What witch? The Deadly Pharmacist!

After several rounds of discussion, she finally agreed to Leon's conditions and came here to register their marriage, since she didn't really have any other choice.

But she still needed to read the terms carefully. If Leon, Father Auden, and the church notary had tampered with the terms, she couldn't expect her foolish father, who was sitting next to her with his arms crossed and legs crossed, to think that his debts had finally been resolved.

“Oh, right, I borrowed some money from… Mr. Leon before.” Adele stumbled slightly as she said the form of address she wasn’t quite used to. “So, how will this be handled after the marriage? Will it still be according to the original contract?”

When she asked this question, she first glanced at the notary, then at Leon.

She was actually aware of the relevant regulations; the loan relationship between husband and wife could continue after registration. It was very common for wives in many aristocratic families to lend money to each other on behalf of their families with their husbands. However, she still wanted to ask Leon's opinion on this matter.

“Borrow money? How come I don’t know about this money?” Viscount Arendt glared.

“The money is in my name, and it was borrowed in my name,” Adele said, giving her father a cold glare.

Of course, she wouldn't dare borrow money in the family's name. Borrowing money in the family's name would require her father's approval, and the money would be under his control, and then she wouldn't know where it would end up.

“Miss Adele, you should have told me about this sooner.” The priest frowned.

"It seems we'll have to put things on hold for now. If there were any loans before the marriage, they must be included in the prenuptial agreement. We need to confirm where that loan went first..." The notary sighed and explained to everyone.

“I’ve prepared all the documents; they’re here.” Adele suddenly pulled a stack of documents from her bag and handed them to the notary.

The notary took it and glanced at it with some surprise: "Thank goodness, Miss Lovelace, you've already had a professional handle it. It seems there's no problem then."

These documents are processed in a very orderly and clear manner; even the people who work here might not be able to organize the data so well.

“I organized it myself,” Adele replied.

"Oh, you successfully bid for the popular stall number 36 in the port market? And it only cost 100,000?" The notary suddenly said halfway through the inspection, "A friend of mine also had his eye on that location before, and he prepared quite a lot of funds."

“My grandfather has a friend in the port market. I found a buyer who sells dried goods for 50% of our goods in advance, and then transferred part of the stall to that buyer. The other party is also a friend of my grandfather, so the negotiations went relatively smoothly,” Adele said.

"That's impressive. It seems you'll be of great help to your husband in the future," the notary complimented.

Although it was a compliment, it wasn't entirely insincere. The notary had met many businessmen here, including Adele's grandfather, the old Viscount Arendt, and knew that the old man was quite capable as a businessman. It seemed that although the current Viscount Arendt was no longer in power, Miss Adele had still inherited some of the old Viscount's abilities.

At this moment, Father Auden suddenly spoke up: "Well, it's a very well managed small investment. Mr. Seth is very fortunate. Not to mention, Mr. Seth has his own professional team, so his wife doesn't need to work too hard."

Adele glanced at Father Auden, suppressing the urge to frown. She could tell that Father Auden was implying that her business, funded by Leon, was merely a small-scale operation.

Father Auden looked back at her without hesitation, and their eyes clashed.

"Then, shall this loan be kept in Miss Lovelace's own name and continue after the marriage in accordance with the original contract?" The notary turned to Leon for confirmation.

“Sure.” Leon didn’t seem to care.

"So, Miss Lovelace, have you finished reading the agreement?" the notary asked Adele again.

Finally, Adele put down the agreement, breathed a sigh of relief, and picked up her pen to sign it.

Before signing, she paused briefly and looked up at the man sitting opposite her who was about to become her husband.

However, Leon's gaze was not on her; instead, he lowered his eyes and pondered, seemingly considering his plans after completing the process.

Leon knew Adele would sign sooner or later, so he didn't care how Adele would react when she did.

