***
She was the only one who was shocked.
Regardless of whether or not Morte was a mining town, glass and crafted crystals were extremely expensive.
“But wouldn’t that be exorbitantly expensive? I’ve already spent so much money on my dress…”
“When you spend money, you should use it wisely, Amarion.”
Catalina pointed out.
Come to think of it, when Catalina held banquets, she did it with absurdly extravagant flair.
Catalina explained softly, as if she had read Amarion’s thoughts.
“I spend almost as much money as the Imperial family when I hold a ball. It’s because there’s a return more important than coins.”
“What…?”
“As the status of my family rises and many people come to visit, I broaden my network. Investors see that and invest more. Of course, my taste is rather fancy.”
She winked playfully.
“It’s the same with this ball. This is the first banquet held by the Grand Duchess, and the rumors have already spread. You should hold a grand banquet and show people your dignity.”
“…”
“If you hold a big banquet, of course, money will circulate in the estate. Nobles from other regions will spend a lot of money in Morte. It will all become the wealth of the people, and it will also become the tax of the Grand Duke. Imagine, so much gold!”
Catalina gestured enthusiastically. Whenever she talked about money, her eyes lit up.
Amarion thought Catalina meant that the previous commemorative banquet held in Fidelburg should’ve been held on a larger scale. Enough to encompass the entire North…
Amarion got so lost in her thoughts that she had to sit down.
She had never hosted a tea party before. She was dizzy thinking about how many coins she would have to spend and merchants she would have to meet.
Mary encouraged her.
“Don’t worry, Madame. His highness the Grand Duke will be happy no matter how much you spend.”
“I’m afraid… I’m not used to spending money.”
‘I’d rather fight 300 Griffins.’
The girl rebuked her sternly.
“A hostess shouldn’t just do easy things.”
Amarion made a pleading expression. Heartlessly, Mary dragged her to meet the next merchant.
＊ ＊ ＊
The preparations for the full-scale banquet began.
Invitations signed by the Grand Duchess were sent to almost all of the nobles in the North. All the important facilities of the castle had been refurbished. Due to the size of the ball, half of the castle was under construction. The lobby, stairs, banquet hall, guest rooms, salon…
Countless workers and merchants came and went without pause.
Catalina and Amarion frantically met with people, from choosing the banquet menu in the kitchen, to coordinating the guest room bedding. After working all day, she practiced her manners again. She learned how to hold a fan and the attitude and walking style befitting of the position of Grand Duchess.
They were the busiest days of her life.
She got a little sad. The knights got to take a vacation after subjugation, so why couldn’t she?
After returning to the castle, she really thought she could be lazy…
But there was no use in sulking. She promised the banquet in the first place.
She sat by the window, ignoring the maids admiring the new chandeliers.
She lifted her tired eyes and looked out the window. The autumn leaves were already starting to fall.
It was autumn after all. The clear, cloudless sky was bright, and the residents of Morte were busy planting wheat in the fields. She saw people working on their roofs in preparation for winter. The way the roofs were covered with straw and wood made it look like they were wearing clothes.
She stared out the window blankly. She wanted to read a book, but had no energy. It was a shame, since she was at the fun part. Dordophin was finally starting to doubt Flamberge’s identity…
A familiar arm hugged her from behind.
“My wife is here.”
“…Victor!”
Amarion turned around, startled.
Victor, who approached silently like a wolf, was looking down at her with delight. He kissed her cheek briefly.
“Were you so engrossed in the scenery that you didn’t notice my approach?”
“…I’m just a little tired.”
“I came here because I thought you might be.”
Glancing around, Amarion noticed that the maids had already left the room. It seemed that as soon as they had seen Victor, they left. She laughed.
“I feel sorry for those girls, but thank you. I have so much work to do that I don’t even have time to rest.”
Victor asked anxiously.
“Is it that hard?”
