Beyond the Eternity

Julian's shadowed face twisted.

It was painfully obvious what Elena was insinuating.

I couldn't help but smile. Wasn't she a dirty fox?

"Sister... Are you accusing me of embezzlement?"

"Brother, I'm not accusing you of anything, but the records speak for themselves. You've launched numerous resort projects, and nearly all of them have ended in failure. Perhaps you anticipated a significant boom in the country's economy, but you haven't completely inherited Father's talent in that regard. Therefore, the result has been nothing short of disastrous."

"Hmph. You're blowing this out of proportion. While I admit there have been some setbacks, it doesn't mean we're drowning in financial debt. In fact, we're already planning to transform this estate into a luxury resort. Considering the potential, don't you think it's bound to yield an incredible amount of profit?"

Dante interrupted with a sly smile.

"Of course, no one doubts big brother's capabilities. Transforming this estate into a resort could indeed be profitable. It would even smoothen the inheritance process. If I were the eldest, I'd have already found a way to make this land profitable."

"Then..."

"However, when exactly do you plan on opening this resort? If I remember correctly, it's been five years since the construction was completed. Five years have passed, yet you still haven't found the opportunity to open this so-called resort."

Elena added with sarcasm.

"I wonder, big brother, if you're really so confident in this grand plan of yours, then why haven't you still opened this resort? After all, five years is a long time to sit on something, don't you think? Or perhaps you're planning on using another source of income."

"How rude! How can you accuse my husband without properly considering the facts? The company my husband contracted encountered unforeseen difficulties, which is why the project was delayed. We are the victims in this situation. it's truly not his fault!"

Victoria stepped in to defend her husband's honor, but her attempt was thoroughly dismantled by Simon's words.

"Regarding that, Victoria, we've done some investigating, and we haven't heard anything positive about this company. Besides, which legitimate company would face the same unresolved problems for five years?"

A sly, feminine voice interrupted just before she could come up with an excuse.

"Fufufu... Come on, aren't you going to answer? I see... it must be hard to defend yourself when the evidence speaks for itself. The lack of payments, the missing funds... embezzlement, perhaps? A project like this was doomed to fail from the start."

Victoria's face reddened.

"...I don't know what kind of evidence you have, but it's all baseless. We've been searching for trustworthy partners, which is why the resort hasn't opened yet. Don't you know how important that is when starting a business?"

"Oh, is that so? What about the loans you took out for this project? Even if you aren't covering the maintenance costs, what do you plan to do about the loans that keep growing larger and larger?"

"Well, t-that..."

Victoria tried to respond, but Elena's words hit hard, leaving her struggling to find an answer.

But Elena wasn't done yet. Sensing an opportunity to strike while Victoria was down, she pressed on.

"Also, I'm not an expert but to support such a large project, don't you need a large amount of money?"

Dante followed up with a measured voice. "Indeed, such a project would require an extraordinary amount of funding. How exactly did you secure the finances for this endeavor? Because from what I see, the numbers don't add up at all."

"What are you telling to say, Dante?"

Simon responded with an air of feigned sympathy.

"I'm sorry, Victoria, but we did some digging, and there's no trace of this so-called company backing the project. A venture of this size should have a credible supporter, yet we've found nothing."

Dante added coldly while making a dismissive gesture.

"That's right. A project of this size would need a considerable backer. However, we haven't found anything about this so-called backer. To be frank, such a backer simply doesn't exist. Even if we looked at companies capable of supporting such a large project and willing to overlook your past failures, none of them would risk their reputation or finances on you. So tell me, where exactly did the funding come from if you're piling up such a massive amount of debt?"

"....!"

"The answer is simple. The funds came from an inappropriate source: our family's finances. Isn't that right, Julian? You've been diverting Father's personal funds to prop up your failing ventures and cover up your mistakes. When we cross-reference the records and the timing of the transactions, this is the only conclusion that makes sense. If I'm wrong, Julian, please, enlighten us."

"T-This is preposterous! You dare accuse my husband, the successor to the Valoment Family Head, of embezzlement based on mere speculation!"

"My, my, but these aren't just baseless claims," Elena remarked with a venomous tongue. "My dear brother, desperate to recover his losses, made an even riskier gamble, one that failed spectacularly. Of course, he resorted to the nearest source of funds to cover his failures. But that money belonged to Father, not him. Isn't that the very definition of embezzlement~? He betrayed Father for his own selfish gain, yet couldn't do anything worthwhile with those funds. His lack of talent is painfully evident in the records. If you refuse to accept these facts, then you're simply deluding yourself. Or could it be that you're trying to defend his honour despite knowing those facts. Don't you agree, Isabella?"

