"The acting baroness's lover? It's obvious they're only in a physical relationship."
That man in the robe had to be the flashy yet superficial man he had seen earlier.
When Penelope entered the same room as that man, Lihenz felt an overwhelming sense of disgust and contempt.
"How long has it been since her husband passed, and she’s already brought in another man? Typical noblewomen."
At that moment, Penelope calmly dabbed her lips with a napkin and spoke.
"Unfortunately, my meal isn't finished yet. And I already have prior commitments, so I can’t spare any additional time."
"Ah, I see," Ortega replied, his face showing a hint of awkwardness, as if he hadn’t expected Penelope to reject his suggestion. Lihenz’s expression hardened.
Bowing politely, Ortega said, "It’s an honor to have even exchanged greetings. I’m staying in the first-class carriage. If I may ask, which carriage are you staying in? I’d like to visit you tomorrow if it’s not too much trouble."
"There’s no need for you to go to the effort of visiting me," Penelope replied coldly, clearly drawing a boundary.
More precisely, she had no intention of building any connections with someone affiliated with Lihenz.
"I already declined, yet he shows up during my meal. What exactly does he think of me?"
Penelope felt a clear displeasure toward Lihenz, who arranged meetings without her consent.
Though he claimed it was for her benefit, she had never once asked him for anything. She couldn’t help but think:
"Is it because I’m in debt to the bank that he feels entitled to treat me like this?"
Penelope frowned faintly.
Her debt was to the Imperial Bank, yet Lihenz acted as if he had personally loaned her the money.
"Ah, is that why this is so infuriating? Now that I think about it, his gaze has always been unsettlingly sticky and unpleasant."
Finally, Penelope pinpointed the source of her vague discomfort. Ever since their first meeting, Lihenz's gaze had been deeply unsettling.
Just then, Ortega chuckled nervously and said, "No need to feel troubled. Even if it’s third class, I wouldn’t mind."
"I never said I was troubled. Even if I were in the third class, why would that be a problem for me?" Penelope’s expression turned icy.
Realizing his slip of the tongue, Ortega’s face showed visible discomfort.
Penelope continued, "Did I make my response unclear? I believe I’ve already declined. And I’d appreciate it if you didn’t interrupt my meal any further."
"......"
"......Pfft."
A sudden burst of laughter came from the seat next to her.
Turning her head, Penelope saw Ahwin trembling with barely suppressed laughter.
Ortega's face flushed red with humiliation.
"I expected at least a basic sense of noble courtesy from you. This is quite disappointing."
Penelope was stunned.
"When did I ever say I wanted to befriend you? Did I threaten you with a knife? You went out of your way to introduce yourself without my request and now claim disappointment? Do as you wish."
"......"
Ortega now pressed his lips tightly together, his expression hardening. His clenched fists had turned pale, as if he were barely holding back his anger.
At that moment, Lihenz interjected.
Updated from freewёbnoνel.com.
"It would be beneficial for northern nobles like us to build connections. Is there really a need to create such a frosty atmosphere? Acting Baroness Halo, you’re still young and may not fully understand..."
"Oh, so that’s the problem! That’s what this is about!" Penelope’s sudden remark stopped Lihenz mid-sentence.
She asked, "Branch Manager of the Imperial Bank, how much debt do I still owe?"
"What are you—" Lihenz stared at her, dumbfounded.
Penelope pressed on. "You’re pestering me like this because of the debt, aren’t you? Whatever the remaining amount is, I’ll settle it in full as soon as I reach the capital. So, from now on, I’d appreciate it if you stopped interfering in my affairs. Am I being unclear?"
"......"
Lihenz was left speechless, clearly never expecting Penelope to be so blunt.
"I should’ve just repaid the debt earlier. What an unnecessary hassle. My life’s already complicated enough," Penelope thought as she rose abruptly, feeling a sense of liberation.
Meanwhile, Ahwin was still covering his mouth, trying not to laugh.
Penelope, looking unimpressed, said, "What are you doing? The meal’s over. Get up."
"J-just a moment. I laughed too much, my legs feel weak..."
"That’s rude."
Ahwin let out another quiet chuckle and slowly got up. Strangely, his expression seemed mocking.
He glanced at Lihenz and Ortega, smirking slightly before following Penelope as she strode away.
***
The next day.
Was it fate that enemies are destined to meet on a narrow bridge?
Penelope encountered Ortega and Lihenz in the first-class train corridor.
This unfortunate meeting occurred because the only way to reach the luxury carriage was by passing through first class.
"Here’s that unpleasant face again," Penelope thought, though she was far too mature to let her internal displeasure show on her face.
"Good morning. What a coincidence to meet you here again," Ortega greeted her.
"Were you staying in first class? I don’t believe I saw you yesterday. Surely, you’re not here just to sightsee," Ortega said with a knowing look, implying, "How rustic of you to wander here out of curiosity."
Penelope responded with a gentle smile.
"If you weren’t aware, let me explain. Beyond this point lies the luxury carriage. As I mentioned yesterday, there’s no need for you to go out of your way to look for me. I wish you a pleasant journey."
With that, Penelope continued walking, her entourage trailing behind her in an orderly line.
The knights escorting Penelope openly scrutinized Ortega, their gazes making him visibly uncomfortable.
Once Penelope and her party had fully passed through the corridor, Ortega turned to Lihenz with a displeased expression.
"Halo? Isn’t that an unheard-of backwater domain? For a mere acting baroness of a small town, she’s far too arrogant."
"She’s still young and doesn’t yet understand the ways of the world. Please overlook her behavior, Lord Ortega," Lihenz replied smoothly.
"There’s no need to build ties with a woman like her. And flaunting her relationship with a lover so openly as a widow? She’s utterly vulgar, isn’t she?"
"Lord Ortega, I believe you’re mistaken. Funds from the north are currently flowing into the Halo territory. Rumor has it that even the Grand Duchy is entering into contracts and conducting business with Halo."
"The Grand Duchy?" Ortega’s gaze sharpened with interest.
Lihenz continued his explanation.
"It’s said that a former top-tier merchant in the capital has established business ventures in Halo. That woman must’ve gotten lucky and found capable subordinates. If we could lure those subordinates to your side, the wealth flowing into your domain would be immense."
A spark of greed ignited in Ortega’s eyes. Sensing the opportunity, Lihenz spoke with confidence.
"I’ll investigate the merchant personally. In the meantime, Lord Ortega, you should aim to grow closer to the acting baroness. The more methods we have, the better."
If Penelope could be seduced and her Halo territory absorbed, it would be the easiest path to wealth and influence.
Understanding the implications of Lihenz’s words, Ortega finally allowed a greedy smile to spread across his face.
***
The train arrived at the capital late that afternoon.
Penelope found herself once again marveling at the sight of the train platform. She had thought there was nothing left to be amazed by when it came to trains, but the surprises just kept coming.
The platform, constructed using the latest magical engineering techniques, was dazzlingly beautiful and appeared incredibly convenient.
"An automatically moving staircase?!"
Standing in front of the escalator powered by magical engineering, Penelope and her entourage were left speechless.
Not only the escalator, but even the elevators seemed to operate through the power of magical engineering.
"Wow, this is insane. I want to live in the capital too," Penelope thought.
"What are you doing just standing there?" Ahwin’s voice broke her trance.
Penelope snapped back to reality and turned her head.
"Why didn’t you tell me the capital looked like this?"
"Did you ever ask?" Ahwin replied, his tone suggesting it was a ridiculous question.
Penelope swallowed nervously and muttered.