My Dear, You're Swallowed by Debt #3(5)
When did that scoundrel of a debt collector start addressing him so respectfully?
Despite the lord's hostile gaze, the overseer ignored him and looked away.
The overseer was no longer interested in the lord, who had already fallen as far as he could.
There was no need to worry about the salary that was now being paid by the bank.
He was only pretending to treat the lord with respect because Rockefeller had asked him to do so.
"Here he comes."
As Rockefeller, riding a donkey, appeared, the noisy subjects suddenly fell silent.
The cause of this incident was undoubtedly the lord, but Rockefeller, who was involved with Carter Bank, was also a party to it.
However, the reason the subjects did not direct their criticism at him was because they knew that he was not only a participant in the matter, but also the only solution to it.
Thus, unlike the gaze directed at the lord, their gaze towards Rockefeller contained a mixture of resentment and fear.
They felt that if they showed even the slightest dislike towards him, their Gold loan certificates might become mere scraps of paper forever.
A moment later.
Rockefeller, who had climbed onto the platform, made eye contact with the lord who had been waiting there beforehand.
As Rockefeller smiled kindly, the lord cursed him inwardly but could not help but smile awkwardly since they had already made a promise.
'How did I get involved with such a man with no roots...?'
The day after Stella had enjoyed the evening banquet and left.
The lord received unexpected news from his daughter.
Though going to the Rothsmedici household would help resolve his debt, there was another condition.
The lord adamantly refused when he heard the condition, but in the end, he could not defeat his daughter's persistence and had to accept the absurd condition.
'If it weren't for my daughter, really...'
And so the lord thought.
If Stella had not intervened, he would have refused Rockefeller's proposal even if it meant his own death.
Who would welcome a lord who had to cater to the whims of a commoner family, let alone one who had become a mere shell of his former self?
The only consolation was that he had been considering taking in a son-in-law since he had no son to inherit his position, and thankfully(?), he no longer had to worry about that aspect.
On the platform.
Facing Rockefeller, the lord also opened his mouth with an ill-fitting smile.
"I want to tear that filthy face of yours apart."
Rockefeller was not fazed by this.
"You shouldn't say that. We will be getting closer in the future, so you shouldn't speak so harshly."
"You'll live a long life. There's an old saying that those who are detested by others live a very long time."
"Ha ha, is that a compliment? Anyway, I never intended to be respected by others."
Rockefeller smiled faintly and continued.
"Our family motto is to choose fear over respect. That was the motto left by my grandfather."
Rockefeller glanced forward.
The subjects who had heard the news and come to see them were holding their breath and staring intently at him and the lord.
Their gazes were clearly filled with fear.
Otherwise, it would have been impossible for them to be so quiet in the presence of the debt-ridden lord.
'They know my power. They'll follow my words and experience heaven or hell.'
"Isn't it funny? People are watching me. This place is somewhat important, isn't it?"
As Rockefeller whispered in a low voice only the two of them could hear, the lord chuckled in response.
"That's true. It's a meaningful day. The day my debt is cleared and my power as a lord is halved."
Rockefeller replied with a still smiling face.
"A half... wasn't it already nonexistent? That's what I understood."
"Be quiet. If you have something to say, just finish it quickly. They won't listen to my words anyway."
"Still, I will continue to respect your authority as a lord. To lead this territory brilliantly, you must become a lord who commands both fear and respect from your people, don't you think?"
"Enough with the nonsense. It's disgusting to listen to."
Rockefeller began to address the gathered citizens.
"Today! The reason we have gathered you here is because we have a major announcement!"
At Rockefeller's words, everyone fell silent, holding their breath.
They all wanted one thing from Rockefeller: salvation.
And Rockefeller had indeed brought it.
"Starting today, our Carter Bank will take responsibility for the Gold promissory notes, which we previously had no reason to be responsible for!"
As his words continued, the bewildered citizens stirred.
"What does he mean?"
"Suddenly taking responsibility for the Gold promissory notes?"
"They don't have to, right?"
"Shh! Be quiet and listen!"
Ignoring the reactions of the gathered citizens, Rockefeller continued speaking.
"This is due to an agreement with the lord. He currently lacks the power to handle the promissory notes issued in his name. Therefore, we have tentatively agreed that our Carter Bank will assume responsibility for his debt in exchange for the complete rights to the territory."
At this, the citizens stirred again.
"Did the lord sell all the rights to the territory?"
"So Carter Bank is taking responsibility for everything?"
"It seems that way?"
Having finished speaking, Rockefeller looked at the lord.
"Please say something. I can't be the only one speaking here."
It was a moment for the lord to confirm what he had said.
With a grim expression, the lord began to speak, clearing his throat.
"Ahem! I, Chester de Montefeltro, declare today that I will transfer all the rights of this land to the Rothsmedici family. In return, I will marry my daughter, Stella de Montefeltro, to the second son of the Rothsmedici family, Andrew Rothsmedici. After the marriage, this promise will have legal effect."
Rockefeller continued.
"Based on these terms, we have decided to take responsibility for all the Gold promissory notes you currently hold, starting from the moment my younger brother marries the lord's daughter. Of course, this is from the moment of their marriage."
Everyone instinctively held their breath, as a tense quiet swept through the gathering.
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