19. Rose’s Wounds  

“Upon inspection, it has been confirmed that these gold coins date back 300 years. The coins themselves hold immense value, but as historical artifacts, if sold to the right collector, they could fetch twice the value of regular gold coins.”  

Daniel, unable to hide his joy, reported this to Darius and me.  

The amount of gold coins discovered was equivalent to one month’s operating costs for the Grand Duchy. If sold for their proper worth, they could sustain the family’s finances for two months without worry.  

“How on earth did the lady know there were gold coins hidden in our castle?”  

It wasn’t surprising that Daniel looked at me with eyes practically dripping with honey.  

‘As expected, the lady is truly a blessing!’  

“Well, I can only say that our ancestors must have taken a liking to me. I simply wanted to learn about the history of the castle after arriving in the North, so I borrowed some materials.”  

Suppressing my pride that was soaring to the heavens, I laughed modestly, “Hohoho.”  

Who would have thought that the blueprint I was examining would mark the spot where the gold coins were buried?  

Indeed, if you’re going to farm items, you need to be thorough and meticulous.  

‘This treasure must have been left behind to help descendants in times of need. I’ll make sure to use it for its intended purpose!’  

“Your Grace, I apologize for earlier. I was so overjoyed that I couldn’t contain my excitement.”  

“It’s fine.”  

Darius had been somewhat dazed ever since I hugged him out of sheer joy upon discovering the treasure.  

Even though the gold coins were found just as I had said, he didn’t seem particularly thrilled.  

‘Was he that upset about me dropping formalities with him?’  

Petty as it might seem, I decided to be more careful.  

“I already know where I want to use this money!”  

The first place to spend money, once acquired, had already been decided.  

* * *  

“Wow, is this really our training ground? Look at how smooth it is. Even a fly would slip!”  

“This is what a real training ground looks like! It’s been so long since we’ve had proper straw-filled training dummies, Commander.”  

The drastically improved training grounds had grown men cheering like boys.  

The large Inkheart banner fluttered proudly. The weapons and armor were all brand new.  

It was unrecognizable from the poor state it had been in, where knights had grumbled about the floor being damaged by my high heels.  

Moreover, a newly constructed building on one side of the training grounds now provided knights with a space to change clothes or rest comfortably.  

“There are books!”  

“‘Understanding Cross Tactics and Practical Case Studies’—this one’s hard to come by.”  

“Will anyone even read it?”  

For those who might want to focus on self-improvement during their free time, I had also stocked the space with expensive strategic books. Books were rare in this era, and high-level strategy books were especially valuable.  

“Looking at the cover counts as reading, right?”  

Now, they no longer had to carefully strike old, worn-out training dummies. They no longer had to train with chipped and worn-out weapons.  

The knights, overjoyed like children, were being watched with a satisfied smile by a woman in a wide-brimmed hat.  

Lady Annette. The woman from the South who had married into the North, the wife of their lord.  

‘Why?’  

Lucion was bewildered. He had heard the rumors about how the Grand Duchess had found hidden treasure in the castle shortly after her arrival.  

What was surprising wasn’t just the discovery of the gold coins but that she used them immediately to repair the training grounds.  

Considering how he had blatantly disrespected the Grand Duchess during their first meeting, he wouldn’t have been surprised if she had punished him instead. Yet, she had improved the training grounds.  

‘What is she planning?’  

Unlike the other knights, who were mindlessly happy, Lucion felt uneasy, burdened by his guilt.  

“When I first came here, I remember thinking about how strong and brave our Northern knights are, unmatched anywhere in the kingdom. But I found it unfortunate that we left the outdated environment as it was, relying solely on the talents of these individuals.”  

It was my honest opinion. No matter where you went in the North, you could see the determination of its people to persevere despite harsh conditions.  

‘Still, you need to provide them with something to work with! How long can they survive on sheer willpower alone?’  

“Now, the training grounds finally befit the kingdom’s finest knight order. Ah, I suppose I can wear high heels here now without worrying about damaging the floor?”  

“You remembered what I said when I first met you, yet you still went ahead and improved our training grounds?”  

“Well, I’m not one to dwell on things, so I don’t quite recall what you said back then. But I do know this.”  

To the conflicted Lucion, I gave a bright smile.  

“Where does the Black Knight Order’s loyalty lie? Who is the closest shield to the Inkheart Grand Ducal family? That’s what’s important—not whether someone likes or dislikes me.”  

Unlike Lady Ygret, who struck from behind, Lucion Temeri’s loyalty was genuine. As the reliable right hand of the male lead, who would stand by him on the frontlines, how could I dislike him?  

