Chapter 90
***
“Why are the seals different?”
Elisa asked quietly, leaning toward Conrad. He gave her a reassuring smile and replied that he’d explain later, but there was no issue with the contract, so she could sign it without worry.
Only then did Elisa write her name and sign in the designated space. Once her seal was pressed beneath it, Prince Alex’s aide handed her a check detailing the agreed amount.
Stamped on the check was the crest of the Marquisate of Quebec—the family of Queen Meyer’s birth.
Which meant the money didn’t come from the royal treasury… but from the Marquisate itself.
Does that mean the King doesn’t know I asked for such a large compensation?
The thought made Elisa glance back at Conrad. He seemed to read her mind, giving a small, knowing nod.
“His Majesty will personally announce the tax adjustments at the upcoming noble council,” Conrad explained. “He plans to declare a temporary reduction to aid Karsten’s economic recovery and growth.”
Prince Alex’s aide added as he gathered the signed documents. Since the clause had already been included in the contract, Elisa merely nodded in acknowledgment.
“And now, we must set the date for Derek Grenville’s trial.”
At that name—so familiar, yet so repulsive—Elisa unconsciously clenched her hands.
“No matter what punishment has already been decided,” the aide continued in a flat, practiced tone, “a formal trial must still be held.”
“This time, however, it will be conducted publicly, for all citizens to see. That way, we can prove Princess Camilla’s innocence.”
Camilla’s innocence? Elisa almost laughed. Even a stray dog passing by would have found that absurd. Yet no amusement rose in her chest—only a sharp sting of conscience as her eyes fell once more on the check in her hands.
“So then, when would be convenient for you?” the aide asked smoothly. “As both the victim and a witness, you may choose the date that best suits you, Lady Leslie.”
“The sooner, the better.”
Only once the trial ended could everything finally be over. The sooner it was done, the sooner she could cast off the weight of it all and go to Ethan in Karsten with a clear heart.
“In that case, would Friday work?”
“Friday…? That’s the day after tomorrow.”
Elisa had assumed it would take at least another week before any proceedings began. The unexpected suggestion caught her off guard, and even Conrad lifted his brows in surprise.
“There’s no reason to drag it out,” the aide replied calmly. “If Lady Leslie agrees, we’ll schedule the trial for the day after tomorrow.”
“What do you think?”
Elisa turned to Conrad instead of answering. This wasn’t something she could decide alone. She’d thought to consult Prince Howard first, but Conrad surprised her by nodding immediately.
“Let’s proceed with that.”
“Are you sure we can decide on our own?”
“Of course. You’re the victim in this matter—your word carries weight.”
Then there was no reason to hesitate. Elisa agreed to hold the trial on Friday.
***
After Prince Alex’s aide and lawyer departed, Elisa accompanied Conrad to the largest bank in Ronfay.
The banker’s eyes widened when he saw the amount on the check, and he promptly led them to the VIP lounge.
Though it was her first visit to the bank, Elisa found herself being treated like an honored guest. She couldn’t help feeling strange as she watched the dizzying string of numbers printed in her passbook.
Even for someone who had lived her entire life as a noble, the sum was staggering—comparable to the annual operating budget of a small city.
I only named that figure because I thought they’d refuse. I never imagined they’d actually pay it.
“You’ll end up crawling into the ledger yourself if you keep staring like that,” Conrad joked lightly.
Elisa laughed awkwardly and tucked the passbook into her bag.
“I didn’t expect Prince Alex to be so generous.”
“It’s less generosity and more desperation,” Conrad said with a faint smile. “He’s eager to secure a not-guilty verdict for Princess Camilla as soon as possible. A letter arrived recently from the Kingdom of Raus—they’ve demanded a full clarification regarding the rumors surrounding her.”
Ah, that explains the haste.
Elisa nodded slowly, the situation making more sense now.
