CHAPTER 20
After the fake medicine incident was settled, Renée suddenly called her son to ask him something.
‘By the way, Aizen, did you handle that matter I mentioned? The one about that girl constantly worrying about the family’s finances.’
‘…….’
Aizen, who had ended up giving Jena only a necklace after getting talked into it, couldn’t say a word.
He couldn’t bring himself to admit that he’d completely fallen for her bright, sparkling eyes.
In the silence, Renée seemed to guess her son’s answer and laughed quietly.
‘Then let’s do this. Don’t restrict her with unnecessary rules. Let her focus freely on her own role.’
‘……Will that really be alright?’
‘Of course. From what I’ve seen, that girl’s personality will make this approach much more effective.’
‘Understood. I’ll do as you say.’
Aizen agreed with his mother. He could see how Jena’s sense of duty as a wife seemed tied to her determination to save her husband.
He decided not to interfere when she became alarmed by the family’s finances and started talking about making money.
Honestly, when he saw her wearing pants and plowing the frozen field beside Greta, it was so ridiculous he could only laugh—but he didn’t think to stop her.
She’d looked somewhat admirable then, but the moment she mentioned attending the Kalrad Duke’s banquet, he regretted it deeply.
Ah, damn it. I should’ve stopped her business right there.
But it was too late for regrets.
Once Jena had made up her mind, she started camping outside the Duke’s residence like an eager puppy.
All because she wanted to meet the Duke himself.
Because of that, Aizen couldn’t even go to the ducal office and had to receive his documents in secret.
‘Madam, please stop visiting the Duke’s mansion. You must maintain your dignity as a noble lady.’
‘Dear, can dignity put food on the table? People hardly recognize me anyway since I’m from a nameless noble family. I must meet the Duke no matter what.’
Even trying to talk sense into her ended in glorious failure.
To be fair, if she were someone who actually listened, she wouldn’t have started bounty hunting in the first place.
With Renée tied up in banquet preparations, Aizen finally decided to take drastic action.
“Ralph, disguise yourself as me and go meet that woman.”
“……Me, sir?”
Ralph blinked wide-eyed, and Aizen nodded firmly.
“She’s determined to wait until she meets the Duke himself. If we leave her be, it’ll cause too much trouble. Meet her and make her give up.”
“Yes, understood. Leave it to me, Your Grace!”
Ralph pounded his chest confidently, his eyes flashing with resolve.
He only felt dislike toward Jena, so he was sure he could reject her coldly and decisively.
Hurting a woman wasn’t his style, but since this one was basically an evil spy, it didn’t matter.
Borrowing Aizen’s clothes and disguising himself, Ralph marched out to meet Jena.
Jena, who had been petting a cat out of boredom, turned around in surprise when she sensed someone behind her.
Ralph stood with his hands behind his back, looking down at her solemnly.
“Lady Croitz, what do you think you’re doing?”
“Huh? Who are you?”
“The very Duke Kalrad you’ve been so desperate to meet.”
“Oh, so you’re the Duke!”
Jena’s face lit up in a bright smile.
Her gentle eyes curved beautifully, and her full lips parted wide.
Ralph flinched for a moment at her genuine delight, then quickly cleared his throat and fixed his expression.
Calm and commanding.
“At last, I meet you, Your Grace. I thought my neck would stretch from waiting.”
“Do I have any reason to meet you? Why have you been camping in front of my mansion for days and causing trouble for everyone?”
“I’m sorry. I was so desperate to see you that I acted rudely.”
Jena folded her hands politely and bowed.
Her sincere apology threw Ralph off balance.
He had planned to scold her harshly and send her away.
“……Ahem! Anyway, why exactly did you want to see me?”
“I heard you’ll be hosting a banquet soon. Could I perhaps receive an invitation?”
“No. The guest list is already set. We can’t add anyone now.”
“I see. Then there’s no helping it.”
To his surprise, Jena responded calmly.
Ralph glanced sideways, trying to read her face.
What’s this? She’s giving up that easily? Maybe I should’ve stepped in from the start.
Her clever, bright eyes made it impossible to guess what she was thinking.
As he awkwardly fidgeted with his coat buttons, her gentle voice floated up.
“Your Grace, I actually make and sell tea leaves and essential oils. But since I’m not well known, no one pays attention to my products.”
“As Duke, you have a duty to look after not just your citizens but the nobles living in your domain too, right?”
“Well… in a broad sense, yes.”
Unsure where this conversation was going, Ralph answered carefully.
Jena looked straight up at him with clear eyes.
“Then please help our family. In three months, we’ll go completely bankrupt and starve.”
“Ah, in that case, perhaps a financial donation—”
“No, I’m not asking for money. I’m asking for a chance to earn it.”
“How could I possibly—”
“Please let me provide my tea leaves and oils for your banquet free of charge. That way, word will spread among the nobles, and I’ll be able to earn on my own.”
Her precise request made Ralph’s eyes waver.
Aizen had only told him to make her give up attending the banquet, not how to handle something like this.
Was he supposed to refuse this too?
‘But she’s not asking to attend, just to supply goods. That sounds harmless… might even save His Grace some hassle.’
His brain spun rapidly as he calculated what would benefit his master most.
