A few days later, Trevor had already checked and confirmed that a fraud was being committed.

It’s been a long time since the previous Duke’s death, but apparently they’ve been quite bold since Lord Northam’s death.

A few years ago the drought seemed to have spurred.

“I heard from rumors that the previous Duke, Lord Northam, often returned to his territory, but his son, the current Duke, seems to have never returned since his parents died. The accountant creator of the territory’s management book, in short, was asked to lie, and the current Duke even if he couldn’t return to his territory, he must have checked the accountant book, but I can say that he has not.”

“So, the culprit is the land custodian … Well, the Duke is crazy about her daughter, the –angel-.”

“Yes?”

“No, nothing. So what can I do? Appeal to the Duke?”

“I think it’s best to do that, but I’d like to give you some solid evidence before that.”

“Did you get already the evidence?”

“Yes. There should probably be something like a back book, but it’s in the Duke’s territory … and there’s a formal record always in the study, but that must be in the private room of the caretaker or another hidden place … “

“Duke’s territory … my husband’s territory …”

Opal was listening to Trevor and thought about every word.

She thought that if it was difficult to get the evidence, she could look for another way to break the marriage, but she can’t overlook fraud.

Even if they lose their relationship a year later, she won’t be clean if there’s fraud.

“I understand. Then I’ve to ask of you Trevor, could you follow me to the Duke’s territory? You won’t have problems if you leave?”

“No. My management is perfect. I’m nurturing human resources so that they can continue without me. Being away some time would not mean anything for this territory’s management. ”

Opal laughed at Trevor’s deliberate and proud attitude.

She thought she forgot how to laugh after getting married, but she just laughed again and again after returning here.

“Thank you, Trevor. Then I’ll write a letter to my husband and tell him that I’m going to his territory. “

“Yes. If you go there for the first time, that’s definitely a necessary process. To be honest, letting them know will make your opponent more alert, but you being a young lady and informing that you go alone, will make them not take you as a threat, so they won’t be wary of you…”

“Okay, so I’ll tell you as soon as the schedule is decided.”

“Understood”

Opal left the study and immediately wrote a letter to Hubert.

Then, the next day, a reply arrived, and he said that it was okay to go.

“It’s as expected, but isn’t it a little too easy? Is it fine? We must be carefully.”

Opal went to Trevor and Marcia to tell them that she would have to leave five days later.

“I’ll have everything ready so we can leave at that exact time.”

It’s hard for the Duke’s caretaker and book keeper to not to be wary and hide everything if their master comes, but most aristocrats aren’t interested in land management, and even more so if it’s a noble woman. So, it’s probably okay.

Opal had only learned from Trevor to manage the land left by her grandmother, so she realized it was weird to know land management.

Five days later, Opal went on a four-day journey from her territory to the Duke’s territory with Trevor and her maid, Nadja.

Blessed with fine weather along the way, Opal entered the Duke territory without any problems, and noticed that the fields were less fruitful than the at her territory.

In addition, the homes and clothes of the people are ragged and made of mud. It looked extremely poor.

“To be honest, I don’t think it’s well managed.”

“But I can’t see any signs of disaster.”

“For me, the situation isn’t good or bad. It resembles the atmosphere of the village where I lived before. The county is very rich but extremely poor managed.”

Opal and Trevor were talking as they looked out from the train window, and Nadja looked down and muttered.

Nadja was fired several years ago during a drought from another mansion and relied on Marcia to get this job.

Therefore, she knows much more than Opal, what a drought is, who only knows about her territory.

“Is that so?”

“Well, yes. Territory management is a tough job for lazy people, but it gives immense rewards for hard-working people, and those who willingly invest in the development of their territories. If they need a bridge, give them a sturdy stone bridge, and if the farmers’ tools break, give them new tools, so they’re motivated too.”

“When I hear that, I think that you Trevor are a wonderful manager.”

Trevor smiled at Opal’s words.

Nadja hasn’t even seen the territory, so she says nothing.

“But my father is a smart person… sadly.”

“Yeah. He didn’t marry his daughter for three years, but it was because he was waiting for the Duke to go bankrupt. He sold his daughter with money in exchange for a nobility title, against her will. To raise his position to a higher level. “

“The young lady is a nice lady. The duke must be a fruitful person.”

“Thank you, Nadja”

Opal did not mention that the story that was told was hers, she merely thanked Nadja with a smile.

It is still unpredictable what kind of attitude the Duke will take when he discovers this fraud.

Opal looked back out of the window.

“It seems that the territory’s people are paying taxes properly, and this would normally not have caused any debt to the Duke’s house. That’s if the paid taxes really reached the Duke and no third party saved it for themselves.”

“That was a good way to make him bankrupt without anyone noticing. No one thought the duke was in need, as his territory was in operating normally.”

“I think, this too, must have been a plan of my father.”

“Oh, young lady! You can see the mansion from here.”

Nadja cheered brightly, looking from the small window opposite Opal. Nadja was not interested in the conversation and was trying to change the mood.

Opal moves to the other side and looks through the window.

“It’s a very large mansion, and it looks like it’s in good condition.”

“Yes, such a contradiction more affirms the previous reached conclusion…”

Opal didn’t respond to Trevor’s murmur.

The front door of the mansion, which was gradually approaching, was widely opened, and many servants came out.

Opal moved away from the window, stretched her back and waited for the carriage to stop.

Translated by Djurasico (dot) home (dot) blog