Certainly, what must be refused · 13. May 2025

CWMBR 18

Chapter 18

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"You can make it an issue if you want, but if you're asking if it's a total disadvantage, then no."

Declan, who had been flipping through the papers, narrowed his eyes.

"The key is Mrs. Wise's will, has she retained legal representation yet, and what is her opinion on this case... Ain?"

Declan frowned when he noticed Ain staring at something with his jaw set.

"What are you looking at?"

“I didn’t know it was a monastery when I was passing by. Did you know?”

"What do you mean?"

"If you build a house in front of a cemetery, don't anyone think it belongs to a gravedigger?"

Declan's mouth dropped open, shuddering at the thought of him rambling on without context. Declan's gaze fell to the paper in Ain's hand, expecting it to be some sort of legal document or overdue work.

But the words on it were completely unexpected.

"Pasto Abbey?"

Was this money-mad bastard now going to take his filthy materialistic ideas into the sanctuaries of virtuous clergy?

Declan gave him a dubious glance, and Ain said, in a low, tongue-in-cheek tone,

"If only for the memorial, why stay in such a dreary place when there's a decent city nearby. Unless you're planning on killing yourself."

Where the hell did he come up with that assessment?

Declan's head snapped up and he scanned the paper quickly. The paper was filled with details about Pasto Abbey. From how many monks reside there and what they produce, to the building's main materials and internal structure, to the number and square footage of rooms.

To Declan, it was just the usual monastery information, but to Ain, it read like a barn or stable out there. Frowning, he scanned the paper and muttered to himself.

“The hotel was taken care of by Finn Emerson, but I guess he didn’t take care of this?”

Declan's eyes widened at that.

"Mrs. Wise is seeing Finn Emerson?"

This was not the Finn Emerson Declan knew, the famous playwright. The shallow Finn Emerson, the one who'd tried to entangle himself in business with Ain, only to turn on him at the last minute and on bad terms.

At Declan's question, Ain shot him an irritated glance.

"She didn't meet him, he chased after her."

"But you just said he got her a hotel room."

The words were misleading to anyone who heard them. When Declan retorted with a look of exasperation, Ain bluntly replied.

"I did. He followed my wife out of the mansion and did this because he knew she was leaving."

Immediately after spitting out the words, Ain gritted his teeth in a contemptuous tone.

"That asshole."

Declan was silent for a moment. There were several parts of Ain's remark that he wanted to point out, and he briefly wondered if he should say them. Scratching his forehead, he cleared his confusion and spoke in a calm tone.

"That's a statement that could get you sued."

"Who doesn't know that asshole rolls around like a rag."

Of course, it was no secret that Finn Emerson's backstory was pretty nasty, Ain knew it, Declan knew it, and anybody in the upper echelons of society knew it. How many noblewomen had Finn approached, and how many had fallen for him? Even if they couldn't admit it out loud, there were quite a few middle-aged men of the upper class who harbored an inferiority complex about Finn Emerson, especially those in the center of the big cities.

Nevertheless, Ain did have a professional relationship with Finn at one point. Aside from his messy personal life, Finn was a popular man who was objectively recognized for his artistic ability and had powerful patrons. Finn's work was repeatedly staged in the metropolis like folk songs, and the general public, unaware of anything else, went wild for the young, handsome artist. Moreover, Finn himself was an attention-seeker who enjoyed such popularity, just the type of person who would be good for business.

But their relationship came to an end at Glynford. At the time, Ain had said that Finn's inability to distinguish between private and public matters was a disqualifying factor.

Could it be that that dirty ideology that can’t tell the difference between public and private……?

“So he rolled that body over to Mrs. Wise too?”

Declan asked, more appalled than before.

"Is that why you started this lawsuit, because you found evidence of it?"

Was it because he'd already noticed the two of them looking uncomfortable since their marriage?

"Really?"

Ain glanced at Declan, who repeated his question, then lowered his gaze.

"That's what I've heard, but there's no evidence that they've been seeing each other since we married, and as far as I can tell, they haven't been in touch in recent months, and from what I've seen up close................"

Ain moistened her lips with his tongue, and his tone grew even more frosty.

"He's been following her around, that's all."

"Are you sure?"

Ain, who had been sitting there, not bothering to hide his suddenly unpleasant mood, raised his eyes to meet Declan's, and Declan coughed in dismay as he met his cold gaze.

"No, because if there's anything between the two, it's good news for us."

"Good news?"

There was no sign of welcome anywhere in the voice that questioned nervously. Declan found it odd, and narrowed his brows with a subtle expression.

Mr. and Mrs. Wise's lawsuit was for an annulment. It was an annulment, which meant that the marriage never happened. A simple divorce would be a headache, but to pretend that it never happened and to expunge all legal ties would be even harder. You're going to throw in whatever you think will help you get the result you want.

In that sense, the possibility that Bridget Wise might have had some sort of relationship with Finn Emerson was certainly a point of interest for Ain. Especially since he expressed doubt about her pregnancy.

At first, Declan thought it was a simple misunderstanding, but as the days went on, he couldn't help but question A's attitude toward the lawsuit.

"You started this lawsuit, you do realize that, right?"

"Yes."

"You're going to win."

Right now, Bridget hadn’t even retained legal representation, but if she suddenly changed her mind and started a messy public relations battle, the media would be waiting in the wings to put her words on the front page. This wasn’t the age of despotic monarchs, and no amount of royal power could keep the media silent.

They needed to perfect the odds before that happened. There was no point in wasting time and resources on a losing cause.

At Declan's words, Ain shut his mouth in a straight line. He threw the paper he'd been studying down on the table and leaned back.

"What's the point of picking a fight with someone who doesn't seem willing to fight in the first place?"

"..................What have you been eating since breakfast? Did you eat spoiled food? Isn't that why I said we should get out of this mansion? It's too remote and unhealthy to stay sane."

Suddenly, Declan was worried about Ain's health. He couldn't understand his inefficient and wasteful attitude until now.

Fortunately, Ain seemed to take Declan's serious concerns seriously. He nodded obediently, his face showing no sign of protest.

"I see. I guess I should get going."

"Finally, good thinking."

Declan, who was secretly eager to leave the secluded mansion, patted his knee in glee.

"I suppose we'll just go back to the office, then? Oh, I missed that bakery down the street so much."

He'd done enough research on the mansion's hired help anyway, and he'd let the clerks do the rest. He could now return to his cozy office with his findings and organize them over a hot cup of coffee.

To be honest, if it weren't for Ain, he would have left in a heartbeat. He'd only been here a few days and it was already depressing.

First of all, the mansion itself was very old compared to Declan's main house, and the temperature was very chilly, which made him feel uncomfortable. There was a musty smell of mold growing somewhere, and the forest surrounding the mansion was so dense that it didn't let in much sunlight.

And what about the food? Fresh ingredients were not flown in daily, so the salads were wilted and the meat was tough. They couldn’t even think about expensive alcohol, and just prayed for clean water to reach the table. He didn't dare tell Ain, for fear of being labeled an oddity, but how shocked he was when he saw a fly in his water glass the first day!

Declan grinned at the thought of finally not having to see it again. But his smile quickly stiffened at Ain's next words.