Even in the midst of repentance, the nobles’ tea parties and banquets continued unchanged.

It was already planned long ago, and considering the money invested, it was difficult to cancel.

At such occasions, Bawin sipped his wine and looked around.

He noticed the noblemen and noblewomen holding wine glasses, facing each other and conversing.

Bawin listened for a moment.

He was curious about what they were talking about.

“Is it true that His Highness the Crown Prince is also at the temple right now?”

“The servants reported that he was sitting next to the young lady, even repenting together.”

“Young lady, wasn’t she expelled from her family? Then she’s no longer a young lady.”

He quietly clicked his tongue at the noblewoman’s words, focusing on trivial details, but someone continued the conversation.

“Anyway, I’m very worried that this incident may have already determined the position of the Crown Princess.”

“The position of the Crown Princess. Wasn’t the candidate already decided?”

“I heard from the royal relatives that there was actually no candidate.”

“My goodness. But you said there was no candidate, yet you’re worried it may have been determined. What does that mean?”

Bawin laughed silently at the noblewoman’s words.

He knew that even the person asking the question and those around her understood what it meant, but asked the question anyway.

However, no one in the room pointed it out.

So the man kindly answered her question.

“Isn’t it easy to tell just by seeing His Highness personally staying by her side? Who has already captured His Highness’s heart.”

Although he is still in his prime, Admund is already well past the age of majority.

Even among commoners, most get married just before reaching the age of majority. In a society where nobles form engagement relationships from an even younger age.

However, Admund did not have a single engagement, which is common even among baronial families.

There were only people fluttering around him like butterflies or flies.

People speculated based on that alone.

Whether the person fluttering around him might become Admund’s marriage partner.

However, as of today, all those speculations were shattered.

“Hmph. But there is such a thing as status, isn’t there? Status. No matter what, how can they appoint a woman who is no longer even a noble as the Crown Princess!”

“If you put it that way, Lady Hersher is more suitable in terms of bloodline.”

“Ha, what on earth is Duke Odoi doing? It’s absurd that he can’t even keep his own daughter in check, causing us to worry like this.”

The nobles already believed that Clea would become the Crown Princess.

In that sense, their eyes were on Grit, who was in the corner of the banquet hall.

Grit, who couldn’t possibly not feel their gazes, frowned.

Recently, there had been a lot of talk among the nobles about the Odoi ducal family.

Previously, as a member of the ducal family himself, he held his head high wherever he went.

Especially when they formed a marriage alliance with the Percy grand ducal family, he was practically walking on air.

However, since his relationship with the Percy grand ducal family soured, his momentum was completely crushed.

“I heard they ran out of funds and went around begging the marquis and earl families for money, and barely managed to borrow from a baron family.”

“It’s because someone with no talent for business kept forcibly expanding their business.”

“Indeed, how could someone so incompetent manage their family?”

Hearing the whispered words, Grit gritted his teeth.

In the past, wherever he went, there were always people with smiling faces trying to get on his good side.

But now, people not only insulted him as incompetent but also began to disregard his family.

What would have happened to him if Clea had not left the family?

Grit imagined.

Although he would have been stigmatized for treating his daughter like a commodity, he could have become the Crown Prince’s father-in-law and formed an in-law relationship with the Emperor.

But people knew that he and Clea had a worse relationship than others, so they treated him coldly to somehow get on Clea’s good side.

Knowing this well, Grit gritted his teeth even more.

‘If only I hadn’t done business!’

The Odoi family was currently struggling due to the enormous amount of money invested in the business.

That’s how massive the amount he invested here and there was.

When he started the business, Grit was hopeful.

Although it required massive funds, he was confident in what he was doing.

The confidence that it would go well.

The possibility of success.

Lastly, the talent his father acknowledged before becoming the family head.

Since becoming the head, he only experienced failures in business, but until then, Grit’s track record was quite successful.

