MLS Chapter 18

The discomfort with the bed wasn’t solely due to her time at the Levantes mansion. Whenever Lorena closed her eyes, she found herself reliving the moment she ended her own life.

The cold touch of the gun pressed against her temple haunted her, and she often startled awake, rubbing her face desperately as if to erase the sensation. In those moments, she craved a sedative—the same one the Levantes physician had often injected into her arm. But she knew she couldn’t rely on it forever.

Lorena chose to forgo deep sleep without hesitation.

‘It’s a small price to pay for getting this life back,’ she thought.

Besides, her benefactor had been firm and clear.

<You can do it. Try.>

‘That’s right. I can do it.’

After forcing herself to eat, Lorena gathered her strength and stepped out of the residence.

The Klein Residence had been her father Vicenzo’s temporary home whenever he visited Bessen. It stood just across a major street from the P.N. Klein Bank. Today, Lorena planned to visit the bank—nearly twenty days after her return to this life.

On Sundays, the bank was closed.

Lorena stood before the heavy iron gate, pulled the bell rope dangling through the slit, and gave it a tug. The sound of the bell echoed noisily within the closed building.

A small window opened, and the staff member on duty recited a polite notice.

“We are closed on Sundays. Business hours resume at 8 a.m. on weekdays. Please return tomorrow…”

“It’s me, Lorena.”

The staff member, recognizing her face, gasped audibly.

“Lorena Stern Klein.”

She had used her maiden name.

Immediately, the iron gate screeched open. Despite the bank being officially closed, most of the staff were present. The branch manager of the Bessen branch, Rowd, greeted her with a deep bow.

“Welcome, Señora. We were just debating whether to reach out, having heard you had moved into the Klein Residence.”

“I’m sorry. I should have come sooner, but things have been hectic.”

“Not at all. Please, speak freely here. Most of the staff here are Ingerdian.”

Lorena bit the inside of her lip. It had been far too long since she’d spoken with anyone from Ingerd other than her father.

After a moment’s hesitation, a language entirely different from Bessenese slipped from her lips—Ingerdian, with its softer, lighter pronunciation.

「I’m not sure how I sound. It’s been a long time since I’ve spoken my native tongue…」

「You sound absolutely perfect,」 Rowd replied, his tone not just respectful but reverent.

Lorena’s expression softened a little.

「I know why you’ve sought me out. It’s about the purchase of Ingerd government bonds, isn’t it?」

「Yes, Bank Director Vicenzo indicated that from now on, these matters would be entrusted to you. However, given your recent… circumstances…」

A flicker of unease crossed Rowd’s face.

Lorena’s divorce wasn’t just her personal affair. With her husband being the Duke of Levantes, and the Duke being one of P.N. Klein Bank’s largest and most influential clients, Lorena’s divorce was directly tied to the bank’s survival.

The branch manager and staff were on edge, dreading the day the Duke might suddenly arrive to withdraw his deposits.

Lorena shook her head quietly.

「No. Regardless of my divorce, the Duke will betray us sooner or later.」

「Why are you so certain?」

「The Klein Bank branch here in Bessen is tied to its parent branch in Ingerd. The Ingerd headquarters practically functions as the central bank for the republic.」

What’s more, Lorena’s brother Alfonso was Ingerd’s finance minister. This meant the Klein Bank’s Ingerd branch shared financial lifelines with the republic’s government.

「Bessen and Levantes have long been watching for an opportunity to dismantle Ingerd. In that process, our bank has been, and will continue to be, used as a tool.」

「That’s…」

「I intend to protect my family and our bank from him. To do so, we’ll need to act carefully from now on.」

The resolve in the eyes of the bank employees grew sharper.

「First, I’ll need a list of clients with deposits exceeding ten million Peseka. I’ll cross-reference it with this list I’ve brought.」

Lorena pointed to the guest list from the banquet planned in Nas—those suspected of being involved in Operation Canary.

「It’s not just the Duke of Levantes; every noble on this list poses a risk to us.」

「But most of our high-value clients are nobles. If even one of them turns against us…」

「That’s why we mustn’t give them any justification. Starting now, no one is to disclose any information about Ingerd to our clients. That includes the railway project and the upcoming Ingerd government bond issue. If we’re branded as republicans, it will be the perfect excuse for them to act against us.」

「Understood, Madam. Is there anything else we should be cautious about?」

「How much cash do we currently have on hand?」

Banks are profit-driven entities; no bank holds all deposited funds as liquid cash.

「A little less than 10 percent of total deposits.」

It was a standard reserve ratio, but nowhere near enough to handle a sudden large-scale withdrawal.

‘Even though I proposed 50 million Peseka as alimony, there’s no way he’ll agree to my terms so easily.’

More urgent than the divorce itself was securing the deposit certificate for the 50 million Peseka. If Lorena could get her hands on it, the Duke would lose his ability to pressure the bank. Without the certificate, the bank would have no obligation to release the funds.

