I’ll Be the Heroine’s Competent Divorce Partner - Chapter 76

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 76

Trying somehow to smooth over the situation, Hayden blurted out anything that came to mind.

“Do you need money, perhaps? If so, I’ll give it to you. So please calm down and let’s resolve this through dialogue first…!”

But then.

A gentle voice responded to Hayden’s words.

“Dialogue?”

Along with that, a lady pushed through the men and stepped forward.

Even in his terrified state, Hayden found himself speechless without realizing it.

She was a lady so beautiful it was dazzling to behold.

Hair as bright pink as spring flowers.

Her skin was white as snow and her features were delicate like a porcelain doll crafted with care by an artisan.

A faint smile graced her flawlessly perfect beautiful face.

But…

‘What is this feeling?’

As if someone was running cold hands down his spine.

What was this chilling sensation…

“Dialogue, that sounds good.”

The lady approached Hayden with light steps.

Then she tilted her head slightly and looked down at him.

The corners of her red lips twisted upward at an angle.

A sharp smile like a well-honed blade.

“I prefer dialogue myself.”

…Why was it?

She was merely a delicate lady.

The reason he felt such overwhelming pressure.

“Let’s start the dialogue with… yes, let’s discuss how much Mr. Wilson has embezzled.”

“Em-embezzled?”

“The dowry that the previous duchess brought.”

Hayden’s heart turned cold as if he had swallowed a huge chunk of ice whole.

“You’ve undertaken various businesses. Investing in mines, drilling land rumored to have hot springs. You even bought expensive land rumored to be redeveloped. But…”

The lady’s smile deepened slightly.

“You kept failing, didn’t you?”

“L-Lady?”

“There wasn’t a single successful case. There were no mineral veins, and the rumors about hot springs were false.”

A gentle voice that even sounded affectionate.

But was it his imagination?

Hayden felt as if the temperature had dropped slightly.

The lady continued speaking softly.

“Even the redevelopment fell through. The Laventess Ducal House was left with nothing but useless wasteland.”

“Wh-who are you to threaten people like this?!”

Hayden shouted, trying desperately to shake off the pressure weighing down his entire body.

Then the lady openly displayed an expression of disdain.

“In this situation, is that all you have to say?”

“What?”

“Is who I am really that important? Shouldn’t you first consider whether you can handle the aftermath if this crime is made public?”

Toward the speechless Hayden, the lady let out a deliberate sigh.

“But well, if you’re that curious about my identity… I suppose there’s no harm in telling you.”

Then she declared matter-of-factly.

“Elodie von Laventess.”

“…Pardon?”

As if struck hard on the head, his vision became dizzy.

The lady, Elodie, asked calmly.

“How’s that? Do I have sufficient qualifications to judge your wrongdoings?”

“……”

His mind turned completely white.

Hayden was experiencing that idiomatic expression with his own body.

‘The Princess Laventess?’

Duke Laventess’s one and only younger sister, and the only daughter of the ducal house.

Also, as a direct member of the family.

…As the Princess said, she was the party with the right to hold him accountable for this matter.

“Let’s return to our previous discussion.”

Elodie continued in a voice that sounded almost cheerful.

“After failing this much, common sense would dictate no more investments should have been made. The reasonable course would have been to fire the investment expert and completely review the investment plans.”

“W-wait a moment. If you would just listen to what I have to say…”

The pale-faced Hayden tried somehow to make excuses, but it was completely ineffective.

Her blue eyes glinted sharply like shattered sapphire fragments.

“But my stepmother, who manages the funds, took no action whatsoever. Whatever plans you presented, she simply watched and supported them.”

“……”

“So did all that investment money just disappear into thin air? I was curious about that.”

Hayden’s eyes trembled.

It was because he felt intense pressure from Elodie looking down at him quietly.

Elodie, who had been silently observing the restless Hayden, smiled faintly and drove the point home.

“That investment money was apparently used to enrich House Scofield.”

“I-I…”

“Even the investment failures were lies from the beginning, weren’t they? From the start, you kept pretending investments failed with the purpose of embezzling the funds.”

Damn it.

Hayden’s vision went dark.

Princess Laventess had truly caught him red-handed.

Seeing that she even mentioned the Grand Duchess, she had clearly already fully grasped their collusive relationship.

‘How can I handle this situation?!’

His palms became damp with cold sweat.

If the Princess made an issue of this matter?

‘Would the Grand Duchess spare me?’

…No, she wouldn’t.

Rather, she would certainly try to handle the situation by treating it as Hayden’s personal corruption and cutting him loose.

It wasn’t simply because the Grand Duchess had a heartless and cold nature.

This was about embezzling the family’s assets to outsiders.

If the full story of this matter came to light, the repercussions would be enormous.

To the extent that even the Grand Duchess couldn’t escape responsibility.

Then…

“P-please spare me!”

The best option was to somehow beg for mercy from Elodie, who held the sword.

Hayden cried out frantically again.

“I-I could be of great help to you, Princess. I can tell you everything about how funds were transferred to House Scofield until now. S-so…”

After rambling incoherently for a while, Hayden asked desperately.

“What should I do?”

Elodie, who had been quietly observing Hayden, gently parted her lips.

“Hmm, well then, there is something you could do for me.”

A proposal that seemed to descend like a lifeline.

Hayden’s eyes widened greatly with anticipation.

“How about it, will you listen?”

“Yes, yes! I’ll follow whatever you say!”

Hayden nodded his head frantically.

Elodie, who had been wearing a sharp smile throughout, showed a gentle expression for the first time.

“What you need to do from now on is…”

* * *

That evening.

I recalled the day’s events with a sunken feeling.

‘Ugh, I’m in a really bad mood.’

Hayden Wilson, who had squawked desperately trying to save his life the moment he realized his corrupt relationship with Marisa had been exposed.

But I couldn’t cut that bastard off immediately.

Watching that chubby face regain color after hearing my proposal…

My stomach turned so much.

‘I wanted to deal with him right there and then.’

But the situation wasn’t favorable.

Of course, if I exposed this incident now, David would punish Marisa severely.

Catherine wouldn’t escape his wrath either.

However, aside from immediate satisfaction, reporting this now would bring no real benefit.

To be more precise.

‘In the end, it would only benefit David.’

First of all, the biggest grounds for Isabel to file for divorce was David’s adultery.

However, if David punished Marisa for this incident, his relationship with Catherine would naturally be resolved too.

‘Then… the biggest grounds for divorce would disappear.’

Also, suppose I reported this incident and it was resolved.

That dowry principally belongs to the head of the Duke’s House.

In the end, I would be the one working hard while only David’s pockets got fuller.

It’s not like David would share the money with me either.

‘Realistically, keeping my mouth shut until the divorce is finalized is the best option.’

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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