However, when they actually got there, they were being treated so poorly. Rubica was clearly implying she was in a much higher rank than they were, and it was her decision to grant them an audience or not.

‘She has already won Ann on her side.’

Zilehand glanced at Ann. She had been serving food with a cold expression and answering shortly. She wasn’t just a lady-in-waiting. She was a member of the Claymore Family, so they couldn’t be rude to her. The other relatives, who had come with him, had eaten the offered breakfast without complaints and were waiting at the reception room.

“I’m afraid there isn’t much as you came so suddenly.”

Ann wasn’t just saying that. The plates really had little food. As Claymore was a huge family, it always had enough food for the guests. However, Ann had been treating them poorly so openly. Even those who were angry had now been suppressed by her.

‘This can’t be good.’

The surprise announcement Edgar had made at the table was enough to surprise anyone. Soon the news was spread to the annexes. There lived people who made a profit by finding mana quartz, so one of them rode a horse all night to go to Zilehan and deliver the news. Zilehan, who had been sleeping on his bed, immediately came to the mansion as soon as he heard the news.

‘Many people’s livings depend on it…’

Moreover, Zilehan was one of them as well since he provided supplies for adventurers such as food, and it was where most of his revenue for the year would come from. As this was the first year of Edgar’s marriage, he had been thinking of proposing to organize a huge expedition to get really rare and magnificent mana quartz. He had planned to gain a lot from that as there was a good excuse for it.

‘But now I am about to lose the job itself…’

“The duchess is here.”

A servant announced what they had been waiting to hear. Everyone was relieved and stood up. Zilehan also stood up and waited. Soon the door was opened and Zilehan widened his eyes to see the girl who came in first.

The blue dress she was wearing was familiar to him. Every Claymore duchess had been beautiful, and Edgar’s grandmother had been one of the most beautiful. However, when seeing the girl wearing the blue dress, Zilehan could almost recall her.

The clear blue color of the dress added a mysterious tint to the girl’s arrogant gesture, and the jewels that glittered with her every step made her look like a princess of a wealthy kingdom.

Her short forelock that was in contrast with her thick blond hair highlighted her round face. Instead of the honest smile or shy expression girls of her age usually made when meeting adults, she was proudly looking down. However, it didn’t feel rude. It was like she was born to just look down on people. Her cold attitude was impressive and admirable.

When did Rubica get herself such a pretty girl as her lady-in-waiting? Zilehan tried to think hard, but he couldn’t remember anything about it. He had heard Rubica hired Elise Roan de Solana. However, he knew well about the poor girl. It had been him who advised her mother to ask the Claymore Family to take care of her daughter, but he didn’t bother to do more than that. Elise clearly hadn’t been able to fit in and had gotten thinner and more nervous every time he saw her, but he thought she had to handle that much to be a ward and didn’t pay more attention. Still, there was one thing that made him worried about her.

‘She is too ugly to get married.’

That is why he had told Mrs. Solana to hold on her dowry for her daughter’s future. Moreover, she was telling her daughter not to be extravagant and was doing her best to save.

Zilehan had been quite happy and relieved to hear Rubica had hired Elise as her lady-in-waiting. The girl was neither rich not pretty. He thought she was never going to meet a good man, so it would be better to get such a good and stable job.

However, he was shocked to hear Ann speak to the girl as she led Rubica to the duchess’ chair and step back.

“Elise, you’ve done well.”

‘Solana? That… that girl is Elise Solana?’

He blinked a few times and looked at the girl. The Elise who had always been afraid of others and nervous was gone. She didn’t mind their gaze and proudly straightened her back. Zilehan had known she was taller than other girls, but he hadn’t known her height would be so overwhelming. But everything was just too…

‘She is so pretty.’

Perfect. Her face, her hair, her gesture, it was all perfect. Zilehan was so surprised that he forgot he had come to protest to the duchess. And so did the others. Elise had stayed at the main building since she decided to be a lady-in-waiting, but for less than a week. No one had known the ugly duckling would become such a beautiful swan in such a short time. They were so shocked by Elise’s change that they were dumbfounded. They just opened their mouths and then closed them again like a fish.

“I know you were surprised by the duke’s decision and came early in the morning. I was surprised as well, I don’t know how I slept last night…”

Rubica didn’t miss that moment and spoke first before they could behave aggressively. Then, she sighed and rubbed her eyes, showing she hadn’t been able to sleep at all.

“I was so tired and shocked that I couldn’t treat you properly even after I heard you were here. I am sorry for that.”

She was somehow blaming them, but it wasn’t like they could complain about it when she was apologizing.

“We’re the ones who should apologize, we came without any notice. But the matter is so important that we couldn’t stay still. Your Grace, this is absurd. This just can’t happen.”

Rubica nodded after a round of complaints.

“I am pleading to the duke to cancel his decision.”

Then, silence filled the room as the relatives had nothing more to say. The duchess had already asked her husband to cancel his decision, and the duke was not here. Their initial anger had faded as the duchess was innocent. And still, she sat there listening to their complaints when they stormed to her place early in the morning. They had even been offered breakfast. Maybe she had taken time to come down not because she wanted to treat them poorly but was very tired.

“We are glad to know you agree with us.”

She didn’t. She was planning to delay them as much as possible and wait for the moment when Edgar’s decision would be unchangeable. So, she didn’t nod and just smiled faintly, and everyone took her smile as acknowledgment.

“Then please, do not stir too much trouble and keep your positions.”

She was telling them to go now. Everyone stood up but not Zilehan. The timing was important when recruiting adventurers. Miss the springtime and they would probably sign a contract with other employers. The budget had to be used as soon as possible. He decided to forget about the stubborn and incontrollable duke and work on Rubica.

“Your Grace, the duke does not have jurisdiction on the budget related to mana quartz. He is clearly crossing the line by making such a decision.”

The other relatives were glad to hear him point that out, but Rubica smiled awkwardly.

“But he has decided to manage it himself from now on.”

“But decorating the garden is part of your rights. Your Grace, you still have the right to make the decision.”

Here it came. Rubica was sad to know there was a relative whose head worked properly.

“But how could I dare to ignore his opinion?”

“It is a wise wife’s duty to stop her husband from choosing the wrong path.”

There was nothing better than talking about the wife’s duties to convince a woman. Zilehan had become famous among the relatives because he had many gifts, and talking well was one of them. Edgar was a man hard to control, but Rubica was only a 22-year-old from the countryside.

“It is written in the Lady’s Guide that a wife’s virtue is to follow her husband’s will.”

It wasn’t her favorite quote, but Rubica mentioned the name of many noble women’s must-read book to counter Zilehan.

“But is it always good to follow the husband’s will? You must stop this. Your Grace, we should send adventurers now to get mana quartz. We have already paid the down payment to the adventurers and they are preparing for the quest. I’m afraid I don’t know how they would react if we cancel the deal so suddenly.”

It made Rubica harden her face. She didn’t know the details of the process of getting mana quartz. The family had so many huge businesses. Ironically, such things that cost huge money were handled by the relatives and it was the duchess’ virtue to check if the mansion’s curtains were in the right color for the season.

‘Every relative here works in the business of getting mana quartz.’

And, of course, they took their commission and embezzled money. It was considered something right and no one even thought of pointing that out. And now, they were desperate because their livings depended on it, so Rubica couldn’t just listen to them and end it there.