Reborn To Change My Fate-Chapter 230 - Two Hundred And Twenty Nine
The narrow street in the financial district was dark, even though it was daytime. The buildings were tall and leaned close together, blocking out the sun. The air smelled of ink, old paper, and dust.
Ashlyn stepped out of a plain, hired carriage. She was not wearing her usual bright silks. Today, she was dressed in a long, dark cloak made of rough wool. A hood covered her hair, and a mask covered the lower half of her face. Only her eyes were visible, darting back and forth nervously.
She clutched the parchment—the deed to her mother’s estate—tightly against her chest under the cloak.
She walked to a heavy wooden door with a small iron grate. There was no sign above the door, but everyone who needed money knew this place. It was the office of Mr. Silas, the city’s most notorious lender.
Ashlyn knocked. Three sharp raps.
A small slide in the door opened. A pair of suspicious eyes looked out.
"I have business," Ashlyn whispered. "Big business."
The door unlocked with a heavy clank and swung open.
Ashlyn stepped inside. The room was dim. It was filled with stacks of books, scrolls, and weighing scales. Behind a high desk sat Mr. Silas. He was a thin man with spectacles and fingers stained black with ink.
He didn’t stand up. He just looked at her over his glasses.
"Sit," Silas said.
Ashlyn sat on the wooden chair opposite him. She didn’t remove her mask.
"I was told you handle... discreet investments," Ashlyn said, trying to make her voice sound deeper, more authoritative.
"I handle money," Silas corrected. "What do you have?"
Ashlyn reached into her cloak. She pulled out the rolled parchment. Her hands trembled slightly as she handed it to him.
"This is a deed," she said. "To a prime estate in the upper district. It belongs to the Austen family."
Silas took the paper. He unrolled it slowly. He picked up a magnifying glass and inspected the seal. He checked the signatures. He held the paper up to the candle to check the watermark.
The room was silent for a long time, except for the scratching of a quill on another desk where a clerk was working.
Ashlyn held her breath. She needed this to work.
Finally, Silas set the magnifying glass down.
"It is authentic," he muttered. "Lady Anita Austen. A good property. High value."
He looked at Ashlyn.
"You want to mortgage this?" he asked.
"I want to use it as collateral," Ashlyn corrected. "For a loan. A large one. I intend to invest the money in high-interest loans. Usury."
Silas raised an eyebrow. "A dangerous game. But profitable."
He pulled out a blank contract. He dipped his quill in ink.
"How much?" Silas asked.
Ashlyn swallowed. She needed enough to pay the debt she owes Marissa and the remaining to buy back all her dowry. It was a staggering amount.
"Thirty-seven thousand silvers," Ashlyn said.
The clerk in the corner stopped writing. The silence stretched.
Silas looked at the deed, then at Ashlyn. He did a quick calculation in his head.
"The estate is worth fifty thousand," Silas said. "Thirty-seven thousand is a high risk for a short-term loan."
"It is for short-term usury loans," Ashlyn explained quickly, repeating the lie she had told her mother. "Recover principal and interest quickly. The market is moving fast. Rest assured."
Silas tapped his chin. He was a greedy man. The interest on thirty-seven thousand silvers would make him rich. But he needed security. The deed was good, but he wanted a guarantor. Someone with power.
"I can do it," Silas said. "But for a sum this large, the deed is not enough. I need a stamp of guarantee. A family seal that proves you have the backing to pay if the market crashes."
Ashlyn smiled beneath her mask. She had expected this.
"Of course," she said.
Silas pushed a paper toward her.
"This is the deposit slip," Silas said. "It outlines the terms. Thirty-seven thousand silvers. Due in thirty days. If not paid, the Austen estate is forfeit."
He pointed to a blank space at the bottom.
"Please stamp it, Madam," he said.
Ashlyn reached into the deep pocket of her cloak. Her hand closed around a cold, heavy object. It wasn’t the Austen seal. It was something far more powerful.
She pulled it out.
It was a heavy silver seal, intricate and polished. The handle was carved in the shape of a roaring lion.
It was the Thompson family seal. The seal of the Grand Duke.
Silas’s eyes went wide. He recognized it instantly. Everyone in the kingdom knew that crest. It represented absolute wealth and power.
Ashlyn didn’t hesitate. She breathed on the seal to warm it. She pressed it into the red ink pad on the desk.
Then, with a firm, decisive motion, she pressed the stamp onto the papers.
She lifted the seal. The red lion glared up from the page, binding the Thompson family to this debt.
Silas picked up the paper. He stared at the red mark. His hands shook slightly. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂
"The Thompson family," Silas whispered.
He looked at Ashlyn with new respect. He didn’t know who she was—a mistress, a relative, or a servant—but if she held the Grand Duke’s seal, she was untouchable. The Thompson family never defaulted on a debt. This was the safest loan he had ever made.
"Good. Good," Silas said, a greedy smile spreading across his face. "It is good doing business with you, Madam."
He stood up and walked to a large iron safe. He spun the dial. He opened the heavy door and began to stack bags of silver on the desk.
"Thirty-seven thousand," he counted.
Ashlyn watched the pile grow. It was a mountain of money.
She took the heavy bags. She placed them into a large leather sack she had brought with her. It was heavy, weighing down her arm, but she felt strong.
She took her copy of the contract.
"Thank you," she said, her voice cool.
She turned and walked out of the shop. Silas bowed to her back.
Ashlyn stepped out into the alley. The air felt fresher now. She walked quickly back to her waiting carriage. The driver opened the door, and she heaved the sack of silver onto the floor.
She climbed in and sat back against the cushions. She removed her mask, letting it drop to her lap. She took a deep breath.
She reached into her pocket and pulled out the heavy silver seal. She looked at it in the dim light of the carriage.
A flashback played in her mind.
(Flashback: Two Days Ago)
Marissa was busy directing the maids.
Ashlyn had seen Marissa rush past her, heading toward the kitchen to check on the food. In her haste, Marissa had left the door to her chambers slightly ajar.
Ashlyn had waited. She checked the corridor. No one was watching.
She slipped into Marissa’s room and walked to the desk. She saw the box. It was the box Beatrice had given Marissa—the box containing the keys to the treasury and the family seal.
Marissa had left it on the table in her rush to manage the crisis.
Ashlyn opened the box. The silver seal lay there.
"You took everything from me," Ashlyn whispered to the empty room. "Now, I will take something from you."
She grabbed the seal. She shoved it into her pocket.
She closed the box and ran out of the room, her heart pounding.
Later, when Marissa returned, she would think she had misplaced it. Or she would think she left it in the treasury. By the time she realized it was stolen, it would be too late.
(Flashback Ends)
Ashlyn smiled as she rubbed her thumb over the lion’s head.
"Fortunately," she thought to herself, "I stole Marissa’s seal in advance."
She had used Marissa’s own authority to mortgage her mother’s house. If the debt wasn’t paid, the loaner wouldn’t just come for the Austen estate. He would come to the Thompson estate with a document stamped with their seal.
It was a double trap. If the usury worked, they would pay it back the mortgage and keep the profit. If she failed... well, Marissa would be the one explaining why her seal was on a usury contract. Marissa would be the one responsible for the debt.
"It is perfect," Ashlyn whispered.
She tucked the seal back into her pocket. She kicked the bag of silver with her foot. It jingled.
"Take me home," she said to the driver.
The carriage lurched forward. Ashlyn looked out the window with a satisfied smile.
