“Haha, who do we have here. If it isn’t the high and mighty Duke Odoi.”

Bawin had been strangely displeased that someone had come to visit early in the morning without an appointment, but after confirming who the visitor was, a smile appeared on his face.

More precisely, it was a sneer disguised as a smile.

Meanwhile, Grit suppressed his anger as much as possible.

He too was not completely unaware of the situation.

The Odoi family was in a complete state of emergency because Baron West had demanded repayment of the debt.

Not only was there the principal amount borrowed, but due to high interest rates, the interest alone had grown considerably.

Fortunately, it was possible to pay with the amount Aria had given, but considering the cost of running the duke’s household, there was no leeway to maintain the business rights.

‘I have to sell it somehow, somehow.’

Grit was sweating, but he tried to pull himself together somehow.

Just holding onto the business rights consumed money profusely.

As time passed, his situation only worsened.

As it became known that finances were lacking, the prestige of the Odoi ducal family was falling day by day.

Moreover, the vassals had said they would leave if the business rights were not sold, and those who remained in the duke’s household were carrying resignation letters.

With the atmosphere like this, even Grit had to reconsider.

If he didn’t sell, the family would end up on the streets. That’s why he had to sell it somehow.

However, no one showed interest in business rights that only consumed money, and furthermore, there were few families that could afford such costs.

Among them, there were even fewer who could pay a sufficient price and buy it immediately.

“But what brings you here?”

As Bawin spoke in a leisurely voice, Grit, who was burning up inside, gritted his teeth and suppressed the anger that was about to burst out.

If he unleashed his anger here now, the family would be ruined.

That’s why he was exercising patience like never before.

“Are you thinking of buying the business rights again?”

“Business rights? I’m not sure what business rights you’re talking about.”

Meanwhile, Bawin, who knew this, deliberately kept provoking the other party’s nerves.

He was never going to deal with him again anyway, and he had particularly strong ill feelings towards Grit.

Seeing him change his attitude according to his needs made him want to immediately ruin the Odoi family.

But Bawin was restraining himself as much as possible.

He knew well that at least he was not the one who should take this dessert.

“The business rights we discussed before.”

“Ah, if it’s about those business rights, didn’t you, Duke, stop it first?”

“My mind has changed, and I want to sell it again.”

It was Grit’s side that first declined the deal. No one could know how Bawin’s mind had changed in the meantime.

Still, Grit had some hope because they had gone almost to the point of closing the deal.

Although the price might be reduced a bit, he thought that Bawin would buy his business rights.

But Bawin had already fully grasped Grit’s situation.

“How much will you buy it for? Make an offer first.”

Grit was expecting an amount reduced by 10% or 20% from the previous price.

He was confident that the other party would propose a fair price because they were also interested in this business.

Reading Grit’s thoughts, Bawin smiled and said,

“Let’s make it half of the last offered amount.”

“What did you just say?”

“I said half.”

“Are you joking right now?”

Grit was very perplexed.

It was natural for him, as he had been very satisfied with the amount Bawin had last proposed.

Although it was impossible to recover all the money invested by the duke’s family, it was still an amount that could cover a considerable part.

That’s how much Bawin’s proposed amount was beyond imagination.

But when he suggested changing it to half from there, it was a very embarrassing situation for Grit.

But Bawin’s expression remained the same as before.

“Looking at the Duke’s current situation, isn’t even half too much?”

“What do you know to talk about my situation?”

“Haha, do you really think I don’t know? About Baron West’s family.”

The anger at the slashed price cooled down coldly.

Hearing Bawin’s words, Grit realized in the midst of confusion that he had been had.

Grit, thinking that he should have properly investigated and borrowed money carefully, especially in urgent situations, glared at Bawin with a sharp gaze.

In fact, Bawin not only calmly met that gaze but was even enjoying it.

“It would be good to decide well, Duke. If you reject this offer, will there be any offers coming to you?”

The most incompetent businessman in the empire.

This was already the nickname stuck to Grit.

Even hearing such a nickname, no one would take over his business rights.

The only person who could buy it here was Bawin.

