The Male Lead's Sickly Aide Is My Type - Chapter 23
Translator and Editor: Nana and Nabi
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Chapter 23
The beginning was peaceful.
It was a typical morning, and Carinne went for a walk in the forest as usual. The air felt refreshing that day, so she stayed in the forest longer than usual. It had been a couple of hours since she returned to the mansion, feeling a chill in the wind and craving a warm cup of tea.
To her surprise, she found the sofa being moved outside.
…Why was the sofa that should have been in the drawing room now outside, and who were the people moving it?
As she passed by the sofa and went through the main entrance, Carinne was unable to hide her astonishment as her mouth hung open.
It was because the inside of the mansion was in complete chaos.
Men with rolled-up sleeves were busy moving valuable items—luxurious wooden cabinets, custom-made beds, intricately crafted floral chairs, and more—some people were even taking down the framed paintings from the walls. It was absurd, to say the least. Carinne stood frozen in place like a fixture.
‘…What happened while I was out? And what were they all doing until the house ended up like this?’
The mystery was quickly unraveled as she noticed maids scurrying about on the second floor. Seeing her, Marie came running down the stairs with tears streaming down her face.
“Lady, where did you go? You’ve just returned?”
“What on earth is happening? Where’s Duke Tricia… no, where did father go?”
“That’s the thing. The master is in prison.”
“…What?”
Marie explained what had happened, tears rolling down her cheeks. On the other hand, Carinne felt as if her lifespan has shortened after hearing the explanation.
Here was how the incident unfolded…
Just like any other day, Duke Tricia was drinking and gambling recklessly at a tavern. In a moment of jest, he decided to gamble with a nobleman, wagering ten billion gold coins… and lost it all.
Although the Duke naturally thought it was just a joke and tried to brush it off, that nobleman insisted that he had to receive the ten billion gold coins. He soon called for the guards and mentioned an ancient and rarely used law, claiming that he must receive the ten billion gold coins.
In the end, while the Duke protested, saying it was ridiculous, he was forced to hand over the ten billion gold coins due to the ancient law.
However, ten billion gold coins was an enormous sum of money, surpassing the annual budget of a considerable country. Even though the Second Duchy was wealthy, it couldn’t possess such a large amount of money.
As a result, the entire mansion, including everything inside it, was handed over to the nobleman… and even that wasn’t enough, so Duke Tricia ended up in prison until he could come up with the remaining money.
“When did this gambling happen?”
“It was last night.”
So while she was out meeting Archen and returning, and even during her nap after tea time, the so-called Duke, her father, was gambling away their entire fortune.
It was so unbelievable that she couldn’t even find words to say.
“We just found out, too. We haven’t even seen the master’s face.”
Just as Marie wiped her tears and finished her story, a thought struck Carinne…
“How disgraceful.”
“I’m sorry? What did you say?”
“Nothing.”
She brushed off Marie’s question and internally criticized the Duke’s actions.
‘I knew this would happen someday.’
It was infuriating. He wasted his days in gambling and alcohol, and now he had accomplished something remarkable.
She should have known when he sent her to the meeting, claiming he would go to the newly opened gambling den. It was evident that Duke Tricia had become so obsessed with gambling that he lost his sanity.
Who in the world, even if it were a joke, would gamble and put ten billion gold coins at stake? It could have been used to establish a simple mine.
The Duke caused all this trouble alone, so he should bear the responsibility alone though she was unfortunately tied to his downfall. Since the Duke’s debt was now her debt, she had an obligation to repay it.
Carinne gritted her teeth. In her heart, she wanted to rush to the prison, grab the Duke by the collar, and shake him.
“Lady, what should we do? The current situation leaves us without a place to stay for tonight.”
Marie was right, they needed to find a place to stay immediately.
At the same time, the bitterness in Carinne’s heart intensified. Not only did she feel miserable because she was trapped in the body of a villainess, but now she returned from a short walk to find her household in shambles.
The only advantage of the original Carinne, being a wealthy noblewoman of a prosperous kingdom, had vanished.
She let out a frustrated sigh.
How could she return to her previous life? Although the best solution would be to repay the debt, how could she come up with such a large sum of money? She couldn’t rely on the information from the original story this time.
The main focus of this novel was love, not how to become wealthy.
Therefore, there was no content about discovering undervalued minerals that would skyrocket in value or finding a diamond mine in abandoned land. Given the circumstances, it was impossible to acquire that much money in a short period.
She looked like a statue, unable to move. Frustration overwhelmed her, and Carinne thumped her chest with her fist.
“Lady, how about meeting with the Duke for now?”
Asking that, Marie gazed at her with concerned eyes and made a suggestion.
“Well…”
Carinne responded with a heavy voice.
