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8. Return to Society
After Alexandra left and before Lucius returned, I looked over more information about the nobles. There was quite a lot, so I took my time reviewing it, but nothing in particular caught my eye.
My mind was filled with thoughts about the café business of Viscount Evit Jun, so I decided to set aside the other materials for now and focus on something else. Since I had already picked a candidate noble to invest in, it was time to turn my attention to the commoners.
“Let’s start by sending relief supplies to the orphanage at the nearby temple, and it would be good to have an office where commoners can directly apply for and receive support funds.”
For that, I figured an office was needed to handle the support funds. Not just that, but thinking about future plans, an office for the business was essential. Money wasn’t a problem, but it would be good to discuss it with Lucius too. He would probably advise on where the office should be located.
I wrote this down on my to-do list and continued with other tasks, so time passed quickly. Soon, I noticed the sunset outside the window and stretched as I stood up from my chair.
At that moment, Inabel arrived with timely news that Lucius had returned. I left my study and headed down to the first floor, where I saw Lucius just coming in.
“Lucius!”
It had been half a day since I last saw my husband. Approaching quickly with joy, he smiled and embraced me.
“Welcome back. You worked hard today.”
“I’m home. Did Tiana overdo it today?”
“Not at all. She took it easy. Oh, the princess came by this afternoon.”
“Alexandra?”
“Yes. She heard the news and came because she was worried. It was nice to catch up after a long time.”
“I see. I’m glad you had a good time.”
He smiled softly and kissed my cheek. I took his coat and handed it to the maid. Since it was dinner time, we headed straight to the dining room.
As we ate, I told him about the conversation I had with Alexandra. Lucius listened quietly but then muttered, frowning slightly.
“If it’s Viscount Evit Jun…”
“Why? Do you know him?”
“I exchanged letters with him when I made a café reservation. I haven’t met him in person, but I’ve heard about him several times through acquaintances.”
“Really? Alexandra said he was a good person. What do you think?”
“His reputation among the nobles isn’t bad. Like Alexandra said, he has a kind personality and is gentle, but when it comes to his café business, he apparently becomes quite different.”
“He must take his café business very seriously.”
He said half the reason for becoming independent was because of the café business. Hearing this from Lucius gave me a clearer idea of the man. After a moment, Lucius drank some water and suddenly spoke again, as if something had occurred to him.
“Do you remember Baron Bien we saw last time? The one we saw together with Marquis Grasel and Marquis Ezac?”
“Of course. The man who was the assistant director at the botanical garden?”
Baron Bien was also Marquis Ezac’s secretary. While touring the botanical garden, he and Marquis Ezac gave off a strange vibe.
“Baron Bien’s younger brother is Viscount Evit Jun.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Baron Bien had three children. His eldest daughter married into the Garnet marquis family, and of the two younger brothers, the older inherited the baron title. The younger became a viscount and immediately went independent.”
“I see.”
So Baron Bien wasn’t the eldest. I had thought he was an only son or eldest because of his somewhat cold and harsh demeanor, but it was the Garnet marquise who was the eldest. That meant Viscount Evit Jun was the youngest.
“According to Baron Bien, Evit Jun has always liked flowers and tea. He knows a lot about those topics, and that passion led him to start the café. I made the reservation after being introduced to Viscount Evit Jun through Baron Bien.”
“If he’s a good person, how about making him the first investment candidate?”
“Regarding Viscount Evit Jun’s café business?”
“Yes. I liked the café I visited, and if he’s a decent person, I want to invest some money to help expand the business. It would be nice if more branches opened, including in the capital.”
“Hmm…”
Lucius paused, pondering my words. His face tightened into the expression I’d seen before. Was there a problem? I looked at him curiously, and then he smiled and nodded.
“I think it’s fine. It has potential, and Viscount Jun’s reputation isn’t bad, so it would be a good first investment.”
“I want to meet Viscount Jun myself before deciding. Alexandra said there would be a tea party soon and that the Garnet marquise would be invited, so I thought I could meet her there and talk.”
“I can arrange a meeting with Viscount Jun, but even if I don’t, he will respond whenever Tiana calls.”
“I don’t want to meet too directly just yet. I want to reveal the business slowly. To do that, I want to proceed quietly through a meeting with the Garnet marquise rather than going through Lucius.”
Lucius or I could have directly called Viscount Evit Jun without meeting the Garnet marquise, thanks to Alexandra, but that would surely attract other nobles’ attention.
Since we just married and settled in the capital, almost every noble was watching the grand duke family. Even small actions caused big reactions, which was quite stressful. So I wanted to delay revealing the business as much as possible.
