Chapter 20 – Defeat
Echos continued to travel throughout the mansion as an argument was escalating. “This mansion is mine, Countess.”
“Are you out of your mind? How could you say that?!”
Fasha now believed more than ever that Lila was a wicked witch only here to bring terror and misfortune to her and her family she was determined to stop her where she stood.
“I am not out of my mind.”
“Be-be quiet!”
Fasha felt that she was losing her composure once again, not willing to show any signs of weakness she took a few deep breaths to calm herself down again. When she felt that she could speak firmly again she returned to the argument at hand.
“This is not your property, this mansion belongs to the Marshmell family.” Fasha felt her confidence coming back to her as she clicked her tongue and rebuilt her admonishing tone. “How can someone as vulgar as you desire something that belongs to a Viscount’s family? You must not be thinking straight.”
Fasha assumed to herself that Lila had to shrink and agree if she spoke to her this firmly. However, Lila contradicted Fasha’s assumptions almost immediately.
“You are the ones that want what is mine.”
“What?! You shameless and despicable wretch!” She couldn’t believe the woman sitting before her. Making her lose her temper three times!
“I have Viscount Marshmell’s will in my possession.”
What?! Fasha couldn’t hide the astonishment in her face. She had turned the mansion inside-out looking for the will during the Viscount’s funeral but she couldn’t find anything even resembling a will. She was positive that it didn’t exist at all so how could Lila have it all the sudden?
Fasha thought of the possibility of Lila making up a lie as a last resort card to keep the mansion, but she was starting to doubt that possibility because of how much confidence Lila had on her face. However, she also didn’t want to believe that her own son had done such a stupid act so she stuck to her possibility.
“There is no will. He had left this world too suddenly to leave one behind!”
Lila looked at Fasha with dry lifeless eyes, she was completely unfazed as she knew for a fact that the will existed thanks to the knowledge about this world given to her by the novel she had read. She also knew the exact location as it was mentioned in the book with great detail.
Since the actual owner of the mansion had been Viscount Marshmell, his will would be completely valid. However, Fasha seemed absolutely unaware that the will even existed.
She wouldn’t be that confident in herself if she knew about it. Lila thought to herself calmly. hmph Fasha needed to change her servants first, how can they be so pathetic as to not get at least one right piece of information.
“There is no will!”
“Yes, I know you do not want to believe the reality. I understand.”
Fasha’s brow furrowed as Lila’s condescending tone irked her. She seemed to be used to looking down at people not the other way around.
“Where is your evidence? You can’t try to deceive me by saying that you have something that doesn’t exist. Do you want to go on trial?”
“I’ll show you the will that you so desperately want to see, but it will take time.”
She knew that the will was not in the Marshmell Mansion, she knew that Mrs. Marshmell had worn it out of her husband by begging him with tears in her eyes on letting her have the will so that she could survive by herself if he were ever to pass away. Reminded by her beauty and her mournful look he couldn’t refuse.
Lila knew that Mrs. Marshmell was really smart when it came to getting what she wanted and keeping it. As she stored it in an Ahibalt Bank that was safe from bribes as it was managed by the Empire. Mrs. Marshmell knew that Fasha would search the mansion from top to bottom so her option was the correct one. Although since the bank’s security was so thorough, one had to retrieve stored items directly.
“What do you mean by it will take time? That’s very suspicious, why won’t you show it to me now?” Fasha’s eyes shone bright when they found a weakness at Lila’s procrastinating words. “Will you perform a self-fabricated scenario? That would be typical for a lowly-one such as you.”
Lila answered without paying any attention to Fasha’s attack. “The will is stored in the Ahibalt Bank, and I can’t self-fabricate it because of the storage records.”
“Ahi- Ahibalt Bank?”
Fasha’s face seemed to lose all it’s color when she heard the name of the Empire Bank. She didn’t want to believe the witch before her but she knew that it had to be true because you couldn’t fake the bank’s storage records. The bank was one of the most protected and watched in the Empire. Even the royal family was powerless when it came to matters with the bank.
“It cannot be true! Are you saying that my son left our mansion to you?!”
Lila nodded “Yes that is exactly what I’m saying.” “Now do you want to go with me to prove it? Or would you rather prefer that I send the records to your mansion?” She continued dryly.
Fasha bit into her lips, she knew that there was nothing more to be said.
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