Chapter 7
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 7
He was one of the very few people who looked after Tulia a bit more than Corico.
Being inherently loyal to the Frezier family, he cared more for Tulia, the biological granddaughter of the house, than Corico, who was merely a daughter-in-law. Even when every character in The Milk Bread hated Tulia, Luc Kelposher was the only one who remained polite to her until the very end.
“You may speak comfortably, Lady Tulia. I have come to deliver a message from His Grace, the Grand Duke.”
“What did Grandfather say…?”
I asked back, momentarily tense, before quickly changing my question as a thought occurred to me.
“Have you been waiting at the door this whole time?”
“Yes.”
“For how long?”
“About two hours.”
I clicked my tongue inwardly. It was impressive, even though just a few days ago, I was the one standing for nine hours a day at a part-time job just to pay the rent for my studio apartment.
“You’ve worked hard.”
Luc blinked a few times as if he had heard something unexpected. Soon, a faint but gentle smile spread across his lips.
“It was the Grand Duke’s command. Regardless, I thank you for your concern.”
He extended the documents he was holding and continued.
“His Grace has summoned you to the main castle. You are to reside there from now on. To think a direct descendant of the Frezier line was living in such a dilapidated place…”
Luc trailed off appropriately and offered me his gloved hand. His posture was upright and courteous, like a knight wearing his sword.
“Shall we?”
It was strange.
Aside from the realization that this was an unfamiliar world with unfamiliar etiquette, I felt a sudden sense of safety. It was a feeling I hadn't experienced in so long that it felt foreign.
Even when I lived in that studio apartment after being kicked out of my house, the anxiety of not knowing when my brothers might show up to cause trouble had always left a bitter taste in my mouth.
Was it because it had been so long since someone treated me with respect? Or was it because this man was a safety net sent by Tulia’s family?
As I took Luc’s hand and began to walk, a strangely refreshing feeling washed over me.
Oh. I really feel like a noble lady now.
Due to the massive commotion yesterday, Lilius hadn't even been able to properly reclaim the first floor, which he had hurriedly decorated with his own funds.
Unlike the wretched second floor, the first floor was polished and beautiful. The gap between them was as wide as a shabby attic and Cinderella’s castle. Thanks to that, my heart fluttered as if under a spell during the short walk down the stairs.
Of course, the pajamas and slippers I was wearing were still a total mess.
“Lady Tulia. I noticed yesterday that you referred to His Grace as ‘Grandfather.’”
“I can’t exactly call him ‘Grandmother,’ can I?”
When I looked at him with a questioning gaze, Luc let out a light chuckle.
“Indeed. It’s just been a very long time since I’ve heard that title.”
Luc said only that and fell silent. However, the faint smile lingering on his face made it clear to anyone that he was amused.
I understood his meaning a beat late.
Ah, right. Usually, the Frezier grandchildren address the Grand Duke as ‘Grand Lord.’
Most nobles in this empire called their parents ‘Father’ and ‘Mother.’ In the case of the Imperial Family, they used ‘Imperial Father’ and ‘Imperial Mother.’
The Grand Ducal House of Frezier was a massive family that rivaled the Imperial Family. After all, they were the only Grand Duchy. Thus, Grand Duke Asis Frezier’s other sons addressed him formally as ‘Father,’ just as Lilius had been groveling and doing so all day yesterday. It was a sort of specialized etiquette for the Grand Ducal House.
But there was exactly one son who didn't.
Marquis Frezier.
Tulia’s father.
For the record, the relationship between Grand Duke Asis and Marquis Frezier was the absolute worst. Calling them father and son was an understatement; they were more like mortal enemies.
—A tiger that has started losing its teeth naturally loses the ability to handle its own household affairs.
In this entire empire, Tulia’s father was the only one with a vicious enough tongue to say something like that to the Iron-Blooded Grand Duke Asis Frezier.
There was no way a Marquis with that kind of personality would observe polite etiquette toward the Grand Duke, so he never called him ‘Father.’
So it makes sense why Luc said it’s been a long time since he heard that title.
I didn't think I needed to change how I addressed the Grand Duke even when I met him again. Tulia was already under a faint cloud of suspicion regarding whether she was truly of the Frezier bloodline. If I could appeal to the fact that I shared even small similarities with Marquis Frezier, it would be a gain for me, never a loss.
Besides, with the Grand Duke’s personality, if he thought I was being rude, he would have lopped my head off already.
