Chapter 56
Amy, standing proudly beside Reina, explained on her behalf.
“Yes, that’s right. Our lady—no, the Duchess—took part in a hunting competition in the capital and caught a bear. She even won first place.”
Hearing that, Madeline’s eyes widened in surprise.
“That’s not easy to do. You are truly amazing, Duchess!”
Flattered by Madeline’s praise, Reina continued.
“That one looks like a deer… and those stripes… What is that?”
One strange fur hanging in the room was hard to guess.
Madeline smiled gently.
“That’s the hide of a magical beast.”
“The hide of a… magical beast?” Reina shivered.
“Yes. Some magical beasts are furry, like animals.”
Reina looked around again. The floor, walls, and even ceiling were all covered in fur.
“Don’t tell me… some of these are from magical beasts too?”
Seeing Reina’s uneasy face, Madeline quickly explained.
“It might be strange in the capital, but here we often use them instead of regular furs. They keep out the cold even better. After all, these beasts survive the harshest winters.”
So if you set aside prejudice, they were actually a high-quality material. Still, to Reina, the room looked more like a bandit chief’s den than a duchess’s chamber.
When Reina stayed quiet, Madeline smiled a little awkwardly.
“We really tried hard to make it nice… Don’t you like it?”
If “effort” meant furs, then yes, this room had plenty.
“Madeline… why did you bring so many furs into this room?”
Furs were luxury items. On her way in, the only luxury she saw was a tapestry in the Great Hall.
“Then why decorate my room with such extravagance?” Reina wondered.
Madeline hesitated, then answered.
“Well… His Grace ordered it. He was worried that you, a lady from the capital, might catch a cold. He told us to block the Lautzen winds at any cost.”
“The Duke… did?”
Reina remembered vaguely—Calhail telling her not to worry about the cold.
‘Rich people really do have unusual solutions,’ she thought.
For someone like Reina, who grew up poor, this was unimaginable.
Madeline went on.
“There’s also a dressing room inside, and next to that a small space you can use for personal work or rest.”
Which meant—more furs inside. Reina sighed to herself, thinking of the wasted money.
“And this next room,” Madeline added brightly, “is His Grace’s bedroom. You can pass through that door between the two rooms—so please use it often.”
“Often…?” Reina asked, though she knew what Madeline meant.
“Of course. You must think about an heir. Lautzen doesn’t have many children. Just imagine—an adorable baby with both your faces!”
Humming cheerfully, Madeline’s eyes sparkled with excitement. Reina instantly regretted asking. Seeing Madeline’s happy face, she couldn’t bring herself to say such a child would never appear.
“…Shall we go somewhere else?” she asked quickly, to change the subject.
“Yes! Where to next…” Madeline thought, then decided.
“Of course, you must be most curious about the Duke’s office.”
‘Actually, I wanted to see the dining hall… food is just as important as a bedroom,’ Reina thought. But she stayed quiet and followed Madeline.
The office was on the same floor. Convenient—work until you drop, then stumble into bed.
Madeline opened the door, and again Reina was shocked.
“Why is Lautzen always so extreme…?”
This time, the room was full of paper. Mountains of documents piled from the door to the far wall.
“Is… is this my office?”
“Yes. There’s… a bit much, isn’t there? Haha.”
“A bit?!”
Reina stared. “Why would a duchess’s office already have so much paperwork?”
Before Madeline could answer, a man’s voice came from inside.
“Your Grace the Duchess?”
Someone was actually in there, hidden behind the piles. It was an older gentleman, familiar somehow.
He quickly introduced himself.
“I am Jordi, Your Grace. Earlier at the gate, I couldn’t properly greet you. I am the chief steward of Lautzen Castle.”
Reina smiled politely.
“Nice to meet you, Steward Jordi.”
Jordi looked embarrassed.
“It’s messy, I know. We tried to prepare before you arrived, but it was too much.”
Reina flipped through some of the papers. Accounts, requests for approval, administrative records…
“Why are there so many?”
Jordi sighed.
“They’ve been piling up for years.”
“Years? But why? You only need a signature!”
“Yes. But someone never signed them.”
Jordi added quickly, “His Grace left them behind, busy with walls, battles, training knights…”
“Oh…” Reina sighed, feeling sorry.
But then Jordi smiled brightly.
“And that’s why I’ve been waiting eagerly for you, Duchess.”
“Waiting… for me?” Reina stepped back uneasily.
“Of course! Now that you’re here, all the tasks His Grace delayed can finally be done.”
“How can I do the Duke’s work?!” she cried.
Jordi only smiled kindly.
“In marriage, there’s no mine or yours. What the Duke can’t do, naturally falls to the Duchess.”
“But… I’ve never done such things!”
“Surely you studied noble management in the capital? I heard all nobles are taught how to govern estates.”
Reina glanced back at Amy. Amy shook her head. Definitely not.
‘Right… even embroidery I couldn’t do.’
So the original Reina had never been diligent either.
‘All I wanted was to cure Calhail’s poison… and now I’m stuck with this too? Tricked!’
She wanted to refuse, but both Jordi and Madeline were watching her with hopeful eyes—one dreaming of heirs, the other of cleared paperwork.
Reina rubbed her head.
“…Fine. Let’s at least see what’s here.”
“Yes, Duchess!” Jordi said happily.
Reina picked up a document.
“Hmm… winter supplies list?”
“Yes. I even noted the usual quantities in the back.”
“So just check if enough stock is ready, and order more if needed.”
“Exactly, Duchess.”
She picked another.
“…This one is about the Emperor’s birthday gift?”
“Yes. Each year we send something. We thought of sending fine minerals from the northern mountains.”
Reina thought, then snapped her fingers.
“No, let’s send silver fox fur—Lautzen’s specialty. And when merchants from the capital come later, raise the price to double.”
Madeline looked confused.
“Why raise the price after sending it as a gift?”
Reina smiled slyly.
“If His Majesty wears a silver fox scarf, everyone will want one. It’s better marketing than diamonds no one knows the origin of.”
In other words, free celebrity advertising.
Both Madeline and Jordi nodded eagerly.
“Brilliant idea, Duchess. I’ll secure the best furs at once.”
Encouraged, Reina straightened proudly.
“What else? Something simple, please.”
Jordi quickly brought more manageable tasks. With his patient explanations, Reina soon understood Lautzen’s affairs much better.
Amy whispered in awe, “Steward Jordi trains the Duchess so well.”
Madeline chuckled.
“Jordi’s family has served Lautzen for three generations. He has trained many duchesses before.”
“No wonder… he’s a pro,” Amy muttered.
Meanwhile, Reina kept working smoothly under Jordi’s guidance.
“Still, not all duchesses have done so well,” Madeline said warmly. “We are lucky to have such a fine one this time.”
Amy beamed.
“Of course. Our Duchess will do wonderfully.”
Both Madeline and Jordi looked at Reina with sparkling, hopeful eyes.