It didn’t seem like meeting the hopeless Duke would lead to any solutions.
“In my opinion, it seems like the Duke was deceived. That nobleman must have planned it from the beginning. Otherwise, why would he go to such extreme measures?”
‘Ah, a reasonable point.’
Carinne pondered her words and imagined a scenario in her mind.
If Marie’s assumption was correct, that nobleman must have harbored a grudge against Duke Tricia. He would have planned everything in advance, getting the Duke drunk to cloud his judgment and then persuading him to gamble ten billion gold coins.
Using tricks, he easily won the gamble.
Finally, he would bring up the pre-prepared legal provision and demand that the Duke fulfill his promise, causing Duke Tricia to face ruin. Well, without pre-planning, there was no reason for someone to bet ten billion gold coins or bring up an ancient law as if waiting for the right moment.
Carinne only learned about such a law today.
“You’re right. I should go and meet him.”
“But Lady…”
She needed to meet the Duke to find out why that nobleman held a grudge against him and what this ancient law was. Still, Marie seemed to be cautiously observing her.
“Huh? Why?”
“There are no carriages available, so we have to walk to the palace.”
“…”
Therefore, Carinne embarked on the grand endeavor of walking all the way to the palace. Already exhausted from a two-hour walk, she was completely worn out by the time she reached the prison.
“I’ve come for a visit.”
She declared. Despite her fatigued state, her eyes burned with determination. The guards, sensing a menacing aura emanating from Carinne, trembled slightly. Nonetheless, they allowed her to proceed with the visit.
As soon as Carinne entered the prison, she saw Duke Tricia with his cheeks puffed up like a steamed bun.
“Carinne, my beautiful daughter! You’ve come to see your father!”
As the Duke expressed his joy with exaggerated gestures, she resisted the urge to stick her hand through the bars and give the Duke a good slap on the back of his head and instead spoke through clenched teeth.
“You’ve done quite well.”
The Duke’s complexion turned pale at her words.
“How do you feel about squandering the entire family fortune?”
His bright emerald eyes, once filled with charm, now had a sharp edge to them. Duke Tricia averted his gaze from Carinne and mumbled.
“I thought it was just a joke. Both Viscount Frank and I were heavily intoxicated, and neither of us had ten billion gold coins, but I never expected things to turn out like this…”
…What?
Carinne questioned her own ears. It was almost too ridiculous to believe. The powerful energy that had brewed during the gambling competition burst out in a sharp voice, rising from her throat.
“Frank? You mean that Viscount Frank?”
Even if he was beyond redemption, how could he be this foolish? Just as she suspected, that mustache trickster was plotting against both her and Duke Tricia. The plan was meticulously crafted, and it had a hundred percent chance of success.
There was no need to ask if there were any tricks involved. It was obvious, and with Duke Tricia’s head full of flowers, so of course he wouldn’t have realized it. Even if she asked, he would just shrug and say, ‘Tricks? Well, I don’t really know,’ while pretending to be clueless.
He was beyond redemption, to the point where his brain was completely empty.
How did someone like him become a Duke of a kingdom? Carinne grabbed her neck with her hand and squeezed it hard. She felt like she might collapse at any moment, but there was still one more thing she needed to ask.
“What is this ancient law he mentioned?”
“Well…”
As she listened to Duke Tricia’s subsequent words, Carinne lost all her willpower and fell silent. There was no forcing it.
Ironically, she had no arguments to counter.
“Wow, s-sh*t…”
That mustached brat, so cunning and sly.
…Seeking revenge without reflecting on his own mistakes?
Although Duke Tricia mentioned that there would be a trial later to cover up the matter, Carinne saw no hope in this situation. She had no clue where to start looking for a clue. It seemed better to abandon the life of a noblewoman and quickly find another means of survival.
Perhaps she could find employment in a noble household as a maid…
Even if she received scorn for becoming a maid after being the renowned Carinne, she had to survive somehow.
Ah, what a pitiful life it had become.
Just as she squatted in the corner of the staircase connecting the palace and the outside, lamenting her situation, at that moment, she could see a man climbing up the stairs. He wore a blue frock coat and had a thick stack of documents tucked under his arm.
Normally, just seeing him would make her heart flutter, with his golden hair and sophisticated turquoise earrings though she felt nothing this time.
Nevertheless, she should at least greet him since she saw his face.
Carinne raised her hand and called out to him.
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Zepelim
🥲🥲🥲 tadinha
Obrigado pela tradução
Mangagirl4
Oh no!! I hope she gets revenge 😭
Usurpadora
Bem que eu pensei que ela devia logo se livrar desses vícios do pai que ia dar merda alguma hora, vício nunca trás nada de bom…