Adele couldn't help but recall Leon's attitude when he bluntly stated that he didn't like her. She was now almost certain that Leon Seth genuinely had no interest in her and only saw her as a tool to obtain a title. Her beauty, which many men coveted, seemed to have little value in this man's eyes, and he didn't seem to care much about her personal abilities either.

This should actually be a good thing for Adele, as it at least shows that the "sham marriage" Leon mentioned was probably real. Even though they registered their marriage and he became her legal husband, and he actually controlled everything about her, this man probably didn't intend to touch her.

So far, the vast majority of the men she has met have only seen the value of her appearance, and their blatantly lustful gazes disgust her. Now, finally, a young man has appeared, who is about to become her husband, and he doesn't look at her that way, yet he still doesn't care about her in any other way.

For some reason, this made her feel a strange sense of resentment.

She had hoped Leon would offer some feedback on the 500,000 loan she had just mentioned, but Leon seemed indifferent to the loan itself. Sometimes people are like that; the more someone looks down on them, the more they crave that person's respect.

Adele was unaware that Leon was not in the mood to consider a mere 500,000; his focus was on establishing the charitable foundation Johnny had requested within two months.

The fund is to provide regular relief to the families of Johnny's brothers who died in battle ten years ago. The total expenditure is not small, and the amount of security deposit required will also be very high. According to Father Oden's rough calculation, he needs to find a way to inject about ten million through normal investment channels in the next two months to get the fund running. Father Oden said frankly that such a sudden arrangement is not an easy task for him.

They not only had to launder ten million in two months, but also had to expand their income and money laundering scale to more than fifty million per year so that they could afford to hire Johnny to work with them long-term. They had no interest in Adele and that mere fifty thousand.

Adele finally signed the papers, and they quickly completed the remaining registration procedures.

Finally, the notary put away all the paperwork and asked, "So where do you plan to hold the ceremony?"

“No need for all that trouble, just finish the process today,” Leon replied directly.

"I see." The notary wasn't surprised; he knew the Viscount Arendt's family had some special circumstances. "Then all that's left is to go through the marriage ceremony. Do we need to appoint a witness?"

“No need for such trouble, I can handle it.” Father Auden stood up and straightened his robes. “I am, after all, a priest of the Prophet’s Church, and Judge Set is an elected member of the Prophet’s Church, so it is only right that someone from the Prophet’s Church preside over the proceedings.”

“That would certainly make things much more convenient.” The notary looked at Leon and Adele. “Surely the two newcomers will have no problem with this?”

“I’m fine,” Leon said.

"I'm fine with it too..." Adele said against her will, letting out a deep sigh in her heart.

Having lived this long, she truly never imagined that she would have her marriage in this way. Her husband was the most terrifying man she had ever met, and even the priest who officiated at the wedding was the priest she hated the most.

A few minutes later, they moved to the hall to begin the wedding ceremony. Father Auden stood on the altar, holding the sacred text in his hand, and asked in a loud voice, "The Most High God is here to witness, who entrusts the bride to the groom?"

Viscount Arendt was about to speak; this was a segment where he, as Adele's father, was supposed to accompany her.

But then Adele suddenly interrupted, "Let's skip this part."

This process isn't strictly necessary, since not everyone has a father. Frankly, marrying Leon meant she was dealing with her family's debts herself; her father was nothing more than a burden. If she could, she'd rather he were dead at the ceremony.

Viscount Arendt shrugged, offering no objection.

Father Auden, too lazy to add any more steps, simply told the two newcomers, "Then stand still."

Once the two were standing facing each other, Father Auden looked at Leon first.

"Lion Seth, do you take the great prophet to swear that you will marry Adele Lovelace and become a member of her family, and that you will stay with her through thick and thin, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, for better or for worse?"

“I do,” Leon replied expressionlessly.

“Miss Adele Lovelace, do you take Mr. Leon Seth to be your husband, to accept him as a member of your family, and to support him through thick and thin, in joy and in sorrow, in riches and in poverty?”

