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My apathetic reaction twisted Peytan's expression.
He must have expected me to get scared and cling to him when I brought up alimony, right?
'Then, let's see how much you've prepared.'
Opening the envelope, it was filled with documents, including land deeds and mansion deeds.
'I roughly expected it wouldn't be a check, given the size of the envelope.'
As I looked at the documents, Peytan added an explanation.
"Cash loses value over time anyway, so I thought assets would be better."
I thought it was a reasonable point.
Until I saw the documents starting to turn black.
'Look at this? Who do you think you're fooling?'
A cold sneer escaped my lips.
Although I didn't directly participate in management, I came up with many business ideas from before our marriage until now.
I could confidently say that those ideas doubled the Farnese family's wealth.
And yet...
'You expect me to take this and get lost?'
That won't do.
"Is this really all you've got?"
"If you return to the mansion and stay quietly until the Founding Day, I might add some readily available cash—"
"Write it down."
I slammed the documents down before Peytan could finish his condescending offer.
"My compensation for emotional distress, my contribution to increasing Farnese's wealth, and..."
Including compensation for my past life, where I died miserably and lonely.
"I'd need to receive 30% of the total to break even."
I thought it was an unreasonably low price considering everything, but Peytan's eyes went wide.
"30%? Are you crazy? The Farnese wealth was originally mine!"
"True, your assets were the foundation, so it could grow this much. That's why I'm only taking 30%."
"Ha! I didn't marry a wife, I brought in a robber."
Peytan laughed in disbelief, then his expression hardened coldly as he continued.
"I was too lenient, and you actually think it's all thanks to you? I grew the business this much with my own ability, not yours."
"Hmm, really?"
The more he stubbornly insisted it was his ability, the more it seemed like he lacked confidence in it.
"If it's all your ability, as you say, then you can just grow it again with your brilliant abilities, right?"
My words seemed to hit the mark, as his expression twisted.
I added mockingly.
"Why, you think you can't do it without me?"
I could see Peytan grinding his teeth at my words, which were challenging his pride.
'He can't affirm or deny it, can he?'
If he said he could grow it with his own skills without me, he'd have to give me that much alimony, and if he didn't want to give it, he'd be admitting that I was the one who grew Farnese.
After grinding his teeth for a while, Peytan changed the subject altogether.
"You've only ever thought of me as a source of money. I still believed you genuinely loved me."
In his usual gaslighting manner.
But I could only sneer.
"I used to believe in people, but I've learned that the only thing that doesn't change in life is money, you know?"
In this dirty world, what I believe in is...
Always feeding me delicious things without fail, keeping me warm, and letting me roll around in a good bed...
Money!
Only money!
"Then it doesn't seem like today's conversation will change anything, so would you please leave? I'm a bit hungry."
Having said my piece, I stood up.
Dealing with Peytan as soon as I returned from the Dellua ducal family had made me crave a cool juice and sweet dessert.
Peytan frowned at that.
"Aren't you even offering your husband a cup of tea?"
"Were we ever on such good terms that we could sit face to face and have tea? Why don't you go home?"
Tea, my foot.
He should be thankful he's not getting a water slap.
I turned away leisurely, leaving Peytan, who was only gasping in disbelief, behind.
"Ah."
Then, remembering something belatedly, I turned back, and Peytan looked at me suspiciously.
I smiled brightly at him.
"I hope you don't get bogged down in such petty alimony and prove your eternal love with Miss Elise."
Then goodbye.
I even waved my hand before slamming the guest room door shut and coming out.
Erin, who was standing anxiously in front, scurried over to me.
"Miss, are you alright...?"
"Yeah. More importantly, Erin, I have a job for you."
"Tell me."
"I need to put out a job advertisement."
"A job advertisement? For what...?"
"I'm looking for an aide."
Considering what happened with Erin blocking Peytan earlier.
To waste as little of my precious life on that trash as possible, I thought I should hire an aide first.
Erin swallowed hard as she looked at the three burly men in front of her. Her hands were trembling involuntarily.
So, who were these men?
They were the three people who had been finally selected from the applicants who had gathered after seeing the advertisement Leticia had placed a few days ago.
'What did Miss see in these people...?'
Why do they all look like bandits...?
'Perhaps... strength as an aide?'
Like, anyone who approaches Miss will be aided with a fist?!
Of course, you shouldn't judge people by their appearance.
Growing up, she had witnessed her father's violence and, as a maid, her father, Count Cloel, and her stepbrother raising their voices at Leticia, so she had a great fear of men, especially large men.
Just as Erin was suppressing her fear, trembling, that's when it happened.
"Excuse me..."
The man who was the largest and most intimidating of the three called out to Erin.
"H-Huh!"
Erin involuntarily tried to scream but barely managed to swallow it and looked at him.
"I'm sorry, but could I have another cup of tea? I'm nervous..."
The man held out an empty teacup that looked like a toy in his hand.
Erin looked at him with curious eyes, thinking.
'Even such a scary-looking man has something he's afraid of.'
She belatedly felt sorry for judging him by his appearance, but she couldn't help her physical reaction.
Erin's hand, pouring the tea, was shaking so much that the tea overflowed.
Erin's face quickly turned white at the thought of making a mistake in front of the bandit-like man.
Terrified, Erin immediately knelt in front of the man.
"I-I'm sorry!"
"No, I'm the one who's sorry!"
Then, the flustered man also knelt in front of Erin and began chanting apologies.
Amidst the commotion caused by the two, Leticia's door finally opened.
"Come in one at a time."
Unlike Erin, who was tense just being in the same space as the men, Leticia showed no signs of fear, even though she had to face them alone.
Among the men who were sizing each other up, the man who had asked Erin for more tea quickly entered the room.
Erin looked at the closed door with mixed anticipation and worry.
'How will Miss be able to pick the right person out of these?'
Suddenly, Leticia's confident appearance from this morning came to mind.
"I thought of a way to figure out the qualifications of an aide and strike a blow to Peytan at the same time."
She didn't know how she was going to solve two completely different problems at the same time, but Erin decided to just trust Leticia and wait.
Just like always.
A few days later, early in the morning.
Peytan was gulping down coffee like water while working.
It was the first time this had happened since he had brought Elise into the mansion.
In the mornings, he was always dallying with her, so he barely started working after lunchtime.
What had changed his morning routine was one word from Leticia.
"If it's all your ability, as you say, then you can just grow it again with your brilliant abilities, right?"
That one word scratched at the inferiority complex he always felt whenever he saw Leticia.
'What a joke. The reason Farnese has grown this much is, of course, because of my ability.'
Even if Leticia disappeared, Farnese would remain strong.
Always wealthy, glorious, and admired by all.
But, contrary to his confidence, he soon encountered difficulties.
"...What are these Lemano Merchants?"
Among the approval documents that came up, there were many unfamiliar merchant guilds and families.
It was because he had been superficially reviewing business proposals since reuniting with Elise, and eventually stopped altogether.
The person who had taken over the management he had abandoned was none other than...
'Leticia would know this well...'
Peytan frowned, having unknowingly thought of Leticia first.
"...I can just look it up, no big deal."
He started rummaging through past approval documents, but the information he was looking for was not readily available.
His frustration began to show in his gestures.
"Your Excellency! T-There's a big problem!"
Peytan frowned at the sudden appearance of his aide.
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