Chapter 112

Upon hearing the news, Eloise and Willow felt their whole bodies tremble violently. Both gasped in shock and cried out at nearly the same time, "What? Three hundred thousand coins?"

In an instant, their faces turned pale, their eyes filled only with fear and helplessness.

Eloise exclaimed, "We only earned a little over a hundred thousand coins, and now we have to repay three hundred thousand? This… this is practically tearing the entire duke’s estate out by the roots! Even if we sold everything in the estate, it still wouldn’t be enough to repay such an enormous debt!"

Eloise regretted her choices. She wished nothing more than to turn back time. She wanted to slap herself hard and scream at her own foolishness, wondering why she had ever lost her mind and committed such an unforgivable mistake.

Willow was also as white as a sheet, her voice trembling as she anxiously asked, "Nicolas, where did you hear this from?"

He explained, "From the Vice Minister of Revenue. He said it’s Prince Xander’s idea. Since punishments haven’t been enough to curb people’s greed, then let money do the job."

He continued, "In the past, all you had to do was hand over your illegal earnings. But now, however much you made, you have to repay double. On top of that, any officials involved will be fined three years' salary and forbidden from participating in any promotion exams during that period."

After Nicolas finished speaking, he slumped, as if the strength had been drained from his spine. His ambitious dreams instantly burst like a bubble. He had endured three years in the Justice Ministry, hoping to be promoted this year. But now, it seemed all of that had gone up in smoke.

For a moment, the room fell into dead silence.

Henry clutched his head in pain, his body slightly trembling, unable to utter a word.

Eloise looked like she had just suffered a serious illness. She sat there lifelessly, as if all vitality had been drawn from her.

After a pause, Nicolas’s weary voice sounded again. "Regret is no use now. We need to quickly think of a way to get through this."

"The land deeds, the farms… Even if we combine them all, it won’t be enough," Eloise said in a trembling voice. She looked at Henry. "We have no choice but to seek help from the Crown Prince."

Upon hearing that, a glimmer of hope appeared in Henry’s lifeless eyes.

But it quickly faded again. "The Crown Prince… may not be willing to help."

"But we’ve always been loyal and devoted, doing everything for the Crown Prince. He can’t possibly watch us fall into ruin and do nothing, can he?" Nicolas said urgently, a mix of reluctance and hope in his voice.

Henry gave him a deep look, then said, "At this point, we’ll have to try whatever we can. Nicolas, come with me to Fermin Manor."

Nicolas nodded, and the two immediately set off.

That evening, Margaret unusually came to the front hall to have dinner.

Everyone was present at the table. Athena sat by Margaret’s side, carefully saving her food.

Margaret glanced around the table. Not seeing Henry and Nicolas, she asked, "Where are the father and son? Why haven’t they returned yet?"

Eloise had ordered the household to keep the matter a secret, so Margaret had not yet heard anything.

Eloise smiled and replied, "They had some court matters to attend to and haven’t returned yet. They’ve already sent word for us not to wait. Please eat."

No one dared to move their utensils before Margaret moved hers. Only after Eloise’s explanation did Margaret begin eating.

The atmosphere at the table wasn’t lively; it was actually quite tense. Even Joseph, who was usually chatty, remained unusually quiet. He had spent the past few days at the cockfighting arena and had only been dragged back by Nicolas’s men. Upon returning to the mansion, he learned that something serious had happened.

Now, he ate in silence, occasionally glancing at Eloise and Matthew. Seeing both of them with stiff expressions and saying nothing, he knew the situation must be grave.

He gave Willow a light nudge and asked in a low voice, "What’s going on?"

Willow didn’t dare say anything at the dinner table and simply replied, "Joseph, I’ll tell you later."

She didn’t dare speak more in front of Margaret, fearing it would displease her.

Seeing this, Joseph didn’t press further.

Dinner was eaten in heavy silence. Even though Margaret had her suspicions, she didn’t ask questions. If something serious had happened, Eloise would come begging for her help anyway.

After dinner, Athena helped Margaret back to Starling House.

Joseph couldn’t wait and immediately asked Willow, "What exactly is going on? Why are Mother and Matthew so grim?"

He had never cared about household affairs, but if it meant he couldn’t go out and enjoy himself, then it was time to get involved.

"Joseph, something has happened to the family. I’ll tell you, but you must promise not to let Grandmother know," Willow said mysteriously, whetting Joseph’s curiosity.

He nodded eagerly and said, "Just tell me. I won’t breathe a word to her."

"Alright, I'll tell you then," Willow said.

Joseph urged, "Just tell me already!"

Under his urging, Willow briefly explained the situation. She only told him that the family needed 300,000 coins to weather the crisis.

After hearing this, Joseph went pale, eyes wide with shock. "What? You must be joking!"

"Mother and Father haven’t slept properly for days over this. It’s all my fault. I’m useless and can’t help them," Willow said, choked with emotion.

Joseph was so shocked he stumbled back a few steps, as if he could already see his miserable future. Then, there would be no more fun.

"Joseph, the family is in crisis, and you’re still thinking about your own fun?" Willow said angrily.

He replied, "But I’m no good at anything! What can I do?"

Frustrated, Joseph crouched down and held his head. Willow gently patted his shoulder and said, "Don’t say that. You’ve always been my good brother. They all say you’re lazy and unambitious, but I think you’re bold and decisive. I admire your carefree nature."

"Really?" Joseph looked at her skeptically. Willow nodded seriously. "Really. Of all my brothers, I admire you the most."

She gave him a sweet smile. Joseph scratched the back of his head, "So I’m really that important to you, Willow."

Willow said, "I’m going to check on Mother."

After Willow left, Joseph muttered to himself, "Father always thinks I’m good for nothing. This time, I’ll pull off something big and make him look at me differently."

He clenched his fists tightly, as if trying to muster courage. "Even if I get scolded or beaten, it’ll be worth it, as long as I can save our family."

Joseph glanced in the direction of Starling House and strode off with determination.