Jena stood firmly in front of him, her big eyes silently urging him on.
Say yes.
Under her wordless pressure, Ralph blurted out a decision.
“Alright. Your tea leaves and oils will be distributed at the banquet.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Now, please stop coming here.”
“Of course. Then please sign a simple contract. I can’t rely on a verbal promise, you understand.”
Smiling brightly, Jena pulled a pen and paper from her bag.
Ralph gave a strained laugh but still took what she handed him.
He wrote a short note permitting her to supply tea leaves and oils for the banquet and signed it as “Duke Kalrad,” not “Aizen Kalrad.”
Satisfied, Jena casually asked,
“So, will you send the invitation to the viscount’s residence?”
“……What are you talking about? You’re only providing the goods.”
“Exactly. I’ll need to hand them out in person for promotion. After all, I made them.”
Question marks floated over Ralph’s head.
He had assumed the goods would arrive without her. Just lay them out and be done with it.
But Jena thought differently.
How could nobles buy something if they didn’t know who made it?
Naturally, she planned to promote her products herself like a host at the event.
“As a noble, I don’t intend to attend the banquet. But as a merchant, I must.”
“Wait, that changes everything—”
“Oh no, surely a Duke wouldn’t go back on his word?”
“That’s not—”
“Come on, of course not. It’d be ridiculous if you did. Otherwise, it’d look like I was tricked by a Duke, and a powerless, poor woman like me would have no choice but to cry out my injustice in the town square, don’t you think?”
Ralph’s mouth snapped shut.
Cold sweat ran down his back as he realized how badly he’d messed up.
A few steps away, Greta sighed silently.
Ralph Schmitt, you pathetic fool.
Even her fierce glare didn’t register with Ralph, who stood frozen in shock.
“Then I’ll see you at the banquet, Your Grace! Please make sure the invitation is addressed to me only. My husband dislikes crowded places.”
With a cheerful smile, Jena walked away, having gotten everything she wanted.
Ralph, utterly defeated, returned to report to Aizen.
Hearing that Ralph had managed to do the exact opposite of what he was told, Aizen was dumbfounded.
“Ralph Schmitt, are you rebelling against me?”
“No, sir.”
“Sigh… How do you plan to take responsibility for this?”
“I’m sorry. I’ll atone with my head.”
Ralph carefully took off his coat and pressed his forehead to the floor.
There was no point in yelling—what was done was done.
Aizen ran a rough hand through his hair.
“This is insane.”
“Please kill me, Your Grace.”
“Shut up before I actually do.”
“Yes, sir.”
Ignoring Ralph’s groans, Aizen closed his eyes and let out a long breath.
Now there was only one thing left to do.
He would have to attend the banquet while hiding his identity as much as possible, making sure the Duke of Kalrad and Jena never crossed paths.
The problem, as always, was that Jena never did what he wanted.
***
About two months after transmigrating into the romance world.
Even though it wasn’t an official invitation, Jena was a little excited to attend her first party.
She searched through her meager wardrobe for something decent to wear.
Wow, unbelievable—not a single suitable dress!
Everything she had was either for home wear or casual outings.
If she showed up in those, what little dignity she had would vanish completely.
She needed to look presentable, at least.
After a deep sigh, she decided to go shopping.
To avoid overspending, she took only five gold coins, mindful of the family’s dire finances.
No, I can’t spend more than this.
She went with Greta to a street lined with luxury dress shops.
The moment they stepped inside, they were greeted with a nasal, sing-song welcome.
“Welcomeee! This is the Carlotta Boutique!”
“Hello, I’d like to have a dress made.”
“Oh my, I don’t believe we’ve met before! Which family are you from?”
“I’m Jena Croitz, the lady of the Croitz Viscounty.”
“Croitz…?”
The clerk tilted her head, clearly unfamiliar with the name.
So our family really isn’t well known, huh.
Feeling a bit bitter, Jena smiled politely, and the clerk quickly recovered.
“Hoho! A pleasure to meet you, Lady Croitz! What kind of dress are you looking for?”
“One for a banquet.”
“Oh my, banquets are our specialty! We’ll make one perfect for you. Just so you know, our base price is ten gold coins. The more details you add, the higher it goes.”
“……What?”
I only have five gold, and the minimum is ten?
Seeing her stunned face, the clerk looked equally awkward.
After a moment of silence, Jena excused herself, saying she’d look around more, and left the shop.
‘Guess I walked into the expensive area first.’
…Except she hadn’t.
After visiting several other boutiques, she realized that ten gold was the average starting price.
The high-end ones were several times more.
“……If I buy a dress here, I’ll go bankrupt. Are there any cheaper shops elsewhere?”
“There are, but they’re mostly used by commoners. Will that be alright?”
“Of course! Let’s go there quickly.”
Greta led her away from the luxury district.
Unlike the grand, glittering storefronts from before, this area had small, tidy shops that felt cozy and modest.
Jena chose carefully, looking for one that seemed decent.
Julia Boutique.
It looked clean and well-kept, and the front was swept spotless—she liked that.
“Let’s go in there.”
She pointed at the shop and started walking toward it.
Thud!
Something small suddenly shot out from the side alley and crashed into her like a traffic accident.
