In the northeastern part of the empire, in the Sasha Territory, sat the largest slum, Glarry. It was practically a headache for the empire, and the incidents and accidents caused by extreme poverty were so notorious that they were frequently reported in the newspapers.
This also contributed to the prejudice that the Duchzan Territory, which was close to Sasha's territory, would be poor.
If there was anyone who looked down on me for being the Grand Duchess of Duchzan, it was clearly because of their prejudice that they thought the power of the Grand Duchess of Duchzan was nothing special.
At this charity party, I wanted to not only break these stereotypes, but also show that I held a fairly important position in the Duchzan family.
So, the solution was to throw a charity party to raise money for the slums. The slums weren't far from Duchzan Territory, so Duchzan Territory wouldn't be harmed by their development. The party was held with the hope of gaining both practical benefits and popular support.
It was only natural that I put more effort into my makeup than ever before. Before the party, I sat down at my vanity table for the last time and selected my accessories.
Anna placed a gorgeous, red earring, reminiscent of a rose, on my earlobe. I looked in the mirror, shook my head, and pointed to another earring.
“Anna, give me the emerald earrings.”
Anna tilted her head as she looked at the earrings I was pointing at.
"Madam, at your age, I think such a sophisticated color would be a shame. You chose a calm color for your dress, too."
"I am the Grand Duchess of Duchzan. Today, status is more important than age."
Anna looked regretful, but without further comment, she placed the earring on my earlobe. Her voluminous blonde hair was carefully pulled up, and her once girlish face appeared more mature.
“Even with all this decoration, you still look like a cute little girl.”
Anna said with a smile. I touched my cheek and spoke with concern.
“I don’t want to look funny.”
“Oh my, you were so confident in front of His Highness the Grand Duke.”
I stood up, glancing at Anna, who was teasing me, through the mirror. I left the room, attended to by Anna.
Before heading down the stairs alone, I briefly looked up to the fourth floor. I hadn't seen him since we briefly greeted each other this morning. I probably won't see him again all day.
"Lady."
Anna cautiously urged me on, as if I had been looking up at the fourth floor for longer than I'd expected. I nodded and descended the stairs.
It wasn't that I was resenting Julian for not attending the party. I didn't deserve it. It was my first time hosting a party at the Duchzans' residence, so they were giving me special treatment.
Still, I couldn't completely erase the thought that if Julian had been by my side...
I tried to act calm and entered the hall with a smile. The people in the party hall greeted me with applause. I climbed up to the stage set up in the hall and gave a brief bow. After a few predictable greetings, I looked around and said.
"The Glarry slums are adjacent to the Duchzan Territory, so I've felt the damage even more deeply. As the Grand Duchess, I wish to share in their suffering. Therefore, I'm donating 1 billion gold and establishing an educational facility to personally manage it."
The mention of one billion gold caused a murmur and a collective murmur. Even for a Grand Duke, that was by no means a small sum.
People were whispering fervently behind their fans, their mouths covered, while their eyes looked at me. Their eyes were saying this.
'Is the new Grand Duchess worthy of this?'
'Isn't it possible that the Grand Duke is installing it in a place the Grand Duke doesn't know about?'
But I looked them straight in the eye and said:
“I dedicate this honor to His Highness the Grand Duke of Duchzan, my husband and the lord of Duchzan Territory.”
It was revealed that all this was happening steadily behind the back of my staunchest ally, Grand Duke Duchzan. The people's eyes were filled with doubt once again.
'How?'
But the nobles were masters of double standards. The people, with smiling faces and concealing their true feelings, applauded once more, and I bowed slightly and descended the platform.
People formed a small river around me, but their gazes were focused on me. If I just stood there, someone would surely approach me.
I wondered what kind of serpent would approach, but at first, it was a cute and courageous young lady. She still had baby fat on her cheeks, not yet fully grown, but her eyes were bright and sparkling.
"Hello, Grand Duchess Duchan. It is an honor to meet you."
“Nice to meet you, too, Young Lady. Which family are you from?”
At my kind question, the Young Lady who seemed intelligent at first glance smiled smoothly, unusual for someone her age.
