Chapter 16 I Want to Check the Accounts
Early the next morning, Holden rushed to find Mephist. Having spent years in the military, he assumed everyone would wake up at a fixed time. To his surprise, after circling the courtyard and dining room without seeing anyone, he finally asked a servant and learned that his older brother was probably still sleeping.
Holden looked stunned. He wasn't home much and only knew from their mother that his older brother was somewhat lazy, but he never imagined there would be sleeping in involved. However, the longer things dragged on, the more likely things could change. He was also worried that Anne might quietly order her people to erase traces of her wrongdoing. So Holden gritted his teeth and rushed to Mephist's bedroom door.
"Mephist!"
Mephist was sleeping soundly with his arm around Trion's waist when he suddenly heard this shout at the door. He was instantly scared pale.
Trion heard it too. She quickly pulled the blanket up to cover her bare shoulders, cursing silently. Holden had terrible timing - why come to their bedroom so early! But she was also scared he might just barge in, especially since the servants said he had kicked down Anne's door last night!
While mentally calculating the cost of having servants repair the door, Trion pushed her husband's chest with her hand. "Dear, we should get up. Since Holden came looking for you so early, it must be something important."
Mephist had also been startled awake. Hearing this, he quickly nodded in agreement. The couple immediately got out of bed. Not daring to ring for servants to help them dress, they hastily threw on simple robes and went to open the door for Holden.
Holden was getting impatient outside, but fortunately he still respected his family members, so he didn't do anything like breaking down the door.
When Mephist opened the door, Holden saw his pale face and noticed the somewhat embarrassed Trion beside him. Realizing he had disturbed them, he quickly apologized. "Sorry, Mephist, Trion. I have something urgent and need your help. I didn't mean to disturb you."
Mephist wasn't particularly capable and usually lived off his parents and Holden's rewards, so he didn't say much. He just patted his chest to catch his breath. "It's fine, but what are you doing so early in the morning?"
Seeing his brother wasn't upset, Holden relaxed. "Mother said sister-in-law is now managing family affairs, so I want to borrow the account books from recent years to look at."
Hearing them mention her, Trion asked, "What do you need the account books for?"
Only then did Holden explain all of his and Candy's analysis. At the end, he gritted his teeth in anger. "If I find any trace of that woman Anne harming the Titan family, I definitely won't let her get away with it!"
After hearing everything, the Mephist couple exchanged glances, both somewhat speechless.
Holden was good in every way - young yet already decorated with military achievements and a bright future ahead - so why was he so easily led by others' words? Setting aside whether Candy's analysis was even true, just regarding the Titan family's financial issues, if he had bothered to ask merchants in nearby towns, he would have known that five or six years ago, due to poor management and the family members' excessive spending, Titan family members could no longer use the family name to buy things on credit.
During the three years since Anne married in, because she cleaned up some bad practices on the estate and used part of her dowry to maintain the household's daily expenses, under her management the common people and merchants on the estate finally showed some respect to the family. This was also why they could hold on until Holden returned.
But did Holden look like he understood any of this?
First rushing to blame everything on the person in charge, and now looking ready to condemn her - Trion felt it was unfair to Anne just watching this.
But just as she was about to speak, Mephist's eyes darted around and he stopped her, speaking first. "Alright, since Holden wants to investigate, Trion, just let him. He's a knight commander after all, he should have this much ability to handle things."
Though Trion didn't understand, she still listened to her husband. So she went inside to get the key for Holden and said sincerely, "I've locked all the account books and documents in the safe in the study. You can go look - I guarantee they're all originals."
"But I hope that no matter what, you'll speak based on the facts after you've investigated."
Holden glanced at her, feeling like Trion's words seemed to imply something, but he had no time to think about these unimportant details. His mind was full of finding evidence of Anne's crimes to secure his smooth marriage to Candy.
Watching Holden's figure disappear from view, Trion finally could ask her husband why he had stopped her earlier. "Dear, I think you should explain this to me properly."
Mephist closed the door and guided Trion by the shoulders to sit inside. "Trion, I know my brother. No matter how much you try to persuade him, it won't work. He might even think Anne has bought you off."
"What!?" Trion's eyes widened in disbelief. "But am I just supposed to watch him slander his own wife?"
Mephist patted her soothingly. "It's fine. After he finishes looking, he'll definitely understand our situation."
Hearing this, Trion calmed down and touched her chest. "That's good then. But he's right about one thing - we can't even afford the betrothal gifts for his marriage to Candy. What will we do?"A marriage promised by His Majesty the King couldn't be casually brushed aside. Would they have to use Anne's dowry in the end?
As another woman who married into the Titan family, Trion worried about herself too. Though her family wasn't as prestigious as Anne's and her dowry wasn't as large, keeping wealth in her own hands always felt more secure than giving it to others. If Anne kept refusing to let go, then would her own...
She grabbed Mephist's hand anxiously. "Dear, does that mean in the end we'll have to use the dowry..."
She didn't dare continue.
If it really came to coveting daughters-in-law's dowries, that would mean this family could never be saved!
Hearing this, Mephist immediately remembered his mother's words. His face instantly turned ugly, but he couldn't tell Trion about assassinating a daughter-in-law to steal her dowry! So he could only answer vaguely, "Don't worry, things will get better."