-39-
7. The Turning Wheel
When we safely returned to the Grand Duke’s estate, the news of the fire had already spread all the way to the capital, causing an uproar. It had been an incident in a small town near the capital—under normal circumstances, it would’ve briefly appeared in a newspaper and been forgotten. But once it was revealed that Lucious and I were at the scene, things escalated rapidly.
Somehow, word had gotten out about the incident, including detailed reports that I was injured while rescuing a child I had bought flowers for, and that Lucious had taken charge of the rescue and firefighting efforts, even handling the aftermath.
I felt troubled—this wasn’t how I wanted things to be publicized. Given the current state of things, it was difficult to jump into social activities right away, so I decided to delay them for a while. Instead, I focused on healing and began taking on the duties of the household.
Lucious told me to rest a bit more, but I felt I would sink deeper if I stayed still. When I expressed a desire to work, he reluctantly allowed it—so long as I didn’t push myself too hard.
Because I didn’t want to delay my role as the mistress of the house, I immediately sought out the head butler, Warren. He brought what I had previously requested to my office.
“These are the estate’s budget lists and documents for personnel authority, as you requested. Since there hasn’t been a mistress in the Grand Duke’s household for some time, I’ve managed things as an acting steward. But now, I pass all authority to you, Madam.”
“Thank you. Could you also bring me the previous budget ledgers, personnel records, and any other documents related to the estate’s finances?”
“Yes, certainly. However…”
“Yes?”
“You don’t need to rush this work. It would be better if you rested a little more…”
Seeing the concern on his face, I smiled gently and shook my head.
“I’ve already had plenty of rest. I’m getting proper treatment and I can move around—I can’t just sit still. Besides, this is my responsibility.”
“His Grace is very worried as well. He specifically instructed me to ensure you don’t overexert yourself.”
“I know. I’ll be careful not to overdo it. I’ll reassure His Grace myself a bit later.”
“…Understood.”
Of course, it hadn’t been an ordinary incident, so it was natural for everyone to be shaken. It had been tragic and heartbreaking, but I decided to keep the children in my prayers and return to my duties. I couldn’t postpone work forever. Doing what I could now was also for those children’s sake.
Soon after, Warren returned with the rest of the materials. I sipped the tea a maid brought me and quickly reviewed the documents. My previous experience working in modern administration was definitely proving useful.
Fortunately, the ledgers used by Tiana and Diana were quite similar in format, so I didn’t have much trouble reading through them. Though the Grand Duke’s estate was much larger, the general framework and categories were similar enough to those of a duchy’s household.
“These are organized very neatly. It must have been difficult to manage all this—well done.”
“I was simply doing my duty as head butler.”
“Even so, managing all this alone is no easy task. Especially with how thoroughly each section is detailed—it makes it very easy to understand. This will help me a lot going forward. Thank you, Warren.”
“…”
“Is something wrong?”
Warren looked momentarily stunned and hesitated before replying.
“Ah, no… I was just surprised at how well-informed you are, Madam. I didn’t mean any offense, of course.”
“It’s okay. I understand. It’s probably because I’m used to this. Our family also went without a lady of the house for a long time.”
“Ah…”
It seemed Warren had only just remembered that the Celestine Dukedom had no duchess. He looked flustered, his face paling as he realized his blunder. I offered a soft smile to ease his discomfort.
“My mother was chronically ill and couldn’t manage the household, so I handled most things. After she passed, I took charge of domestic affairs too—so it’s natural I’m familiar with these duties.”
“…I’m sorry.”
“No need to apologize. It’s something you wouldn’t have known. Please don’t be so hard on yourself.”
Technically, it had been the original Tiana who handled it all. Even with my administrative background, if it weren’t for the ledgers she left behind and the fragments of her memories, I might not have done well as the mistress. It’s possible to learn by doing, but it’s vastly different from starting with prior knowledge. Besides, I didn’t want to seem clueless.
“For now, I’d like your support, Warren. The Grand Duke’s estate is larger than the duchy, and I might overlook certain things. I hope you’ll help keep an eye out for anything I might miss. I’ll ask if I’m unsure about anything—please explain it to me thoroughly.”
“Of course, Madam. You can rely on me.”
“There’s a lot to do… I’m not sure if I’ll be good at it…”
“I’m confident you’ll do very well, Madam.”
“Thank you. I hope so.”
I nodded at his kind words and smiled in return.
“Whew…”
I put down the documents and stretched, loosening my stiff shoulders. I had been in the same position for a long time.
“I’ve mostly grasped the budget and personnel information.”
