Chapter 67 (2)
"Who pays the overseers if not Father?"
"Who else? The scoundrels who put me in this position."
"Who is that? Don't tell me... Carter Bank?"
"That's right, Carter Bank. They're the ones taking care of the overseers' salaries now."
It had always been the lord's responsibility to provide for the overseers who maintained order in the territory.
But now, a mere banker was taking on that responsibility.
Stella couldn't help but be shocked.
"Why would Carter Bank pay the overseers' salaries? I don't understand."
"I had my suspicions too, but it turns out there's a reason for everything."
The lord couldn't help but recall how his once loyal overseer had been visiting Carter Bank more frequently recently.
The power of money.
It seemed that, like the people who had been bought off by Carter Bank, the overseer now valued a mere banker more than his own lord.
"Ha, that overseer is a problem too. After all I've done for him, he's become a pawn of the bankers because I couldn't pay him just once. Is this a joke?"
It was then that something crossed her mind.Upstodatee from n(0)/ve/lbIn/.(co/m
"Is the bank paying the overseers' salaries to ensure its own security?"
"That seems to be the case. They're worried that if I can't pay the overseers properly, they won't work, so they've started paying their salaries in full. Thanks to that, I, the lord, have become a laughingstock. Now, even if I'm attacked by bandits on the road, the overseers will protect the bankers more than me. Especially that Rockefeller fellow, they'll lay down their life for him."
While the lord had been away, Carter Bank's influence in the territory had grown immensely.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Carter Bank was the true owner of the territory.
Who would think of the lord as the owner of the territory when the overseers responsible for its security were loyal to the bank?
The lord shook his head, and Stella looked at him with a resigned expression.
"But there's no other way, is there?"
"But this isn't right."
"Then is there another way? If we could borrow money from somewhere else, we could try to survive, but you said that's not possible, right?"
"Well, that's true..."
"Then there's no other way. I've already made up my mind. All you have to do is give me permission."
It wasn't uncommon for a noble family to send their daughter off to marry in order to survive.
However, the lord hadn't even considered that this would happen to him.
"Really... Is there no other way?"
"Yes, this is the best option for us."
Silence ensued for a while, and finally, the lord reluctantly agreed to his daughter's request.
"Very well... If that's your choice. Sigh... Because of this wretched father..."
"It's not like that. I'm just repaying you for raising me."
"I never thought I'd have to send you off like this. It's all my fault..."
"It's okay. I'm not going to die or anything. I'll be fine wherever I go."
"I wanted to send you to someone you love. I never thought of an arranged marriage. It would only make you unhappy."
"Wherever I go, as long as I'm happy, it's fine. I'll be okay."
Their conversation went like this, but the real problem was finding a suitable spouse for the marriage.
"Then, who are you planning to marry? As far as I know, there's no suitable candidate."
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