"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.
"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?
"Ha, ha, ha... How did my life end up like this... How pathetic."
Stella spoke to the seemingly resigned lord.
"I won't abandon you, Father. You've raised me so well. Even if everyone else abandons you, I'll be on your side."
"Thank you, at least you're on my side. Everyone else has turned their back on me, but at least my daughter is still with me."
The lord, with reddened eyes, stood up and hugged his daughter tightly.
In that moment of tender love between father and daughter, Stella brought up what she had been holding back.
"Father."
"Yes?"
"Right now, there's only one way for you to survive."
"A way for me to survive?"
The lord let out a small chuckle, as if he found the idea absurd.
"Ha, ha... A way for me to survive? I don't see any."
"No, you mustn't think like that. Your debt is my debt, and my debt will be my future husband's debt as well."
"What are you saying? Are you suggesting... getting married now? You're not even of age yet."
"I'm 16 years old now. I'm of age. Some of my friends already have arranged marriages in place."
It was too soon.
The lord had hoped to give her more time, sending her off when she was around 20 years old, but now it was already time for marriage.
And it wasn't a blessed marriage, but one where she was being sold off because of debt.
How could a father with such a daughter not be heartbroken?
"Child, I don't want to send you off yet. And where would you go, leaving your father behind? It's not possible. Absolutely not."
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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wish i didn't read the chapters yet T T, imma wait for a month or two before reading again. bye ~
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