Chapter 46: The New Duchess Wants to Have Fun

The imperial capital of the Brillante Empire.

The Emperor of the Empire, Charles de Fabian, the symbol and ruler of the nation, sat on a garden chair waiting for Duke Xavier Auguste.

The Emperor, with a silver beard that gleamed like the snow of the hundred-year-old snowy mountains, and long silver hair of the same shade, had a warm and gentle appearance, reminiscent of a kind grandfather from the neighborhood.

Despite being in his mid-50s, his naturally silver hair gave him an aura that made him appear older at first glance. However, the cold and resolute gaze in his eyes clearly revealed him as the ruler of an entire nation.

As Xavier drew closer, the Emperor greeted him warmly.

“It’s been a while, Duke Auguste.”

“Yes, Your Majesty, I have been remiss in my duties during this time.”

The Emperor’s golden eyes, the same as those of the Crown Prince Arthur, softened as he smiled. Whenever the Emperor met Xavier, he often invited him to the imperial palace’s rear garden.

It was true that the imperial family still relied on the power of the Auguste household to fend off the Beast Kingdom. Unlike the Crown Prince, who displayed the arrogance of a ruler outright, the Emperor knew how to wrap his own arrogance in a veil of warmth. Even now, the gaze he directed at Xavier was warm and courteous.

“Isn’t the butterfly truly beautiful?”

Xavier responded with an equally fitting demeanor.

“Yes, it is.”

The Emperor, who had been watching the fluttering butterfly, gestured toward a chair for Xavier.

Xavier, who had been standing respectfully before the Emperor, slowly took a seat.

“Please, have some.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

On the white iron table, butter cookies were placed in a beautiful dish, and hot tea in cups adorned with floral patterns and gold trim let out wisps of steam.

After taking a sip of the tea and setting the cup down, Emperor Charles began to speak.

“I am grateful for your efforts. It is very reassuring that you led this war to victory once again.”

“I didn’t expect the Crown Prince to turn his back on me, so I was uneasy throughout the war.”

“Haha, your words are sharp. I must apologize for the Crown Prince taking authority over the war against the Beast Kingdom and breaking the agreement with the Auguste family. Next time, I will allocate an additional budget to support you.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The Emperor observed Xavier for a moment before changing the topic.

“By the way, I received the report on the indemnity negotiation meeting, and there was something peculiar.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. As before, we agreed to hold it in Berg, but the Moirai representatives expressed their desire to tour the Brillante Empire after the negotiations.”

“Are you referring to Crown Prince Lucas Lacuni Moirai?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. They requested permission to bring only a small escort and visit.”

The Emperor’s eyes narrowed as he chewed on a butter cookie.

“As expected, he is as peculiar as the rumors suggest. Would the Beast Kingdom’s king really allow such a thing?”

“I received a confidential letter a few days ago stating that he has already passed away.”

The Emperor’s hand, which had been reaching for his teacup, paused.

“Passed away? Already?”

“It’s possible he may have died even before this conflict began.”

“The lifespans of beastmen are short, but that was too quick. He must have been younger than me. Tsk.”

“It seems they plan to officially announce it after their visit to the Brillante Empire.”

“Haha. To hide the death of the previous king and step foot into the Empire when an enthronement ceremony is imminent…”

The Emperor looked at Xavier with a meaningful gaze.

Xavier took a moment to steady himself before saying the words the Emperor was waiting for.

“It must be because of the Saintess.”

“Yes, but it is quite unfortunate that you have taken the Saintess for yourself.”

“Your Majesty.”

“For generations, the Saintess has been tied to the imperial family. Thanks to that, the nation has remained peaceful. You know this better than anyone.”

“I can protect her as well.”

A slight crack appeared in Xavier’s previously expressionless face.

“I know your capabilities better than anyone. However, wouldn’t Crown Prince Lucas behave this way because he knows there is no connection between the imperial family and the Saintess?”

“I am aware.”

“Be cautious. The beastmen won’t give up just because you’re married.”

“I will not give up my person either.”

The Emperor’s golden eyes and Xavier’s teal eyes clashed sharply in the air.

This was a scene possible only because the Auguste family could stand on equal footing with the ruler of the Empire.

It was the Emperor who relaxed the tension first.

“Haha, don’t lose her. And don’t forget, my son is still here.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“It wouldn’t be bad to get a good look at the Crown Prince of the Beast Kingdom after such a long time.”

＊

“Maya, Rosetta. Did you prepare what I asked for?”

“Yes, Madam.”

Rosetta and Maya followed behind me, each carrying a large basket.

As much as I wanted to go out and play as Xavier had suggested, I couldn’t neglect my duties as the Duchess.

I had asked Albert to gather all the servants in the small hall.

‘I’ve seen the registry of the servants, but there really are a lot of them… How much is their combined salary?’

Although it was called a small hall, it was spacious enough to host a banquet. Yet, it was packed full with just the servants of the Duke’s residence. Chefs, kitchen maids, general maids, lower servants, coachmen, butlers, and attendants—all together, there were about 100 people.

“Madam, all the servants have gathered to greet you.”

Albert, the butler, spoke on behalf of everyone. Although he was the head butler, he had served the ducal family the longest and was qualified to oversee the entire residence.

When Albert bowed, the head maid, head chef, and head attendant also stepped forward and bowed to me.

“We greet you, Madam.”

The rest of the servants followed suit, bowing deeply.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you all. You may raise your heads.”

