Chapter 5 How Can He Be Mentioned in the Same Breath as Me

Victoria looked Arnell up and down with an ambiguous gaze. "Actually, I know several young men from noble families who are interested in you. If you can accept Candini marrying in—of course, as long as you don't make trouble—I can turn a blind eye. After all, it's quite lonely for a woman to spend nights alone."

Victoria felt she had offered an enormous favor. After all, finding someone to spend the night with was something everyone tacitly understood. As long as no scandal broke out, she could be generous and help Arnell out. If needed, she could even help screen the list of candidates.

At this thought, Victoria's eyes lit up.

Rather than letting Arnell choose for herself, it would be better if she arranged things. First, she could better control Arnell, and second, she could use Arnell to curry favor with prestigious families that could help the Titan family. After all, a woman's beauty and body were very effective weapons!

"Just make sure to discuss the choice of bedmates with me first—for example, those who could better help the Titan family."

Arnell was almost amused by her words.

"Are you telling me to sleep around like Holden, or do you want me to be some kind of family prostitute?"

Setting aside the fact that she had never considered casually giving her body to a man, from what Victoria was saying, it seemed she wanted Arnell to sleep with different men for the Titan family's development and needs in the future? What kind of arrangement was this!

Victoria hadn't expected her goodwill to be rejected. Her eyes widened immediately. "What are you saying! As Holden's wife, you can't win his favor, so I'm kindly planning for your future. As long as you can contribute to the family, you won't be sent to a convent later!"

"If you keep being so ungrateful, you'll have nowhere to cry!"

Arnell's expression was cold. "I have no interest in such power. I only took over management before because Mephist's wife was seriously ill. Today I see she can already walk around outside, so I think the management should be returned to her."

Victoria panicked immediately. "How could she manage things! Besides, her family is only a baron at most, how could they come up with that much money..."

Arnell saw her stop short, a mocking smile playing at the corner of her mouth.

Yes, her own family was a ducal house. Even though her father had passed away, his military achievements were so great that His Majesty the King had rewarded the Virlet family with land and treasures almost beyond measure. When the Titan family people urged Holden to marry her, wasn't it because they coveted this enormous wealth?

While the Titan family still appeared glamorous on the surface, everyone spent extravagantly. To maintain their noble airs and dignity, they were practically spending beyond their means. Even with Holden's salary and the King's rewards, it was hard to fill this bottomless pit. When Arnell first took over, she even saw records of the Titan family selling off several farms and wineries, while the remaining ones lay neglected and uncared for.

If she hadn't used her dowry from her family to help out and decisively dealt with all the slackers and cheats, the Titan family would probably have bankrupted itself before Holden could return home with his military honors.

Arnell spoke quietly, "Though her family is only a baron, as a daughter of a noble house, she's been learning to handle family affairs since childhood."

"Tomorrow morning, I'll hand over all the current documents and treasury keys to my sister-in-law."

"You dare!" Victoria panicked, no longer maintaining her charitable facade. She pointed at Arnell angrily. "You're being disrespectful to your elders and can't win your husband's heart. If you really return the management rights, what will people think of the Titan family! What will they think of you!"

"You... do you want to become a laughingstock in noble circles!?"

Arnell had long since stopped wanting to pretend to be the weak, easily bullied lady others expected. She came from a ducal family, her father was a fierce general who charged across battlefields—how could she be ordinary!

Her expression was indifferent as she stood up and smoothed her skirt. "Holden isn't afraid of others' opinions in what he does, so how would I become a laughingstock?"

Saying this, Arnell silently added to herself: No, how could he be compared to me!

"You!" Victoria was furious and wanted to clutch her chest and pretend to be ill again, but Arnell just stood there. The candlelight beside her illuminated half her body while the other side of her face was hidden in shadow. Her cold gaze pinned Victoria in place, not daring to move.

"Since there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."

With that, Arnell didn't wait for Victoria's signal and walked straight out of the room. After a long while, the sound of something heavy hitting the floor came from behind. Elisa, who had been waiting anxiously outside, rushed up to her. Hearing the noise, she sighed. "If that's broken, the accounts will have another big expense."

But Arnell seemed to find this amusing and couldn't help but smile slightly. "Elisa, when we get back, pack up all the account books and notes on the desk and deliver them to my sister-in-law tomorrow morning."

"No matter how big the expense is, it won't concern us anymore!"

Elisa was stunned for a moment, then realized what she meant and broke into a smile. "Alright!"

She had long been unable to bear watching Arnell suffer like this! Now they should figure out how to fill the financial hole themselves!

The next morning, Arnell called several servants to follow her and deliver all the management account books, notes, and keys to Mephist's place. Her sister-in-law Trianne was completely bewildered by this sudden bombshell.

"This... this..."

How could Trianne not know how hard Arnell had worked handling affairs these three years? Originally, before Arnell, she had been responsible for these matters, but she really wasn't good at it. She left most things to the stewards, completely unaware of the skimming happening below. She only needed to drink a cup of hot tea and eat a pastry during afternoon tea time.

Even though the numbers in the account books were so dismal they were hard to look at, her husband said that Holden was a hero of the empire, and His Majesty the King's rewards would surely be generous and wouldn't let the Titan family fall into an awkward situation. When Arnell came, Trianne knew this was an opportunity. Although noble families generally had the eldest son inherit the family business, Mephist had no such ambitions. Especially after his remarkable Knight Commander brother came along, he tacitly assumed all the burdens should be carried by Holden.

So Trianne pretended to be seriously ill and dumped the task of managing family affairs onto Arnell.

'She could handle it fine, so why give it to me!' she thought gloomily. But Arnell didn't give her a chance to say more, curtsied, and turned to leave.

This attitude was nothing like the gentle, beautiful lady from before!

Trianne clutched the keys and returned to her room with a worried face to find Mephist. Her dear husband was unconcerned. "Holden came back with military honors anyway, so what are you worried about? Just wait to count the new rewards until your hands are tired!"

Trianne was about to feel happy when she recalled what the guards had reported—that Holden claimed he had exchanged all his military honors for the King's permission to marry Candini. So the rewards... would there really still be any!?