@Bekka-m@Flyingpantsu Probably, the latter (unless there are translation or continuity errors). A common act of powerful people—screwing folks over after a sale & using their power to retroactively enforce those changes.
If the buyer is one of the seven rulers vs some "commoners", the merchant would likely cave under pressure. She may also think that she can get her boy toy, Claude (as she's a merchant vs a noble of the classical sense).
... Wouldn't she feel guilty trying to steal a villa from nobility of another country? (I mean, she called her Lady Letizia so she prob know that she's of nobility...)
@Aliamus, I was thinking it could be that too. Like sure they had a lease agreement but maybe the new heroine offered to pay for the breach of contract too + 3 times the rent, and maybe even under pressure from the heroine's background and stuff. It's also not like a person with high power/authority like a noble (heroine in this case and her connections) abuse their power is a thing unheard of... Maybe in general the country is an ally but there are 7 merchants factions + royalty so surely there are politics and one or more of them can be having different stances against mc's country and don't really respect them whatsoever.
So glad to get more :) love this series. Surprised she'd be having money troubles. Even if as a "commoner" in another nation, you'd think her family/royalty would send plenty of funds for their "goddess"