"This is Sina from Baron Heira. I never dreamed I'd meet the person I admired so much."
Ah, the daughter of Baron Heira. At Sina's loud voice, I heard the people gathered around me snort.
The Baron Heira family was a large merchant family and was wealthy. However, their wealth, disproportionate to their lowly status, often became a laughing stock.
Fortunately, Sina didn't seem to mind at all. She remained consistently upright. Compared to those foolish people, she seemed much more mature.
"Your Highness, we, Baron Heira, would like to contribute a little joy to this charity party. First, I would like to donate 100 million gold from my personal fortune. I would also like to encourage my father, Baron Heira, to donate to this charity party. What do you think?"
When Sina mentioned the figure of "100 million gold," everyone who had been noisily making noise fell silent. I was deeply moved by this reckless young lady.
"I would be more than happy if you could do that. The Glarry slums will also be able to enjoy much more vibrant days with that help."
Sina, who was delighted with my reaction, said with both hands clasped politely.
“I would like to take advantage of this meeting to receive a small gift from Your Highness, the Grand Duchess.”
“What do you wish for, Young Lady?”
"A small gift."
This also contributed to the prejudice that the Duchzan Territory, which was close to Sasha's territory, would be poor.
If there was anyone who looked down on me for being the Grand Duchess of Duchzan, it was clearly because of their prejudice that they thought the power of the Grand Duchess of Duchzan was nothing special.
At this charity party, I wanted to not only break these stereotypes, but also show that I held a fairly important position in the Duchzan family.
So, the solution was to throw a charity party to raise money for the slums. The slums weren't far from Duchzan Territory, so Duchzan Territory wouldn't be harmed by their development. The party was held with the hope of gaining both practical benefits and popular support.
It was only natural that I put more effort into my makeup than ever before. Before the party, I sat down at my vanity table for the last time and selected my accessories.
Anna placed a gorgeous, red earring, reminiscent of a rose, on my earlobe. I looked in the mirror, shook my head, and pointed to another earring.
“Anna, give me the emerald earrings.”
Anna tilted her head as she looked at the earrings I was pointing at.
"Madam, at your age, I think such a sophisticated color would be a shame. You chose a calm color for your dress, too."
"I am the Grand Duchess of Duchzan. Today, status is more important than age."
Anna looked regretful, but without further comment, she placed the earring on my earlobe. Her voluminous blonde hair was carefully pulled up, and her once girlish face appeared more mature.
“Even with all this decoration, you still look like a cute little girl.”
Anna said with a smile. I touched my cheek and spoke with concern.
“I don’t want to look funny.”
“Oh my, you were so confident in front of His Highness the Grand Duke.”
I stood up, glancing at Anna, who was teasing me, through the mirror. I left the room, attended to by Anna.
Before heading down the stairs alone, I briefly looked up to the fourth floor. I hadn't seen him since we briefly greeted each other this morning. I probably won't see him again all day.
"Lady."
Anna cautiously urged me on, as if I had been looking up at the fourth floor for longer than I'd expected. I nodded and descended the stairs.
It wasn't that I was resenting Julian for not attending the party. I didn't deserve it. It was my first time hosting a party at the Duchzans' residence, so they were giving me special treatment.
Still, I couldn't completely erase the thought that if Julian had been by my side...
I tried to act calm and entered the hall with a smile. The people in the party hall greeted me with applause. I climbed up to the stage set up in the hall and gave a brief bow. After a few predictable greetings, I looked around and said.
"The Glarry slums are adjacent to the Duchzan Territory, so I've felt the damage even more deeply. As the Grand Duchess, I wish to share in their suffering. Therefore, I'm donating 1 billion gold and establishing an educational facility to personally manage it."
The mention of one billion gold caused a murmur and a collective murmur. Even for a Grand Duke, that was by no means a small sum.
People were whispering fervently behind their fans, their mouths covered, while their eyes looked at me. Their eyes were saying this.
'Is the new Grand Duchess worthy of this?'
'Isn't it possible that the Grand Duke is installing it in a place the Grand Duke doesn't know about?'