"Umm..."

Isabella hesitated, shifting her gaze between Elena and Dante before finally speaking up.

"I'm sorry, but no matter how I look at this, big brother is clearly in the wrong. Using the family's funds for his own benefit is a clear betrayal of Father."

Upon hearing the words of the family's youngest, Julian Valoment laughed. He didn't bother to respond or defend himself. He simply laughed as if he had just heard the funniest joke.

"Hahahahahaha! Isn't this incredible? Truly, absolutely incredible. You all really are devoted siblings. Even Isabella, the most innocent of us, is joining in with these accusations. How can I not find this amusing?"

Victoria rubbed her temple as if a throbbing headache had emerged.

"Dear, don't you understand what they're saying about you? How could you laugh so carelessly in a situation like this?"

"You should sit this one out, Victoria. This is a matter strictly between siblings."

"But...."

Victoria opened her mouth to speak, but Julian's piercing gaze froze her in place, forcing her to swallow her words.

"Tch."

She clicked her tongue in frustration and sank back into her seat. Julian glanced at her briefly, let out a weary sigh, and turned his attention back to his siblings.

Wasn't he a good guy?

"I apologize for that. You had to witness something unpleasant. Now, back to the matter at hand. It's true that I've recently faced some unfortunate setbacks and issues with my projects. My predictions were off, and several mistakes were made, leading to significant liabilities. However, let me make one thing perfectly clear. I have no idea where you found this so-called evidence suggesting I used Father's funds or assets to cover my losses, but I assure you, those claims are completely baseless. I'll prove that right now."

Julian Valoment reached into his suit, retrieved an envelope, and placed it firmly on the table. His siblings exchanged puzzled glances, their eyes darting between the envelope and Julian's unreadable expression.

Dante asked. "Brother, what is this?"

"Inside this envelope is the complete financial statement of Father's assets, including his total funds, transactions, and everything registered under his name."

"Is that so?.... But why are you showing this to us?"

Elena asked. However, Julian only smiled.

At this point, the entire siblings visibly became uneasy.

Come to think of it, wasn't Julian being a little too confident?

Embezzlement was a serious crime. Judging by the way they were speaking, it was clear they wouldn't hesitate to push for a full investigation into his financial records, a move that could easily uncover some nasty secrets.

Julian certainly appeared to be a capable man of high status. However, given the enormous debt he had accumulated, bringing this matter to court would put him at a severe disadvantage.

No matter how I looked at it, his siblings clearly held the upper hand in this situation.

So how was he still able to maintain that confident smile?

That wasn't the expression of someone at a disadvantage. It was the smile of someone who had the entire situation completely under control.

Despite my thoughts, the shadows representing the characters in this memory slowly pulled the documents out from the envelope and began to read them.

How long did it take?

The first to react was Elena, who instantly lost all the air of elegance and playfulness she had just moments before.

"W-What? What? Impossible! Impossible! What's the meaning of this?!"

Then Dante...

"It's a lie! I refuse to believe this! You must have fabricated these documents, haven't you, brother?!"

Then Isabella...

"No! Why? Why... why would Father do something like this?"

Noticing the varying expressions and reactions of his siblings, Julian's smile widened, spreading across his lips with a sense of triumph, as if he had already won.

What the hell was written in those documents?

"I see that you've all come to the same realization. I was also shocked. For some unknown reason, Father made the decision to liquidate all of his assets, redirecting the funds toward various charitable donations. As a result, he has no remaining property under his name, aside from this house, and no financial resources to speak of. To put it bluntly, he chose to become a penniless man of his own volition. In other words, the claim that I've used Father's funds or assets for my own ventures is completely baseless. It truly does not make any sense at all. How could I have used funds that no longer exist?"

Dante, ever the skeptic, narrowed his gaze.

"You're telling us that Father freely gave away his wealth?! Why wouldn't he discuss this with us?! Why hide this from us, his family, his children?!"

In response, Julian made a casual gesture that clearly conveyed his ignorance of the matter.

"How could I possibly know that? Do you think I'm some kind of psychic or magician capable of reading minds? If I had such powers, my life would undoubtedly be far simpler. But unfortunately, I possess neither magic nor the ability to read minds, so I'm just as clueless as you. If you doubt the authenticity of these documents, feel free to hire an expert to review them. Or better yet, you could try asking Father directly—though I doubt you'll get an answer. After all, this is the same man who refused to leave his study, even on his 80th birthday. But since you're all so eager to discuss the inheritance while the old man is still alive, it must mean you're in no position to spend money freely. That would make the first option impossible for you as well, wouldn't it, my dear siblings?"

