The Search for the Duchess’s Husband

Chapter 41



Artia was smaller than Catherine.

 

Yet the aura she radiated was fierce and terrifying.

 

Biting her lip, her face contorted, Artia thought to herself.

 

‘House Rushan’s business has grown tremendously since Shylock became a lord.’

 

He lent money to nobles who needed it immediately.

 

At exorbitant interest rates.

 

There was no way such a man would ha

ve lent money to Catherine out of pure goodwill.

 

Artia asked in a quiet voice,

“How much interest did you agree to?” 

Twenty percent? Thirty percent?

 

As if to mock her, Catherine blurted out a ridiculous answer.

 “I don’t know.” “What?” “I have the paperwork, but I haven’t read it carefully…” “…….” 

Artia’s pink eyes grew colder than ice.

  

* * *

 

 

A servant approached and whispered to Shylock, who was counting the gold coins piled high on his massive desk.

 

The door opened and Artia entered the room.

 

Shylock pushed up his glasses, the corners of his mouth twitching upward.

 “You ignore my brother when he begs, but now that it costs you money, you come to me.” 

He added sarcastically.

 “Money scares you the most. Doesn’t it?” 

Instead of responding to Shylock’s comment, Artia got right to the point.

 “You lent my mother a large sum of money at a ridiculous interest rate of 200%.” 

That’s right. According to the documents Artia had seen, Catherine had borrowed money for three mo

nths at a staggering 200% interest rate.

 

Artia was so shocked that her mind went blank.

 

But Shylock put on a nonchalant face.

 “I was lucky enough to be around when Godmother Edenberg needed the money, and I was able to help.” “Help?” “Yes. Godmother Edenberg asked for a small amount of money at first, and then gradually increased the amount, which I wouldn’t have been able to afford otherwise, but she certainly wasn’t happy about it. She didn’t even bother to check what the interest rate was on the loan….” 

How shameless he was.

 

Artia had a cruel urge to tear Shylock’s mouth off.

 

Barely able to control herself, Artia spoke.

 “Did you set a trap for my mother to avenge the way your brother was hurt?” 

Shylock’s thin eyes widened slightly, then softened.

 “You say sweet things, Mrs. Edenberg.” “…….” “Of course, I would never let anyone who hurt my dear brother go unpunished, but emotional vengeance is not what I was hoping for in return for lending your godmother the money.” 

Shylock gave and took as surely as ever.

 

The point was to get back ten times what he gave.

 “If you marry Simone, I’ll wipe out your godmother’s debt in one lump sum.” 

Shylock said, turning to Artia, who was wide-eyed.

 “……!” “Simone hasn’t left his room since you kicked him out. He hasn’t eaten properly, his face is ashen as a corpse, and he’s been muttering your name all day. Shouldn’t you be held accountable, Frau Edenberg, for stirring up such an innocent man’s mind?” 

He stood up and lowered his eyes, menacing as an angry snake.

 

Artia, far below his gaze, replied in an unwavering voice.

 “You have a very despicable way of threatening.” “……!” “I’m sorry Sir Simone is having a hard time, but I’m not at all responsible for that.” “…….” “And since you don’t seem to have much intelligence beyond deceiving and exploiting others, let me make it clear once again: I have no intention of marrying Simone.” 

One of Shylock’s eyebrows rose harshly.

 

Simone was a perfect groom: age, looks, personality, family, everything.

 

Best of all, he was offering a lump sum of 1.5 billion gold.

 

In many ways, it wasn’t a bad offer for Artia.

 

Still, she was annoyed by the pink-eyed woman’s insistence that she would never marry him.

 “I thought you ran all the way here because you were afraid of money, but you’re not. You’re not grown up yet.” 

Shylock thrust a piece of paper in front of Artia.

 

Artia’s face instantly paled as she read it.

 

Shylock seemed pleased with her reaction.

 “As expected, the Godmother has not told you, I have not agreed to lend you the money and receive only 200% interest. If you fail to repay the money by the set deadline, you will have to hand over the ownership of Lake Annecy.” 

Lake Annecy was a small piece of land far from the capital.

 

In terms of value, it was nowhere near the 1.5 billion gold Catherine had borrowed. But…

 

It’s where her mother stayed when she was alive.

 

Artia’s mother, who was frail, spent much of her time in a small cottage on the shores of Lake Annecy.

 

Young Artia often came there to play and spend time with her.

 

The blue lake, the green trees surrounding it, and her mother’s thin face smiling sweetly.

 

The way her hands gently caressed her young daughter, who was never fully under her care.

 

This was Artia’s most precious treasure.

 

Shylock would take it from her.

 

And it would not be an accident.

 “Have you investigated me?” “It is customary to do your homework to get what you want.” 

Artia looked up at Shylock with fierce eyes.

 

A cold sweat ran down Shylock’s spine at the intense hostility in her pink eyes.

 

But then the corners of his mouth turned up.

 “You were right to hold Lake Annecy as collateral.” 

Shylock was sure that Artia held a treasure in her hands that she could never give up.

 

His mouth opened in a sneer.

 “I’ll wait until the due date to see if the money I lent you comes through, or Lake Annecy.” “…….” “Either that or the pink-eyed bride.” 

 

* * *

 

 

On the way back to the mansion, Artia clutched the hem of her skirt with trembling hands.

 

Shylock had arranged her marriage to Simone.

 

For that, Catherine owed him a huge debt.

 

What infuriated her even more was the fact that Catherine had mortgaged Lake Annecy.

 

She thought she had at least some affection for her, if not friendship…

 

Vivi, sitting opposite Artia, spoke in a low voice.

 “If you wish Baron Rushan never to appear before you again, you may give the order.” 

Artia’s eyes widened, then she let out a small laugh.

 “Vivi, every time you say something like that, I begin to suspect that my maid is no ordinary hunter’s daughter, but some kind of assassin.” “Because beasts and humans aren’t much different in the way they learn to steal a breath.” 

Vivi’s face was expressionless as she spoke these frightening words.

 

But she could tell.

 

That those words were the most comforting thing she could say right now.

 

Artia’s impending explosion subsided a bit.

 “I cannot turn my precious maid into a criminal.” 

What she needed now was not to get angry, but to handle the situation calmly.

 

Arriving at the manor, Artia walked quickly to Catherine’s room.

 “From now on, you are not allowed to leave the mansion. If you must go out, you must ask my permission and take a servant with you.” 

Catherine’s beautiful face twisted.

 “Are you going to lock me up?” “Yes, because I don’t know what kind of trouble you’ll get into if I leave you alone.” “Even if I made a mistake, this is too much!” “Mother was the one who went too far, borrowing money with Lake Annecy as collateral.” “……!” 

Catherine’s eyes flickered wildly at the coldness in Artia’s voice.

 

When Shylock had demanded Lake Annecy as collateral for a loan of 1.5 billion, she had hesitated.

 

The land was the only property her husband had ever given her, and it held special meaning for Artia.

 

Though she had never heard the story from Artia herself, she knew it was where she had spent her childhood with her late mother.

 

Shylock whispered in her troubled ear.

 “No one will buy Lake Annecy for three billion gold, no matter who you sell it to, and even if you can’t pay it back, I’m the one who loses. And…” 

Catherine looked like she was possessed by the devil as she echoed Shylock’s words.

 “If you don’t want Lake Annecy taken from you, you can marry Simone.”  Visit my Ko-fi for advance chapter discounts!!

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