The Lord’s residence was situated in a small estate on the eastern side of Moravia City Center, slightly more luxurious than the other buildings in the area, but on the whole, its grandeur was just right.
Although Willey was a Marquis known for his greed and indulgence, he was unexpectedly low-key when it came to his residence and travels.
Don’t misunderstand—he simply thought his money was better spent on food, drink, and women, not out of any deliberate humility.
“Father, you summoned me back in such a hurry—is something important happening?”
Hilvi had been waiting for some time in the first-floor drawing room.
Judging from Willey’s flushed cheeks, he’d probably just finished his “morning exercise” before coming to see her.
It wasn’t hard to figure out—he didn’t reek of alcohol, and he carried an overpowering scent of cheap perfume.
But even without these clues, she could have guessed. After all, she’d served as a maid in this residence for nearly five years.
“Oh, my good daughter, a tremendous fortune has come your way! But Her Highness wishes to tell you herself, so I’ll let her do the honors.”
His way of addressing her brought back unpleasant memories—like the time she’d almost been sold by this man to a lecherous old Noble over a counterfeit trinket.
“Father, my Chamber of Commerce has an important auction this afternoon. If this isn’t urgent, please allow me to leave first.”
“Auction? Why bother with that now? The guest will be here soon, and lunch is already prepared. Whatever it is, wait until you’ve dined with Her Highness before talking about it.”
She had a bad feeling. This “Her Highness” was probably not someone she wanted to meet.
Her Chamber of Commerce’s business had caught the attention of the Vichy Kingdom.
To be honest, she despised these invaders. After all, who would like Robbers breaking into their home?
Even so, she couldn’t act openly against them. Secretly exchanging information with Princess Chlorel’s allies was already her limit.
Back to the matter at hand—the “Her Highness” Willey referred to was most likely the Grand Prince of the Vichy Royal Family, Valenrian Veshi.
Back when she’d been handling business disputes in the Capital of Vichy Kingdom, that man had already started pestering her.
Valenrian Veshi was an egotistical man who likely had never suffered setbacks in his life. Behind his flamboyant arrogance lay extreme self-confidence.
“As long as he wants to do something, he’ll succeed. He’s the ‘protagonist’ of this world.” It was no wonder His Highness the Prince thought this way.
But those he targeted faced considerable misfortune.
During her days in the capital, he would show up at her door with a red rose, day after day.
His persistent invitations made it nearly impossible for her to handle Chamber of Commerce affairs without humoring him first.
A little inquiry into his character revealed that, though he was much better than Willey, the women around him never lasted more than a month.
As for “love at first sight”—that was pure nonsense. Would a Prince ever fall for the illegitimate daughter of a rural Marquis? That kind of tale belonged in fairy tales.
She knew exactly what he was after. His handsome face couldn’t disguise his hyena’s nature.
Clearly, the Vichy Royal Family coveted her Chamber of Commerce’s ability to rake in money.
And as she suspected, Eveleel approached her. Persuaded by Eveleel, she promised to donate a sum of money at regular intervals.
After that, his visits became far less frequent.
Logically, that should have been the end of it. The Vichy Royal Family gained a generous income, and she rid herself of that nuisance.
But today, Willey actually claimed that man was coming to visit his house—and that a great fortune was at hand?
More like a great calamity.
The neighing of horses sounded outside the window. At Willey’s signal, Hilvi rose to her feet, and the father-daughter pair made their way to the front door.
“It’s been a while, my beloved Hilvi. Your fiancé, Prince Valenrian, has come to pick you up.”
“What?”
Had she misheard?
“Excuse me, Your Highness. What did you just say?”
……
In the Ashley Family dining hall.
Prince Valenrian sat at the far end of the long table. On his right, Wilrey Ashley was all smiles, proudly introducing the delicacies laid out before them.
Hilvi sat absent-mindedly to the Prince’s left.
This sudden engagement left her flustered. Frankly, even though the Prince had hovered around her like a persistent fly, an engagement was out of the question.
As mentioned before, she was the illegitimate daughter of a rural Noble from an enemy nation.
Valenrian proposing an engagement was simply a ploy to seize control of her Chamber of Commerce, but the political fallout was too great—his previous proposals had all been rejected.
Eveleel had told her all of this. It was only under Eveleel’s persuasion that Hilvi agreed to give up some interests to protect herself.
But today, for some reason, the Vichy Kingdom’s higher-ups had approved the marriage.
It seemed the Chamber of Commerce’s growth had finally made them jealous enough.
“Your Highness, I fear I cannot fulfill the role of your fiancée. The Chamber of Commerce also requires my attention…”
“No need to worry, Hilvi. My trusted subordinates will manage your Chamber of Commerce upon your return. You just focus on being a good wife.”
The saying “a tall tree catches the wind” was no exaggeration. But at this point, saying more was useless.
“I’m very sorry, Your Highness. I do not have those feelings for you. This engagement will bring happiness to no one. Please allow me to refuse.”
“Hilvi! What nonsense are you spouting? Please forgive her, Your Highness—she’s simply overworked herself lately.”
“Don’t mind it, Marquis of Weirley. This isn’t the first time your daughter has rejected me.”
A faint smile remained on Valenrian’s face.
He had long predicted Hilvi’s response, but for him, letting this girl go was impossible.
Making her his wife was merely a temporary measure.
What he truly wanted was the Chamber of Commerce she controlled. Once he acquired it, he would gain an enormous advantage in the succession for the throne.
To be honest, even though he was surrounded by beauties, Hilvi’s looks and figure were outstanding among them.
To say he wasn’t attracted to her would be a lie.
Unfortunately, the status of “illegitimate daughter of a lesser Noble” was far too low for him—she simply wasn’t worthy.
Once he achieved his goal, he would find a chance to demote her to Side Consort.
Whether he ever favored her again would depend on her future performance.
“Hilvi, this engagement is sanctioned by my Royal Father, and your father has agreed as well. For Nobles, feelings never determine anything—you should understand this.”
He wasn’t wrong. Even so, Hilvi was unwilling to accept.
The Ashley Chamber of Commerce was her life’s work; she could not bear to hand it over to these Robbers.
And she didn’t like Valenrian at all. If she had to choose someone from the Vichy Royal Family to marry, she would rather it be Eveleel…
She froze. She didn’t know why the Princess’s name had come to her mind just then.
“Lord Wilrey, it seems your daughter still has doubts. After this meal, please prepare a room for us—I’d like to speak with her privately.”
That was the only option left. She still didn’t understand why he was so intent on marrying her, but it was clearly about profit.
If they could speak plainly here, perhaps she could salvage the situation.
“Yes, Your Highness. After lunch, please have a private talk with us.”