ITMWG 126

Chapter 126…

Open the gate!

“You need to kill that damn brat.”

“What?!”

Melissa jumped, seeing her father suddenly say such a scandalous thing after promising to show her how to resolve the situation.

Avar clicked his tongue, as if he knew this would happen.

“Don’t get all worked up like that!”

“Who on earth could stay quiet after hearing that?”

“Now is not the time to act as you please like before! We need to be more serious and meticulous, and maybe we can just barely make up for it.”

Even Melissa, with her airhead, knew the situation was extremely unfavourable.

Melissa pouted, as if asking what he wanted her to do, and Avar sighed, before lowering his voice.

“You can’t do anything alone. First, you need to find help.”

“Help? Look at us now. Who would help us, having lost both our fortune and title?”

Melissa scoffed, as if it were absurd.

“Father, you asked me to contact the First Prince for help, so I did, but I never heard back from him.”

“Hmph. That bastard was always trouble. That smug look on his face told you he wasn’t someone you could trust.”

Melissa gaped at Avar’s surprising change of attitude, having sucked up to him recently, saying things like, “You’re destined to be king!” and “You give such an elegant and intelligent impression!”

However, Avar ignored the bewildered look in his daughter’s eyes and continued to ramble on.

“That girl Nadia benefited from the inheritance law revision, but others suffered enormous losses. Eldest sons of noble families with older sisters suddenly lost their inheritance, didn’t they?”

He meant that those people probably hold a grudge against Nadia for creating this situation.

“All you have to do is approach one of those people and join hands with them. With that b*tch Nadia gone, you’ll inherit the property and title. So, you can offer your helper, who lost their rights due to this inheritance law revision, a share of the Vine property.”

Melissa’s eyes widened as her father’s plan flowed smoothly.

Even she, who was not particularly good at brainstorming, found the plan quite plausible.

“Do you have someone in mind?”

“The person who was pushed aside for something big will likely feel a deep sense of loss and anger.”

“Something big?”

“Yes. Something big.”

Avar tapped his thigh, lost in thought.

A face suddenly flashed through his mind, as he knew the capital’s social circles better than anyone else.

“Now I understand. Why Duke Viosques joined forces with that girl and her husband.”

“Duke Viosques…?”

“Yes. The Duke only had a granddaughter, so the property and title were supposed to pass to a distant relative.”

“…!”

I wondered how Nadia, a timid, homebound woman with no contact with the nobles, had managed to get in on Viosques’ side!

“Then what if we join forces with that distant relative of Duke Viosques …?” (Melissa)

“Yes. Now you’re finally thinking!”

Avar smiled happily and stroked his chin with his hand.

“I heard a distant relative of his is living in Nisser. I remember everyone gossiping about how someone from the countryside could become a duke.”

“Isn’t Nisser… a complete country bumpkin?”

Melissa frowned.

“Are you suggesting I marry someone from such a rural area?”

“Are you even in any position to complain about that? Haven’t you caused enough of a mess?! Regardless of origins, one should marry and build a family!”

“It’s not like I ruined the family…”

Melissa grumbled in frustration.

Strictly speaking, it was her father, Avar, who was responsible for this.

It felt deeply unfair that he was accusing her of ruining her family as if it were her fault.

“Anyway, as soon as you leave, go to Nisser and contact the duke’s distant relative. He’s from a rural area, so he’ll probably be naive. Even someone as lacking as you are should be able to seduce him.”

“How can I get to Nisser? I don’t have a penny.”

“Go to the Marquis of Vine’s mansion and ask the butler for help. Tell him you’ve come on my behalf and he’ll give you the travel expenses. The servants are still on our side.”

❈❈❈

Father told me to just take the travel expenses, but…

Melissa wasn’t content with just that.

The countless clothes and trinkets she’d left behind at the mansion flashed before her eyes, unbearable.

Of course, she wasn’t doing this solely to satisfy her own greed, or so Melissa rationalised.

If she went to Nisser in this shabby state, she wouldn’t be able to lure even the most naive country boy.

Approaching with her usual flashy and beautiful self would be much more efficient.

Also, bribing with some trinkets would make it even easier to persuade them.

So I’ll have to ask the butler to take care of those as well.

Melissa’s mind was instantly filled with happy thoughts.

Once she arrived in Nisser and visited the distant relative, who had almost become the heir to the Duke of Viosques, he would be smitten by her beauty and follow her every gesture.

Even the proud gentlemen of the capital admired Melissa, so what of a country boy?

Even in this state of disarray, things would soon change.

However, upon arriving confidently at the Marquis of Vine’s mansion, an unexpected sight unfolded before her eyes.

A crowd of people was swarming through the wide-open gate of the Vine’s mansion.

