chapter 3

When a middle-aged man wearing a round-rimmed glasses walked in, Rihannan immediately sent Mary out on the pretext of bringing the carriage over.

The man stared at the small, little girl on the big chair for a moment before quickly bending over to a bow.

“I heard you called me, Lady Rihannan. What’s the matter?”

“Sit down first.”

As ordered, the man nodded and sat on the chair closest to him with a face full of questions. He could not understand nor comprehend the reasons why the young lady called for him.

He’d had the fortune of meeting her from time to time, but he can’t recall any particular conversation worth remembering except for the perfunctory greeting. He’d always seen her as the little girl whose hair and eye color were unique to the northern part of the country and the little girl who was quiet and always stayed close to her mother.

Today was the first time he heard her voice properly.

Suddenly, he realized that he’d never offered his condolences to the girl himself and expressed deep regret.

“I am really sorry for your loss and offer my condolences. May she forever rest under the wings of Elheim.”

“Thank you.”

Her calm response surprised him. Only a day had passed since the funeral… it was natural and normal for a child of her age to cry.

“….May I ask what you called me for? But before that, I brought the documents asked me to bring, but…”

“I would like to look at my mother’s wedding contract, and in addition to that, what I will inherit.”

For an instant, Ne’d mouth drooped to the floor. He doubted his eyes and wondered whether the young lady sitting before him was 22 or 12. No, even if they were 22 years of age, most noblemen and noblewomen were blind or carefree regarding such matters.

“How could it…”

“Should I ask permission to see it?”

“No, but there needs to be a guardian present and his or her agreement too. Your current guardian is Count Alessin.”

At Ned’s words, Rihannan smile softly to which surprised Ned.

“That means you won’t show it to me without father’s permission.”

“It’s not like that…”

“Ned Gowan, you better see to it that I don’t send a letter to the palace today unless you show me the documents I requested for right now.”

Rihannan lifted her chin up. Her silver eyelashes fluttered and a cold, dry look fell on her face.

“The letter’s recipient is the Queen. It states that Count Alessin and a lawyer working for him, Ned Gowan, are embezzling taxes and therefore requests a thorough and proper investigation.”

Ned paused, lips quivering for moment, but he soon regained his clarity and donned on the face of a seasoned lawyer.

“Whatever do you mean? Tax embezzlement? Miss, are you having a bad dream? I understand the shock and sadness you’ve been through lately, but this is too much…”

“Of course, the Queen will be rather curious regarding the contents of the letter, surprised that a 12-year-old-child is accusing her own father. Wouldn’t you be surprised? And when the Queen receives the letter, I’m sure she’ll send someone to confirm whether what was written in the letter is true. It isn’t that difficult to predict considering my relationship with the Queen. Now, what are you going to do, Ned Gowan?”

Ned’s face instantly turned ashen gray. She was right. The girl had a close relationship with the Queen. Her late mother, who recently passed away, was an old friend of the Queen. That and the fact that she and queen were related by blood and hailed from the royal family of Crichton.

Moreover, the Queen was the godmother of Rihannan. If Rihannan were to theoretically write what she told him, the Queen would certainly send her men to the check because she was her goddaughter.

And the Queen, the Queen was the most powerful woman in the country. Her son, who became King a few years ago, was still young and so all current state affairs are controlled by her hands.

In addition, she, a pre-established royalty married into another royalty and became Queen. Her son was King and her family was royalty — her father a King. The Queen was a unique case, different from previous women married into royalty.