I was grateful that my head was still firmly attached. Though I didn't know when the Status Window might decide to cut it off.
I cleared my throat, looking at my Wealth stat, which was still glowing gloomily in the negatives.
“Ahem, Luc.”
“Yes, My Lady.”
“So, um, when will my budget be properly disbursed?”
“You will find out once we reach the main castle.”
* * *
As expected, the Chief Assistant of the Grand Ducal House did not speak empty words.
It wasn't that my new bedroom was piled high with literal treasures. However, several thick documents were laid out on the solid wood table.
Since the amount was the most important thing to me, I dashed toward them the moment the bedroom door closed. I carefully opened the thick envelope and strained my eyes to read the contents.
Thank goodness I can read the script.
My eyes, which had been scanning the small, complex letters line by line, widened completely when I reached the end.
“One, ten, a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand, a hundred thousand, a million, ten million, a hundred million, a billion…”
The document listed a staggering amount that made my heart throb.
I quickly gathered the promissory notes I had received from Viscount Lilius. They were full of looming deadlines, just moments away from the land ownership being completely transferred.
The moment I handed the sealed documents to the assistant Luc had left behind—
The System window began to flash before my eyes. A strange sense of elation and excitement enveloped me.
[System] Wealth -8 achieved!
[System] Wealth -7 achieved!
[System] Wealth -6 achieved!
.
.
.
[System] Wealth 0 achieved!
Just how much debt did she have that even with this much money, her Wealth couldn't surpass 1?
Just as I was shaking my head in disbelief, a rainbow-colored effect suddenly filled my vision.
[System] 1,000 Coins have been awarded as a First Rank Up Bonus.
[System] Coins held: 0 → 1,000
Current Overall Rating: F
Chapter 2: The Grand Ducal House
Grand Duke Asis Frezier was looking out the window with his hands behind his back.
His gaze was as fierce as a predator’s, making it hard to believe he was a man of advanced age.
“To think such a young thing is already so wicked as to torment her lacking cousin…”
The fact that Tedric Frezier had his Lineage Pendant confiscated was an event with greater repercussions than expected. However, the specific details of the cause had not spread far. It was merely known that he had displeased Grand Duke Asis.
This was partly because there were few people present yesterday, and partly because the Grand Duke’s direct aide had personally ensured the subordinates kept their mouths shut. Lilius, Tedric’s father and the Grand Duke’s youngest son, would work even harder to conceal it since it was his own son’s disgrace.
As for Tulia Frezier…
“That child is all alone.”
Like many of Asis’s grandchildren, Tulia was among those who feared the Grand Duke the most. She was always trembling, unable to even greet him properly, so it had been a long time since he had looked directly into her eyes.
Yet, strangely, he couldn't quite remember the color of her eyes. All he vividly recalled was the despair and fear filling the eyes of the granddaughter who looked up at him while shaking.
A sense of desperation that didn't suit a mere fifteen-year-old.
He had believed that raising grandchildren was the responsibility of his children. He felt that since he had done his best to raise his own children, it was only right to let them raise their own offspring entirely. He considered that to be the proper duty of a parent.
If Tulia were the child of his deceased eldest daughter, Hyacinthia, it might be different, but she was the daughter of his second son, who was perfectly alive and well.
And yet, he felt a strange discomfort. The granddaughter’s eyes, filled with a desperate plea for life, kept bothering him like a drop of ink on white cloth.
“My Lord.”
With a knock, Luc Kelposher, the Chief Assistant, entered.
“Lady Tulia has arrived.”
In an instant, Grand Duke Asis Frezier’s brow furrowed slightly.
As Han Ina had grasped beforehand from the game, Grand Duke Asis Frezier was a man of sharp principles. He detested relatives snitching on each other, and he considered it pathetic and indecisive for someone to come back and cling to him claiming unfairness after a judgment had already been rendered.
That was why neither Lilius, who had hurried away yesterday with a dark face, nor his wife Aubrey, dared to seek him out.
“Tell her to go back.”
“Yes. She has already left.”
“…?”
“The Lady has already departed, My Lord.”
At those words, even Grand Duke Asis was momentarily taken aback, a rare occurrence.
“Then why did she come?”
As he turned around, he noticed that Luc Kelposher’s hands were not empty. He held a small basket covered with a white cloth.
“The Lady asked me to deliver this to you, My Lord.”