How To Get Revenge On My Sister Who Stole My Husband (16 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 9
Then he slightly furrowed his brow and asked me,
“But how did the marquis manage to bring that diamond from the island to the mainland without anyone knowing? If he didn’t use magic and instead used a ship, he must have used an imperial port—and if so, officials from the Imperial Customs, a direct agency under His Majesty the Emperor, would have inspected all cargo aboard that vessel, wouldn’t they?”
I answered his question with a slight, mocking curl at one corner of my lips.
“It’s simple. The marquis bribed the customs official at Calis Port, where his merchant vessels usually dock.”
“…So he dared to offer money to silence an imperial official. I wouldn’t have guessed it—he’s quite bold, this marquis.”
“When faced with enormous profit, even the fear of punishment fades. The marquis first filled large sacks with diamonds from the mine, then covered them with grain harvested from the Roche farm. Next, he bribed the customs official to loosen inspections of the cargo on his ship, and afterward secretly retrieved the diamonds hidden inside the sacks of grain to sell them.”
“…”
“And, of course, paid not a single copper of the taxes he legally owed on those diamonds.”
When I finished speaking, the duke let out an incredulous scoff and said,
“How absurd. So the marquis pocketed both the profits from selling the diamonds and the taxes he was supposed to pay to the Empire?”
“Exactly. By slipping just a few gold coins into the official’s hand, he avoided paying any taxes and kept every last bit of profit for himself.”
“…And now you, my lady, want me to lend you my knights so you can plunder the marquis’s merchant ship?”
“Yes. Besides, even if the marquis has it stolen, he won’t dare file an official complaint.”
I shrugged as I spoke. The duke stared at me for a moment, then said,
“That’s exactly the kind of scheme you’d come up with—clever and cunning. But what benefit would I gain from this? If Marquis Clayne decides to risk punishment and publicly exposes that his gems were stolen, I—and my knights—would suffer great loss without any gain. I’m sorry, but I can’t turn my knights into thieves.”
At his words, I nodded slowly, as if in understanding. Then, in a meaningful tone, I asked him,
“Who ever said we’d steal it ‘directly’?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“It won’t be me doing the stealing—and certainly not your knights, either. You and I will catch the thief who breaks into the marquis’s ship.”
“…I don’t follow. Could you explain more clearly?”
The duke spoke in a blunt tone. I immediately replied, as if I’d been waiting for this,
“That customs official—the one who’s been accepting bribes to negligently inspect the marquis’s ship. Don’t you think he might have once wondered, ‘Just what is the marquis so desperate to smuggle in that he’d pay me off?’”
“You mean…”
“…Yes. I’ll subtly let him know what’s really inside those suspicious sacks of grain.”
“Ha…!”
“He’ll try to steal it himself. After all, he’s already shown himself to be so blinded by greed that he’d take bribes behind the back of imperial authorities. If he learns the truth, he’ll certainly attempt to steal it. Even in the worst case—if he’s caught—he can simply claim he stole only grain and repay its value, so the risk to him is minimal.”
“…So you and my knights will wait for him to commit the theft—and then ambush him?”
“Precisely. The thief will be one of His Majesty’s own officials, and the stolen vessel won’t belong to just anyone—it’ll be the marquis’s. Naturally, His Majesty himself will attend the trial. And when we open those stolen sacks of grain right before His Majesty’s eyes…”
“…He’ll inevitably uncover the marquis’s smuggling and tax evasion as well.”
The duke finished my sentence for me. By now, the same enigmatic smile I wore had already settled on his lips.
I looked straight into the duke’s handsome, dark eyes and said,
“Yes. And according to imperial law, ‘Whoever exposes tax evasion shall receive thirty percent of the recovered amount as a reward.’ His Majesty will surely bestow that reward upon you, my lord—and you’ll split it evenly with me.”
“…”
“Well? Are you willing to help me now?”
Hearing my words, the duke let out a short, dry laugh. Then, gazing at me with an odd expression, he said,
“Very well. I’ll summon my knights at once.”
I nodded approvingly.
Meanwhile, the carriage carrying the duke and me had already arrived in front of his townhouse.
* * *
Late afternoon, as the sun began to dip toward the western horizon, at Calis Port.
Baron Billious, the port’s customs inspector, sat at his desk reading a letter.
As he carefully read through the elegantly sealed document, he soon let out an irritated groan and crumpled it up.
“Damn it all!”
It was a letter sent by Count Gott, a fellow member of the social club to which he belonged.
Inside, written in impeccably aristocratic phrasing, was the threat: “If you do not repay your gambling debt immediately, I shall, as promised, seize your estate.”