Unless the Duke produced the deposit certificate himself, Klein Bank could refuse to hand over the money. Tracking down that certificate was Lorena’s first priority.

‘But in the meantime, anything could happen. I need to prepare for the worst and ensure public opinion is tilted in favor of Klein Bank.’

「Quietly liquidate some investments and secure cash reserves. At least 30 percent if possible. I’ll create as much distraction as I can with the divorce.」

「Understood.」

As Lorena reviewed the list of high-value clients the staff had compiled, a familiar name halfway down the page caught her attention.

Mikello Ervatos Reyes de Perreira

‘The Marquis of Ervatos…?’

Lorena’s eyes quickly scanned the banquet guest list from Nas.

The Marquis was one of the high-value depositors at Klein Bank but was notably absent from the banquet—a rare exception. This meant he was not aligned with the Bessen royal family or Levantes.

He was a man of no allegiances, yet one whom no one in Bessen could afford to underestimate—a great noble and a financial titan.

‘God, are You testing me?’

Why did his name keep appearing at every crossroads of her struggles? Each time, it stirred a temptation that was hard to ignore.

Lorena squeezed her eyes shut, fighting once more against the rising allure.

* * *

It was late evening by the time Lorena returned to the Klein Residence. After bathing with the water Dora had prepared in advance, she stepped out and heard a knock at the door. It was Hena.

“You’re back?”

Lorena, wrapping a gown around her bare body, glanced at her. Hena bowed her head in greeting, her expression troubled.

“I’ve returned, Señora.”

“Good.”

Tightening the belt of her gown, Lorena seated herself on the sofa.

“What did Samuel Otero say?”

Hena was the only maid Lorena had brought with her from the Levantes mansion. Not because Hena was particularly kind to her, nor out of any sentiment for their seven years together.

It was simply because Hena was the easiest to use. As her personal maid, Lorena knew a great deal about her.

<Your hometown is Melta, isn’t it, Hena?>

<Yes, Señora.>

<How is your mother? She was gravely ill with tuberculosis, wasn’t she? The treatment costs must be substantial.>

<Ah, well, um…>

<You send your entire monthly salary to Melta, don’t you?>

Hena had gone pale at Lorena’s casual remark. Without her wages, her mother’s wellbeing would be jeopardized, leaving her understandably terrified.

<What I’m asking of you isn’t much. Soon enough, the mansion will summon you—Samuel Otero, the Duke, someone. They’ll likely ask you to report on my activities.>

<W-what should I say?>

<What I tell you to say. I’ll dictate it, and you’ll memorize it.>

Over the past week, Hena had reported Lorena’s movements to Samuel Otero, the head butler at the Levantes mansion. It was only natural that the information had reached the Duke’s ears.

“I relayed everything exactly as you instructed, Señora. I didn’t reveal anything about the bank. I swear.”

“…And what did the Duke want you to find out?”

“It wasn’t anything too serious. They asked about the backgrounds of the new hires at the Klein Residence… who comes and goes, whether you’ve had any seizures or episodes, and also for a detailed list of all items purchased by the residence.”

“Why would he care about that?”

Was it to ensure Lorena wasn’t pulling any schemes by involving others, now that he knew she had preemptively dealt with his former lovers?

“What about the divorce papers I sent?”

“Well… it seems His Grace isn’t considering divorce at all. The butler’s expression was quite dark.”

“Well, there’s no helping that.”

Lorena gathered the documents she had prepared alongside the divorce papers and slipped them into an envelope.

“I’ll have to go to court tomorrow.”

“Court…?!”

“Yes, court. Since the attempt at a mutual agreement failed, the next step is litigation.”

Hena’s jaw dropped. The Duchess of Levantes—a noble among nobles—filing a lawsuit against the Duke? And for divorce, no less?

Lorena, unbothered by the way her decision upended Bessen’s social norms, added calmly, “Oh, Hena, I’m sorry, but you’re banned from leaving the residence until the end of next month. That includes making calls or sending letters—any means of communication with the outside.”

“Pardon…? Señora, if I may ask why? Did I do something wrong?”

“No. But I’m not convinced you’re trustworthy either.”

Lorena felt a deep disdain for anything and anyone connected to Levantes, be it objects or people. Moreover, if Hena happened to spill anything unnecessary to Samuel Otero, it would create complications. It was better to quietly remove her from the equation.

“Dora will follow you around and keep watch. You won’t have to work, though. At the end of next month, I’ll give you your wages, and you can leave Motrel.”

“…”

“Whether you return to your hometown or go elsewhere, what you do afterward is up to you.”

Lorena’s voice was steady, her tone monotonous. Her gaze was calm, like the still waters of a distant sea. Despite having lost some weight, she still carried the beauty of a noblewoman, looking nothing like someone who screamed herself awake from nightmares every night.

Whether intentional or not, she hadn’t met Hena’s eyes once throughout the conversation.

Hena, her emotions conflicted, looked at the Duchess for a long moment before lowering her head again.

“Understood, Señora.”