The Duchess of the Attic

At the consulate, Opal was unexpectedly welcomed.

I can't feel any malice from Debbie the housekeeper or the maids, including Lind the butler.

Instead, it's been a long time since my husband - like my mistress came home.

Naturally the master bedroom for the mistress.

After all, he didn't know about the Duke's debt, and even though the meal didn't have to be fancy, he was provided with something decent.

Only Omar, the territorial administrator, could see the vigilance behind his smile.

Apparently, he's worried about not questioning the disparity between Wang Du's mansion and the consulate.

So Opal pretended to know nothing and, as I told Hubert, brought in the luggage he had brought from the consulate in the Count's territory - the dress Opal had stopped wearing and the items around him.

Omer has since suggested that he guide the territory, but Opal declined to be interested.

However, when asked what it would be like to shop and socialize in this neighborhood, Omer answered with relief.

The city, which the Duchess can only satisfy, is not in this territory, says the city of Novoli, which takes two days by carriage but is on the Marquis territory next door.

"Two days in the carriage? Well, that takes so long..."

"Yes, because the Duke's Land has been unlucky and has been completely poor for the past few years because it has continued to fail"

"You are. I'm disappointed. I figured I'd head back to King's Capital soon..."

Opal shrugged in a mild condition and showed by hand that he could back off to Omer.

Now the arrogant Duchess can only be interested in socializing and shopping.

When Omer leaves the room, Naja says, "We'll keep gathering information," and leaves as well.

Opal, alone in the room, decided to head to the library with boredom.

When Debbie, the housekeeper, showed me around in the morning, I just took a quick peek through the door, but Opal, once again stepping into the library room, was astonished.

Unlike the Duke's mansion in the King's Capital, the library housed so many books that it was no less than the Count's mansion.

There are also a number of things Opal can tell is a rare book just by looking through it, and if he sells it to a collector on that path, it will be a piece of property.

There was nothing of value at all in the Duke's mansion in Wang Du.

Since it should never be possible to keep so many books together and put only that much in the library room of Wang Du's mansion, it is presumably assumed that Hubert let go for the flow of funds.

If I sold the book here, I'd have had to get married for at least another year.

(If your husband comes back here properly, you don't have to owe him anything, right?

That way, Opal was twenty years old and free without having to marry for a bribe.

Thinking about it, I was getting angry with Hubert.

(But well, maybe I could thank my husband for a little bit because he might have been daughter-in-law by some fat, hairy man who would be a little in my father's favor)

Hubert's sweetness cleared my mind a little if I thought it saved Opal's future.

Even if he is badly treated in the Duke's residence in Wang Du, he will not be subjected to violence, nor will he be forced to kiss.

Moreover, I also find it rewarding to address this challenge.

Opal left the library taking a few books of stories preferred by women to avoid being suspicious.

Perhaps, but Omer doesn't realize the value of the book.

Of course, the wrongdoer hasn't decided yet with Omer.

Then two days later, Opal went out to the city of Novoli.

Opal says he prefers someone who knows the land well, and escorts his servant to another, not Trevor.

I wanted Trevor to find the back book in the meantime, if possible.

That's why I wanted to take Omar with me, but that's why I was turned down for work.

Upon arriving in the city of Novoli, Opal found out on the second day of his stay why Omer was not accompanied.

Because a man named Reubeau came to Opal, who was staying in the lodging.

Opal, at first, was alarmed by a name he had never heard of, but the man had asked to see him in proper procedure, so he decided to meet him for the first time.

"Debt?

"Yes, here's the letter of borrowing"

With that said, Lubbo showed him a borrowing letter with Omer's name on it.

I can see that cunning where I don't keep it from myself.

"... why would you give that to me?

"We are very important in collecting information and doing business. It should be painful to twist any more gold out of the Duke's territory. That's why Omer hasn't come to this city in the last few months. Afraid of taking up debt. I was already on my way to collect it, but when I heard that the Duke was married, I decided to wait a while. If we're going to give back the money, it doesn't matter who it is. So I came to ask the rich Duchess."

"... How long has Omer been here - going to the casino? And what about debt from outside of you?