The baron irritably flung the crumpled letter onto the floor and jumped up from his chair. He paced back and forth across his spacious office, muttering incessantly,
“I need to secure funds right away. If word reaches the auditors that my estate was seized over gambling debts, I’m utterly ruined!”
He had to find money—by any means necessary.
The baron desperately searched his mind for solutions. But he had already squandered every last coin he could immediately access on gambling, and having lost all credibility with those around him, there was virtually no way for him to raise such a large sum on short notice. With an anxious expression, he continued muttering to himself,
“…Should I write to Marquis Clayne? I’ve done so much to accommodate the Clayne family—perhaps if I explain my situation, he’d be willing to help me…”
His eyes suddenly lit up, as if struck by inspiration amid his frantic monologue.
Yes—there was that way. Hurriedly returning to his desk, the baron reached for a quill and parchment. Just then, a knock sounded at the door.
Annoyed, the baron snapped,
“What is it now! Didn’t I say I’m not to be disturbed!”
“…I apologize, sir. It’s just that Baron Lepel’s household sent a letter for you, so I’ve come to deliver it…”
“Damn it!”
It was his subordinate, Smith, who had knocked.
The baron let out a shrill cry of despair and threw down the quill he’d been holding—because Baron Lepel was another creditor to whom he owed money.
Unable to contain his frustration, the baron took a sharp, ragged breath and shouted,
“Leave it and go!”
Smith timidly entered the office, placed the letter on the desk, and quickly retreated.
The baron glared at the letter on his desk for a moment with burning eyes. Then, grumbling irritably, he picked it up.
“Damn these bastards! Can’t they just wait a little longer, greedy fools—huh?”
At that moment, as he read further into the letter with a furrowed brow, his expression began to shift strangely.
A moment later, setting the letter down, he murmured in a sinister tone,
“…So the marquis has been secretly smuggling blind money—money he can’t possibly report. Money I could steal without him daring to file a complaint.”
In that case, I’ll steal that blind money for myself.
Having made up his mind, the baron picked up the quill and parchment he’d just discarded, chuckling to himself, and began writing letters to his creditors, asking them to delay their demands for repayment—just for a little while longer.
* * *
That night, under clouds that veiled the moon, at Calis Port.
After the dockworkers had finished unloading and left, leaving only the massive ships belonging to nobles and merchant guilds behind, a lone man appeared.
Wearing a hood over his head and dressed in a worn shirt and trousers, he glanced around cautiously, as if surveying the area. Confirming that no one else was nearby, he slipped aboard one of the ships.
Using a rope and grappling hook he’d prepared in advance, he climbed onto the deck, then felt his way along the ship’s walls as he searched inward.
After a difficult descent into the lower hold, a massive storeroom door secured with heavy bolts and locks appeared before him. Smiling confidently, he undid the bolts and locks and stepped inside. Lighting a candle near the door with a match he’d brought, he saw countless sacks of grain filling the storeroom.
He grabbed the nearest sack, drew a knife from his clothes, and sliced it open.
“…!”
Grain poured out onto the floor—but among the dry kernels lay a small, brilliantly gleaming stone.
It was a diamond, about the size of an adult’s thumbnail. His greedy eyes gleamed as he quickly tucked it into his pocket.
“Don’t move.”
“What…!”
At that moment, a cold male voice rang out—and a razor-sharp blade pressed against his throat.
His heart plummeted. With great effort, he twisted his stiff body to look back at the knight pointing a sword at him.
The man had ash-blond hair, silver eyes, a deep blue cloak, and silver armor etched with a white lion on the chest. Behind him stood dozens of knights clad in identical armor and cloaks. The man instantly recognized them—and cried out in shock,
“The Haven Duke’s White Lions—how did they…!”
“We received a report that someone was plundering Marquis Clayne’s merchant vessel. Now, Baron Billious—what exactly were you doing here at this late hour?”
“I—I—I was just…! Acting on the marquis’s orders… yes! I came to inspect—to conduct a customs inspection!”
Baron Billious stammered out an excuse, sweat pouring down his face.
Oliver, deputy captain of the White Lions—the personal knightly order of Duke Haven—and the ash-blond knight, sneered derisively.
“Oh, really? So these days, sneaking onto someone’s ship in the dead of night and tampering with its cargo is what you call a customs inspection?”
Turns Out He’s Been Secretly in Love with Me
One-line summary: He acts like he doesn’t like her but is actually playing hard to get.
Synopsis:
Xu Muzhou like her. He has liked her for a very long time, and through repeated schemes, he finally closed the distance with her.
But this is still far from enough.
He wants to be the one who stands out among her many suitors, to fight for her attention, and to make her take the initiative to pursue him.
_____
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