28. Kiara Interrogates the Count

That night, after she parted ways with her mother, Kiara took out one of her harvested item, a potion of lesser [stealth], and activated it. It gave her a mild [stealth] ability, and the ability to walk without making noise. It was late at night, and she snuck out of her room.

She had gotten a fair sense of the manor's structure, and snuck through the large, labyrinthian manor and eventually reached the Count's room. At that point, she wondered whether she should knock or just sneak inside-

"Come in." The Count said, fully aware of her presence. "I can tell you are there."

Kiara felt like her heart dropped. How did the Count know? Does he have some kind of ability? She gulped, and then walked into the room anyway.

"I was expecting you tonight." Edmund could sense the conversation Erenia had through his mark, and roughly guessed it was about their deal. Kiara was dressed to kill, a habit from her months on the road with the hero. "You came expecting a fight, that's unbecoming of a lady of the court."

Kiara blushed, realising her mistake. "Ah. Yes. I don't-"

"Sit. It's time we talked without your mother around." Count Edmund sat on the sofa, and Kiara reluctantly sat on another sofa the faced him.

"You made a deal with my mother. What do you want from her?"

Count Edmund smiled. "She's still a beautiful woman, don't you think? Like you, but her charms are more mature and refined, while yours are more youthful, more rebellious."

Kiara blushed, and Count Edmund made sure that the entire room was filled with a specially made mild aphrodisiac fragrance. It may not work that much on the knight, but it would at least distract her. Her nose sniffed, unable to identify the unique fragrance. "There's a strange smell in the air."

"You don't like it?" Count Edmund laughed. "I always use this fragrance for the ladies."

"It's... distracting."

"Ah. I suppose you'll have to bear with it."

"What do you mean, by my mother's still a beautiful woman?"

"I meant what I said. She's a beauty, and I admire that. I want and desire her." The way the Count said it made Kiara's heart skip a beat. She wasn't sure why, but she could feel his overwhelming desire and passion, and it scared her.

"You desire my mother? That's-"

"There will be a mourning period, but that's no issue." Edmund said. "It's been a month plus since your father's death. It's time a woman like her find some Company."

"You- No. What else did you get her to agree to?"

"Your father left your territory in bad shape." The Count answered. "We've managed to recover 28,000 gold so far, but your father was still in debt for 240,000 gold. Some of these were old debts, but about two-thirds were your father's exuberant spending."

In truth, a lot of that debt was overstated, overpriced debts to the criminals and drug cartels, so it wasn't hard to Edmund to kill a few of these criminals, and convince some to work for him. They naturally gave up on the claim in exchange for their lives. The actual debt was far lower, after his 'rehabilitation' program. A much more manageable 90,000 gold, but he kept the paper value of the debt high, as a tool for blackmail.

The actual debt wasn't a problem, easily solved with the Natarian Province's 300,000 gold annual budget. Edmund was rich, thanks to his prosperous domain and the popularity of his local bourbon and whiskey, so much so that he's a major lender to the Imperial family and many other nobles.

Kiara froze at the number, and she had some sense of the Kenarias's budget. Back then, even at their peak, the Kenarias Province only had a budget of 75,000. "At that sum, you could sell everything in the Kenarias land and still owe money. The lenders have been asking for blood, and payment, and Erenia would have to sell herself, and you. "

The knight realised that debts run in the family, and she inherited her father's debts. "Sell my mother?"

"Oh yes. A high-class escort like her would go for very good money. I believe many even started informal bids for you too. Of course, your mother knew all of this was happening, and we came to an agreement."

She was absolutely disgusted at the idea. "They can't have my mom."

"They won't." Edmund sat. "I suppose you realise the conundrum you are in."

"I'd work for decades and never pay back that amount." Kiara shook. She didn't know they were in such debt already. "Does mom know?"

"Of course she does. Do you take your mother for an idiot? Even your kids, and your grandchildren would struggle to pay back such debt. The best you can do is pay the interest and hope they never demand the principal."

"Horrible." Kiara said.

"Like I said, I find your mother an extremely charming woman and I desire her greatly. I intend for her to bear a few children for me, I believe she'd make a wonderful mother."

Kiara was horrified at the idea, and she immediately slammed the table. "No! She's already in her late thirties! That's dangerous to her health. She's also the head of the Kenarias house! She can't run the house while pregnant or with young children! The noble court will destroy her reputation  if she takes your child!"

Edmund smiled at the beautiful young lady. "Those are good points, but nothing comes free in the world. 240,000 gold is a massive, massive sum of money, and no one in this country is that generous. That's the price she'll have to pay, to protect the family. To protect you from those who want their way with you. To let you have your silly romp with the hero. She'll take the hit, so that you can still have your life."

The young knight realised that her mother did this for her, and she felt huge, huge guilt.

"Look at it from your mother's point of view. She wants you to be happy. She wants to protect you and give you the life you want. She wants to protect you from me, because she knows I'm a horny bastard that loves women more than money, and would happily spend money to acquire women. So, she's the shield, and she'll protect you."

Kiara stared at the noble. "...I don't need her protection."

Edmund laughed, and leaned closer. "You act like you are better than her, but all your doing is trying to sell yourself to the hero. What's the difference with what she's doing? At least, what your mother's doing actually will protect the family."

The knight frowned but she had nothing to say. Edmund hit it right in the head, that her motivations for sticking with the hero was for the rewards promised by the King at the end. It was quite sad, that both her mother and her did the same type of action to solve their problems, which was, fundamentally, to sell their bodies to a man, for that man's protection. Kiara really didn't have any standing to say she was better. If the hero Aman was any bit hornier, they'd be making babies already.

Worse, she didn't know how much debt they were in, so she wasn't even sure whether the rewards of a hero would be enough to pay the debt. She felt stupid, and foolish.

"In fact, if the hero finishes what he meant to do, don't you think the King would offer the Princess to him?"

She slumped, and she felt truly, truly defeated. "Why is it that everything I do fail? Can't I just be part of a happy, successful family for a change? Something that I can be proud of?"

Edmund sensed a vulnerability here, and he really was an asshole for doing it. "Your mother is very respectable. She's willing to sacrifice herself for the family. For you. She tries her best to be happy with you. To make things pleasant. What would you do, for her?"

Kiara stared at the Count then, and realised at that moment, he really wasn't that irritating or ugly. Not handsome, but not ugly. More importantly, she was impressed by how well he thought about her mother, and realised she didn't do as much for her mother as thought. "...what will she have to do for you?"

Edmund decided to lay on the truth. "Well, for one, she'll be my personal courtesan, of course. We'll mate so often that she'll be constantly pregnant. She'll be living here with me, and I'll have her serve me like I want her to, in the skimpiest, most raunchy dress possible. I'll tie her up, whip her, and dress her in all sorts of dresses.

The knight was instantly assaulted with images of her mother doing all sorts of pitiful thing. Things she saw in the brothels in the various cities, and felt like her mother at her age... shouldn't have to do such things. "Eww."

Edmund laughed. "All for you, darlin'."

"I could kill you here." Kiara said.

"Oh and your mother's doomed to be someone else's toy instead."

Kiara slumped again, and sighed. "So what can I do? What should I do to help my mother?"

Edmund smiled. "You could do with me, what you tried to do with the hero."

Kiara's eyes stared at the Count.