Having tasted success at least once, Grit was completely addicted and kept clinging on even in the face of failure.

He wanted to bask in the victory of success by persistently holding on.

However, as a human being, Grit couldn’t help but feel anxious in the face of the current reality.

‘Can I really succeed? If it fails again this time…’

Some time ago, in the process of raising funds from a baron family, he provided a huge interest rate and finalized the contract.

In normal circumstances, he would never have done such a contract even if he died and came back to life, but in a state where the ducal family was in the red, he had no choice but to do it.

Apart from that, there was not a single family willing to provide more funds.

In this situation, Grit was troubled by the fact that there were still many places where funds needed to be allocated.

Because the moment he failed, it was obvious that the family would become completely penniless.

Desperate, he belatedly looked at reality.

Unable to confine himself to the delusion of success any longer, Grit regretted it.

His past self who recklessly started a business on a scale that was difficult to handle.

“Duke, it’s been a while. Have you been well?”

“What business do you have with me?”

In that moment, as he was lost in thought alone, Bawin approached him.

Seeing his business smile on his lips, Grit got goosebumps.

Before, he had scorned Grit and kicked him out, saying he had no intention of lending him funds.

Bawin had no particular thoughts as he looked at Grit, who was wary of him.

Anyway, Bawin only intended to carry out what Clea had asked of him here.

“I felt bad about sending you away like that the other day, so I came to greet you like this.”

“Ha, how brazen of you.”

“Of course, that’s not the only reason.”

Honestly, Bawin couldn’t understand Clea’s words.

Bawin hadn’t forgotten Clea asking him for one more favor.

If left as it was, it was clear that the Odoi ducal family would self-destruct.

Yet she had made a request to Bawin.

“I’ve recently become interested in business.”

“What does that have to do with me?”

Grit, who was already in a terrible mood, frowned even more at the mention of business.

Bawin didn’t care about Grit’s mood and only said what he had to say.

“I’d like to acquire your business rights, what do you think?”

“What?”

“Dear me, you couldn’t understand my answer before, and it seems your ears are aging. At this rate, your precious heir will inherit the family at a young age.”

“Ugh.”

At the insulting words, Grit was about to spout every profanity he could think of.

He didn’t have the patience to care about propriety.

On top of that, he also remembered how he had been humiliatingly kicked out by Bawin, who was a duke.

But he barely managed to hold back. For one reason only.

Those words about acquiring his business rights gave him patience he didn’t have before.

He had to somehow dispose of the business rights that were currently nothing but a burden. Only then could the ducal family survive.

Still, he wanted to reject it once.

Although Bawin was the only one who offered to buy, it hurt his pride to sell it too thoughtlessly right away.

“Hmph, even if there are rumors about my difficulties, do you think I’d be willing to sell to the likes of you?”

“How much will it take?”

“What?”

Bawin had no interest in entertaining his petty pride.

He didn’t have the slightest expectation of having a pleasant conversation in their already ruined relationship.

If they skipped the unnecessary talk and only said what they needed to say, they could save that much time.

So he held out a check and said.

Grit couldn’t close his mouth after seeing the check Bawin held out.

Nothing was written on that check.

The expressions of the people who were secretly watching slowly hardened upon seeing the check.

“I asked how much it would take.”

Bawin’s common sense was like this.

If the other party refuses even when offered money, it must be because the amount offered is insufficient.

In the first place, given the situation, there was no way Grit would refuse his offer, but more than that, Bawin was willing to spend a little more money just to save time.

* * *

In the end, Grit concluded that it was difficult to answer on the spot.

They decided to meet again later.

Bawin knew that Grit intended to propose a very high amount considering the money he had invested so far, but he didn’t particularly mind.

The Lockin earl family had more funds than he expected, and he also had someone he trusted.

After the banquet ended, someone came to Bawin and said,

“The young lady requests to see you.”

Even without asking which family’s young lady it was, Bawin felt he knew who it was.

He quietly smiled.