son to death in the end? Is this it?!”
Dear, don't worry.
Viscount Lilius hastened to reassure Aubray, whose hands were trembling.
“You know very well how far the border is from this Grand Duchy, right?”
“…So?”
Of course, his movements were not completely free at that moment, but his hands and feet were not completely tied.
I'll somehow attach some elite knights to Tedric. I will ensure that they remain silent. If they said he came because of the house arrest order, not even those brutal bastards would dare to treat our son so carelessly!
Marquis Aster Fraser had little interest in his sons.
Especially in Tullia.
Even if Tedric had been expelled by her order, he wasn't the type to send someone over here to check what was going on.
If he was that kind of person, he would have cared for Tulia a long time ago, but wasn't he the one who didn't send the child support properly even once in all those years?
“Our son will be away for a short period of recovery. Don’t worry, my dear.”
As Viscount Lilius comforted O'Bray, he quickly remembered the origins he had hidden in his mind.
A large plate holding the cake is sure to contain frosting.
After Viscount Lilius took control of internal affairs, just collecting the crumbs in his hands was a huge sum.
Naturally, he had saved everything.
“This money will be enough.”
They might investigate now, but they wouldn't be able to find the gold he hid in physical form in deep places.
He could use those hidden assets to connect people to Tedrick.
Viscount Lilius hastily issued these instructions to his advisor.
but.
“V, Viscount.”
The advisor returned, trembling.
“There is nothing left of that money.”
"What?"
For a moment Viscount Lilius doubted his hearing.
Where did all this huge amount of money go, which is enough to buy two areas and still has money left?!
“Miss Tulia has discovered and confiscated everything...!”
jingle!
Viscount Lilius unconsciously grabbed his advisor by the collar and shook him.
“What crazy talk!”
* * *
Opry came to see me after lunch.
Unlike during the family reunion when she looked like she was about to faint, she was dressed very elegantly.
In other words, she came fully prepared for battle.
Well, I know why.
Who would have thought that Viscount Lilius could have hidden all this wealth?
I had seen several times that Viscount Lilius was really rich, so I had my doubts.
So when I delved into it intensely, oh my goodness!
I was able to discover a huge hidden fortune, enough to buy two regions and still have money left over.
He hid a huge amount.
With all this money, he still took even Tulia's little money little by little?!
He was truly someone who had sold his conscience a long time ago.
And Aubrey, who came to see me just now...
Well, I can almost guess what you're going to say.
You'll ask for money, right?
Or ask me to be lenient because Tedric's treatment is so harsh.
“Lizian, Leon.”
Unlike this morning when she acted like she wanted to eat me, Opray spoke to Lycian and Leon Fraser in an elegant voice.
“I have something I want to discuss with Tullia in private for a moment. Could you please excuse us?”
The perfect posture for a noble lady.
A proud request befitting a high-ranking aristocrat.
But then.
“This will be difficult, Auntie.”
"What did you say?"
For a moment, Opry seemed to doubt her ears.
I was also a bit surprised by Lycian's categorical refusal in this way.
O'Pray asked.
."Liziane? Why...can't you?"
then.
“Aunt Opry.”
Leon Fraser casually placed his hand on the handle of my wheelchair.
"She's not feeling well right now. You know."
“…So?”
"How can we leave her alone when we're worried about her? What if she gets hurt again?"
This was a statement that carried many implications.
For example, it seemed to refer to O'Pray's brutal behavior this morning.
Naturally, Opray realized this, and her hands trembled.
“Are you insulting my honor now?”
“It's not like that.”
"So what's the matter! I'm your boss and your aunt! It's not the etiquette of the Briang Empire to insult a noblewoman like this!"
“Oh, you're going to throw a tantrum at this rate.”
That would be annoying.
I didn't want to see someone having a seizure in front of me.
next to.
Anyway, I also wanted to step on her properly… No, no.
“I'm subconsciously thinking like Tullia.”
I cleared my throat inwardly, and quickly calmed my expression.