"Has it been more than ten years? At first, the stakes were cute. That gradually grew larger, and now I have to borrow this kind of amount. Still, Omer is a prudent one, so he never borrowed money from anyone but me. I have a reputation for being the toughest to trust in this neighborhood. It is also used by many gentlemen"

"I see..."

In short, Omer has been gambling since the death of his predecessor.

And, as is often the case with addicts, he used more and more indulgence and being entrusted with the administration of the territory to spend embezzled money on gambling.

Besides, I guess Hubert has never known me before because I only owed him from Lubbo, who said he had the most credibility of all the money lending, when he lost.

Maybe Omer in this city, besides Lubbo, was faking his identity.

Again, for the gold-lending Lubbo, there was no problem with Omer trying to embezzle him that he would be a liar, even paying back his debts.

I guess LeBeau has asked Opal to replace his debt shoulders in order to know exactly what is happening in the Duke's territory and not to miss this opportunity.

As it stands now, Omer could disappear neglectfully.

"... there are terms for me to repay that money instead"

"What is it about?

"Naturally, I'll give that loan to you. Also, if I don't owe Omer any more, I'll get your signed certificate. And finally, the record of the money I've lent Omer so far - you'll have a loan book, so I'd like that."

"As for borrowings and certificates, of course you can. But when it comes to books..."

"You will never lend Omar money again, will you? 'Cause there's no prospect of repayment. Then you shouldn't have to."

"... don't ask me what I'm going to do with those books. But you are still the legendary king who is said to have turned everything he touched into gold - the rebirth and whispered Count Holloway's maiden."

"My father has nothing to do with this."

Clearly, Opal returned to Duke territory after completing all the proceedings the next day.

The money in hand is completely gone, but there's no problem if you ask the trustee to accommodate you again.

Opal chuckled, thinking that he might be opposed to being reckless when it came to what he was just about to do.

"Ma'am, was there anything interesting?

"Right...... I'll tell Naja what I'm planning to do. I'm sure there 'll be a riot when I get back to the consulate."

Opal had told Naja that on his way back to Duke territory, but there had already been one disturbance.

Apparently, while Opal was away, Omer was trying to escape with his golden-eyed stuff.

That's what Trevor found and caught.

"Looks like it was a little late to escape, Omer."

"If you hadn't come, I could have done better!

"Really? If it weren't for me, wouldn't you have been seen worse by Lebow? So I want you to thank me."

That being said, Opal showed me a borrowing letter he bought out of Lubbo.

Then Omer gets quiet as soon as possible.

"Trevor, did you find the back book?

"Yes. It was easy. Anyway, this Omer had it when he ran away."

"Oh..."

Opal looked down at Omer, who remained tied to the rope, thinking about what he should have done if he had just burned it.

Omer is sitting on the floor nagging like he gave up.

"... if it's true, I'd like to throw you into the barn right now, but my lord here, my husband, will make that cut, so until then... let's keep our stature in Earl Territory"

It was Lind, the butler, who stood beside him all the time with a blue look, who looked up all the way to Opal's decision.

I'm sure he's been shocked to learn about Omer's nature, which he's trusted and joined forces with for years.

Of course, we can't abandon the possibility that Lind is also an accomplice, but we can look into that from now on.

"Trevor, how many people know about this - Omer's wrongdoing?

"Not so much. There's Lind and the housekeeper, Debbie, and then there's just two of my servants brought in from the Count's house. … so far."

"... Lind, so can you be sure?

"Yes...... We had no idea that Omer was guilty of this… This disturbance was also in the middle of the night, and Mr. Trevor was rather well noticed..."

Opal and Trevor laughed bitterly at Lind's answer.

It was the middle of the night that Trevor realized.

I guess I just happened to catch Omer trying to escape trying to sneak up on where the back book is.

It seems Trevor has done his job to work well with the residents.

Unusual as a land administrator, Trevor has a fairly resilient body.

"My husband absolutely hates it when this thing leaks outside. So, Lind, I don't want Debbie telling anyone about this either. All right?

"Yes, sir."

"Yes!

Debbie, the housekeeper who stood blue, as did Lind, also replied to Opal's words, which he had pushed to keep secret.

These two are trustworthy.

Although this was only an inquiry, Opal decided to leave Omer's watch to the two servants and consult with Trevor about what was to come.