A few days later, Lucion came to visit me in my room.  

“Is this about the knights’ oath of loyalty?”  

I had told Darius it wasn’t necessary, but after hearing about the incident at the training grounds, he insisted that all the Northern knights swear loyalty to me.  

〈It’s not just for your sake. As the Grand Duchess, I must establish your authority.〉  

Lucion, who hadn’t been fond of me, probably thought I had instigated this event to manipulate Darius.  

“If it’s about the ceremony, I don’t think it’s absolutely necessary. Even though I found the gold coins, our estate’s finances aren’t exactly abundant yet.”  

“No. It’s not because of the ceremony. Well, it is about the ceremony, but not entirely.”  

“What?”  

The beautiful blonde knight knelt on one knee before me.  

“Sir Temeri!”  

“I repaid the kindness Lady Annette showed me for my rudeness with this gesture. I have learned a great deal from this incident.”  

When had I ever taught him anything?  

“I heard you didn’t find the gold coins by chance but by studying the history of our castle. We ostracized you for being from the South, yet you responded to our rejection with warmth.”  

No, I was just looking for treasure like the heroine would!  

“Today, I am here not as a knight swearing loyalty to the mistress of the North but as an individual deeply moved by Lady Annette’s character.”  

Soon enough, Darius would have the entire knight order swear loyalty to me, but Lucion wanted to express his feelings personally, separate from that.  

Yes, it was a heavy and sincere sentiment.  

“Sir Lucion, I didn’t do those things to gain your gratitude.”  

“I understand. To someone as noble as you, Lady Annette, my respect must seem insignificant.”  

“Well, repairing the training grounds was simply something I should have done as your employer.”  

“Your humility in not boasting about your achievements is another lesson for me.”  

Ugh, fine. Let him think whatever he wants.  

‘Sir Lucion… he’s consistent, I’ll give him that.’  

Before getting to know me, he had treated me like a spy from the South. Now that he understood me better, he saw me as some ideal mistress.  

* * *  

In the mansion’s main hall, a red velvet carpet was laid out. Before the two masters, a group of knights, clad in armor, knelt.  

A priest dispatched from the Holy Kingdom blessed the sacred ceremony.  

“To the two masters of the North, we pledge our eternal loyalty.”  

“We swear our loyalty.”  

At the forefront of the knights was Lucion Temeri, Commander of the Black Knight Order. He drew his sword and offered it, sheathed, to Darius.  

Darius unsheathed the sword, swung it once to test its sharpness, and then handed it to me.  

‘It’s surprisingly heavy.’  

I couldn’t falter in front of everyone watching, so I gripped the sword firmly as I accepted it from Darius.  

“You are my pride, and I am yours.”  

It was the first time in 100 years that the knights’ oath of loyalty was directed at the Grand Duchess instead of the Grand Duke.  

〈This shows everyone in the North how much His Grace trusts Lady Annette!〉  

The maids helping with the ceremony had been chattering excitedly and would surely remember this day.  

“With these knights and my loyalty, all belong to the mistress of the North.”  

I lightly curtsied to Darius, holding my skirt. Darius smiled at me.  

“Waaah!”  

The scene was like something out of a fairy tale, and the crowd erupted in cheers. Morale soared.  

“Sniff!”  

Amid the joyous crowd, a small figure slipped away, her back turned.  

That blonde hair unmistakably belonged to Rose Temeri.  

‘Come to think of it, I haven’t seen her since I scolded her when I first arrived at the castle.’  

“Today is your day. I hope you enjoy it to the fullest.”  

Darius gave me a confident smile.  

‘Right.’  

I didn’t have the luxury to worry about Rose. The knights were waiting for me.  

* * *  

‘She only found two jars of gold coins that were rotting away in the castle! Coins no one even knew existed—what’s so impressive about that?!’  

“Kyaaah, Lady Rose!”  

“Get out of my way!”  

Rose ran blindly, tears obscuring her vision. That woman was standing beside her Brother Darius, smiling brightly.  

‘Who gave her permission to stand there? A mere Southern woman!’  

At first, everyone had doubted and mocked her.  

No matter what anyone said, the true power in the Grand Ducal family was Lady Ygret. Even if the Grand Duke married, who would recognize a woman from an enemy family?  

Everyone had said that.  

But things changed after that woman arrived. Annette had personally selected her close maids from among the castle staff, creating her own allies.  

However, things changed after that woman arrived. Annette personally selected her close maids from among the castle staff, creating her own allies.

Moreover, as soon as she married into the family, she took an active interest in its affairs. Thanks to her efforts, the atmosphere in the castle had significantly changed compared to when Annette first arrived.