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~Chapter 42~
Not long after, a satisfied smile spread across my face. As expected, my choice hadn’t been wrong.
I was so engrossed in the novel, marveling at the author’s skill in delicately depicting key scenes, that I didn’t notice two hours had passed until the servant knocked on the door.
“Your Grace, may I come in?”
Startled, I hastily closed the book. I had been reading the highlight of the story, so even the sound of the knock hadn’t registered.
Feeling a sense of urgency, I opened a drawer. Most of the other drawers were already full, but fortunately, there was one with enough space. I shoved the book inside.
Although I would have to stand up to reach the bookshelf, the drawer was right under the desk, so I could quickly hide the book.
“Come in.”
I called the servant in with a calm expression.
He informed me that the head of the guild would be arriving soon. I nodded in acknowledgment and left the study, heading to the reception hall on the first floor to greet them.
I toured the renovated banquet hall with Selena.
The sunlight streaming through the windows was refracted by the chandelier on the ceiling, scattering into hundreds of colors. It made an ordinary window look like stained glass.
“I’m glad we listened to the guild head’s advice,” I said.
The chandelier in the center of the ceiling had been purchased on the guild head’s strong recommendation. The insight of a good merchant was truly impressive.
“The statues under the railing are beautiful too,” Selena remarked, looking at the golden wolf statues.
“Indeed.”
Her words brought a slight smile to my lips. It had been my idea to place golden wolf statues there.
The wolf was the symbol of the Teabrite family.
It was common among nobles to display the animal representing their family as an ornate statue.
I had only made the ordinary statues in gold.
The massive golden wolves were carved with exquisite precision. Their eyes were inlaid with violet-tinted emeralds, the same color as Apollion’s eyes.
Standing majestically in front of the central staircase, a golden statue like this would surely draw attention.
Most noble families in this country incorporated animals into their symbols. In the books, nobles often commissioned statues of fierce beasts representing their families.
The most elaborate and beautiful statues were placed in conspicuous locations like entrances, gardens, and banquet halls to showcase the family’s prestige to guests.
Yet inside the Pontus Mansion of the Teabrite family, there hadn’t been a single extravagant statue.
Apollion himself had little interest in decorations, and the previous mistress had neglected this mansion.
Lady Claire had only managed the Nosier Mansion and Lunatia Mansion, leaving the Pontus Mansion under Apollion largely untouched.
It was an appropriate distance between the current head and the former mistress, who were not on good terms.
That was why I described the Pontus Mansion as antique and serene.
Its charm lay in its old-fashioned elegance, though on dreary days it could appear somewhat eerie.
In the original story, visiting nobles had mocked the emptiness of the Pontus Mansion.
Apollion was already a gloomy man, and now his mansion was gloomy too.
I used to hold my head in frustration reading those scenes. Such people would complain whether it was extravagant or simple.
Noble ignoramuses tended to excessively belittle Apollion, but one mustn’t underestimate the duke—the head of the family, the most powerful in the empire.
Just because he was cursed didn’t mean he could be dismissed by worthless fools.
People lacking basic understanding often faltered in front of wealth and power.
That was why I had commissioned the golden statues.
The Teabrite family could easily afford a hundred golden statues if they wished. Inlaid jewels and magical enhancements were also feasible.
Most authority within the mansion rested with the mistress, and I planned to commission even more luxurious decorations to display throughout the house.
It was meant to show those who dared belittle the duke the sheer power and wealth they could never reach.
Displaying wealth and power openly never hurt, after all.
Soon, more people would visit this mansion, and a few luxury items were necessary to assert the family’s status.
Thinking this, I chuckled quietly to myself.
“Has His Grace seen the completed banquet hall yet?”
I asked Emma, who was standing behind me.
“Not yet,” she replied.
“Really? I should call him to see it.”
I wanted to ask if there was anything he wanted decorated. Of course, I already knew the answer would be “no.”
“Is there anything left to check?” I asked.
“No,” she answered.
“All right. You may all leave now,” I gestured to the staff behind me. Most of the servants, except a few, bowed and returned to their positions.
Selena and the remaining staff and I toured the hall once more, checking the curtains, the number of candlesticks, and ensuring nothing was poorly constructed.
As Wilson had promised, the guild had worked meticulously. Nothing had been omitted.
“Let’s go back now,” Emma said warmly.
I nodded and headed to my room with Selena.
＊＊＊
I went straight to the study to write a letter to the guild head, thanking them for the flawless work and expressing interest in future projects.
After sealing the letter with a small bonus, I handed it to Selena.
“Send it through someone later,” I instructed.
“Understood,” she said and left the study to carry out her task.
Then, I suddenly remembered something I had completely forgotten.
“Ah, right. Selena.”
“Yes?”
Selena, about to open the door, tilted her head at my sudden call.
I pulled a book from the drawer and handed it to her.
“It’s a gift.”
“A gift?”
Her eyes widened in surprise, and when she saw the book, her face lit up with a bright smile.
It was the hairstyling book I had bought for her, the one she had forgotten to get because of the risqué book I had chosen before.
“Oh! The book I forgot to buy back then?”
“Yes. You wanted it, didn’t you?”
“You remembered! I was disappointed I couldn’t get it, but you remembered and gave it to me. Thank you so much, Your Grace.”
“No problem.”
Seeing her so happy made me feel pleased as well.
“I’ll study this and make sure I can braid Your Grace’s hair into 100 strands!”
“Uh, that might be a bit much…”
“I’ll even figure out how to decorate it with ribbons!”
“Um…”
100 strands? That’s basically a reggae hairstyle. I definitely didn’t want that.
Regardless, Selena was so passionate that she didn’t even notice my hesitation.
“We’ll read it with René and make sure to create the hairstyle that suits Your Grace best!”
“Yes… okay…”
Selena bowed deeply and quickly left the study. Soon, the sound of her running footsteps could be heard—she was likely heading to find René, who was working somewhere in the mansion.
René was just as interested in hairstyling as Selena, and equally skilled.
If this were Korea, they would have easily become beauty YouTubers.
Watching Selena leave with a pleased smile, I looked down at the open drawer. My smile naturally faded.
“All that’s left now…”
I glanced at the remaining books in the drawer.
They were the sex education books I had purchased for Apollion.
I had bought three in total. Though they covered the same topic, the illustrations and presentation varied.
One book was more advanced than the one I had found in the library, with more illustrations relative to text, making it easier to understand.
Another had a less childish cover and was part of the same series, offering somewhat deeper content.
It seemed targeted at older teens.
The final book was intended for heirs of noble families, purchased on the strong recommendation of the bookstore owner.
Unlike the playful and cute previous books, this one’s cover was rather serious.
Nobles needed to maintain appearances, always behaving with decorum and showing strictness when necessary.
This book leaned toward explaining sexuality in a slightly rigid manner.
As it was for noble youth, it detailed proper posture, manners when interacting with the opposite sex, and even covered topics like consummation and first-night rituals—things ordinary children wouldn’t learn.
“I hope he likes one of these,” I murmured.
Honestly, I didn’t need most of them; I had just prepared them all, not knowing what he might like.
“I hope he likes it.”
Of course, the empire’s shyest boy wasn’t likely to enjoy this.
I briefly imagined Apollion throwing the books into the fireplace, but I pushed the thought aside.
Now, only the last problem remained.
“How should I give this to him?”
The most difficult final mission awaited me.
