Chapter 42

“Good morning, Lady Chacha.”

By now, the routine of heading to the office every morning was familiar. The servants, too, seemed used to me, often offering greetings. I returned the light smile and bow to the servant who was wiping the window sill.

‘I’ve changed a lot.’

Receiving the warm morning greeting, I was reminded of when I first arrived. Perhaps that’s why the goodwill surrounding me felt so novel today. Back then, this atmosphere was nowhere to be found. As a newly-adult noble lady, and not even from the North, both the territory residents and the Eclipse Ducal vassals had mistrusted me. Given the sudden marriage and the awkwardness between Nine and me, they had no reason to welcome me.

But now.

‘I’ve been recognized.’

Click, the office door opened to reveal a considerable stack of documents neatly placed on the desk.

The way I earned recognition from those who disliked me was simple: even setting aside the matters of Adel and Roana, my administrative and political abilities were impeccable. My background as an alumna of the Dragonia Academy and the heir training from the Blueberry County certainly helped showcase my skills, but I had an even more special weapon: the ability to apply modern thinking from my past life in this world, which was still essentially at a medieval level.

By quickly grasping the territory’s situation, establishing new systems, and creating a more efficient structure than before, the residents and vassals who experienced the changes firsthand began to accept me. This helped break down the prejudice they held against me. Furthermore, resolving the thorny issues involving Adel and Roana brought a change to the somber atmosphere of the castle. Recently, I’ve felt a trust that went beyond mere recognition from the Northern people.

‘Of course, starting tea time with Nine must have helped too.’

Even if my abilities were good, if Nine, the master of the castle, had treated me coldly, there would have been a limit to changing their perception, so I was fortunate.

I was enjoying a rare, relaxed morning, pleased with the changed atmosphere both inside and outside the castle.

Suddenly, the office door flew open.

“Excuse me, Lady Chacha.”

The person who entered was Van. He rarely entered without knocking, so was something major happening? Not just Van, but the expressions of the other servants who followed him were stiff, almost solemn. Feeling the seriousness of the situation, I immediately rose from my seat.

“Van, what is it?”

Was it a monster attack? But why so suddenly?

As I considered all the possibilities, Van said in an anxious voice.

“This is not the time for this!”

Van glanced at the documents on my desk and gestured to the attendants behind him. Before I could even wonder what was happening, the attendants quickly gathered the papers and rushed out of the office. The increasing gravity of the situation made me feel tense.

“What on earth is going on? Is it serious? A monster attack?”

As I urgently questioned Van, a woman appeared in the doorway the attendants had left open, catching her breath.

“Haa, haa. D-Duchess! It is an honor to meet you.”

“…?”

“I have brought Madam Neruela, Chacha-nim.”

The unexpected appearance made me momentarily unable to conceal my surprise. After all, Neruela was the owner of ‘Psyche,’ the most famous dress shop in the Empire, and was considered the top designer.

‘Why is Neruela here?’

Neruela was the Empire’s greatest designer, courted and flattered by nobles who desired her dresses, despite her commoner origins. I had heard that she was incredibly arrogant.

‘And a woman like that came all the way to the North from the capital?’

Putting aside my shock, I quickly composed my expression and greeted her as befitting a Duchess. But though I feigned composure, my mind was still racing.

I soon got the answer to my question from Van.

“The social season is approaching, and you need to prepare.”

“Isn’t the North’s dress shop enough?”

I couldn’t speak loudly in front of an outsider, so we exchanged whispers. Even after hearing Van’s answer, I was still puzzled.

‘I had my own plan!’

My intention was to keep a low profile, dressing modestly and spending the time quietly, as if I weren’t even there. But dresses from Psyche!

Moreover, I seriously doubted that the decision to summon someone as important as the owner of Psyche was Van’s alone. I cautiously asked Van, thinking the unthinkable.

“Does Nine know about this?”

“Of course. The Duke personally gave the order.”

“…?”

Psyche dresses? Nine?

Just as Van’s answer left me dumbfounded, Van and Neruela exchanged glances.

“Now, Duchess. I will personally take care of you. Shall we start with the measurements?”

“…”

Neruela approached from the front, and female servants who had followed Van came from behind. *Click*, at the firmly closed door, Van smiled at me.

“…”

Feeling somehow cornered, I resigned myself to Neruela’s ministrations.

***

Discussing dresses with the Empire’s best designer required a lot of stamina.

As soon as Neruela meticulously took my measurements, she showed me lookbooks filled with dress designs. The styles contained in the books were much more numerous than I had anticipated. She showed me what was currently trending in the capital, suggested unique dresses that she claimed would set a new trend, and even recommended radical styles.

‘Even if Madam Neruela hadn’t been a designer, she would have made a fortune with her sales pitch…’

I suspected that her business acumen must have been a major factor in Psyche becoming the best dress shop in the Empire.

After spending a significant, mind-numbing amount of time, we placed an order: one dress to be newly made, and four or five sample dresses brought from the shop to be altered.

‘It’s so expensive!’

The price was gasp-inducing, even for me, the daughter of the financially affluent Blueberry Count family, who ran a major merchant guild. However, Van acted as if it was no problem at all; in fact, he even promised a bonus if they could be finished as quickly as possible before the social season. Thanks to this, Madam Neruela left the castle with a wide grin.

“…”

“You worked hard, Lady Chacha.”

“…Yes. I think I worked harder than expected. I’ve really lost all my energy.”

Pouring all my attention into the unexpected dress shopping had been exhausting. Even though I usually enjoyed shopping, it had been quite overwhelming. It truly felt like a whirlwind.

“Next time, let me know in advance. I need time to prepare, too.”

“My apologies. I received the instruction so abruptly that I was unable to report it to you, Lady Chacha.”

How hastily was this schedule set? I briefly pondered this, then shook my head to clear the thought. It seemed better not to know.

After resting briefly on the sofa, I quickly stood up. Since Van was here, I planned to discuss the social season schedule and the personnel traveling to the capital.

However, before I could even bring it up, Van spoke.

“Lady Chacha. The Duke has a message that you are to set aside administrative duties for the time being.”

“Hmm?”

“You have been tasked with the preparations for the social season, so please don’t worry.”

‘What is he talking about?’

I hurriedly responded.

“Wait. Preparing for the social season is usually the responsibility of the mistress of the house.”

“You have been overworking yourself, so please take a comfortable rest.” Van answered decisively.

‘Why the sudden change?’

I had, of course, had tea with Nine a couple of times after our first tea time. But I felt we had made no progress in our relationship, as we had just spent time without any particular outcome.

‘Hiring the Empire’s top designer and telling me to stop administrative work?’

But the surprises didn’t end there.

“And the Duke has asked to have lunch with you today.”

“Oh?”

“The timing is perfect, so you can head straight to the dining hall.”

I must not be dreaming, right? Still bewildered, I nonetheless nodded. As Van said, the timing was perfect, and I didn’t want to cause any inconvenience if I delayed.

I spent the entire walk to the dining hall trying to figure out Nine’s intentions, but naturally, no answer came. Finally, with a complex mind, I entered the dining hall—a place I hadn’t been to since the day I first arrived.

Unlike that first day, Nine was already seated.

I gave a small gesture of greeting and was about to sit across from him, but Nine stood up and pulled out the chair for me himself. His demeanor was significantly gentler than before.

‘…What is going on?’