I should buy a small mansion and garden property in a quiet area outside the capital. It should be somewhere that makes people think ‘Why buy a house there?’

It would be perfect if I could make that place my home. Unfortunately, unless Rashid gifted it to me, it would remain the duchy’s property.

Still, it’s fun to imagine how to decorate it. How wonderful that it’s not just limited in my imagination but something I can make real. It was appealing to actually implement what I had only pictured in my mind.

‘What else is there? Effective ways to waste money……’

While aiming for big things, I needed to regularly indulge in luxury. That would maintain the balance of the character of the ‘troublesome duchess’.

But I couldn’t think of any good methods.

‘If this were the original world, I could have freely bought the latest electronic devices.’

There’s not much to buy now. Because while there’s no electric lighting, there are magical lights in this world.

Here, magic substitutes for science to some extent. Mages research magical formulas like scientists, and through that, they produce increasingly evolved magic.

‘This probably happened as they tried to introduce modern conveniences into an old European-style worldview.’

It made sense if you thought of it as the world following the author’s setting. Science would have developed less because of magic. After all, in a world with magic, scientific principles might be different from the original world.

‘Magic……’

I fell into deep thought.

Come to think of it, noble ladies of old didn’t hesitate to support new ideas and culture in their salons. What if I did something like that?

‘Supporting magical research.’

Originally, research support tends to become blind investment. Pouring money into something that’s unlikely to produce developmental results is like pouring water into a bottomless pot. It would be even more so if supporting challenging projects that people would scoff at.

‘I should meet with mages first.’

That seemed necessary to decide what and how I would do things going forward.

* * *

“Have you visited the madam?”

Sylvester stopped Benjamin. Benjamin greeted the old butler with a respectful attitude.

“Yes. I reported what you asked for.”

“Though I followed her request, I cannot understand why she would ask for such a thing.”

Sylvester let out a long sigh. For him, it was difficult to comprehend the desire to deliberately hurt oneself. Even though she showed a more composed appearance than before, sharp words were unpredictable things that could tear someone apart at any moment.

“Are you worried about the madam?”

“Of course!”

Sylvester unconsciously raised his voice at Benjamin’s question. He even appeared anxious. Furrowing his brows and pacing back and forth was certainly unexpected for him.

“This is the first time I’ve seen you so flustered, Butler.”

“I’m merely showing appropriate concern as a butler.”

“She knows what she’s doing. Information gathering like this is common in social circles. Surely the madam has her reasons for wanting to hear these rumors?”

“Still……”

Benjamin shrugged his shoulders. Sylvester was acting like a grandfather worried about his granddaughter. The interesting part was that he seemed unaware of how he appeared.

In truth, all the servants of the duchy had already become followers of the Duchess.

To nobles, servants were typically like paintings or furniture in their mansion. Not people, but tools. Living furniture that could speak and move. That was the servants’ reason for existence.

However, the Duchess of Penvernon treated them like human beings.

She renovated their living quarters to make them comfortable, hired more staff to prevent overwork, and guaranteed higher wages. She arranged for them to take turns resting and sometimes gave them gifts. It was an unprecedentedly generous treatment.

They were busy singing the madam’s praises to servants from other households they were close with. Even the dismissal of Louise had become a tale of the madam’s righteous deed.

Still, it was remarkable that this stoic and experienced butler would be so concerned. Benjamin consoled him, finding it quite fascinating.

“You needn’t worry too much. Though I showed her the bad rumors as requested, there were many good stories about the madam as well.”

Like how she showed mercy to a struggling broker, or how Countess Spendal said she had good taste in furniture and decorations.

Or how some found it appealing that she had flustered the insufferably arrogant Scarlet Avellaine, or how she must be extraordinary given that she exchanged greetings with the Crown Prince and attended the opera with the Imperial Princess.

Since Alisa hadn’t asked, he hadn’t told her, but in conclusion, the good and bad evaluations essentially balanced out to zero.

