Chapter 95

Chapter 2

"Amanda, please calm down. You're troubling Lady Leisha."

Miss Rees placed her hand on Miss Amanda's shoulder, trying to restrain her enthusiasm. Miss Amanda, startled by her words, noticed that I was slightly backing away and shyly covered her cheeks with both hands.

"I'm sorry, Lady Leisha. I must have been a bit too forward."

"No, it's fine. I understand how much you care."

I could only smile wryly, understanding why Miss Amanda was so excited. After all, it's something you'd want to pet all day long, even I feel that way.

"By any chance, does Lady Leisha have any connections in the neighboring country? That's why you went to the duchy?"

"Not exactly, but I might be able to get a little bit of Vancuri fur, and I'm wondering how to use it best."

I'm really struggling with this. Handling something I'm not familiar with means considering the possibility of failure, which might result in less circulation in practice. My husband has said that he doesn't intend to launch a large-scale business led by the duchy's lord. Instead, he wants the village at the core of this project to benefit financially, which is why we're considering it.

"I'll think about it. Thank you for sharing this valuable information."

I smiled, and in response, Miss Rees and Miss Matilda exchanged glances, looking a bit troubled.

"Um, Lady Leisha, this might be presumptuous, but if you or the duchy are planning to start a business, it might be better to wait and see for a while."

"…Why is that?"

Miss Matilda's demeanor suggested that the news wasn't good.

"Well, it's a bit difficult to say, but have you heard anything about your family recently?"

Miss Rees whispered, looking hesitant.

"That… I have."

I had heard about my family's current situation, and it seemed to have spread quite a bit in society. Miss Rees, understanding from my reaction that I was aware, covered her mouth with a fan and whispered even more quietly.

"If you're not planning to help your family, it might be better to wait and see or have someone mediate to avoid bad publicity."

I see. I understood what Miss Rees was getting at. The duchy is already a very wealthy family, and if a new business succeeds, there will be a significant number of nobles who will accuse us of monopolizing wealth. I had a vague idea of this, but this time it could develop into a more complicated issue. If I start a new business and gain wealth without helping my struggling family, there will surely be nobles who will criticize us, purely out of jealousy. Some nobles might even try to tarnish the duchy's reputation, and they could band together to spread negative rumors.

I had been feeling some gazes, partly because I am the Duchess of Lindbergh, but also because of my family's situation.

"Thank you for your advice. I'll discuss it with the Duke and make a decision."

I thanked them, thinking that this was a problem I couldn't solve alone and that I should leave it to my husband. Just then, the Countess, who was hosting the event, approached. She had finished greeting the guests and came to speak to me, the highest-ranking person present.

"Thank you for coming today, Duchess of Lindbergh."

"No, thank you for inviting me. Your garden is beautiful. It's very soothing to look at the flowers."

I genuinely thought the garden was beautiful, not just out of politeness. The Countess smiled, looking at me and my friends.

"I know a young gathering like this might seem a bit dull, just looking at flowers and chatting, but I'm glad you're enjoying it."

I don't particularly enjoy social events, but meeting friends occasionally isn't bad. My dislike for social events is largely due to not having many friends. It's hard to like something when you're the target of malicious ridicule.

"The Lindbergh duchy also has a beautiful garden, but this one is more vibrant and enjoyable."

The duchy's capital residence has a magnificent garden, but it's more serene than vibrant. It reflects my husband's taste, but I sometimes think it could be a bit more lively. I decided to ask him about it next time.

"I also love my family's garden. It's much smaller compared to this one, but it's full of memories."

The conversation suddenly turned to the Countess's family, and the timing made me a bit wary. However, I couldn't relate to her at all. My family's home is a place of many memories, but I don't particularly like it.

"I see."

I smiled and gave a safe response, and the Countess looked at me with a gaze that seemed to be looking at a troubled child. Although I outrank her in terms of title, I don't want to make an enemy of someone in the upper echelons of society, so I ignored the impolite look.

"By the way, Lady… I know it's not my place to say, but I feel compelled to offer some advice."

"What is it?"

"Even though you are married and part of another family, it's wrong not to value your own family."

I see, I had a feeling this was coming when she brought up my family. This person has gone from seeming kind to being a nuisance. Her words are reasonable, but it's not a matter for outsiders to comment on. Moreover, why is it about not valuing my family? I might already be helping them. No, I'm not, but that's not the issue. She's criticizing me based on uncertain information, which is impolite, especially since I outrank her.

Even though she's older and more experienced, it's considered a breach of etiquette to openly criticize someone of a higher rank, especially someone she just met.

"Lady, do you have any concrete reason to criticize the Duchess for being wrong?"

Michelle, a marchioness's daughter who is here but not on speaking terms with the Lindberghs, frowned and asked the Countess. She wouldn't say something without being sure, given her long experience as a high-ranking noble. Her willingness to speak suggests she has some strong reason.

However, the next words from the Countess made me want to sigh heavily.

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