“Even if you choose the path of self-destruction, I don’t care. If you go bankrupt, I’ll just buy up the assets you’ll put out.”

When Grit realized he had been had, he momentarily considered the option of not selling to anyone, but as Bawin said, that choice was self-destruction.

There was only one path left for Grit.

Sell the business rights here and now.

The thought of selling at half the amount made his insides burn and felt miserable.

To such a Grit, Bawin stood up and held out a contract and pen.

“Now, sign. This is your only way to survive.”

There was only one place he had to write.

It was the signature line where the Odoi duke’s family had to sign.

Grit stared at the contract until the very end.

His gaze was fixed on where the numbers were written.

It was not a small amount of money, but still, thinking of the money spent by the duke’s family, his insides were burning up unchanged.

But now the situation couldn’t be reversed.

With trembling hands, he gripped the pen and signed the contract.

As soon as the signature was finished, Bawin came over and took the contract.

“With this, our contract seems to be concluded. Then let’s not meet again.”

The families might have been close for a very long time, but now their relationship had completely soured as if it had never been.

In the midst of even facing each other being awkward, Grit gritted his teeth and said to Bawin,

“We’ll see how long you can maintain such an arrogant attitude.”

Bawin silently looked down at Grit.

The image of reigning like a king inside the Odoi mansion had completely disappeared.

He was infinitely shabby and weak, with nothing left to give a sense of intimidation to others.

‘It’s still unbelievable to think that she grew up under someone like this. Perhaps she has lived using the Duke as a negative example.’

Bawin’s gaze turned to Steve, who had been brought along almost forcibly by Grit.

He seemed so incompetent that it was nonsensical to even compare him to Clea.

Like father, like son – he didn’t seem to have the capacity to succeed the Odoi family in the future.

‘Of course, succession is only a story if the Odoi family continued to be intact.’

Bawin thought there would be no chance of him becoming Duke Odoi. The fall of the Odoi family was predetermined before he could succeed.

* * *

“Grand Duke, couldn’t you step in and help us a little? Aren’t we members of the same imperial faction?”

“Ha, how could I help you? You’re already criminals who have confessed everything.”

Duke Hersher, thinking he had missed the timing to resolve the matter with his own power, finally visited the Percy Grand Duke’s family.

Although it hurt his pride to have to ask others for help due to family matters, pride was not the issue now.

If he made a wrong move, even the family could be completely tied up.

That’s why he immediately sought help from the Percy family. To somehow defuse this situation.

‘Both you and I. If we had taken good care of our children from the start, this wouldn’t have happened.’

The Grand Duke clicked his tongue inwardly as he looked at the Duke who had come with an earnest heart.

Lloyd and Aria.

The families that could be called pillars of the empire were now completely shaken because of these two.

At least the Percy family had somehow managed to settle their relationship with Lloyd and prove their loyalty to Admund.

In contrast, the Hersher family was in a life-or-death crisis.

‘As much as I’d like to, I don’t want to get involved at all.’

He put down the teacup he was drinking from and asked,

“I heard the criminal hasn’t said anything yet. Her family would be your vassal, right?”

“Yes. Even if not now, I was thinking of rewarding her family later.”

The Grand Duke slowly smiled.

Seeing the Grand Duke’s smile, the Duke felt an inexplicably chilly feeling.

“Why don’t you completely silence them instead?”

“What do you mean by that?”

Duke Hersher looked at the Grand Duke with a bewildered expression.

It was a look asking if what the Grand Duke meant by silencing was what he thought it was.

But the Grand Duke’s expression didn’t change at all.

The Grand Duke didn’t feel the need to explain kindly to him.

Because what the Duke was thinking was correct.

He calmly continued his next words.

“It means exactly what it sounds like. If you completely ruin her family, and secretly send someone to kill her too, even if some uneasiness remains, wouldn’t the physical evidence of connection disappear?”

The physical evidence completely disappears.

If it were the Duke in normal times, he would have raised objections to this process. That it was very dangerous.

If they were caught by mistake, the situation would clearly worsen even more.

However, given how bad the situation was, the Duke’s reason wavered.

“I’ll help you secretly send someone to the Crown Prince’s palace.”