But I looked them straight in the eye and said:
“I dedicate this honor to His Highness the Grand Duke of Duchzan, my husband and the lord of Duchzan Territory.”
It was revealed that all this was happening steadily behind the back of my staunchest ally, Grand Duke Duchzan. The people's eyes were filled with doubt once again.
'How?'
But the nobles were masters of double standards. The people, with smiling faces and concealing their true feelings, applauded once more, and I bowed slightly and descended the platform.
People formed a small river around me, but their gazes were focused on me. If I just stood there, someone would surely approach me.
I wondered what kind of serpent would approach, but at first, it was a cute and courageous young lady. She still had baby fat on her cheeks, not yet fully grown, but her eyes were bright and sparkling.
"Hello, Grand Duchess Duchan. It is an honor to meet you."
“Nice to meet you, too, Young Lady. Which family are you from?”
At my kind question, the Young Lady who seemed intelligent at first glance smiled smoothly, unusual for someone her age.
"This is Sina from Baron Heira. I never dreamed I'd meet the person I admired so much."
Ah, the daughter of Baron Heira. At Sina's loud voice, I heard the people gathered around me snort.
The Baron Heira family was a large merchant family and was wealthy. However, their wealth, disproportionate to their lowly status, often became a laughing stock.
Fortunately, Sina didn't seem to mind at all. She remained consistently upright. Compared to those foolish people, she seemed much more mature.
"Your Highness, we, Baron Heira, would like to contribute a little joy to this charity party. First, I would like to donate 100 million gold from my personal fortune. I would also like to encourage my father, Baron Heira, to donate to this charity party. What do you think?"
When Sina mentioned the figure of "100 million gold," everyone who had been noisily making noise fell silent. I was deeply moved by this reckless young lady.
"I would be more than happy if you could do that. The Glarry slums will also be able to enjoy much more vibrant days with that help."
Sina, who was delighted with my reaction, said with both hands clasped politely.
“I would like to take advantage of this meeting to receive a small gift from Your Highness, the Grand Duchess.”
“What do you wish for, Young Lady?”
"A small gift."
Since it was a tangible business, there was no reason not to accept. Sina, who had always looked at me with a businessman's eye, suddenly clenched her hands tightly, her eyes sparkling with innocence.
“Please invite me to a tea party.”
It was such a simple breeze. Everyone else who had been eavesdropping on our conversation hid their laughter under their fans. But I didn't need to. I let out a small laugh. Sina's cheeks flushed adorably.
"Yes, Young Lady. I'll definitely invite you to the tea party next time."
“Are you sure?”
“Of course.”
Sina stepped back with a look of excitement on her face, as if she had just received an autograph from her favorite artist.
After that, several people approached me and chatted about various things, but none were as cute and lively as Sina. Some encounters were the opposite.
When it became a little quieter, I was cautiously looking around to find the Marchioness Ariana Eliant.
But all I could see was Shuan in the distance. Even when our eyes met, Shuan didn't approach me, just sipping champagne from afar.
What is Shuan thinking right now?
As I was assessing Shuan's thoughts, a middle-aged man I'd seen somewhere approached me. He was short, but plump, giving him a rounded appearance. The most terrifying thing about him was his mustache. I could finally picture the owner of that ugly mustache.
Count Sasha.
Count Sasha was the lord of Sasha's estate, where the Glarry slums belonged. Even when I was very young, he was quite close to my father, Count Winsley.
Also, even up until then, the Glarry slums were not an area that was so helpless.
But at some point, Count Sasha turned his back on Count Winsley, and from that time on, the situation in the Glarry slums also rapidly worsened.
My father once said in a sad voice:
'Count Sasha wasn't that kind of person. He was truly pure and innocent.'
But Count Sasha has now become 'that kind of person'.
“Hello, Grand Duchess Duchzan.”
“It’s been a while, Count Sasha.”
When I was a child, Count Sasha used to call me "Layla" and dote on me. But now, he was nowhere to be seen. He shook my hand, his face shiny and greasy. I was glad I was wearing gloves as I shook his hand.
"Your Highness, the Grand Duchess, has truly grown up well. You even provide so much help to our estate."