They all looked dishevelled—of course, Melissa, who was even more dishevelled than them, couldn’t help but feel ashen. They also seemed to be carrying their luggage with them.

Some people burst into tears, eventually collapsing to the ground in sobs.

What on earth is going on?

Melissa, who was watching the scene in bewilderment, saw familiar faces.

The gardener, the coachman, the footman, the servant, and even the butler.

Why were these people, who should be working at the mansion, acting like this?

Melissa hurriedly ran towards the butler.

The already terrified butler jumped in surprise when a beggar-like woman suddenly rushed toward him. Then, upon seeing the face hidden beneath the dirty appearance, his eyes widened.

“Mi-Miss Melissa?!”

The servants around her stared in disbelief at the startled cry.

In their memories, Melissa had always been a beautiful and glamorous young lady, but now she looked like a slum beggar.

Reading the thoughts in everyone’s eyes, Melissa was ashamed, but she tried to ignore them and asked the butler.

“What on earth is going on?”

“The new master kicked us all out.”

“What? Everyone?”

“Yes. We’ve all been fired, without exception. She didn’t even give us letters of recommendation, and she’s making a list and distributing it to other noble families!”

The butler sighed, lamenting his fate, then looked at Melissa with hopeful eyes.

Having worked for Avar and Melissa for so long, he hoped they’d take pity on them and find a way to save him.

But the words that came out of Melissa’s mouth were completely unexpected.

“Then what am I supposed to do?”

“Huh?”

“My father told me to ask the butler for travel expenses!”

“W-what?”

She was asking for travel expenses when he was being evicted and had left behind all his valuables in the mansion?

He was so shocked that he was at a loss for words.

But Melissa, standing before the butler, stomped her feet and began to reprimand him.

“Besides, my dresses and jewelry are still in there. If everyone gets kicked out like this, how are we supposed to find my precious belongings? Huh?”

Even though she saw with her own eyes how helplessly the servants were evicted, Melissa seemed completely unconcerned with their plight.

She was simply furious that she had no way to retrieve her belongings.

The butler’s expression turned blank as he watched this silently.

“I never thought I would treat someone like this with such reverence, calling her a lady.”

The days of loyalty felt empty.

The butler glared coldly at Melissa, who was venting her anger, and then turned away.

Melissa, startled by the butler’s reckless attitude, quickly grabbed his arm.

“Where are you going?”

“I have to go my own way. I have no way to continue working like I used to, so I have to figure out how to make a living.”

“What? Then what do you want me to do? Find my belongings before you go!”

The butler snickered, almost mocking, at her bold request.

“I was kicked out too, so how can I help you find them?”

“T-that’s true, but…”

Melissa, flustered, reached out her hand to the butler.

“Then at least give me some travel expenses! I have to go to Nisser.”

“Travel expenses? Nisser?”

The butler snorted and swatted away Melissa’s hand that was grabbing his arm.

“Please assess the situation, Miss. I’m no longer your servant, so why should I follow your orders?”

“Wh-what? You insolent jerk!”

Melissa shouted in anger, but the butler, seemingly unwilling to join in the commotion, simply clicked his tongue and walked away with contempt.

“What are you all doing? We need to catch that insolent jerk!”

Of course, the other servants had no intention of following Melissa’s lead either.

They were all desperately trying to make ends meet, and they couldn’t afford to listen to the young lady whining about not being able to pay them anymore.

Melissa was swayed by the swarm of servants as they retreated, and during the process, her appearance grew even more tattered.

“W-what the heck…?”

Melissa gaped, staring blankly as the servants vanished.

But this was no time to be lost in thought.

With all the servants gone, the wide-open gate began to slowly close.

(Squeak).

With the servants she believed to be her helpers gone, if the gate closed like this, it would be impossible to enter the mansion.

Without time to think, Melissa quickly moved her feet.

She squeezed herself through the slowly closing gap, but unfortunately, her timing wasn’t perfect.

“Ah!”

Melissa screamed and struggled, trapped between the closing gates.

“Are you trying to kill someone? Open the gate! Hurry!”

Even as she struggled, trapped, her voice was surprisingly loud.

The booming voice was enough to alert quite a few people of her presence.

And among them was the mansion’s new owner, Nadia.

❈❈❈

Nadia slowly walked toward the front gate, listening to Melissa’s booming voice.

She knew Melissa would come to the Marquis’s residence as soon as she got out of prison, but she didn’t expect her to make such a fuss.

“You don’t have to meet her in person. Should I kick her out?”

Marie, who was standing by, asked cautiously, but Nadia shook her head.

Things were completely different now. Now she had everything, and Melissa had nothing.

“I’m the Marchioness, and she’s nobody. There’s no reason for me to avoid her.”

In fact, it was perfect timing for a scolding.