“The amount he gave you is large, yes, but if he sees it as an investment toward becoming king, it’s not so unreasonable. Prince Alex likely considers this payment part of his bid for the throne.”
“If Princess Camilla hadn’t caused all this trouble, he wouldn’t have needed to invest in anything at all.”
Elisa muttered bitterly, and Conrad chuckled in quiet agreement.
“I’ll escort you to the hospital now.”
“No, that’s alright. I have an appointment at the tearoom nearby. You can go ahead.”
“I see. Then I’ll be returning to the capital. Until next time, Lady Leslie.”
“Yes. Travel safely.”
After parting ways with Conrad, Elisa headed to her meeting.
Since it was a weekday afternoon, the tearoom was nearly empty. That made it easy to spot her father, Count Leslie, sitting by the window.
“Have you been waiting long?”
“No, I just got here.”
Liar. The steam had already vanished from his teacup—clear proof he’d been waiting quite some time.
Though she’d heard he was in Ronfay, this was the first time they’d met face-to-face. He had been avoiding her all this time, and while she’d understood why, chasing him down would’ve only led to another pointless argument.
But this time, she had called him here—with their mother’s help—because she had something important to say.
“You don’t like long talks, so I’ll keep this short.”
Elisa took out her passbook and placed it in front of him.
“What’s this?”
“Think of it as payment for raising me.”
“What?”
“I’m kidding. Just open it.”
The Count frowned as he flipped it open—and froze. His eyes widened as he read the numbers printed inside.
“What in the world…”
“It’s a lot, isn’t it? I’ve never seen so much money in my life, either.”
“Where did you get this?”
“I reached a settlement with Prince Alex earlier.”
Though the tearoom was quiet, there were still staff nearby, so Elisa lowered her voice.
“In exchange for the money, I agreed to testify that Princess Camilla is innocent.”
“Elisa!”
Count Leslie shot to his feet with a roar, drawing startled looks from the few employees present.
“That’s nonsense! That woman—!”
“If the details of the contract are revealed, I’ll owe double the amount in damages,” Elisa interrupted calmly.
At that, the Count fell silent. Trembling with anger, he glared at the passbook before slowly sitting back down.
“I don’t know why you’re showing this to me, but take it back.”
He pushed the book toward her, but Elisa shook her head.
“No. You should have it.”
“Why me? Don’t tell me this is about that investor—”
“It is.”
Her confident tone deepened the lines on her father’s forehead.
“If that’s the case, I’ll handle—”
“I’m not just giving it to you,” she cut him off smoothly. “I believe in your business, Father. So treat it as an investment—and return it multiplied.”
“What?”
“Why? Don’t you have faith in yourself?”
Her teasing remark made him let out a dry laugh before snatching the passbook back off the table.
“Faith? Of course I do! Just wait—I’ll turn this into a fortune that’ll make me one of the richest men in the empire, no, the continent!”
—
The news that Derek Grenville’s trial had been scheduled for Friday at 4 p.m. spread across the kingdom the next morning through every major paper.
Elisa herself learned the exact time from the newspaper. Around noon that same day, a letter arrived from Prince Alex’s aide reminding her not to forget the contract’s terms. Inside was also a train ticket to the capital.
The departure time was that very evening.
Elisa immediately completed her discharge paperwork and left for the station.
Reporters trailed after her, but thanks to the escort Prince Howard had arranged, she boarded the train without incident.
Her parents and Noah, who had left the hospital earlier, were already waiting aboard.
As soon as he saw her, Noah ran straight into her arms.
“He’s been asking for you nonstop since you left,” her father said.
“That’s understandable.”
After all, from the carriage accident to the kidnapping, the boy had endured one shock after another—and now even his father had gone away.
“It’s alright,” Elisa murmured, stroking his hair. “Once we’ve finished in the capital, we’ll go see Daddy.”
At the mention of Ethan, Noah’s dim eyes lit up at once.
He really does adore his father, Elisa thought, smiling as she held him close.