"Is the problem in the Glarry slums solely Sasha's? We must share the Empire's pain."
“Hahaha! That’s right!”
Count Sasha laughed heartily and was delighted. He must have believed that all the money I donated would go into his own pocket.
No way. I knew Count Sasha well enough to see him like that. How could I just stand by and watch? It was just a pity that Count Sasha had a cute and intelligent daughter about the same age as Sina.
When I showed my stubborn attitude as if I had no idea what I was talking about, Count Sasha's eyebrows furrowed without any pretense.
Father, Count Sasha has become a greedy and transparent man, far from being innocent.
It was when I was about to turn around and tell my father, who still had not lost hope in humanity, my sad heart.
“Your Highness, if you do not harbor vain intentions, Prince Cain will forgive you.”
Count Sasha whispered to me slyly. I turned to him, my eyes glaring. He had his hands clasped together, his expression a questioning "Isn't that so?" He seemed to expect me to kneel and admit my words were correct.
Yes, I thought that was right. Since Count Sasha had revealed himself as Prince Cain's man, it seemed like the prey had revealed itself.
I turned around and took a step towards Count Sasha.
“Please invite me to a tea party.”
It was such a simple breeze. Everyone else who had been eavesdropping on our conversation hid their laughter under their fans. But I didn't need to. I let out a small laugh. Sina's cheeks flushed adorably.
"Yes, Young Lady. I'll definitely invite you to the tea party next time."
“Are you sure?”
“Of course.”
Sina stepped back with a look of excitement on her face, as if she had just received an autograph from her favorite artist.
After that, several people approached me and chatted about various things, but none were as cute and lively as Sina. Some encounters were the opposite.
When it became a little quieter, I was cautiously looking around to find the Marchioness Ariana Eliant.
But all I could see was Shuan in the distance. Even when our eyes met, Shuan didn't approach me, just sipping champagne from afar.
What is Shuan thinking right now?
As I was assessing Shuan's thoughts, a middle-aged man I'd seen somewhere approached me. He was short, but plump, giving him a rounded appearance. The most terrifying thing about him was his mustache. I could finally picture the owner of that ugly mustache.
Count Sasha.
Count Sasha was the lord of Sasha's estate, where the Glarry slums belonged. Even when I was very young, he was quite close to my father, Count Winsley.
Also, even up until then, the Glarry slums were not an area that was so helpless.
But at some point, Count Sasha turned his back on Count Winsley, and from that time on, the situation in the Glarry slums also rapidly worsened.
My father once said in a sad voice:
'Count Sasha wasn't that kind of person. He was truly pure and innocent.'
But Count Sasha has now become 'that kind of person'.
“Hello, Grand Duchess Duchzan.”
“It’s been a while, Count Sasha.”
When I was a child, Count Sasha used to call me "Layla" and dote on me. But now, he was nowhere to be seen. He shook my hand, his face shiny and greasy. I was glad I was wearing gloves as I shook his hand.
"Your Highness, the Grand Duchess, has truly grown up well. You even provide so much help to our estate."
"Is the problem in the Glarry slums solely Sasha's? We must share the Empire's pain."
“Hahaha! That’s right!”
Count Sasha laughed heartily and was delighted. He must have believed that all the money I donated would go into his own pocket.
No way. I knew Count Sasha well enough to see him like that. How could I just stand by and watch? It was just a pity that Count Sasha had a cute and intelligent daughter about the same age as Sina.
When I showed my stubborn attitude as if I had no idea what I was talking about, Count Sasha's eyebrows furrowed without any pretense.
Father, Count Sasha has become a greedy and transparent man, far from being innocent.
It was when I was about to turn around and tell my father, who still had not lost hope in humanity, my sad heart.
“Your Highness, if you do not harbor vain intentions, Prince Cain will forgive you.”
Count Sasha whispered to me slyly. I turned to him, my eyes glaring. He had his hands clasped together, his expression a questioning "Isn't that so?" He seemed to expect me to kneel and admit my words were correct.
Yes, I thought that was right. Since Count Sasha had revealed himself as Prince Cain's man, it seemed like the prey had revealed itself.
I turned around and took a step towards Count Sasha.
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