Chapter 20 - Documents
"You... after doing all this, do you still wish to continue our marriage?"
"...Pardon?"
After a long silence, Opal was left dumbfounded by Hubert’s question. Then, she burst out laughing. The idea was so preposterous that she could not stop. Hubert, Lady Northem, and the others stared at her in astonishment. Opal somehow managed to quell her laughter, took several deep breaths, and finally spoke.
"My apologies. Your words were so unexpected, I just couldn’t help myself. To be honest, from the very beginning of our marriage, I have been trying to find a way to divorce you. But the reason I held back was not due to any lingering attachment to you or the title of Duchess. Frankly, I do not care about this mansion either."
As she spoke, Opal’s gaze swept over Romit and Beth. Romit was sweating, though it was not hot, and Beth’s eyes were vacant, her face devoid of color.
"...It is simply that I feel pity for the innocent people of the fief, the people you never once spared a thought for. When I visited the ducal fief, the people were living in great poverty compared to those in my father's lands. This is all due to the negligent management of Omar, the man you trust so much. In the last decade or so, agricultural tools have become much more convenient, yet the workers there still use outdated implements and suffer needlessly. Therefore, I plan to live in the estate and manage the fief properly from now on. If you wish to continue this marriage, my lord, you are welcome to live here in this mansion."
Opal spoke calmly to Hubert, whose face was red with either shame or anger. Then, she turned to Lady Northem with a deliberately benevolent smile.
"I will allow you and your daughter to live here as well, Lady Northem. Of course, you are free to leave or stay as you please."
"What kind of woman are you... Stella is ill!"
"Yes. That is why I am saying she may live here as a guest."
She knew she sounded cold. Even so, Opal steeled her heart and stated plainly the reality of their future positions in this house. Of course, even if Hubert and Lady Northem decided to leave, she intended to provide them with enough support to live on. She would even give the servants letters of recommendation.
"I, I have nowhere else to go if I am driven from here... But it does not matter what happens to me. Just let Stella... please, just let Stella stay here!"
Lady Northem’s tearful plea seemed to elicit sympathy from everyone. Opal was exasperated but said nothing. Just then, Hubert stood up, shielding the lady from Opal as if to protect her.
"We... we will stay here for Stella’s sake. The thought of taking Stella anywhere else is inconceivable. So please, let us throw ourselves on your mercy."
Hubert pleaded with an air of one willing to sacrifice his own life to protect Stella, as if offering his neck to an enemy. Romit, the housekeeper, and Beth watched with tears in their eyes. Opal felt a sense of detachment, as if she were being forced to watch a cheap melodrama.
"...As I have said, I do not mind if you wish to stay here. However, there are conditions."
Finally able to get to the heart of the matter, Opal breathed a sigh of relief. But Hubert and the others looked as if they had been told to offer up their heads. Wondering what had happened to their earlier resolve, not that she needed it, Opal continued.
"Dr. Harrison, the ducal family’s physician, seems to be getting on in years, so I would like Stella-san to be seen by another doctor as well."
"What are you talking about!? Dr. Harrison has been looking after Stella since she was a child! There is no other doctor who understands Stella like he does!"
Lady Northem snapped back at Opal’s condition. Her grief from moments before seemed to vanish, replaced by a mother’s fierce protectiveness, and Opal’s heart softened slightly. Nevertheless, she had no intention of changing her mind.
"Even so, she will be examined. I am not trying to dismiss Dr. Harrison. It is just that medicine has advanced considerably. I have heard stories of doctors who cling to old-fashioned treatments and fail to save lives that could have been saved. You need not worry, I will not be the one choosing the doctor. Perhaps someone introduced by one of His Grace’s friends would be trustworthy, don't you think?"
Opal looked at Hubert questioningly, but he only narrowed his eyes suspiciously, as if trying to gauge her true intentions.
"Of course, I will cover the medical expenses. As for the rest, well, if you all intend to remain here, I will pay you a proper wage for your work."
As Opal spoke to the anxious-looking servants, she heard a few of them mutter, "Thank goodness..." They fell silent immediately when Romit glared at them.
"You may all go now. Please decide what you will do within five days."
At Opal’s authoritative command, Romit and the others hesitated for a moment before bowing and departing, leaving only Opal, Hubert, and Lady Northem in the drawing room.
"Well then, shall we discuss the other matters?"
"Is there more?"
"Wouldn't it be strange if there wasn't? How much money do you think it takes to live? We may be in a privileged position, but money does not simply materialize out of thin air if we do nothing. Please consider how much money has been wasted because of your inaction, my lord. If you had the money Omar squandered on gambling, you would not have had to go into debt, nor would you have had to marry me. And it could have been given back to the people of your fief."
