Chapter 131
***
A thin booklet was thrown onto the red, flickering firewood.
Rebecca watched with a venomous glare as the name âNina Bayernâ turned to ashes and disappeared in the flames.
The Barrington Monthly.
Her irritation had surged since morning, thanks to the magazine and the letter her maternal grandfather had suddenly sent her.
[âŚDuchess Bayern came with a clear purpose, so there was no helping your loss in the hospitality contest. But I cannot accept you falling behind that woman.]
The main article about that woman in the Barrington Monthly was nothing but praise.
Wasnât it just absurd?
The world that used to call her a wicked wife had done an about-face overnight.
[Iâve told Marquis Dunklin to register you as a member of the fund committee, so be aware of that.]
The Dunklin Marquisateâs Delphinium Foundation.
A place where like-minded people pooled funds to support poor artists, the destitute, or orphans.
While it was publicly known as a gathering of the wealthy elite providing alms to the less fortunate, the reality was different.
The true owner of the place was her maternal grandfather, Marquis Crewe.
Minister of Finance.
As head of the imperial treasury, he oversaw tax collection, budget allocation, and all financial matters.
Ordinarily, the power of a finance minister with control over money would be overwhelming, but her grandfather had always been obstructed by the Chief Justice.
The Chief Justice served closest to the Emperor, overseeing administration and judicial affairs.
Especially given that the Chief Justice was as close as the Emperorâs personal secretary, Marquis Crewe often found himself outmatched.
Thus, her grandfather secretly created an organizationâthe Delphinium Foundation.
On the surface, it appeared to be a philanthropic society, but in reality, it was used by her grandfather for tax evasion and embezzlement of budget funds.
It was her grandfather who had promoted Dunklin from a count to a Marquis by making him chairman of the fund.
Until now, direct descendants of the Crewe family had scrupulously avoided any association with the fund to maintain this secret.
But because of Nina Bayern, that rule had been broken.
âHe wasnât happy about the imperial charity event eitherâŚâ
Once a member of the fund, one was required to regularly attend charity events and sometimes participate in volunteer work.
Spending time and effort to give handouts to filthy commoners?
She didnât like it, but considering how the Empress had praised Nina at the banquet, there was nothing she could do.
For a woman in high society, the Empressâs favor could be both shield and sword.
Ninaâs two years of misdeeds had been erased with a single commendation from Their Majesties.
Rebecca bit her lip in frustration.
Just thenâ
âMadam, itâs Hans.â
At Rebeccaâs signal, Bennie opened the door and let Hans inside.
âMadam, here is a letter from my brother-in-law. Please accept it.â
Rebecca took the letter, frowning slightly.
Hans was a man who couldnât hide his greed.
If he looked this uneasy, it was likely things hadnât gone well.
Rebecca unfolded the letter.
[âŚIâve thought about it a lot, but this is just too dangerous. If I get caught this time, I might end up in prison, so I think itâs best to stop here before I get found outâŚ]
Rebecca crushed the paper in her hand.
To think he was too scared to follow even that simple instruction.
âM-Madam. What should we do now?â
Hans looked at her obsequiously.
Sheâd heard heâd lost money trying to buy land in a recent scam.
With no way to get more money, he seemed anxious.
But that was his own problem.
She was not so generous as to pay out for an unsatisfactory result.
âFor the time being, stay quiet until I call for you again.â
âMadam, I know this fellow, and when heâs strapped for cash, he canât help himself and will try something reckless. If I could just ask for your patience for just a bit longerâŚâ
What good would it do to try to persuade a coward who trembles at the thought of delivering a single item?
âAll right, just donât make a fuss and wait quietly until I call for you again.â
Rebecca dismissed Hans with a cold glare.
