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"On the first day the god made the continent, he told us to eat bread made with honey and milk to celebrate it. So, the god also thought the first day was something worth celebrating. That is why we have cakes on birthdays. As it is the first day we met the world, we do as the god told us and have a cake that is a kind of bread made with honey and milk."
"Oh... I see. I didn't know that. So, we have cakes on birthdays because it is the first day we met the world. My god, celebrating a birthday was to celebrate and remember what the god gave to us."
And like most other people in the Seritos Kingdom, the cook was a very pious man. Steven was deeply moved by Rubica teaching him the god's will which he had not known.
"The god most certainly said so. Yes, the first day is worth celebrating. Celebrating the first day you lived as Duchess Claymore is the same as the god said. Why couldn't I think of it earlier? I know so little. Following the god's will requires a lot of studying and efforts."
Rubica had been waiting for that and smiled.
"Then could you bring me ice cream made with honey and strawberry cake at the end of the dinner?"
"Of course, Your Grace!"
Of course, Rubica was going to make the next day and its next day into very special days as well. She left the kitchen and found Ann and told her to order extra sugar, almond powder, and chocolate.
"But Your Grace, why do you want me to order them so suddenly?"
"I think they will be needed very much from now on..."
Ann was confused. Then, she asked carefully, "Do you crave for sweet things?"
"Huh? Um, I suppose I do."
"Don't you want anything like sour fruits?"
Rubica couldn't see why Ann was asking that. Why was she asking if she wanted to eat sour fruits so suddenly?
'Is she just trying to know my taste?'
Rubica had always liked sweet and sour fruits. She thought it would be nice to have fresh fruit while eating a sweet cake.
"I like plums, but they are not in season yet."
"But I should be able to get preserved plums. I see, so you want to eat plums and sweet things."
Ann looked at Rubica's belly and smiled happily. Rubica wondered for a moment if the housekeeper was silently implying that she had to keep her body in shape, but she was smiling way too broadly for that.
"Please don't worry. I will order them immediately."
Rubica had been worried that Ann might tell her she was spending money on useless things again after what had happened with Sesar, but she was saying okay way too easily.
She thought it was a little odd, but she decided to think about it later.
***
Same day as always. The sunshine that came through his office's windows was the same and even the air felt the same. The desk, the papers, the ink, and the pen. They were all pretty much the same.
But for some reason, Edgar's heart wasn't the same. He kept looking out the window to see the garden as he worked. A strange impatience made his eyes move. He didn't even know what he was looking for as he skimmed through the moss under the trees.
"Your Grace."
When he was taking a break looking out the window after finishing signing the papers, Carl came with some fruits and water. Carl always knew what Edgar needed as if he had been born to work as a butler.
Moreover, Edgar realized what the unpleasant feeling had been floating around his mind was the moment he saw him. It was curiosity.
"How is Rubica doing?"
And that curiosity was about Rubica. Could that woman who knew nothing survive among the greedy Claymores? Edgar was worried.
But what was he worried about? He frowned.
'It would be a problem if she fails to get their respect as the duchess. '
How could it be a problem for him if Rubica failed to get their respect?
'When the wife is not respected, so is the husband. '
He stopped frowning only when he reached such a conclusion. Rubica failing to get used to her new position and its duties was about Edgar's honor, so he could worry about her as much as he wanted.
"According to Ann, she has refused requests of the visitors with appropriate words."
"Requests? What kind of requests?"
"Some asked her to buy the things they invented in great quantity. Some asked her to let them handle the purchase of fertilizers for the winter. Some wanted to tutor her to adjust her in the high society. Things like that."
Edgar frowned again. They hadn't made such requests when he was making decisions on the overall budget and Ann was managing the household. His relatives were practically bandits without knives.
They avoided Edgar because they knew they couldn't win him and went after Rubica as she had just become the duchess and didn't know much.
"How dare they... !"
"But Her Grace has refused them, so there won't be much of such requests from now. Oh!"
Carl tried to make Edgar calm down. Then, he was reminded of something but didn't say anything.
"Oh?"
"I'm sorry. It's nothing worth your attention."
Bam!
Edgar hit the desk.
Carl had started talking but shut his mouth. It made him angry as Edgar hated being fooled more than anything. He had a trauma about it, and Carl regretted his mistake.
"Tell me."
"But Her Grace will tell you herself. It would be better for your relationship to hear it directly from..."
"Carl!"
Carl wondered if he should run out of the door for a moment. But his priority was the duke, not the duchess. He knew Edgar wouldn't be able to focus on his work if he ran.
No, that was actually an excuse. Carl just didn't want to be a bad man to him anymore.
"His Grace has decided to invest in the rose development of Lord Sesar."
"Rose?" Edgar asked back.
He well knew about his relative's passion for flowers. He had come to Edgar and tried to make him invest for hours.
Most other relatives tended to run away when Edgar spoke just one word of refusal, but Sesar was different. He didn't give up for so long that Edgar almost said yes because he panicked at seeing the light of dawn coming through the windows.
"Has she decided so because he bothered her too much?"
"No. She decided on it the moment Lord Sesar spoke of it."
"And the reason is?"
"... she said she wanted to decorate the garden with roses."
"The garden?"
Edgar twirled his pen. Did she really wanted to decorate the garden with roses? After twirling the pen for about a dozen times, he threw it on the desk and swept his hair up.
"I really don't know."
It was strange. She had refused all the requests of the other relatives and said yes on roses? Lord Sesar's insistence was famous but, according to Carl, she hadn't surrendered to that passion.
"... although Ann wasn't happy about Her Grace's decision, I think it isn't a bad choice."
Edgar frowned even harder at that.
"Ann?"
"Her Grace has agreed to export the new roses and share the revenue with Lord Sesar. To add my opinion, I think it will be profitable. It will not be a loss as long as Lord Sesar succeeds in making the flowers."
Carl started to sweat hard when Edgar frowned even harder at hearing him defend Rubica.
What had offended the duke? To be honest, Carl had been surprised when he heard what Rubica had said from Ann. She had found profitability in the ridiculous experiment of a passionate botanist.
"You..."
"Yes, Your Grace?"
"You are confessing way too much after hesitating."
Carl's face turned pale and immediately bowed.
"I am sorry, Your Grace."
"It's fine."
"Um..."
Carl gulped hard. He wondered if he had to say it, but he had already spoken too much. As it had already happened, he thought it would be better to say everything he knew. It was going to do good to the duke's relationship with his wife.
"Ann has asked Her Grace to mention it to you, so she will speak of it first if you wait."
Edgar's face darkened even more at this. He had not been happy with Ann's actions that had been popping up in Carl's report.
"Why?"
"Excuse me?"
Carl fell in panic for a moment because he didn't know why Edgar was angry. When it was about the new mistress, he couldn't guess his master's feelings.
"Why should she tell me that?"
"Because it will cost too much... and Ann thought it was a research that wasn't part of household management, so she asked Her Grace that it would be right to tell you at least."
Edgar sighed as he could see what Ann was worried about. Rubica had just become the duchess. Who on earth could excel at the given job right from the beginning?
Moreover, the Claymore Family's budget differed greatly in size and use from other noble families' budgets. Even Edgar had been confused when he started to work as Duke Claymore. It had been hard for him even though he had been educated as the heir, so it must have been worse for Rubica.
However, this was too much.
Rubica was the one who had the right to manage the household's budget. How could she comfortably live if she had to get his permission for everything?
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