Episode 16

“Ezekiel doesn’t seem to know, but wouldn’t the incompetent Duchess be perceived as an easy target by the Emperor?”

“What are you talking about?”

“If I do something and achieve results, the emperor won’t take me lightly.”

I, ‘Viola Vetra’, had to constantly demonstrate to the entire empire that I possessed the minimum ability and popularity necessary to secure the position of successor.

Only when they gain the recognition that they are not mere puppets for the sake of their position can they have a say when they later confront the emperor.

“And would you rather your nephew defeat the insignificant Duchess and become the successor later, or would you rather him show even more excellence than the hard-working Duchess and win the position?”

“……If you want to raise your reputation, the latter would be better.”

“I will give in to your nephew no matter what happens, so in the meantime, please help me!”

He put his hands on his hips and declared, biting his lips.

“If I, who took the trouble to bring you here as a duchess, sit idle and do nothing, your reputation will be tarnished. Think carefully.”

He sat at his desk, watching me with a confused expression, and brought his clasped hand to his mouth.

‘Please eat me!’

The Duchess’ position. Usefulness. Existence. Value. Securing a position within the family. Terms of the contract.

Ezekiel, who had probably weighed everything fiercely, finally spoke.

“Now that I hear it, you’re right. I’m sorry. For my nephew’s sake, I’ll help you in every way possible.”

at las.

It is a success in securing an activity base.

I clenched my trembling fists.

I did it again. I’m glad.

***

“Oli. You said Vetra’s social circle operates separately from the central one, right? Is there an event you could attend as a duchess?”

I decided to slowly build up my network while also observing the city’s trends. I suppressed my excitement and summoned Ollie, the Duke’s chief aide.

“There will be a tea party for young people as soon as possible.”

“Is this position related to the Vetra family or the vassal family?”

“No. It’s just merchants and the nouveau riche. I wouldn’t recommend it, though—”

“I want to go there.”

He looked puzzled by the unexpected decision and lifted his glasses.

“Dogaresa. May I ask why?”

“I’m looking for a top group to sponsor. Going there that day is part of that effort.”

Money and connections are valuable to merchants.

There is no one who would dislike the fact that the ruler of Betra supports and promotes him.

“I’ll bring up my new idea at the party.”

People on the front lines are active in calculating profit and loss.

“Since you will see the world from a different perspective than those who rule from above, there may be stores that are interested in your window displays.”

“Okay. I’ll try to contact the tea party organizers.”

Ezekiel came to see me after a while.

“I heard that the tea party where the upper class gathers has kindly invited you.”

“Did Assistant Ollie tell you?”

“Yes. I heard about this surprisingly late.”

“Don’t worry. Since we’re a contractual couple, I’ll make sure to keep your reputation intact.”

I winked. As they said, we were still a couple.

Even if there is no love between a man and a woman, they are people who can live their own lives.

“I will serve you and the Vetra family faithfully. Okay?”

Ezekiel spoke in a low voice.

“……When attending a tea party, please wear nice clothes. There’s even a tiara that’s been passed down through the family. You may wear it.”

“I’m a limited-time wife, so can I use that kind of jewelry?”

“You are my wife, so you are the rightful owner of all the jewels.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he hurriedly retreated. I ignored Ezekiel’s attitude and focused solely on the jewel.

Anyway, since I was told I could use it, I should choose something pretty.

‘Honestly, I achieved the status of Duchess I wanted even without my husband’s love, so isn’t that half a success?’

So a few days later, I, having diligently dressed up with the help of my maids, hurriedly arrived at the tea party.

The person who accompanied me today was Anna.

“Ouch. Ouch. My neck hurts. My head feels so heavy.”

“It’s not like the hair is some kind of ornamental tree, it’s just sticking out like this! Everyone has no sense of beauty!”

“Does it look funny?”

“I’ll take care of it before we go into the party.”

“That’s ridiculous. Okay.”

Thanks to Anna’s help in finding the best styling for me, I was able to achieve a much more natural hairstyle.

“It looks perfect with a small tiara and earrings.”

“It’s much better. What would I have done without you?”

“Hehe. Thank you for the compliment.”

The calm and natural hair and clothes were a stroke of genius.

The reason is that the gathering, which I thought would be very extravagant because it was a gathering of merchants, was more modest than I thought.

“When nobles see someone dressed up extravagantly, they call them nouveau riche, so they deliberately dress modestly. It’s a survival strategy.”

Valentina, the youngest daughter of the family that runs the best target group in Vetra, smiled faintly, covering her mouth with her fan.

“It is an honor to have you personally attend our tea party, Dogaresa.”

“Nice to meet you, Valentina.”

The merchants kept glancing at me, their unexpected guest.

“Please drink. This is a precious tea imported from the Eastern Continent. Isn’t the subtle green hue truly beautiful?”

As soon as Valentina spoke, the other ladies also rushed to act sweetly.

“This tea is really rich in flavor.”

“We have a lot of tea leaves at our house. If you like them, I can send them to you!”

It seemed like I was still being treated as a benefactor who saved the Betra estate.

“But since it’s a tea party, there are quite a few men there, right? Isn’t it usually centered around noblewomen?”

“Haha. That’s the nobles’ gender-segregated culture. Here, all genders are allowed to attend.”

To put it nicely, it’s a tea party, but isn’t it actually a place for sharing information?

The men were also busy comparing their wealth and digging up information while tilting the car over there.

Valentina drank her tea and ate a small dessert pastry, chattering like a lark.

She must have just turned eighteen. She was a lovely and charismatic young lady.

“How are you, Dogaresa? I’m curious about your daily life after the wedding of the century!”

Valentina brought up a good topic. It’s time to get my act together to achieve the purpose I came here for.

“Actually, I’m busy these days thinking about how to develop the territory…….”

Omitted below.

“Oh my. This is a display window?”

“Yes. We’ll be showcasing items imported to or produced in Vetra. The more unfamiliar the items are, the more effective they’ll be.”

I could feel the ladies’ heads spinning.

“I think it wouldn’t be a bad aesthetic if a shopping arcade had a collection of those stores. I’ll discuss it with my family.”

“My family is importing some strange, magically preserved fruit from the southern continent, so it would be great if we could promote it!”

“Does everyone seem okay?”

“Yes. It’s not exactly a reckless idea. You could probably multiply your profits by displaying one or two items.”

Look at this. Everyone says it’s okay.

Thanks to that, I think I’ve gotten off to a good start, Valentina said to me, skillfully gathering the ladies’ opinions.

“But besides Dogaresa, we have another guest we’re meeting for the first time today. What a wonderful day. Two amazing people have come to our party!”

Not long after, the person Valentina had spoken of appeared.

“I am Philip Justis. Nice to meet you.”

Eek! I pinched my thigh to hide my instinctive rejection.

‘You’re meeting that guy here?’

Philip Justis was an imperial billionaire.

A man of humble origins who made a living with two boats in the barren western lands devoid of natural resources.

And he was a spy sent by the Emperor to Betra. End of explanation.