Less than a week had passed since the preparations for the banquet had begun, and she was completely exhausted. To the extent that it couldn’t be compared to when she endured the social season in the Capital. Victor was very worried about Amarion.
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He repeated what he always said.
“If it’s really hard, you can quit. What’s the point of a banquet?”
“It was something I promised I was going to do.”
“If it’s difficult, just leave it to Diederick and I.”
Victor sadly stroked her hair. Amarion shook her head.
She had told him before. Banquet preparations were the business of a hostess. A lord taking care of the preparations for such a big ball would damage both their honors. It was her first debut in the North, so she wanted to try and be a proper hostess.
Amarion laughed quietly.
“I want to take responsibility for my position. You know that.”
“You always say that.”
Victor bit his lip. He was still dignified, but he had a strangely sorrowful expression. Every time he showed her expressions that he reserved for her, she was happy. She asked jokingly.
“Are you lonely because I’m busy?”
“Yes. I am so lonely that I am in tears. How could you leave your husband like this?”
He said it so eloquently that she almost forgot his shamelessness. Amarion giggled.
“We see each other every night.”
“The night is not enough.”
He pulled her by the waist and hugged her tight. His breath hit the back of her neck, immediately giving her goosebumps.
“… I want your day to be mine too. All day, every day…”
Amarion almost forgot to breathe. Victor’s low voice and the smell of his musk always made her dizzy. She quietly grabbed his hand. Victor muttered as he rubbed his cheek against her platinum hair.
“Marion, my Grand Duchess. My wife.”
The arm around her waist grew stronger.
“…I’ve never felt exhilarated by the position of Grand Duke, but I’ve changed my mind lately.”
“Why?”
“Because you are the Grand Duchess. I gave you the position. The title of the highest-ranking woman in the North. You fit the position perfectly.”
Amarion stopped smiling.
“Are you making fun of me for not choosing the proper rug?”
“No way.”
He smiled softly.
“You are already the best swordsman. You don’t have to be good at anything else. Even so, you’re still learning the work of a hostess. That kind of responsibility suits this position.”
Amarion avoided his gaze. It wasn’t something that deserved much praise. Victor had the tendency to like everything she did.
Victor rolled his golden eyes playfully.
“Honestly, if I could, I’d get rid of everything and go on a picnic… But you wouldn’t listen to me, would you?
“If you persuade me a little more, I might.”
“Really? How can I convince you?”
He kissed her neck a few times. His face was full of joy. Just seeing that made her heart warm. She pushed him away with a smile, brushing the nape of his neck.
“Stop it. Mary will be angry if you really do.”
“I told you, she hates me.”
“She’s just strict. Does that mean that Leonard hates you too?”
“Don’t you know? He started hating me 10 years ago.”
Amarion burst into laughter. Victor leaned on her shoulder and began to tell her the story of how Sir Leonard had scolded him.
They stayed like that until the maids came in with curtain samples.
＊ ＊ ＊
And finally, all the internal repairs of the castle were finished.
“We’ll leave now, your highness.”
“Yes, you have worked hard.”
Amarion handed the workers large sacks of gold coins and looked around the newly refurbished lobby.
The lobby was dazzlingly beautiful. White curtains with golden tassels hung from the polished windows, exotic rugs lay over the marble floor, and chandeliers adorned with opal and crystal illuminated the room. The dark blue carpet’s golden embroidery twinkled like the night sky.
She wanted to create a lobby that would cause guests to open their mouths in awe as soon as they entered.
She spent a lot of money, and she had no sense for this kind of thing, so she was worried that the end result would be ugly. She mostly followed the advice of Catalina and the maids.
Diederick, who hadn’t seen the lobby for a long time, seemed satisfied.
“You have an excellent eye, Madame.”
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“I only followed your recommendations… Aren’t I spending too much money?”
“Morte is one of the wealthiest families in the Empire. Don’t worry, it won’t be a problem to spend twice as much as this.”
***
New Kofi shop updated till chapter 88.