"I do," Adele replied reluctantly.

“Now that I have witnessed your vows under God’s blessing, I hereby declare you officially husband and wife! Uh…” The priest hesitated for a moment, glancing at Leon.

Adele immediately tensed up. According to the procedure, there should be a kissing ceremony here, and if Leon insisted on going through this procedure, she simply couldn't refuse.

However, Leon shook his head at the priest without hesitation, and the priest, understanding the situation, nodded and skipped the formality: "Okay, that's fine."

Leon nodded and said to the priest, "Now proceed with the registration of the titles."

Adele breathed a slight sigh of relief, then glanced at Leon discreetly, but Leon didn't even notice her.

If she had actually gone through that process, she probably would have felt terrible for days. In that respect, she was quite grateful to Leon.

But... he wasn't even interested in this chance to take advantage of her. Was she really that unattractive in this man's eyes?

Chapter 202 The New Viscount Arend

That evening, at the Viscount's residence.

Leon took the key and opened the door himself, followed by Father Auden, Adele, and Petra, who served as a guard.

From today onwards, he is the master of this place.

He is also the owner of the island; he is the real Viscount Arend. Although some documents still need time to be officially issued, in the notary office's archives, Viscount Arend's name has already been changed to his.

As for the former Viscount Arend, or rather Adele's father, he has been sent by Leon to a small estate in Southportshire, where there is fine tobacco and wine, and guards to ensure his safety.

Adele's father was very happy and looking forward to his new home. However, at this time, he probably did not realize that he would basically be "living in seclusion" there forever.

“Besides guards, you’ll need to hire some people to maintain this house. If you want to get into the circle in the future, you’ll have to pay a little more attention to your image and pomp,” Father Auden advised.

“These are minor matters; let’s deal with the important ones first,” Leon replied.

The most important thing right now is to use the properties on Arend Island to quickly meet the money laundering targets within two months.

“Alright, we need to reassess your assets more carefully. So, Miss Adele, could you please hand over the important documents and seals of the Viscount’s territory to me?” Father Auden suddenly turned to Adele.

The certificates and seals used by the lord to manage the various properties in this territory should have been managed by Viscount Arend, but Viscount Arend completely neglected his duties and couldn't even understand the ledgers. He basically delegated everything to his daughter. Apart from some resolutions that required his personal signature, Adele actually managed most of the affairs in the territory.

Now, the first thing Father Oden is doing is to get Adele to relinquish these powers.

"Give it to you?" Adele immediately became wary. "Those are only for the lord to use. How can you, an outsider, be given them to?"

“Let me put it another way. Please hand it over to the real Viscount Arendt now, and then he will hand it over to me, his agent. If this process makes you feel a little better,” Father Auden said, extending his hand to Adele and enjoying her displeased expression.

Since Viscount Arend owed money to the Watchers Merchant Guild, Father Auden and Adele have clashed many times over various matters on Arend Island, which can be considered as accumulating some old grudges.

Now, in Father Auden's view, with Leon backing him up, this little blond girl has finally been beaten down by them.

Adele also saw the provocation in Father Auden's eyes. She frowned and turned to Leon, saying, "Alright, you are now a true viscount, and the power to dispose of those things is in your hands, but you can't hand them over directly to him, especially the seal. If you continue to keep them in my custody, at least I won't do anything harmful to the territory. But this unscrupulous priest has too many connections with too many people. Even if you are his employer, you shouldn't trust him too much!"

“I’ll keep an eye on things and how they’re used,” Leon replied.

"Alright, then give me copies of the main asset certificates that directly belong to the lord. I'll make a list so I can formulate our plan."

Father Auden shrugged indifferently. In the end, he would still have to handle the money laundering procedures that Leon needed to go through. He wasn't stupid enough to try anything clever with a dangerous employer like Leon. He didn't care if Leon wanted to supervise him.