"....!"

At those words, the siblings froze at once, as if receiving a devastating blow. His words pierced right through their defence and hit their weak points.

Julian quickly shifted his predatory gaze towards Simon, quickly attempted to look away, but it was already too late.

"Mr. Simon, I've heard your business has been thriving lately. I must admit, I'm quite envious. But you know, it's rather unwise to completely neglect your shareholders. If you're not careful, some opportunistic bastards might swoop in and quietly acquire a majority stake in your company."

"W-What? How did you know?!"

Ignoring Simon's agitated shout, Julian impatiently turned his attention to Dante, who instinctively flinched under his gaze.

"And you, Dante, isn't it reckless to stir up trouble in foreign countries? I won't go into all the details, but wouldn't the case in Japan be resolved if you simply paid a hefty settlement? Of course, you could choose to fight it head-on, but the odds of winning are painfully slim, aren't they? The Japanese are notoriously unforgiving toward foreigners."

".....?!"

Dante's expression darkened with discomfort, but Julian didn't bother waiting for a response.

He shifted towards Isabella and said without remorse.

"My dear Isabella, you've always been the kindest among us. But unfortunately, that very kindness has become your greatest weakness. How could you be so careless as to entrust your business funds to a complete stranger? I understand you're well-meaning, but that was an undeniably foolish decision on your part."

"Nng, ....ummmm, h-how....Why do you know that!!"

Isabella screamed. It seemed like nobody was supposed to know about that, but it had somehow reached her older brother's ears.

Julian laughed. It was a cruel and venomous laugh, born from the despairing expressions of his siblings.

"It's truly as I expected. All siblings are in financial distress in one way or another. And yet, none of you care about Father at all, do you? All you care about is receiving a large sum of money quickly!! It truly breaks my heart. What kind of older brother would want to see his younger siblings suffer like this? If I had the means, I would have helped you all, somehow! Unfortunately, I'm completely broke! I have nothing to offer. And Father? He went and sold every single asset, all his properties, and squandered all the money from those transactions! I don't understand his decision, but the Valoment family is finished! There's no safety net left for any of you now! There is no inheritance!"

He gritted his teeth.

The sound was the sound so sharp and forceful it seemed as though something might snap. Perhaps it was not just his teeth, but his very sanity that was on the verge of breaking.

"BUT THIS IS YOUR FAULT, TOO! HOW COULD YOU LEAVE ALL THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR FATHER'S CARE TO THE OLDEST SON, HUH? While you all lived your carefree lives, I was the one left here, struggling to uphold what little remained of the Valoment family's honor! Did you ever stop to think about your older brother, even once? I bet you had no qualms about enjoying yourselves while the rest of us were drowning in despair. And now you're here, talking about something that doesn't even exist anymore, just because you've gotten yourself into some mess. Such caring siblings you all turned out to be. Tch! How pathetic... It's really unfortunate. Perhaps I could use my connections to help, but wait? Didn't you all say I have no influence whatsoever? So I'm of no use to you, am I? Hehehehehe! Hahahahaha! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...!!!"

Julian's maniacal laughter echoed through the room.

Perhaps he had been battling his own despair all this time, but it was clear he could no longer hold it in. Discover exclusive content at mvl

The younger siblings, who had come with the intent to forcibly squeeze money out from him, could only silently despair and grind their teeth.

It was devastating news.

All of them had fallen into various financial troubles and were now relying on the inheritance as their only safety net. If they had reached such a stage, then that could only mean they had exhausted all their other options.

In other words, all of them were totally fucked.

It was likely that Julian had embezzled a portion of their father's money before he liquidated all his assets. But that was only a low-chance possibility.

Even if they could prove he was somehow guilty of that crime, it was highly unlikely they would extract the large sum of money they had been hoping for.

Julian Valoment must have sensed that his siblings intended to treat him as an ATM and had prepared those documents in advance. However, it seemed he wasn't completely certain, so he waited.

He waited until they showed their true colours. That was why even when he was being accused of embezzlement of his Father's funds, he made no move to defend himself.

He simply laid the facts before them. In doing so, he not only proved that he couldn't have exploited his father's funds and assets, but also shattered the illusion his siblings had built inside their heads.

He was an extremely sly bastard. But he was also a victim in this scenario.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!! DON'T FUCK WITH ME!!!"

The moment someone slammed their hands on the table, along with a desperate cry, the fragmented memory finally reached its conclusion.

[The Memory Examination has ended.]

[You have reached the end of this Memory.]