The budget records weren’t as complex as I’d expected—surprisingly simple for the Grand Duke’s household. That was likely because there hadn’t been a lady managing the estate for a while, and Lucious wasn’t one to spend wastefully.
What did take time were the personnel records. With three times as many servants as the duchy, the sheer volume of data was immense. Even just reviewing key personnel took considerable time. I decided to focus on the higher-ranking staff first and review the rest gradually.
“So this is my task for now…”
In front of me were several large vault boxes Warren had brought and sheets listing the remaining estate funds.
Except for necessary expenses like mansion maintenance and salaries, the majority of the budget had been left untouched. With no lady of the house, the designated funds hadn’t been used. Warren had diligently saved and stored them.
When I asked why he hadn’t returned them to Lucious, he said the budget had already been allocated, and Lucious refused to take it back.
‘His Grace told me to save it for the future. I now understand why.’
Warren had smiled as he said that. So Lucious had anticipated this day—when I would become his wife and manage the estate’s funds.
“But even so, this is way too much…”
Typically, the size of the household budget is determined by the head of the family, and the larger it is, the more it reflects their affection for the lady of the house. Of course, every household’s financial situation is different, so a smaller budget doesn’t necessarily imply less affection. Still, the budget size often defines the authority of the household manager, making it a delicate matter.
Lucious had given me a large amount—enough to make such worries irrelevant. I was grateful, but the sheer scale was overwhelming.
“He took over all those war zones… no wonder the taxes are pouring in…”
Lucious had resolved nearly every border conflict in the empire, and many of those lands were absorbed into his territory. Those lands alone made up over a third of the empire—so the taxes they generated must be enormous. And knowing Lucious, he wouldn’t impose harsh taxes. Even with moderate collection, the revenue would still be massive.
“Some of the kingdoms bordering the empire might not even be able to survive next to us…”
I never thought I’d experience being buried in money. What had only been a dream in modern times had now come true—but rather than joy, the excessive wealth left me feeling lost about how to manage it.
“I guess I’ll allocate some for social activities… The garden’s already in perfect condition—nothing to fix there.”
Talented gardeners had maintained it exactly to my tastes. There was no need for additional expenses.
…What on earth should I do with all this budget?
No matter how long I thought about it, I couldn’t come up with a good answer. I eventually gave up and stood to stretch when Warren entered again.
“Madam, Young Master Celeste has come to see you.”
“Lennox?”
“Yes. He’s currently waiting in the parlor. Shall I bring him here?”
“No, I’ll go.”
Surprised by the unexpected visit, I quickly left my office and headed to the parlor. It was the first time I’d seen Lennox since the wedding, so I entered with a sense of joy.
“Leno!”
“Sister…”
Lennox stood up at once when he heard my voice. Delighted to see him again, I hurried over and took his hand. He smiled brightly and spoke.
“I’m sorry for showing up so suddenly. I hope I’m not bothering you.”
“Not at all! I was just about to take a break. But what brings you here? Isn’t this still work time for the Magic Department?”
Lennox had taken a break from the academy and was working at the Imperial Palace’s Magic Department while in the capital. It wasn’t time to get off work yet, so I was curious why he came.
“I heard what happened to you and wanted to come right away. I would’ve come sooner, but Father stopped me… I only got permission today. I’m sorry I didn’t contact you beforehand.”
“No need to apologize. Thank you for coming. You must have been worried. But really, why did Father stop you? He came to see me the day after I returned. Why didn’t he bring you along?”
“I had an experiment that ran until dawn that day. And actually, he didn’t even tell me—he just went on his own. Then he told me to go later.”
“Really?”
The morning after I returned, I received a sudden message through the communication stone, and not long after, Edwin came to visit. I had wondered why he came alone, but remembering how urgent he looked, it was clear he had been deeply worried.
Father and son coming separately like this… perhaps Edwin didn’t want to show a disheveled side of himself in front of Lennox. He had seemed very flustered.
Seeing Edwin like that had been touching, but Lennox’s grumbling was also endearing. I couldn’t have him standing all this time, so I led him back to his seat and sat across from him.
“So, Sister… are you really okay? You seem fine, but I just want to be sure.”
“Of course I’m okay. Truly. It was a bit of a shock, but I’ve mourned for the children and collected myself. I’ll remember them and continue doing what I can. I’m also thinking about what I can do for the children who are still here. I don’t want something like that to happen again.”
Lennox seemed to think deeply for a moment before offering a suggestion.
“Then… how about discussing it with His Grace, the Grand Duke?”
