Chapter : 143
Following Theo’s advice, Liriophe visited Rosearin again the next day.
She relayed Theo’s observations about the flaws in their earlier conversation and discussed the three methods he had suggested.
Rosearin, just like Liriophe, nodded as she listened, agreeing that there might be some truth to it.
“I hadn’t thought of that, but it’s definitely possible,” she said.
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“Which of the three methods do you think would be the best?”
“I think it’s a bit more complicated, but if you’re okay with it, it would be good for the children from the orphanage to come to the palace. We could also implement the observer system at the same time.”
At Liriophe’s suggestion, Rosearin nodded.
“I agree with the idea of using observers. And I also think it would be good for the commoner children to at least see the palace.”
Luckily, Rosearin agreed with Liriophe’s ideas. After finding someone to oversee the orphanage, they decided to introduce the observers and have the children come to the palace once a month for evaluations.
They also decided to add another observer to monitor the original ones if any of the observers were bribed by the orphanage managers.
“Tomorrow, you’re planning to visit the orphanages in the north, right?”
“Ah.”
Just as Liriophe was about to talk about summoning Linix after putting out the fire, she was surprised by Rosearin’s question.
“That’s right.”
She had scheduled this visit to check on the completed facilities in the north. It was necessary for her to see them firsthand, so she couldn’t skip it.
Nodding, Liriophe turned to Rosearin and said, “The inspection of the north should be done more quickly, so I’ll contact you as soon as I’m finished. The rest of the orphanages should be checked by splitting the tasks.”
“Yes, thank you.”
Rosearin replied with a bright smile.
Accompanied by Theo, Liriophe started checking the orphanages that had been set up across the northern region. As they traveled, she noticed Gray, who was following them, working with a portal device, and she raised an eyebrow in confusion.
“Gray, what are you doing?”
“Oh, I’m inputting the coordinates for the portal.”
Gray, who was a bit farther away, responded, and when he set the portal inside the round white line on the ground, it opened immediately.
He then took out another portal device and began manipulating it with concentration.
“…I need to input the coordinates, huh…”
Liriophe muttered to herself as she realized this, and Theo gently wrapped his hand around her back.
“I’ll input the coordinates for all six orphanages in the north, so you’ll be able to come and go more easily.”
Understanding that this was being done just for her, Liriophe looked at Theo.
Theo, in turn, smiled at her, and though she had initially thought it was unnecessary, she couldn’t deny that it would make things much more convenient.
‘Well, it might be unnecessary, but at least it’ll make traveling back and forth easier,’ she thought to herself as she entered the orphanage.
The facility was much larger and more comfortable than she had expected. As soon as she entered the lobby, she noticed colorful sofas and tables placed by the windows, which gave the impression that it was designed for children.
The stairs were safer and had a rounded shape, making it less likely for a child to get hurt if they fell. The space between each step was narrow, and the slope was gentle, designed to minimize the risk of injury.
Liriophe smiled in satisfaction as she walked through the lobby and up to the second floor, holding Theo’s hand.
The hallways were a bit narrow, but the rooms were spacious, and it seemed like the children would have enough room. The rooms themselves were clean and neat, with just a desk, wardrobe, and bed. Despite the simplicity of the furniture, the large windows and warm wallpaper created a comforting atmosphere.
“There’s no space for snacks or tea. It would be better to place a tea table by the window, since the desk should be reserved for studying.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
The interior decorator, who had followed them, quickly wrote something down on the paper he was holding.
“Change the curtains to something lighter. They should be easy for the children to open and close.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
The decorator responded quickly, and Liriophe sighed in frustration.
The room lacked something important.
“Since it’s colder in the north, we should add extra heating on both sides and place a fireplace a little away from the desk. How long will it take to install the fireplace?”
“It won’t take long. We can install it immediately.”
“Good. The north should be made to suit its climate. Why would we make it look like a palace from the Empire?”
The interior of the northern orphanages had been decorated the same as those in the Empire, and there was no fireplace in the northern ones, which was a clear oversight by the person responsible for the northern region.