Hubert fell silent at Opal’s words. His expression was grim, but she could tell his anger was not directed at her. He was likely regretting his past actions. For a moment, Opal felt a pang of sympathy, but she quickly hardened her resolve. Hubert was not a child who had just lost his parents. He was a twenty-six-year-old man. If he did not show some fortitude now, all would be lost.
"As I said earlier, this mansion is now my property, so I will pay the servants’ wages and the upkeep. I will also cover your living expenses, my lord, such as food, clothing, and medical care. In addition to that, I will give you a not insignificant allowance, as I am sure you will need funds for your social obligations as a duke."
"...An allowance?"
"Would you have preferred I called it pocket money?"
"Are you mocking me?"
"My apologies. I was not sure how to phrase the act of giving money to someone who has none. I thought ‘charity’ would be too presumptuous... since we are, for all intents and purposes, a married couple. Even if all assets belong to the wife and are not considered shared."
Opal’s choice of words made it sound as if she were keeping a lover, or dealing with a child. Her condescending attitude heaped more humiliation upon Hubert, whose face contorted with shame. Lady Northem shifted restlessly on the sofa, glancing at the door as if she could no longer bear to be in the room. But in the end, Hubert seemed to be enduring it, clenching his fists tightly rather than lashing out at Opal.
"It is your money to spend as you please, my lord. Whether you amuse yourself at a gentlemen’s club, frequent brothels, or keep a mistress."
"My lady!"
Lady Northem admonished Opal for her unladylike words, looking as if she were about to faint. Opal calmly noted that this was the first time Lady Northem had called her "my lady" and offered a relaxed smile.
"It cannot be helped, can it? I may be your husband’s wife, but it is in name only. That relationship will not change, so I have no intention of accusing him of infidelity or causing a scene. What we need to discuss is not such matters, but rather the future of this mansion and the fief."
"...What is it?"
Hubert seemed to have lost the will to be angry. Opal found it rather dull and wondered if she was truly as malicious as she was now discovering herself to be. But the conditions she was about to present had nothing to do with her personality.
"As long as I live, I have no intention of relinquishing these assets. However, I will sell this mansion and the fief back to you, my lord, and only you, at a fair market price."
"But that all belonged to Hubert in the first place!"
"And what of it? It is mine now. This situation was brought about by my lord’s own weakness. What do you think would have happened if Omar had been unable to repay his debts and conspired with a ruthless moneylender to do the same thing?"
When Opal countered the lady’s protest with sound logic, neither she nor Hubert could say a word. In fact, it was a wonder the situation had held out for as long as it had. If Opal’s father, the Count, had wanted to, he likely could have snatched Hubert’s assets without having to marry Opal off to him at all. The current Count Holloway had no need for a title like ‘father-in-law to a duke’ anyway.
"I have told you I will give you a substantial sum of money each month, my lord. It would not be impossible to save that money and buy back the mansion and the fief. But that would take an immense amount of time. So, why not try to use that money as capital to make it grow?"
"...Make money grow? By gambling?"
"Well, I will leave that up to you. Whether by gambling or investing. I do know that my steward of the estate seems to consult my father for advice on how to increase my assets. Where to invest, when to withdraw funds... It seems my father is rumored in society to be a reincarnation of the king who turned everything he touched to gold."
"Are you telling me to seek guidance from your father, Count Holloway?"
"That is up to you, my lord. You are free to use the money I give you however you see fit. However, I do not believe my father would refuse a request from you. Well then, please consider carefully what I have told you tonight and give me your answer within five days. I will take my leave now."
It was finally over. Relieved to have concluded the evening’s charade, Opal left the drawing room to return to the attic. Servants used the back stairs, but Opal used the main staircase to reach the second floor. As she was about to pass the master bedroom, Stella emerged into the hallway in her wheelchair.
"You really are a devil. Not only did you steal Hubert from me, you stole his fortune and now you’re trying to take his home!"
"...I am not trying to steal it, I have stolen it. But I am a merciful devil, so I will grant you all some compassion. Don’t be shy, you may thank me."
Opal returned Stella’s resentful words with a sarcastic reply. Inwardly, she had been worried that Stella might fall ill, but she seemed to be fine. In fact, the way she gritted her teeth and glared at Opal made her look quite spirited and healthy. Trevor was right, suggesting she see another doctor was the correct choice, Opal thought. With a bright smile, she passed by Stella.
She climbed the servants’ stairs and entered the attic room to find it had been warmed. A mattress had been placed on the bed, and the bedding had been replaced with a feather duvet. Her own guest room had likely been prepared as well. It seemed some of the servants had already made their decision. With that thought, Opal lay her tired body down on the small but warm bed.