Rubica was shocked to see Edgar finding ways to spend money on places she hadn’t even imagined.

She shouldn’t have overlooked the ‘decorations that pretended to be humble but must have cost a master craftsman’s wrists,’ which she had seen in the carriage on her way to Claymore Mansion.

“Carl, send a carriage to the capital.”

And she even had to witness him sending a mana stone carriage to the capital to bring the best jeweler in the kingdom.

Then, he looked around the sewing room, then the bedroom, and made all kinds of orders which Rubica couldn’t have even imagined.

There was one thing she had forgotten.

Even though she was from a merchant family, what she knew about extravagance was within the standards of the Seritos Kingdom that had frugality as a virtue.

On the other hand, Edgar had met people from kingdoms that believed it was the nobles’ virtue to spend and boast about their wealth during his time at Aron’s Academy. What he knew about luxurious goods was beyond comparison with Rubica’s knowledge.

Indeed, people who have spent money are better at spending money.

***

Gifts from Rubica piled up high like mountains in Rubica’s room every day, and her maids were even happier than her to open the boxes.

“Oh, madam, look at the laces on these shoes. They are so thin.”

“The ribs of this fan are made of white jade, and they are even more delicate than fans made of wood. This baby angel carved here is so cute. From where did His Grace get such things?”

They all made a fuss as they went through all the things. Rubica, who normally would have been even more passionate than them, let out a heavy sigh.

‘I was only trying to make him see straight again as he was blinded by love, and I ended up with this bunch of gifts…’

As Edgar had guessed, she had asked for a gem because she wanted him to cease to love her. However, she hadn’t aimed for a safe refusal.

She just couldn’t believe that the man who had everything, even beauty, loved her when she was only an ordinary girl! She was neither extremely pretty nor extremely smart. Maybe he had gotten competitive when hearing that she was in love with someone else.

She believed he was only blinded by love, and he would easily get rid of that special feeling he had about her once he saw her again.

She wasn’t good enough to be Duchess Claymore, so a woman who was more capable and prettier than her had to take the place.

The former Duchess Claymores were just too great for her to put herself next to them.

So, she tried to make him come back to his senses but ended up making him even stranger.

“I heard the necklace the duke ordered will arrive tomorrow.”

“I had never seen such a pretty and huge ruby like that.”

Ruby…

Thinking of the time Edgar ordered that necklace still gave Rubica the goosebumps. The jeweler arrived in the mana stone carriage and showed several jewels, and Edgar just abruptly picked the biggest ruby he had.

-This is similar to your eye color, but I wish it sparkled a bit more…

-No, my eyes do not sparkle like that. Look closely. They are just brown with a slight red tint.

-What are you talking about? They are sparkling more than this ruby.

Then, he put the gem on her neck and sighed.

-Don’t you have a better one?

-Your Grace, it’s the best of the best rubies we have.

-Well then, I guess I have no choice but to settle on this, even though it is nothing compared to your sparkling eyes.

Rubica now truly regretted provoking him. She hadn’t known Edgar was so talented at spending money. He chose a necklace that had so many jewels that would surely give some pain to her neck, and even ordered matching earrings and ring.

In the end, Rubica couldn’t stand it anymore and tried to stop it.

-Edgar, aren’t you spending too much of your budget?

-I’m not using any budget. I’m using my personal money, so it’s fine.

-But you are spending too much.

-Where am I supposed to spend all the money I make? Should I buy necklaces and earrings for myself? Do not take the joy of buying jewels for you away from me.

Then, he ordered more emeralds and diamonds to decorate Rubica’s shoes. The jeweler ended up earning more than twice his average year revenue by that point and screamed happily.

However, Edgar didn’t stop there. He started to bring in all kinds of craftsmen after that. He used gold on everything Rubica used, from her fan to the small bags for putting things in.

-Do you need anything else? Like, something you need my help with.

And every time he made an order, he stared at her and asked that. What kind of torture was this? Seriously, Rubica didn’t know what to do.

-Please, my room is almost full now. Edgar, please stop ordering. I do not need anything else.

-Now that I think about it, your umbrellas and parasols are too plain. They have frames made of wood. You deserve something much more expensive than that. How about silver? Gold is too weak and bends easily.

-Edgar, please.

-Why? You don’t like silver? Then how about jade?

Edgar asked innocently. He was pouting a little since Rubica was still not telling him about Isaac’s matter.

He sent her piles of gifts so that she would not dare to use the tactic of ‘making him hate her by demanding wealth’ ever again.

And the merchants, who witnessed all of this, spread words as soon as they went back to the capital.

The duke was out of his mind with his love for his wife and was spending money like crazy for her, and she was desperately trying to stop him. Soon everyone knew about it and Rubica became ‘the frugal duchess’ without even knowing about it.

“Is there any way to cancel all this?”

“Please don’t say that. Each and every one of these goods has been made with extreme care, the merchants will be in trouble if you cancel the orders now.”

“You are right…”

Rubica unfolded a fan made of jade, feeling a little uneasy. But it was… so fascinatingly pretty.

“Your Grace, Madam Khanna is here.”

“Khanna? Oh, she must have finished the dresses I ordered. Tell her to wait in the sewing room. Elise, could you take this to Ann?”

Rubica sent Elise to Ann on purpose. Then, she went between the mountains of gifts to leave the room and went to the sewing room.

Khanna had come with three dresses with ribbons, just as she had promised.

“Wow, they are really pretty.”

Even though they had just been basted, they were even prettier than Rubica had expected.

The one made out of royal blue fabric that inspired the dress design was pretty, but so was the one for Rubica that had huge exotic flowers drawn on white.

“Please try it. We should see if it is uncomfortable or not.”

“Okay, I should try it first.”

However, as it was a new design, the maids didn’t know what to do with it, so Rubica calmly instructed them.

“Fix this part with pins and tie there with a strap.”

Khanna was secretly impressed at Rubica’s instructions. The duchess had never learned about clothes, so how was she instructing them so precisely? She even chose the perfect gloves and necklace that Khanna didn’t have anything more to say.

“Wow.”

When the maids saw Rubica in the dress, they lost their words for a moment.

It was a new design they had never seen before. It was unfamiliar, but also breathtakingly beautiful.

Especially the knots that decorated the chest part. They were even more splendid than a stomacher with jewels.

“Your Grace.”

Jennie went to Rubica, half in a daze, and she immediately knew what the maid wanted to do.

“You may do it.”

Jannie did her hair and makeup that matched the dress in no time. Then, she picked up a few flowers from a vase and put them on her hair. They matched the dress’s splendid pattern so well.

“It is so amazing and pretty.”

“I thought it was a bit strange, but it looks so pretty on her.”

“And what is that decoration on her chest? It seems different from ordinary knots.”

“It’s called ribbon.”

Khanna answered to the maid’s murmurs.

“Ribbon?”

“Yes, it’s Madam Berry’s idea.”

Rubica’s cheek felt hot for a moment.

However, none of the maids paid attention to it as they were all eager to hear Chris’ story about the ribbon which Khanna was telling them.

“He made it because his late wife liked pretty knots? How romantic!”

“Oh, but my name is Ivonne, too!”

None of them could imagine Madam Berry was actually Rubica, and it was only natural. A woman with a high rank designing a dress? That was just not possible.

“Is it really pretty?”

“Yes, it matches you so well, and the ribbons on your chest is so pretty.”

The maid really meant it, and she wasn’t just saying that to flatter her mistress. To start with, she didn’t know Madam Berry was actually Rubica.