“That’s a relief then.”

Only then did Sylvester finally relax his expression.

Benjamin shrugged his shoulders. It was truly puzzling loyalty.

While one seemed to welcome scandal, another trembled over someone else’s infamy. It was truly a case of different dreams in the same bed.

* * *

“This is difficult. Really difficult.”

Unfortunately, meeting mages wasn’t as easy as expected.

She thought they would welcome a noble’s visit with open arms, but how unexpected. The Magic Tower’s response was surprisingly cold.

“‘We humbly inform you that entry to the Magic Tower is not permitted without prior authorization’……”

Thinking she might be turned away if she visited without notice, she sent a message first, only to receive a letter containing a polite rejection.

“And moreover, permission isn’t easily obtained?”

“Yes, my lady. They say they’re particularly wary of nobles’ visits.”

Macy relayed what the messenger had learned.

Being wary of nobles’ visits meant they didn’t want to get involved with them if possible.

The Magic Tower was an organization under state surveillance. It made sense that they would want to prevent any rumors of collusion with nobles beforehand, as they would surely face scrutiny from the imperial family if such rumors spread.

‘Still, it could be a good opportunity for them.’

There was nothing to be done if they were being cautious even at the offer of investment. She couldn’t just leave money at their doorstep if they wouldn’t accept it. She had thought it would make a good issue, so it was somewhat disappointing that things turned out this way.

She opened the next letter. It was an invitation from Jeanne. It contained an apology for the previous commotion and an invitation to dinner. She thought about it for a moment but saw no reason to decline.

“My lady, Mr. Goldman has arrived.”

Just as she finished writing her reply, news of a guest’s arrival came.

“Alright, I’ll be right there.”

When she went to the reception room, a man stood up and greeted her.

“Have you been well, my lady?”

“Thanks to you. Please sit, Goldman.”

Mark Goldman. He was the broker who had previously mediated the purchase of the mine in Samoa County.

Today, she had called him to ask him to look for a decorative mansion to be newly established.

“Last time, thanks to you, I was able to buy a good item.”

“You’re too kind. I’m just happy that I could be of help to the duchy.”

Mark smiled sheepishly. His words were quite sweet as he tried to match her mood. It couldn’t be helped. Thanks to her paying him a satisfactory brokerage fee, his living conditions must have improved considerably.

“The reason I asked to see you today is that I’d like you to look for a mansion.”

At her words, Mark’s eyes lit up.

“I’d like somewhere not too far from the capital in the suburbs. Better if it’s built in an elaborate style.”

“Are you thinking of it as a villa?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Even though the Penvernon duchy already had numerous villas.

“The larger the garden grounds, the better.”

“I’ll look into it. However, given your conditions, it might be somewhat expensive……”

Mark carefully observed her reaction. It was a question of how much budget he should consider.

“I am a Penvernon, Goldman. Does that answer your question?”

When she repeated words she had heard before, Mark bowed respectfully.

“How could there be any doubt? I will find a place that perfectly matches your eyes and heart, my lady.”

It had seemed like an absurd statement when she heard it, but it felt different when she said it herself. Rashid probably said ‘I am a Penvernon’ to her back then hoping for this effect. He wouldn’t know that such prestige meant little to her.

“Thank you. I like working with you because things go smoothly. How nice it would be if everything in the world worked this way.”

She let out a short sigh while recalling the Magic Tower. Since setting divorce as her goal, there hadn’t been anything that didn’t go according to her plans, but the Magic Tower’s rejection was an unexpected obstacle.

“Do you have some difficulty as well, my lady?”

Mark asked carefully.

“Yes. Even the Magic Tower won’t move according to my wishes.”

“Do you have business with the Magic Tower?”

She nodded.

“I hear it’s not easy for nobles to gain entry.”

“When nobles request to meet them, they become even more wary. Throughout the empire’s history, whenever the Magic Tower became close to noble houses, a bloodbath invariably followed.”