Whatever Opray said, I was going to politely ask her to leave, but I had to at least pretend to listen for now.
I was also secretly curious to know how she gathered the mental strength to get through this crisis.
“So Oppa, can you wait outside the door?”
Lycian seemed hesitant, but in the end.
“Okay. Tulia.”
He agreed obediently.
"Hey. What about me? Should I stay by your side?"
Man, you must be totally lost.
...Those words almost came out of my mouth, but I smiled sweetly instead.
“You should be next to Lisian Aoba, what are you talking about? Go.”
"Ah, here's the temperature difference with hyung again... Okay, it's okay. Hyung! Let's go together!"
Leon Fraser grumbled but hurriedly caught up with Lisian.
In an instant, there was only the two of us left, and the place was silent.
“Tulia.”
Out of sheer urgency, O'Pray got straight to the point.
“Yes. Aunty?”
“You took my jewelry.”
“Ah. Jewelry.”
Only then did I realize what Opry was trying to say.
jewelry.
The vast amount of treasures that were contained in the Opry Jewelry Box.
She was talking about how she confiscated some of it from the servants.
Did you hear that I confiscated all the money that Lilius hid?
So she must have hurriedly tried to at least get back the jewelry she got.
“The things you took are the dowry gifts I brought when I married into this family. They are my dowry. How could you take them by mistake? They are my personal property, Tullia.”
"personal belongings?"
When she laughed, Opray's face frowned.
That was understandable.
“Of course, if those were indeed Opray's jewels, I would be guilty of theft for taking them.”
If that were the case, Opray would not have broached the subject with such kindness and urgency.
She was using a calm voice because she was feeling guilty too.
This is normal.
The jewels in her possession did not belong to the Opray, but rather to the household of the Grand Duke Fraser.
Each piece individually, without exception.
“Auntie, it’s annoying if you keep lying to me.”
I shook the bell on the table.
Ringing ringing.
Then the door suddenly opened and Leon Fraser entered, rushing like lightning.
"Why! What's wrong! What's wrong!"
“No, why are you coming?”
I gritted my teeth and smiled at Leon Fraser, who had bolted inside like a puppy during this important and tense moment.
“Can you call your grandmother instead of coming yourself, oppa?”
This was originally a bell to summon servants!
Honestly, it was a little embarrassing, but Opry looked like she wanted to bite her nails to smithereens if she could right now.
Fortunately, she didn't seem to pay much attention to this ridiculous scene.
Thank God.
Meanwhile, Grans brought the list of documents she had asked him to prepare in advance.
"Look at this. Aunt O'Pray."
O'Pray examined the documents one by one.
One page, two pages.
Her beautifully polished hands trembled.
I've seen this countless times while playing that baking game, you know?
The ending in which Koriko becomes the Grand Duchess.
There were words O'Pray said when she came up smiling to congratulate her.
Kuriko, I congratulate you from the bottom of my heart. By the way, I have kept the ducal house jewels all this time, but I will return them to you now. I am so happy to find the real owner of this jewelry.
And the ensuing illustration showing a pile of incredibly high quality jewellery.
I didn't pay any attention to it at the time.
But thinking about it now, I suspected that O'Pray had been putting the jewels of the Grand Ducal House in her own jewelery box without permission for a long time.
That doubt?
He was absolutely right.
So I asked them to take back only the jewelry that was “salable” to begin with.
Especially those made of pure gold, with gemstones of appropriate thickness and size.
In other words, only jewelry accessories that can be easily converted into cash at any time and dismantling and selling them will not be a waste of time.
Since there was a good reason and a perfect menu, even the older maids did not dare to stop it.
“I don't understand why you would even lie to try to get those pieces of jewelry back, Auntie Opray.”
It seems my words hit the mark.
O'Prey's eyes grew fiercer.
Wouldn't it be more convenient for both of us if you told me directly what you need?
“…”
I took a deep breath. After taking a sip of the tea that had been offered to her as a courtesy, Opry slowly opened her mouth.
————