Chapter 132: The Cost

Chapter 132: Chapter 132: The Cost

Duke Valmort returned shortly before noon.

Marian knew immediately.

Not because anyone informed her.

Because the entire estate seemed to exhale at once.

Weeks of negotiations.

Weeks of uncertainty.

Weeks of waiting.

Finished.

At last.

She found her father in his study.

Still carrying documents.

Still looking considerably more tired than he had a month ago.

The moment she entered, he sighed.

"You already know."

"The proceedings are finished."

"They are."

A pause.

"And?"

The Duke laughed softly.

Of course.

There was only one question she would ask first.

"How much?"

Marian asked.

The Duke leaned back in his chair.

"Officially?"

She nodded.

"Forty million crowns."

Silence.

Marian froze.

Not because she failed to understand.

Because she understood perfectly.

Forty million crowns.

Ten years of revenue from three major estates.

Development projects.

Investment holdings.

Years of planning.

Gone.

The Duke watched her absorb the figure.

Then added:

"Another twenty million privately."

Marian blinked.

"The Imperial Household."

Understanding dawned immediately.

Not the Treasury.

Not the Empire.

The Imperial Household.

The Emperor.

Adrian.

Sixty million crowns.

Total.

The number settled heavily between them.

For several moments neither spoke.

Then:

"And Cassian?"

For the first time that afternoon, the Duke did not sigh.

Or frown.

Or complain.

The question itself was natural enough.

So he simply answered.

"Twenty-five million."

Marian’s eyes widened.

The Duke noticed.

Of course he noticed.

Then:

"Why?"

The Duke folded his hands.

"Because the Emperor wanted it to cost him too."

The answer made perfect sense.

Of course it did.

Then he continued.

"The western expansion project was cancelled."

Marian looked up immediately.

"The what?"

For the first time, some of the weariness left the Duke’s expression.

Because unlike most people, Marian genuinely did not know.

"It was his father’s project."

The room became quiet.

"The previous Duke spent years planning it."

Roads.

Settlements.

Trade routes.

Expansion along the western frontier.

"It was the last major undertaking he began before his death."

Marian stared at the desk.

Twenty-five million crowns.

The western project.

Years of work.

Years of planning.

Years of memories.

Gone.

Not because it failed.

Not because it was unprofitable.

Because of this.

Because of them.

Marian was quiet.

Very quiet.

The Duke studied her for a moment.

She understood the number.

Of that he had no doubt.

Marian had never been foolish.

But numbers were only the beginning.

And perhaps she needed to hear the rest of it.

So he sighed.

Then leaned back in his chair.

"Do you think the sixty million is the expensive part?"

Marian blinked.

The question caught her off guard.

The Duke continued.

"That’s merely the payment."

A pause.

"The consequences cost considerably more."

The room grew quiet.

Then he began explaining.

The contracts.

The vassals.

The merchants.

The builders.

The investors.

The abandoned projects.

Everything that followed after the gold changed hands.

"The Emperor receives sixty million crowns."

A brief silence.

"I’ll spend the next several years dealing with everything that comes after."

Marian listened quietly.

Because he was right.

A delayed road meant lost trade.

A cancelled project meant disappointed allies.

Abandoned investments meant frustrated vassals.

The payment itself was only the beginning.

The consequences would continue long after the gold was gone.

The Duke sighed.

"I can recover from losing sixty million crowns."

A pause.

"Recovering everyone’s confidence is considerably more expensive."

Then he added dryly:

"And at some point, I will need to explain to my vassals why half the projects I’ve been promising them have suddenly vanished."

Despite herself, Marian almost smiled.

The Duke pointed at her immediately.

"That wasn’t a joke."

"It sounded like one."

"It wasn’t."

A pause.

"Do you know how difficult it is to convince a baron that a road was delayed because my daughter fell in love?"

Marian covered her face.

The Duke looked entirely justified.

"Exactly."

"Father."

"No."

He folded his arms.

"I spent eleven days negotiating with the Emperor."

A pause.

"I am entitled to complain."

Unfortunately, that was true.

--

The room quieted once more.

The Duke looked at her.

Then his expression softened slightly.

"This was expensive."

A pause.

"Very expensive."

Another.

"I’ll be dealing with the consequences for years."

Marian lowered her gaze.

The Duke continued.

"But I signed every document myself."

Silence.

"No one forced me."

Another pause.

"I agreed."

The words settled heavily between them.

"I knew the price before I put my name on the page."

The Duke leaned back.

"And if I had to make the decision again?"

For the first time, he smiled.

Small.

Tired.

Certain.

"I would sign it again."

Marian looked up.

The Duke met her eyes.

"You are my daughter."

A pause.

"My responsibility was never the money."

Another.

"It was making sure you could live with the decision afterward."

The room became quiet.

Then:

"So stop looking like you’re carrying the entire duchy on your shoulders."

A beat.

"I already have that job."

Marian smiled faintly.

The Duke felt unexpectedly pleased.

Good.

Perhaps now she would stop worrying.

Perhaps now—

"How did he react?"

The Duke blinked.

Marian looked at him.

"Who?"

The Duke already knew.

But he asked anyway.

"Cassian."

Silence.

The Duke slowly leaned back.

His eyebrows met.

Marian immediately recognized that expression.

It was never a good sign.

"Marian."

"What?"

"I have just spent the better part of an hour explaining the financial consequences of this disaster."

"I know."

"I have explained cancelled projects."

"I know."

"Disappointed vassals."

"I know."

"Liquidated assets."

"I know."

The Duke pointed at her.

"And somehow we are discussing Ashford again."

Marian opened her mouth.

Then closed it.

Because unfortunately—

he was correct.

The Duke looked deeply offended.

"I knew it."

"Father."

"I knew it."

"Please stop saying that."

"I will not."

A pause.

Then:

"You are worried about him."

The statement carried absolute certainty.

Marian looked away.

The Duke immediately looked vindicated.

"Aha."

"Father."

"Aha."

The Duke folded his arms.

"We lost sixty million crowns."

"I know."

"And somehow you’re still worried about Ashford."

Marian remained silent.

Because the answer sounded unreasonable even to her.

The Duke watched her struggle.

Then sighed.

Long.

Deep.

Resigned.

Because finally, at last, he understood.

It wasn’t the money.

Not really.

It was Cassian.

And that realization explained everything.

Unfortunately.

The Duke rubbed his temples.

"Fine."

Marian immediately looked up.

The Duke noticed.

And became offended all over again.

"He didn’t argue."

Silence.

"Not once."

Marian smiled.

The Duke looked betrayed.

"There it is."

"What?"

"That face."

Marian blinked.

"What face?"

"The one proving I have completely lost this battle."

The Duke sighed.

Then waved a hand dismissively.

"Go."

Marian stood immediately.

Far too quickly.

The Duke stared.

"You were already planning to leave."

"No."

A pause.

"Yes."

The Duke closed his eyes.

Of course.

"At least use the front door."

Marian laughed.

For the first time all afternoon.

The Duke found himself smiling too.

Unfortunately.