***
***
Diederick led her to the Grand Duchess’s office. The room was on the same floor as the Grand Duke’s office, though it was a place she had never set foot in, although she knew it existed.
Even though no one was using it, the office was clean with no dust. A soft carpet was carefully laid over the floor, and tapestries in the shape of a lion, similar to those in the Grand Duke’s office, adorned the walls.
Diederick, who had pulled out a chair for her, walked over to the shelf and pulled out some thick books. The leather-lined book was tarnished with hand stains, but it was evident that it had been well cared for.
He carefully placed the ledger in front of her.
“Until now, I was managing the mansion on behalf of the Lady.”
She opened the ledger.
As with everything in the mansion, the ledger was absolutely perfect.
Purchases of goods and their quantities were meticulously written, and the letters were so neat that they looked machine printed. As she read through the contents, she was amazed over and over again.
“It’s really great. It could be used as a textbook for book management.”
“Please feel free to use it, Madame.”
Diederick bowed his head politely.
However, the more she read, the more she couldn’t understand.
‘Why do you have great manpower like Diederick and leave the books to someone with no experience like me? Even if I study for another ten years, I don’t think I will be able to do this.’
Diederick saw her nervous expression, and hurriedly reassured her.
“You don’t have to worry about the little things, Madame. I’ll continue with purchase, calculation, and entry. You just have to choose. Summer is just around the corner and we have to change the curtains. What color do you want?”
For a moment, she was speechless.
“I… I don’t know about that.”
The tone of her voice was stiff in embarrassment.
In Amari, curtains were an unimaginable luxury. It was impossible even for the lord’s family to hang a piece of cloth over a window.
When winter came, the Amari people put a piece of leather between each window frame to block the wind, padded with cloth, and put wooden planks on the glass to prevent it from breaking.
She had never seen curtains in her life.
Diederick quickly asked another question.
“Then what do you want to buy? Anything is fine. Food, furniture, jewelry… If you think about it, surely something will come to mind.”
Her thoughts got even more complicated.
She tried to think from the point of view of an aristocratic woman.
She suddenly realized that she had no clothes to wear to go out.
Didn’t ladies usually wear dresses when they went out?
But she didn’t want to look spoiled as soon as she received the ledger…
She looked at Diederick carefully and asked.
“Can I buy a dress? I don’t have anything…”
“Yes?”
Diederick looked shocked.
Did she ask for too much?
She was about to ask him to forget her request, but the butler questioned her in a bewildered tone.
“You don’t have a dress to go out with?”
She nodded her head awkwardly.
She threw away the old dress she had been wearing when she came here, and she usually wore a couple of indoor slips around the mansion.
At night she wore the pants and shirt she got from the maids.
“It’s not really that important. It doesn’t matter if you don’t-“
“It can’t be, Madame. You are our hostess and the Grand Duchess.”
Diederick, who still couldn’t get over his shock, ran his hand over his beard.
“I can’t believe I didn’t notice even though you’ve been living in the mansion…”
After blaming himself, he straightened his back.
“I will discuss this with Sumona and bring in a tailor right away.”
***
Before she could empty a teapot, a tailor was called to the mansion.
The tailor was a woman with beautifully oiled hair, and an elaborate dress. She raised the hem of her skirt in a splendid royal bow.
“It is an honor to meet you, her highness the Grand Duchess.”
As Amarion nodded her head awkwardly, the tailor put down her bag and, along with her assistants, began to measure her.
Amarion was embarrassed to show them her scarred and stiff body, but no one seemed to care, and simply measured each part of her body meticulously.
“You have a perfectly upright posture. Besides, this hair…”
She lifted her platinum hair in amazement.
“It is a beautiful color. Few people in the Empire have hair like this.”
Amarion’s face reddened at the compliment she had never heard before.
The tailor smiled warmly and told her that she was in charge of all the clothes of the Grand Duke.
“If you stand by the Grand Duke’s side, you’ll make a pretty pair.”
Amarion thought of the Grand Duke.
Dark hair, healthy skin with good complexion, and a beautiful face that was captivating to look at.
But what was reflected in the mirror before her was a pale, stiff girl with dry hair like straw.