Adele couldn't offer any further rebuttal after hearing this, and turned to get what they wanted. Petra followed closely behind, keeping a closer eye on Adele ever since Adele's escape.

"Don't follow me so closely. I'm already married to him, why would I run away again?" Adele turned around and said angrily to Petra.

Although this could be considered a choice she made herself, she was still not in a good mood now that she had officially entered into this fake marriage where she was controlled by others in every way.

Petra gave Leon a slightly questioning look, and Leon nodded. Only then did Petra choose to wait for Adele to go upstairs before following her and waiting for her in the corridor.

Leon turned to Father Auden and lowered his voice: "Now that we have the title and the land, you should be able to get things done, right?"

“I have to be honest with you, your request is too sudden.” Father Auden shook his head. “The Viscount Arendt’s financial situation is too bad. Even with your investment, it’s a bit of a stretch to immediately set up a charitable foundation, especially one related to the military. As for that ten million, I can definitely handle it for a year, but you want me to spend two months… that’s a bit unreasonable. Can’t you ask for a little more time?”

“I doubt it will work. Johnny Wellman wasn’t even planning to give me two months. You have to get this done in two months!” Leon replied.

"Is the problem really that serious if it's not handled properly?" Father Auden asked.

“If we don’t handle this properly, we’ll be facing the same problem as the Earl again,” Leon said in a deep voice.

If Leon fails to meet Johnny's demands, Johnny will likely consider uniting the remaining officers to wage a protracted war against Leon, while seeking other channels to achieve his goals.

Even if Johnny unites the remaining officers, his overall strength still cannot compare with that of the Earl. However, considering his combat capabilities and the Earl's precedent, Johnny's threat is no less than that of the Earl.

"You really know how to put pressure on people..." Father Auden was already starting to get a headache.

“But if it works out, with his cooperation, the territory left by the Earl will be ours for the taking!” Leon said.

“I did my best,” Father Auden said.

“Didn’t you say that becoming a nobleman would grant certain privileges? And with such a large tract of land under our control, we should have considerable room for maneuver, right?” Leon said.

“Then I’ll have to do some research. I don’t have any experience assisting noble lords like this,” Father Auden frankly admitted.

He was basically a businessman, with his biggest clients being Henry Porter and other clients and merchant groups associated with him. It's not that he didn't serve noble clients, but it was mostly sporadic business, and he didn't directly intervene in the management of the entire territory to launder money on a large scale like this.

In some ways, Adele, who had handled many related matters from a noble perspective, might be even more adept at this than he was.

"As soon as possible," Leon emphasized.

“You said it’s equivalent to being an earl again, so of course I understand how serious it is,” Father Auden sighed. “However, if the difficulty of the business is different, I’ll have to recalculate the fees.”

Given Leon's style, if something really goes wrong, he'll probably have a hard time escaping punishment.

“Let’s get this done first before we talk about the fees,” Leon replied.

A short while later, Adele came down and handed the seal and some important certificates and documents to Leon, explaining each one. She then gave some copies to the priest.

"Then I'll head back now." Father Auden took what he needed and said goodbye to Leon.

Adele's gaze lingered on the things Leon was holding, things that proved everything her most respected grandfather had accumulated throughout his life's work, and now, it had all fallen into the hands of others.

Thinking about this made her feel a little sad.

"So……"

At that moment, Leon spoke, and Adele suddenly snapped out of her daze, feeling inexplicably nervous.

Now, besides the two of them, only the guards Leon had assigned were left in the house. Her father had been given a new place to live by Leon, and they were now, in name, the newlyweds of this house.

“I’m going back first. If you need anything, just tell Petra,” Leon said to Adele.

Adele paused for a moment, then realized that even if Leon became the true master of this place, it was still not his home.

However, for Adele, even if she can still live here and do her own thing, it's only because Leon allows it. In a way, this place is no longer her home.

With a hint of helplessness, she sighed and watched Leon's departing figure, saying, "Okay, take care."

……