She became curious about the solution Rockefeller mentioned.
"Could you tell me what it is? I'm curious."
"I can tell you right here if you want, but there's one thing you should know first."
"What's that?"
"Even if we know the solution, it can't proceed without a reason. We have to make a sacrifice, and your side has to make an equal sacrifice for it to work. The gist of it is this, are you willing to hear it?"
She didn't hesitate.
"Yes, I'll listen."
"Since you're willing to listen, I'll tell you. First of all, your father, the lord, has no ability to handle all the promissory notes he has overused. He has no will to repay, and no way to do so. You should know this already."
"Yes, I know."
There was no way out.
Rockefeller had long cut off the lord's arms and legs.
By the name of a wicked debtor.
"But our Carter Bank has the ability to bear that debt."
As soon as the anticipated words came out, she began to brighten up.
"So does that mean Carter Bank can pay off all my father's debt?"
"Of course. We have the capability."
"What a relief...."
"But the problem is the reason."
At that, Stella's expression sank.
"The reason...?"
"Yes, isn't it a bit ridiculous for us to bear the debt of a lord without any reason? We're actually creditors who should collect debt from your father. And we're going to bear the debtor's debt without reason? Doesn't that make no sense?"
"I understand. It must be hard for you to bear all that debt without a reason."
So Rockefeller continued.
"Then, how can we bear your father's debt? I'd like to hear your thoughts on this."
Stella began to answer with a prepared mindset.
"There must be a fair price. Or else..."
"Or else?"
"How about I become a member of your family?"
"A family member?"
Rockefeller couldn't help but chuckle at the unexpected answer.
At the same time, Joshua and Lucia, who had been quietly watching their conversation, began to react.
"Miss Stella, are you saying you'd marry into our family? Did I hear that correctly?"
"Oh my! Really?"
Andrew seemed quite flustered as well.
He didn't expect Stella to say such a thing.
As Andrew, with a flushed face, didn't know what to do, Stella, who was sitting next to him, firmly grasped one of his hands and looked at Rockefeller.
"I'll marry Andrew. In return, please take responsibility for my father's debt at Carter Bank."
"Hey, you..."
"Andrew! You'll marry me, right?"
"Uh, well..."
As Andrew's face turned beet red and he didn't know what to do, Rockefeller, who had been watching them, smiled.
'I didn't expect the lord's daughter to be so bold.'
Their marriage was what Rockefeller had wanted.
There was no other choice.
'It's good for me if they get married.'
As Rockefeller glanced elsewhere, the other siblings also showed a welcoming reaction.
They all had a favorable impression of the lord's daughter.
"If that's the reason, it would be enough for us to bear the lord's debt. But that's not enough."
Wouldn't it be great if everything was resolved by their marriage?
But since that was impossible, Rockefeller began to demand something more.
In fact, their marriage was part of this as well.
"Hand over all the land rights that the lord owns to us."
Stella's expression quickly hardened at the request for all the land.
"I can't do that."
"Why not? What's the point of marrying into our family if you don't do that? At least from your perspective, it would be a good thing. It's not like the land is going anywhere bad."
"I don't care what happens to me, but what about my father?"
Stella cut off the conversation.
"If my father gives up all the land rights he owns, how can he live?"
The land, the territory, was everything the lord had.
To give it all up!
Of course, she had no choice but to resist.
"Can a lord without land really rule this land?"
Rockefeller began to nod at her resistance.
It was a gesture of understanding.
"Of course, I understand what you're worried about. A lord without land is, in fact, barely a lord."
"But what about the land? Not just a part of it, but all of it..."
"However, this is a gamble for us as well, with great risks. We will take on all the debts your father currently has in exchange for the land rights. In my opinion, given the amount of your father's debt, we have the right to demand that much."
"Isn't it enough that I'm marrying Andrew? Is that not enough?"
"That's part of it, but you can't just end it with you marrying into our family. We need to gain something as well to accept you as our family member, right?"
How great would it be if everything ended with just her marriage?
She knew better than anyone that it couldn't be.
"Still..."
Then she suddenly had a doubt.
"But if it's this land, it should already be tied up as collateral, so why do you need to ask for it again?"
Carter Bank had all the land the lord owned tied up as collateral.
The problem was that the imperial law prevented the land held as collateral from being used freely by creditors.
"The research I've done shows that under the current Imperial law, it's impossible to transfer the land granted by His Majesty to someone else without His Majesty's permission. In other words, even if we reach an agreement among ourselves, ultimately, we need His Majesty's approval."
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