She didn’t think she would look good beside him at all…
She looked down at the floor and wrung her hands together.
Soon after the tailor finished measuring, she began a passionate conversation with Sumona.
Three house coats and three banquet dresses, a dress for a tea party, a riding suit and an extra pair of shirts…
She couldn’t keep up with their conversation and flipped through the dress catalog instead.
The book was full of sketches, each of a different dress. Each dress was elaborate and beautiful, and along the side of the page were cloth swatches. These gave the reader a good idea of what the dress would look like, as well as the social trends.
The dress Amarion was looking at was lined with thick fabric, and each shoulder was puffed up like a croissant. With this one dress, she could make three of the dresses she wore in Amari, and the thread used for embroidery would be able to sew hundreds of pieces of leather. When she saw the prices of the dresses written in the corner, she hurriedly closed the book as if she had touched an evil thing.
‘No way…’
Suddenly, it occurred to her that all of this was crazy.
She mustered up her courage and called Sumona,
“I, I… I don’t need this much.”
“It’s not possible, Madame. This is a matter of prestige for the Grand Duke.”
Amarion had never seen her speak so firmly. She was restless as she looked at the old maid.
Sumona eventually bought all of the dresses she had discussed with the tailor. Amarion almost fainted when she heard the tailor was asked to bring it as soon as possible, and that Sumona didn’t care if she asked for an additional amount.
When the tailor went out, Sumona bowed deeply to Amarion.
“It’s my fault, Madame. Because I was only concerned about what you ate. I didn’t realize you lacked what a proper lady should have.”
“Oh, no…”
She felt strange and awkward…
She was the one who ate like a starving person three times a day, so why did Sumona apologize? She even spent a lot of money on her dresses.
She was rather upset, but Sumona looked so serious that she couldn’t say anything.
The warm afternoon sun was setting through the carved window.
***
As night fell, she came to the bedroom early. She told the maids that she was tired, but in fact, she thought she had spent too much money, so she thought she should tell Victor immediately.
Not long after she crouched by the bed and waited, he entered the bedroom. She greeted him, trying to hide her nervousness.
“Welcome.”
He looked at her as he sat on the bed.
“Were you waiting for me?”
“That’s my job.”
The Grand Duke’s eyes narrowed, but soon he smiled inexplicably.
He poured himself some wine, and began to sip it. She looked up at him anxiously.
“I heard that you ordered a dress.”
She was startled and began to tremble. Victor put down his glass and frowned slightly. Her heart raced.
She had also spent too much money. She should have stopped it somehow. Maybe she could cancel the order?
His voice cut through her dark thoughts.
“This is my mistake. When I came to the Empire, I said I’d buy you all new things… I brainstormed with Diederick about what to give you.”
She was startled and glanced at his face. Surprisingly, the Grand Duke had a very sorry expression.
“Even though I saw you every day, I didn’t know at all. From now on, I will periodically bring jewelers and tailors to the mansion.”
For a moment, the catalog she flipped through flashed through her mind.
The clothes that were as beautiful as flower petals, and the number of gold coins written on them. She had never seen these kinds of things before. It was hard for her to buy such a thing once, but he would keep buying it for her?
Excessive.
It really was too much.
After she had spent so much already, she felt like her heart would explode if she kept spending money.
Words began flowing out of her mouth.
“Your Majesty, I… grew up on the outskirts. I ate cold food every day and skinned monsters for clothing.”
Victor’s eyes darkened in an instant, though he tried to look as calm as possible.
“The only things I paid for were pickled vegetables and metal cutlery. I don’t need or want any more. What you have given me so far is enough.”
His amber eyes quietly captured her. He looked at her with a piercing gaze, then came and sat down next to her.
The man, noblest above all in the mansion, murmured.
“This is also my mistake.”
“…”
“I thought you would be happy if I gave you the power to buy anything. Was that just my self-reassurance?”
She couldn’t find words to say, so she stared blankly at him.
His eyes peered intently at her face, her arms wrapped around her body, and her legs that were still half bare.
Then, suddenly, he smiled mischievously.
“Will you do me a favor?”
***