The decorator, writing on his paper again, apologized for the mistake.
Theo, who had been quietly following Liriophe, smiled in satisfaction as he watched her take care of everything herself.
Liriophe had immediately noticed the absence of the fireplace, the lack of suitable lighting for the northern climate, the heavy curtains by the windows, and the missing tea table. She had pointed them all out without hesitation.
“My wife is so capable, it’s reassuring.”
Theo’s words made Liriophe smile as she looked up at him.
“What did you say?”
“You’re the best,” he said, smiling with narrowed eyes.
Liriophe beamed, her smile so bright it nearly covered her entire face.
“Really, you’re so sweet.”
Behind them, the interior decorator watched them exchange loving looks and realized that the rumors of the Duke and Duchess’s deep affection for each other were true.
“The north is colder than the Empire, so we decided to add a fireplace. The curtains were too heavy for children to move, so we’re replacing them, and I also requested a tea table by the window because there wasn’t a place for snacks.”
“I didn’t think of that. I’ll contact the Empire’s interior decorator right away.”
“No, the northern region’s person will contact the Empire’s decorator. I’ve already told them to handle it.”
“I see.”
Since Rosearin had never opened the curtains herself, she hadn’t considered these details. Liriophe had made sure to tell the northern team to handle everything except the fireplace installation and had instructed them to communicate the other changes to the Empire’s decorator.
Rosearin nodded, awkwardly smiling.
“You really are amazing. I didn’t think of any of this during my inspections.”
“It’s only natural. Rose, you’ve never had to open curtains yourself.”
“Well, you haven’t either. It’s about handling things well, not just having sharp eyes from experience…”
“I’ve done more things myself than you think,” Liriophe cut in, worried that Rosearin might think she was incapable.
“I have experience, so I just notice things,” she added.
“….”
“I’m not trying to comfort you. I really didn’t know these things myself until I experienced them.”
Rosearin, appearing to think for a moment, cautiously asked in a whisper, “By the way… is Gemma not doing her job well?”
Having become close with Gemma since moving into the palace, Rosearin asked with a serious expression, causing Liriophe to laugh uncontrollably.
“No. It’s just that I prefer to do things myself.”
Liriophe said with a smile, knowing it would be too complicated to explain everything in detail.
But her light-hearted comment seemed to strike a chord with Rosearin.
Rosearin, enviously looking at Liriophe, said, “I want to try doing things myself too!”
Seeing Rosearin so determined over something unnecessary, Liriophe was a bit taken aback but smiled awkwardly.
Afterward, Rosearin really did start refusing help from her maid and began doing most things herself.
She later came to Liriophe, looking as though she had discovered a new world.
“I tried it, and I realized that if the wardrobe is too high, I have to stand on a chair to get the dresses hanging inside. I didn’t think of that before. We should lower the wardrobes in the children’s rooms, right?”
Liriophe, who hadn’t considered the height of the wardrobes, nodded.
“Oh, I didn’t think of that. You’re amazing, Rose.”
Rosearin blushed immediately at Liriophe’s compliment.
“It’s nothing compared to you, Your Grace.”
Rosearin expressed her gratitude for Liriophe’s thoughtfulness and mentioned how she had started noticing things after doing things herself, just like Liriophe had.
Liriophe felt a bit embarrassed, knowing that all of this was just natural for her because of her past experiences.
“Shall we finish everything by this week and move on to choosing the managers for each facility?”
“Yes, let’s do that. I’ll focus on picking the people responsible for the northern facilities, and Rose, you and your assistant should pick the managers for the Empire’s facilities. I’ll join you as soon as the northern selections are done.”
“Yes, Your Grace. I guess you’ll be staying at the Duke’s residence for now.”
“Yes, I will.”
Liriophe’s response made Rosearin smile a little sadly.
Liriophe had planned to say that she would stay at the Duke’s residence after returning, but seeing Rosearin’s expression, she couldn’t bring herself to say it and just smiled instead.
