Chapter 71
After some time, Olivier returned to the office. She mentioned that she had started tracking down Cecilia Hazel’s whereabouts and what had happened to her. I suspected that Cecilia was probably moving from one relative’s house to another, as she had refused the pouch of gold I had given her. Now, Cecilia was likely penniless.
Cecilia, who had been raised in luxury, would never resort to sleeping on the streets or begging from those she considered beneath her. That was simply not in her nature.
Of course, I could be wrong. Even a noblewoman like Cecilia might end up on the streets if she were desperate enough, and might beg for food when hungry. For a moment, I felt a flicker of sympathy for her, but I quickly pushed the feeling aside.
Right now, I had to think about myself. I could wait until I received further reports from Olivier before deciding how to handle the situation with Cecilia.
‘Knock knock.’
As I was thinking about Cecilia, I heard a knock on the door.
“It’s Julia.”
It was Julia’s voice after the knock.
“Come in.”
I gave her permission, and she entered the room with some servants carrying several books. When they placed the books on the desk, I saw that they were labeled “Tristan Duke’s Financial Ledgers,” spanning a period of three years. Despite only being three years of financial records, the volume of documents was staggering.
Overwhelmed by the sheer amount, I picked up the most recent ledger and spread it open. The pages were filled with complex tables, terms, and numbers. It looked difficult to interpret, but since I had some experience in accounting in my previous life, I could manage to understand some of it.
At first, the terms were very different from what I was used to, so it was hard to decipher, but I slowly began to recognize that the terminology was not all that different from what I was familiar with in accounting records. Gradually, I started making sense of the information.
“Madam.”
As I was deep into the ledgers, Olivier called my attention. I looked up to see her smiling and speaking.
“Someone’s here to see you.”
“Richard?”
Having been so focused on the documents, my eyes were strained, and I lightly massaged them with my hands as I stood up.
“Let him in.”
“Yes, Madam.”
Olivier walked to the door and quietly opened it. There, standing in the doorway, was Richard.
“What’s the matter?”
I was surprised to see him in the office, wondering what could have brought him here. Richard gave a small chuckle.
“You’ve been concentrating for quite a while.”
“Huh?”
“It’s dinner time.”
Richard spoke directly, and only then did I realize that it was already approaching 6 p.m.
“Already?”
It felt like I had only just opened the financial ledgers, but somehow time had slipped by without me noticing. If I had been hungry, I would have realized the time, but since I had woken up late and had a late breakfast-lunch and snacks in between, I hadn’t felt the need for a meal.
Looking out the window, I realized the light outside had dimmed. No, it wasn’t just a feeling. The sun was actually beginning to set.
“You must have lost track of time while working.”
“It seems so.”
I awkwardly smiled at Richard, and he extended his hand toward me.
“Let’s go. I want to see how the first meal in Tristan Duke’s castle turns out.”
“I hope it’s to your liking.”
I placed my hand in his as he escorted me. However, since Richard wasn’t familiar with the castle’s layout, I was in charge of directing him.
When we arrived at the dining hall, a familiar scene greeted my eyes. It had only been about two months since I left Tristan Duke’s castle after my marriage to Richard, but the dining hall seemed strangely new to me. Perhaps it wasn’t the room itself, but the people in it, whose presence had changed.
In the past, this dining hall had been occupied by Baron Hazel and Cecilia. Moreover, since Baron Hazel had never been particularly fond of me, meals with them had always been uncomfortable and unpleasant. But now, it was different.
Gone were Baron Hazel and Cecilia, who used to make the atmosphere tense. Instead, it was Richard, who cared for and thought of me.
So, perhaps it wasn’t the room that felt unfamiliar, but the change in those who were present.
“The seat of honor is yours.”
“Excuse me?”
Richard pointed to the seat of honor, and I was momentarily confused. After a beat, I realized what Richard meant and shook my head.
“No need for that. Does it really matter?”
“It does. You are the mistress of this estate, after all.”
“…….”
I couldn’t think of anything to say in response.
I had come to hold this title thanks to Richard’s help, so even though I hesitated to sit in the seat of honor, it would probably be rude to reject it if he acknowledged it as my place.
“Please, sit, Madam.”
Olivier moved the chair for me and added to Richard’s suggestion. In the end, I couldn’t hide my embarrassment and sat in the seat of honor.
Once I took my seat, Richard sat beside me. Although the position felt uncomfortable and awkward, Richard didn’t seem to find it strange at all.
“Don’t think of it as awkward. You deserve that seat. Your rights are yours to claim.”
As I continued to feel uneasy, Richard offered his advice.
“Diarna, you are the Duke of Tristan. What’s strange about sitting in the seat of honor in your own castle?”
“…Is that so?”
Encouraged by Richard’s words, I decided to sit more confidently in the seat of honor.
After all, if I kept feeling awkward about it, it might look odd to others. And since I had reclaimed the title of Duke of Tristan, it would have no meaning if I kept feeling uncomfortable in my rightful place.
Though I had felt awkward at first, I made up my mind to get used to it.
Soon, the meal began to arrive. The first dish was an appetizer of sliced ham topped with cheese and olives. It was light and whetted my appetite, and I found it quite enjoyable. As I ate, I looked to Richard to see how he was reacting.
Since this was my first time serving him a meal, I was curious if it suited his tastes. Of course, we had only just started with the appetizer, so it was too early to tell if he liked it, but I couldn’t help feeling anxious.
“How is it? Is it to your liking?”
After taking a bite, Richard smiled and nodded.
“It’s good.”
“Glad to hear it. If there’s anything you don’t like, let me know.”
Fortunately, it seemed that Richard didn’t find the food unpleasant.
If it had turned out that the meal didn’t suit his taste, I could have taken him to Starlight Hotel or even replaced the chef. However, much to my relief, Richard was praising the meal, which put my mind at ease.
I continued to enjoy the meal that the chef had prepared, savoring each bite.
“By the way, it seems like you have a lot on your plate.”
As we continued eating, Richard started the conversation. I thought of the books on my desk in the office and made a grimace.
“Yes, that’s true. To understand how the estate’s finances have been managed, I need to go through several years’ worth of records all at once.”
“Don’t push yourself too hard. If you need money to run the estate, I can provide it.”
“Well… no, I think I can manage without that.”
Although Richard’s financial support would certainly make running the estate easier, once I started relying on it, I would undoubtedly continue to depend on him. Rather than do that, it was better for me to manage as I had learned over the years. It might have been a long time ago, but I had received education as a successor. It would take some time to get back into the swing of things, but I knew it was better to stand on my own.
“Still, if you need help, don’t hesitate to ask.”
“Will do.”
Seeing Richard readily agree, I smiled slightly.
My primary goal now was to restore the Tristan Duke’s estate to its proper state, and my secondary goal was to stand beside Richard as an equal. Until now, I had relied on his help to obtain what I needed, but from now on, I had to do it myself. Ultimately, I wanted to be in a position where I wouldn’t need Richard’s help, but instead could stand by him and even offer him assistance.
But before that, I had to fix the financial mess that Baron Hazel had left in the Tristan Duke’s estate. It wouldn’t be something that could be fixed in just a day or two.
Even if it was a short-term issue, it would take a few months, or possibly even years.
I needed to first address the most urgent matters and then tackle the more important issues afterward. Once I had reviewed the financial records, it would probably be a good idea to send letters to the noble families my mother had connections with.
As I finished my meal, I began to slowly recall which families my mother had maintained deep ties with.
