Now that I’ve reached an agreement with Rashid, I just need to do well. Whether what I’m about to do can be called ‘doing well’, I can’t tell, but anyway.

First, I examined the ledger of the ducal household. It was to find out how much money I could manage.

The ledger recorded by Alisa contained detailed income and expenditure entries for what you might call the household expenses.

At a glance, I noticed that the scale of expenditures was quite small.

During the slightly over a year since marrying him, Alisa hadn’t held any large-scale banquets or receptions. She only held a few tea parties, minimizing such gatherings. It was out of concern that Rashid might find them bothersome.

She hadn’t bought many dresses or jewels either. Furniture, paintings, and sculptures were practically not purchased at all. This was also because Alisa had been mindful of Rashid’s preferences.

He never explicitly said anything about it. She just thought and acted that way on her own. It was typical of the timid and anxious Alisa.

‘It’ll be difficult to receive alimony for now.’

If it appears that I’m the reason for the divorce, it would be difficult to receive proper alimony. Although there’s a high possibility that Rashid would willingly give it, there was no justification on the surface.

I should probably secure some assets that could be mine even after the divorce. That way, I could buy a small house in a quiet town later and live off that money for the rest of my life. Now that I know I can’t rely on my family, money is the only thing I can trust.

For that, buying luxury items like precious metals or accessories would be best. Dresses aren’t bad either, but jewelry has better liquidity. Since it’s customary in this society for the wife to take dresses and jewelry regardless of the reason for divorce, Rashid won’t say anything about it to me.

‘If I buy and collect such things from now on, I can also earn the title of an extravagant Duchess, which is perfect, right?’

I felt a bit guilty. It feels like I’m embezzling or something…. But this is much better in many ways than relying on Count Legentia. For my sake, and for Father’s sake too.

I even thought for a moment that I shouldn’t have given jewelry to Louise, but I decided not to regret what I’ve already given.

‘Besides, Rashid is rich.’

I felt a little sorry, but it couldn’t be helped.

‘Still, if he divorces me smoothly, he won’t be called the Duke who drove out his wife when he meets Priscilla later.’

Later, he’ll feel grateful to me for divorcing him in advance. Let’s think of this as drawing in advance the gratitude money he might want to give me then.

After forcibly convincing myself like that, I looked at the budget allocated to the Duchess.

It says 1 million freti, but how much is that exactly?

Unable to gauge it, I roughly estimated it to be close to 100 billion won in Korean currency.

‘Gasp….’

My eyes spun at the unbelievable amount. I swallowed hard.

This was the annual budget. The ducal household’s annual income was several times that. Of course, the total asset scale was dozens of times the annual income. Moreover, if I needed, I could use more than the annual budget given to me.

It’s not all money that can be used personally. I had to manage and distribute the budget well to cover the salaries of the employees, the maintenance costs of the mansion, donations made in the name of the Duke’s household, and so on.

Even so, it was too much. Is this the level of the Penvernon ducal household? If I think of it as managing the budget of a company or local government, it’s not an impossible level… but since it can also be used privately, it felt somewhat overwhelming.

‘Since he probably doesn’t trust Alisa, the allocated amount isn’t even on the high side.’

And yet it’s this much.

Even with all this money, there’s not much I can spend it on in this world. The only things that come to mind right away are purchases of luxurious dresses or jewels.

Buying real estate like land or mansions could be one option. I’m not sure if there are suitable places or how far transactions are possible. I might not even be able to afford the land prices with the budget I can manage.

I should use it to the maximum possible extent and then request for more. Among that, I should use the luxury expenses most actively. I should also hold some banquets and such.

Planning how to spend money has always been enjoyable, both then and now. As I learn more about this world, more effective ways to indulge in luxury and more noticeable ways to make the imperial family and temple raise their eyebrows will probably come to mind.

So I decided to acquire the basic qualities of a bad wife first.

That is, extravagance and waste.

* * *

A few days later, I headed to the bustling area of the capital.

It was an outing to actually see what kind of city Granrose was, to get some fresh air as staying only in the mansion was stuffy, and to change my mood.

“Where shall we go, my lady?”

Macy, who was accompanying me on the outing, asked.

For now, I plan to stop by a boutique for shopping, but where would be good… Preferably, a place where rumors about me spending a lot of money and buying loads of dresses would spread quickly.

The boutique Alisa used to frequent wasn’t bad. However, its designs had a somewhat simple and elegant feel.

A more extravagant place would be suitable for today’s shopping. A place that uses decorations and fabrics generously, boasting high prices. A place good for announcing to high society that the taste of the Duchess of Penvernon has changed.

‘Ah, right. Was it Kruger Boutique?’

I recalled the name I had heard at the Chrysante family’s party. It was said to be the most popular dressmaker among the noble ladies and ladies of the capital these days.

The owner, Madame Kruger, is said to have such a high nose. I heard that she not only makes unique dresses with a mix of exotic tastes but also uses expensive decorations generously on hats and shoes.

Moreover, she values her clothes highly, charging more than the cost of materials and labor, and it seems that’s what drives the noble ladies crazy.

‘It’s a kind of luxury business, I see.’

In such a place, I could spend money lavishly even with just a few pieces. It would also be easy for the noblewomen visiting the boutique to gossip about my spending habits. It was the most appropriate place to create gossip about what I bought and for how much.

I decided on Kruger Boutique as our destination.

The Duke’s carriage arrived at the boutique before long. The store located in the heart of the capital’s bustling area caught the eye with its bright exterior.

“Oh my goodness. Welcome, Lady Penvernon.”

When I entered, Madame Kruger of Kruger Boutique recognized and greeted me. She welcomed me so warmly as if we had met several times before that I almost mistook her for an acquaintance.

It must be our first meeting, so how did she recognize me? Surely she didn’t study portraits of nobles? Or did she confirm the carriage’s emblem in this brief moment?

Anyway, people who are intent on making money are extraordinary everywhere. I briefly marveled at her behavior that made me want to stick out my tongue.

Madame Kruger guided me to the inner part of the boutique.

Various dresses, hats, and shoes were displayed inside the store.

The unique point of this place was that there was space in the room.

She didn’t spare the luxury of space and arranged the displays beautifully. She also paid attention to furniture and decorations, elaborately adorning the interior, creating an atmosphere more like a salon than a simple dress shop.

This is certainly why noble ladies were instantly captivated.

I smiled faintly and greeted her.

“Nice to meet you, Madame. I’m Alisa Penvernon. I came to have a dress made.”

“I would have gladly rushed to your mansion if you had called, it’s an honor to have the Duchess personally visit us.”

“Several ladies have spoken to me about Madame’s boutique. They say it’s the most notable boutique in the capital these days.”

“You flatter me.”

Madame Kruger naturally handed me a catalog.

“If you choose from here, we will take your measurements and custom-make it for you. You can select the design and tell us how you want the fabric and decorations.”