Chapter 44
“W-what in the world…”
Apollion stopped doubting his eyes. Instead, he felt like he wanted to take his eyeballs out and rinse them with water.
He couldn’t understand why Petunia would give him a book like this.
Apollion hurriedly pulled the bell cord and called the servant who had brought the books.
“You called, sir?”
“What is all this?”
“Huh?”
The servant looked puzzled as Apollion pointed at the desk. He belatedly realized that the books scattered across the desk were the items Petunia had entrusted to him.
“Ah, I don’t know the details either, but you said these were gifts you received.”
“…Gifts?”
“Yes.”
“All of these books?”
“Yes.”
“To whom?”
“That, I’m not really sure…”
The servant trailed off, wary of Apollion’s expression. Other than hearing that they were gifts, he had no further instructions from Petunia.
“Shall I ask her?”
“…No. That’s fine.”
Apollion pressed one hand to his forehead and gestured for the servant to leave with his other hand.
Once the door closed, silence fell over the study, leaving only Apollion there with a troubled expression.
He slumped into his chair. The groan that escaped him was involuntary.
“Who on earth would give such… bizarre things as gifts…”
Apollion propped his chin on his hand as he stared at a book titled “Summer Forest.”
It was one thing if it were an educational book about sexuality, but to boldly give something so embarrassing to the Grand Duchess… whoever it was clearly had no sense of propriety.
“Did my wife know what kind of book this was when she accepted it?”
Apollion shivered as he sat quietly staring at the book. He recalled Petunia’s fierce attack on the night they first consummated their marriage.
He pulled a book from the corner of the desk toward himself.
The folded corner of the page indicated someone had read it first. And if Apollion’s guess was correct, that person was, of course, Petunia.
Seeing the bookmark placed on an important page, he let out a deep sigh.
“Well, it was a gift after all.”
He couldn’t just throw it away.
Besides, it was a book Petunia had read herself and recommended to him. If he discarded it without reading, she might be disappointed.
“…I guess there’s no helping it.”
In the end, Apollion straightened his posture to read more carefully. His diligence shone even in such a trivial matter.
I was sitting on a blanket in the garden, enjoying a leisurely tea time. This was the peace I had finally found after several hectic days of work.
The reason was a problem with the chandelier I had painstakingly installed.
The issue was discovered by a servant climbing a ladder to inspect the ceiling of the banquet hall.
Although the chandelier supposedly used high-quality crystals, it was slightly crude. Yet no one had noticed.
Few would look directly into the dazzling light, and the chandelier was so high up that it was hard to examine closely.
However, I had instructed the servants to inspect the chandelier thoroughly.
Thanks to that, a servant inspecting it up close noticed something unusual. His parents were crystal artisans, which made it possible for him to detect the flaw.
The crystals were poor in quality, and the proportion of glass, which was cheaper than crystal, was overwhelmingly higher. This was the exact opposite of what the guild master had claimed.
I was furious—not only had someone tried to deceive me, but they had chosen something difficult to detect to carry out their scheme.
I summoned the guild master and the contractors and gave them a taste of my wrath.
As a result, I punished them and had to endure the trouble of reordering the chandelier.
The only relief was that there were no other scams besides the chandelier.
The guild master was naturally taken to the Grand Duke’s security office, and the guild dissolved.
After some time, I was finally able to return to this peaceful daily life.
“The weather is nice.”
I murmured as the cool breeze brushed past me, flipping the pages of the book I was holding.
Thanks to my efforts, the once desolate garden had regained some vitality.
By autumn, it would be transformed into a garden filled with beautiful cosmos flowers. I had also planted clusters of bellflowers and chrysanthemums, so it would undoubtedly be gorgeous.
I popped a piece of biscuit into my mouth and turned the page.
“Seeing you so engrossed in reading reminds me of the old days.”
Selena poured some tea into an empty cup and said.
“When you were at the Count’s estate, you used to spend time reading in the drawing room, didn’t you?”
“That’s right.”
Though Selena knew a version of Petunia, and I was now someone different, we shared the habit of enjoying reading in the drawing room.
Of course, the content of the books was entirely different.
“If it’s a book Your Highness chose, it must be quite interesting, right?”
“Indeed.”
I took a sip of cold-brewed tea and turned the page.
Unlike the serene garden, the book was filled with a passionate scene.
Anyone else might have fidgeted out of embarrassment, but I was completely calm.
After all, I had been the type to read erotic novels on a subway e-reader.
My audacity hadn’t disappeared.
I was trying to behave with some decorum in this world, as befits the Grand Duchess, but everyone has their limits.
Besides, hiding a book full of illustrations in a drawer didn’t suit my nature.
I aimed for mature romance, often pleading in the comment section of a 15+ novel to publish a 19+ version. So restraining myself was difficult.