Understanding this, Lucius smiled gently.
“Alright. There’s no rush, so let’s take it slow. You’ll have social engagements too, and if news about the business gets out early, it will tire you. I’ll make sure to keep that under wraps.”
“Thank you, Lucius. I feel like I’m just taking so much from you.”
“It’s fine. Just confidently do what you want. I’ll help as much as you need. And this isn’t even a big favor from me.”
“…It’s more than enough.”
“If it feels burdensome, you don’t have to push yourself. But I believe you can definitely do it. I’m sure you’ll do wonderfully.”
He got up, came to me, took my hand, and helped me stand. Wrapping his arms around my waist, I smiled softly and leaned against his chest.
“Aren’t you trusting me too much? What if I fail?”
“That won’t happen. And even if you do, so what? It’s your work, and I’ll fix it.”
“What if everything fails?”
“Even if everything falls apart, it won’t hurt the grand duke family much. And I’ll handle everything smoothly, so don’t worry.”
His confident smile almost made me laugh. Since the business used spare money, losing it wouldn’t harm the grand duke family or him. It reminded me once again of his status and wealth. Truly, he was the strongest husband. I wondered what would happen if I actually turned him into a villain.
Thinking that was strangely fun, we left the dining room together and went up to the bedroom.
A few days later, Alexandra informed me of the tea party date. It was two days later at 2 p.m. Since it was my first return to society after the wedding, I wanted to prepare properly. There was plenty of time, so it wasn’t a problem.
I had many dresses Alexandra had made for me earlier, so I could just pick one from those. I needed some accessories that would match as well.
I called the head maid and asked her to bring several dresses and accessories. While I was deciding among the candidates, Jane cautiously asked me:
“Ma’am, is there a theme for the princess’s tea party?”
“I’m not sure. Since it’s spring with nice weather, they said the tea party would be held in the garden.”
“In that case, how about this dress?”
She took one dress off the rack and showed it to me. The bright yellow dress was embroidered with faint purple floral patterns and adorned with small jewels, making it beautiful. As I looked quietly, she spoke a bit louder than before.
“Since it’s a garden tea party, you probably won’t go indoors much. This dress will look even more beautiful in sunlight. It also suits the color of your hair.”
“Wouldn’t it be too flashy?”
“Not at all. It gives a bright feeling, which is perfect for a garden tea party. And I heard that the princess herself prepared this tea party for you. You’re the guest of honor, so naturally you should shine the most.”
“I see…”
It felt a bit off to say Alexandra prepared the tea party for me. Even though my return to society would be at her tea party, she was the host, not me.
Still, despite wanting to deny it, I couldn’t say anything because the head maid and maids looked more determined than usual.
It was the first time seeing Jane so proactive, and the others seemed eager to help me dress but were holding back without clear orders, which felt refreshing. Seeing their expectant eyes, I finally nodded after some thought.
“Alright. Let’s go with this dress. Then please choose some accessories that match.”
“Oh… yes, ma’am! Leave it to me! Everyone, bring all the accessories!”
“Yes, head maid!”
No sooner had I spoken than Jane smiled brightly and called the maids. The maids, full of anticipation, busily brought out accessories. Watching them pick through all my jewelry to find what matched the dress made me chuckle a little.
“Head maid, how about this necklace?”
“That’s too flashy. The jewels are a bit small too.”
“Head maid, I think these earrings are nice too!”
“The color is good. Set it aside as a candidate.”
“Head maid, please look at these rings and bracelets as well!”
They excitedly picked candidates, one by one, stacking them up. Looking at their enthusiasm, I realized it would take quite some time. We can only wear one necklace, one pair of earrings, and one bracelet, so having so many candidates seemed excessive.
Still, seeing them so focused made me a little happy. They were trying hard for me, and I felt a bit reassured that they were accepting me as ‘the mistress,’ even just a little.
Their faces looked livelier than ever. Maybe it was because it was their duty. They were really trying hard.
After a long time of choosing and narrowing down candidates, Warren opened the door and came in. Seeing several butlers carrying various boxes behind him, I asked,
“What’s all this?”
“That will soon be explained by His Highness.”
“Lucius? Is he here?”
It was too early for him to be back from work. I looked at Warren with a puzzled expression, but he just smiled gently and ordered the butlers to wait without saying anything.
After the last butler entered carrying a box, Lucius himself walked in shortly after. Surprised, I approached him, but he suddenly held out a bouquet of flowers right in front of me.
“Happy birthday, Tiana.”
