“…….”

Ah. Kardiel finally let out a sigh. It had come to this at last.

“So, Chersion. You’re saying the tutors are just employees doing as they’re told…….”

The cold voice began to summarize Chersion’s illogical and highly emotional words.

“And that it’s really the Baron and Baroness Baden who mean to harm our stepmother and us, so it would be better to just drive them out?”

“Mmhmm! That’s right, that’s right! Maybe they’ve even got some kind of weakness we could exploit?”

“Oh, so that’s what you meant.”

Chersion’s head nodded vigorously up and down.

Euphemina, who had been listening, was also impressed by Kardiel’s amazing ability to summarize.

“And alsoo, she even fainted because of us yesterday, so what if we really mess up and something serious happens later? That would cause Mother a lot of trouble.”

That must be his true feelings.

Especially hearing about the fainting, he must have been quite scared.

If it were someone else it might be different, but being Chersion, he might have been able to immerse himself in that situation even more.

‘So it was enough to make him feel guilty.’

Kardiel quickly agreed.

“Alright, if that’s really what you want, we have no choice. We’ll do it that way. From now on, it would be better to focus more on driving out Baroness Baden rather than the tutors.”

“Re, really?”

Chersion, who had actually been prepared to be scolded, brightened his face cheerfully when Kardiel unexpectedly understood his intentions.

“Yes. But in return, from now on leave Baroness Baden’s matters to me and Euphemina, and I’d like you to do something else.”

“Th-then what should I do?”

Kardiel, who had just obtained an important clue, said,

“The task of rescuing Teacher Jephet from Baroness Baden’s clutches.”

Though family affairs were complicated, I couldn’t postpone what I needed to do.

As the acting Duchess and Regent of Daiern, I had duties that I must fulfill.

Among my roles, the most important was attending social gatherings to build relationships with other nobles.

Building relationships doesn’t mean simply indulging in luxury and enjoying life.

Here, I should briefly explain about the lives of nobles.

Most nobles, except for barons and viscounts, own land received from the king.

It’s common knowledge that this land is called a domain.

In any case, nobles spend most of their time in their own domains.

Within their domain, a noble has a status equal to, or even higher than, the king.

After all, it’s the lord, not the king, who decides the rules, or laws, within the domain.

Needless to say, everything that occurs in the domain belongs to the lord.

However, unless it’s an exceptionally large domain, the resources generated there certainly have limits.

For example, even if enough grain can be harvested to avoid food shortages, people can’t live on just one thing, can they? So trade with other domains is necessary to obtain other types of resources like vegetables or fruits.

Sometimes skilled craftsmen are needed too.

But for trade to be successfully established, various surrounding conditions must also align properly.

Yes. It’s good to consider the potential obstacles.

For instance, let’s say you’re buying and transporting goods from a domain hundreds of miles away.

What if your relationship with the lord whose domain serves as the route is poor?

Unless you can communicate well, it’s common to encounter situations where you can’t pass through the domain and have to take a detour.

Or you might have to pay an exorbitant toll.

Therefore, building relationships with lords from other regions is a crucial factor in managing one’s own domain.

And the social season is the best opportunity to build such relationships.

As I mentioned earlier, nobles mostly stay in their own domains.

However, from the end of September to early February of the following year, when the Imperial Grand Council is held, they show their faces in the imperial capital.

There’s an obligation to pay last year’s taxes, but it’s also possible to receive new titles from the emperor, be knighted, succeed to titles, debut as a debutante, register births, and handle other administrative matters during this time.

Thus, this time when nobles naturally gather in one place came to be called the ‘social season’.

Naturally, the streets of the imperial capital become lively as well.

Anyway, I had to move quickly to make up for the loss of October due to my husband’s obituary.

At least I had sent rejection replies to all the marriage proposals thanks to spending all day yesterday on it. Ah, except for Prince Raphael’s, as promised…….

“We have arrived, Duchess.”

Joseph, the man with an eerily beautiful face, extended his hand to me.

Once again, I was struck by how his beauty seemed truly otherworldly.

Fairy, spirit, I’m not sure what comparison would be most accurate.

It’s certain that even though we live in the same mansion and I see him every day, I still find myself in awe every time I look at him.

“Thank you.”

I lightly accepted his escort as I got out of the carriage.

The place Joseph and I arrived at for today’s social gathering is the oldest and most famous hotel in the imperial capital.

Yes, the very hotel that Joseph had recently acquired.

However, being old and famous doesn’t necessarily mean the facilities are good. Rather, it’s the opposite.

The property is large, but it’s only 5 stories high at most.

The building is as dilapidated as can be, requiring large sums of money for repairs and maintenance every month, and all the rooms are so damp that mold grows.

As an added bonus, it leaks when it rains, and it’s said that rats are so prevalent that guests often wake up startled by their scurrying at night.

Naturally, nobles would be reluctant to use such a hotel.

Unless, of course, all other hotels were fully booked and this was the only option left.

‘I heard it’s been operating at a loss for years now.’

So why acquire such a hotel, you ask?

Obviously, to demolish it and build anew, they say.

It is said that Lord Joseph acquired this hotel more than a month ago.

According to him, it was ‘right after the regression of this round’…… well, let’s set that aside.

Anyway, he says that as soon as he signed the acquisition contract, he emptied the hotel and demolished the building.

Since it was already a hotel site, the construction permit would have been granted quickly on the condition of building another hotel.

“But isn’t it just now that you’ve finished demolishing the building and are doing the foundation work? It seems too early to me to already be holding a hotel presentation.”

“You might think so, but we have no choice as we need to receive investment from other nobles for the construction.”

I nodded at Lord Joseph’s words.

The hotel building would need to be built on a scale almost equivalent to a domain’s mansion, so it’s natural that it would require a large sum of money.

But seeing this completely empty space, I can’t help but feel worried.

Of course, this location has quite a charm. On a high cliff overlooking a lake.

‘But that alone won’t be enough to easily attract investments.’

Is there some kind of future information that only a regressor would know?

“Oh my, Duchess Daiern!”

“It’s been so long. You have no idea how much I’ve wanted to see you!”

“Have you been well? My goodness, you’re still as beautiful as ever.”

Just then, some people recognized me and approached. Only then did I turn my head towards where people were gathering.

The hotel site is empty now.

But the spacious hotel, which even had a garden, had an open area large enough for people to gather.

And in a charming spot with a panoramic view of the beautiful lake, no less.

An outdoor banquet hall with pure white chiffon curtains draped like a new bride’s veil under the high November sky.

Although the announced start time of the event was still far off, the invited nobles had already arrived and were looking around.

But, this is…….

“Oh, Count Alperon has finally arrived.”

“Oh my, we’ve been waiting. Oh! But look, Duchess Daiern has come with him.”

“I hear Count Alperon has been staying at the Daiern ducal mansion as a tutor these days?”

“Hmm, Duchess. I wonder if it would be alright for me to visit your residence sometime soon…….”

……There are far more people gathered than I expected?

In an instant, the distance with the nobles closed.

But the atmosphere seems a bit strange?

‘Why are these people approaching while looking at me instead of Lord Joseph?’

No, why indeed?

At that moment, I realized something as if struck by lightning.

It wasn’t hard to be reminded of the line of suitors stretched out in front of the main gate while looking at them.

“Don’t push, I will speak with the Duchess first!”

“How can that be? Duchess, please have a word with me for a moment…….”

“I wonder if I might be able to visit tomorrow, or within a week?”

This was a predicament.

Without realizing it, I stiffened and took a step back.