Still, I tried to maintain my dignity as the Grand Duchess, twisting my body so that no one could see the content while I read.
“History of Paradise? May I ask what kind of book that is?”
Selena asked, curiosity lighting her face as she glanced at the cover.
“It’s about a time long ago, when humans hadn’t settled anywhere, a land called Paradise. It explains how that land disappeared and how humans became greedy.”
Of course, that was a lie.
The book was actually a 19+ dystopian novel where a female protagonist falls onto an uninhabited island, dominates the male protagonists, and establishes a reverse harem paradise.
“…I think that sounds very profound.”
“Not exactly.”
It was profound, yes, but not incomprehensible. If I were the heroine, I would have acted the same way.
I lied brazenly without batting an eye, then returned my gaze to the pages filled with embarrassing scenes. It was truly a spectacle.
Before I knew it, I had finished the book in one sitting. I flipped to the first page.
The author’s note consisted of only one short, impactful line:
“A crying handsome man is always thrilling.”
It was a line that resonated deeply.
Considering how conservative 21st-century Korea was, having such a prominent author emerge was astonishing.
I etched the author’s name in my mind: Sherry Osman.
I would definitely buy her next work. A long, substantial, impactful piece, please.
I caressed the book cover once and put it in my picnic basket.
In truth, this wasn’t the book I had intended to read. I had wanted to continue the book I had started in the library.
I remembered the title was “Summer Forest.” But no matter how much I searched the bookshelf, I couldn’t find it. Even checking the safe yielded only the embarrassing books.
“Where on earth did I put that book?”
I racked my brain, but it didn’t come to mind. In the end, I took out “History of Paradise” instead.
“Selena, can you give me the documents?”
Having enjoyed a satisfying reading session, it was time to work.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
In truth, I had no desire to work, but due to the time I had spent on the chandelier, work had piled up.
Selena handed me documents along with a fountain pen, which she had received from a servant.
I placed the documents and pen on a small picnic table.
Having tidied the garden and repaired the banquet hall, it was now the perfect moment to host a tea party for noblewomen and ladies.
I planned to handle things leisurely, but Lady Claire was subtly urging me to act, so I had no choice.
I examined the documents, which listed noble families residing in the Grand Duchy and surrounding areas. I needed to select guests for the tea party.
“The Grand Duchy is quite far from the capital. Perhaps it’s best not to invite nobles from distant areas.”
Since this was my first social gathering as the Grand Duchess, I wanted to invite families of influence. But the Grand Duchy was too far from the capital.
Moreover, it was currently social season. Nobles would remain at their city residences until autumn ended.
It was unreasonable to ask them to travel two whole days just for a small tea party. And there was no guarantee they would come at all.
It seemed best to select attendees from the resident noble families and host a simple tea gathering.
After all, the purpose of this party wasn’t to flaunt the Grand Duchy’s power.
The goal was to let it be known that the Grand Duchy was gradually entering the social scene.
I carefully went through the documents, selecting young ladies and noblewomen of my age. I also checked which families they belonged to and what positions they held in the Grand Duchy.
The names in this world were so long. I kept forgetting them and had to flip back through the documents repeatedly.
Even before writing anything, the task was exhausting.
“Ah, my head hurts.”
And with it came a headache.
“Oh my, are you alright?”
Selena, who was embroidering a handkerchief, looked up at me in surprise.
Embarrassingly overreacting, I waved my hand awkwardly.
“Yes, it’s fine. Not too bad, so no need to worry.”
But Selena shook her head firmly.
“Maybe it’s the result of drinking too much tea.”
“No, it’s just stress.”
“Stress? Oh my goodness!”
Selena exclaimed dramatically.
“I’ll make some peppermint tea that’s good for headaches.”
Before I could respond, she got up and gave orders to the maids waiting behind her. She was truly a faithful attendant.
“Ugh.”
I let out a heavy sigh and rolled the fountain pen in my hand.
I tried to recall useful parts from the original, but nothing seemed helpful.
At this rate, summer would end before I even sent out the invitations.
“That can’t happen.”
Why had I married Apollion in the first place?
Of course, the primary goal was to pursue a romance with a handsome and extraordinary man. But I also wanted to make Apollion, who was insecure and wounded, a confident person.
To achieve that, I had to do my best as the Grand Duchess. If I acted incompetent, it would only be a burden, not help, Apollion.
“If I’ve decided to take responsibility, I have to see it through!”
Just then, a servant brought freshly brewed tea—cold-brewed peppermint.
I bit the ice in my teacup while reviewing the documents. This was the time to ignite my determination.
Starting with the Grand Duchy, my goal was to reach the capital. My grand ambition of entering the capital’s social scene was growing.