At my words, everyone clasped their hands politely and stood at attention. John, wearing his chef’s hat, greeted me with a friendly look, and I smiled back.

Margaret, whom I had seen at lunch, was also standing quietly at the end of the line of maids.

“Albert, I’ve prepared a gift to commemorate our first meeting. Distribute it equally to everyone.”

“Oh, Madam!”

Excited, Albert clasped his hands and approached me, the chain of his monocle swinging.

“Gold coins or banknotes would have been better, but as you know, I just got married yesterday. I didn’t have time to go to the bank, so I brought some of my own jewels.”

“Ohhh.”

Rosetta and Maya set down the large baskets containing pouches of jewels at my feet.

“I look forward to working with you all. I’m not very familiar with the household yet, and I’m more of a night owl who sleeps in the mornings. Like my father, Baron Graham, I enjoy exploring and learning new things. I hope for your support in the future.”

I carefully wrapped my intentions to spend more time enjoying myself.

Albert smiled kindly and gave a pleasing response.

“Of course, Madam. That’s why we are here. The Duke also instructed us to actively assist you with anything you wish.”

“Oh, did the Duke say that?”

It seemed his words at lunch weren’t empty.

“Good. Everyone, come forward one by one to receive your jewel pouch.”

I handed larger pouches to the heads of each department, including Albert.

The rest of the servants each received slightly smaller pouches.

“Wow.”

“Oh my.”

“There’s a ruby inside.”

“I got a sapphire!”

Some of the servants, unable to contain their excitement, opened their pouches and exclaimed.

“Shh.”

The department heads silenced the others by pressing a finger to their lips.

“It’s alright. I look forward to working with you all. I reward those who work well, so diligent servants will receive another pouch. But if it’s the opposite…”

I casually glanced across the maids and stopped at Margaret’s direction. The brown-haired girl lowered her eyes, fiddling nervously with her pouch.

“Even what you have might be taken away, leaving you with nowhere to go.”

I elegantly extended my hand to the side. Maya took my hand, and Rosetta supported my other arm.

“Well then, that’ll be all.”

I gave a slight nod to the department heads and gracefully walked toward the wide entrance of the hall.

“Thank you, Madam!”

The thunderous voices of the hundred servants echoed behind me.

The loud sound made my ears ring, and I couldn’t help but smile. Having fulfilled my duties as the Duchess, it was now time to have some fun.

Since the Brillante Empire was deep inland, seeing the sea required crossing the border into another country.

However, the Duke’s territory had a massive artificial lake in Central Park. I had heard that during the summer, boating season was in full swing, attracting not only nobles but also commoners who saved up money to enjoy the lake.

Dressed in a light outing chemise dress and a wide-brimmed ribbon hat, I climbed into a carriage with Maya and Rosetta holding large parasols.

The ride from the Duke’s residence to Central Park wasn’t long, and we arrived quickly. The park was bustling with people enjoying picnics and boats already floating on the lake.

We rented a boat and leisurely drifted across the water.

‘The cool breeze makes the heat disappear. This is so nice.’

And there was one more person whose eyes sparkled just as much as mine as we enjoyed the boat ride.

“Kya, boating! I’ve always wanted to try this. Thanks to you, Madam, I’m living in luxury.”

“Rosetta, be quiet! And hold the parasol properly! Madam’s face might get sunspots!”

“Oh, yes. Sorry.”

Rosetta adjusted the large parasol to properly shield me.

Maya, who had become more reserved in her words since gaining a junior, had instead become more prone to nagging. Despite her scolding tone, her flushed cheeks betrayed how much she was enjoying herself.

“With you two here, it’s much more fun. What’s the point of coming alone?”

“See, Maya?”

“Madam, if you say that, she’ll get spoiled. You know Rosetta is like a bouncing ball with no end, right?”

Rosetta looked shocked at Maya’s blunt words.

“Rosetta, don’t be so surprised. Maya has always been straightforward.”

“Madam, still, you should be boating with the Duke, not us. What are you doing here with us?”

Maya, sitting across from me, gave me a half-lidded stare and scolded me.

“Ugh, am I included in that?”

“Of course.”

Maya folded her arms with a decisive gesture. Seeing this, Rosetta quickly chimed in.

“Madam, it’s because you indulge her that she acts this way. A maid scolding the Madam? That’s unheard of. She needs to be punished.”

“What, punished?”

Maya widened her eyes in surprise, while Rosetta’s protests turned the boat noisy.

“It’s nice not to feel bored.”

I chuckled softly, my gaze drawn to the shimmering light dancing on the lake’s surface.

On the scattered boats, I could see families, groups of friends, and overwhelmingly, couples. Watching a pair of lovers kiss brought Xavier to mind.

‘But… he said he’d be late.’

Traveling to the imperial capital would take a significant amount of time. There was no way he could be here now.

Would we at least be able to have dinner together?

‘Ah, should I head back…?’

Suddenly, I felt like just returning to the residence.

When I signaled with my eyes to indicate that I wanted to go back, the boatman turned the boat’s direction and began advancing toward the lakeshore.

Having arrived late, it hadn’t even been two hours since we started boating, but before I knew it, the sun was slowly sinking toward the west. In the late afternoon, the orange-tinted sunlight reflected on Maya’s face, making it appear flushed.

Over her shoulder, in the distance, I could see families packing up their belongings under a large tree, as well as dogs and children running around.

And then, a tall, handsome man who looked just like Xavier, waving at me.

Xavier?

Have I gone mad? Am I starting to see things now?