Karina briefly skimmed through the documents handed to her.

“Selena and Heistine have done a good job.”

Karina smiled brightly, praising them even though they weren’t present.

Then she picked up a quill pen and started marking some places with check marks and circles.

Scratch scratch.

In her memory, she recalled businesses that were hailed as miraculous successes in newspapers or became hot topics among people for generating huge profits.

She also selected companies that had generally done well in business and consistently generated profits.

“Here. Take this document back to the ‘flower shop’.”

Karina said as she put down the quill pen on the table.

“I’ll give you some gold coins, so go and tell them to invest in all the places I just marked. Especially prioritize the businesses I circled.”

“What? Are you saying you’re deciding on investments based on just this brief look?”

When Karina nodded, a look of bewilderment appeared on Mikhail’s face.

“I looked at it beforehand, and the business plans were all too far-fetched. They weren’t places worth investing in for profit.”

“It’s fine. I only picked out realistic, decent ones.”

Despite Karina’s confident answer, Mikhail still wore an unwilling expression.

“Grand Duchess. Please wait a moment. Isn’t this judgment too hasty? You haven’t even looked at the related business status reports.”

“I’ve seen them all.”

At Karina’s assertive response, Mikhail’s expression turned sour.

“…But I haven’t given you the status reports yet?”

“…”

Mikhail waved the stack of paper documents in his hand.

“…Ahem.”

Although an embarrassed cough escaped, Karina decided to brazenly push forward.

“Anyway, go and tell them to invest.”

“…How much are you planning to invest?”

Mikhail asked her with a displeased expression.

“About 5,000 gold.”

“What? As much as 5,000 gold?”

5,000 gold was enough to buy a decent mansion in the capital.

Although it was called an investment, to Mikhail, it was just like throwing money away in odd places.

It was natural to show a surprised reaction.

However, when the Grand Duchess of the Colsberg family said she would use it, 5,000 gold wasn’t such a large amount.

Nevertheless, there was a separate reason why Karina could only invest 5,000 gold.

This was the maximum amount Karina could currently operate.

Right after the marriage, Caroline emphasized frugality and modesty to Karina, saying she would teach her the virtues a Grand Duchess should have.

Then she took away all the funds that Karina could use as a Grand Duchess, including maintenance fees, social expenses, clothing expenses, etc., saying she would manage them well.

‘I was stupid too.’

She had fallen for the nonsensical sweet talk that if the Grand Duchess, still unfamiliar to the northerners, used the funds allocated to her for the north, the northerners would be moved and Jeremiah would like it too.

‘I’ll use it wisely for the north where it’s needed. When the Grand Duchess needs money, tell me. If it’s really necessary, I’ll give it back.’

Karina had never received money back from Caroline since then.

‘I have to get it back. And while I’m at it, I should cut off all of Caroline’s sources of funds.’

Karina narrowed her eyes.

Paradoxically, money was needed to prepare Karina’s plan.

So a few days ago, Karina sold all the dress, shoes, and accessories she had worn at her wedding without any regret.

They were the most expensive and valuable things she had.

As they were worn by the Grand Duchess, the protagonist of that day, at the wedding of the Colsberg Grand Duke family, the rulers of the north, their value was enormous.

One dress was worth as much as a five-story mansion in the capital.

The shoes, hair ornaments, veil, and accessories were also so expensive that ordinary nobles couldn’t even think of buying them.

While everything else was taken away by Caroline, these were the only things she desperately protected as if they were her life.

She was desperate as if they were the only link connecting Jeremiah and herself.

At first, they were precious treasures, and in the middle, they were the support that kept her from giving up hope and expectations for Jeremiah.

And in the end, they became the product of lingering attachment and regret that she couldn’t cut off.

As much as she cherished them like her life in the past, now there was no need to do so at all.

‘I needed money anyway, so it was fortunate.’

Her foolish actions of the past at least became the seed money for the divorce plan.

A self-deprecating smile appeared and disappeared on Karina’s lips.

She planned to set aside as much funds as needed elsewhere and invest all the remaining money.

“Even if I lose it, it’s my money anyway. That’s enough, go quickly.”

“…”

Karina said firmly.

“Grand Duchess.”

“What?”

Mikhail wore an unusually serious expression.

Seeing that look, Karina also tensed up and waited for the next words to come out of his mouth.

“Please protect my salary, if possible.”

“…”

Karina made a deflated face, then eventually frowned and ordered.

“Get out.”

“Yes.”

Mikhail left immediately.

That afternoon.

Mikhail entered the Grand Duke’s residence after finishing Karina’s errand.

‘Huh?’

Mikhail’s steps faltered.

This was because the side profile of one of the people leaving the main gate of the Grand Duke’s residence in the distance looked very familiar.

‘Why is that guy here?’

One of Mikhail’s eyebrows rose diagonally.

After looking around, he hid himself with an invisibility spell.

He approached quietly, muffling his footsteps.

“Then I’ll prepare the necessary documents and send them.”

“Please do. I’ll be waiting.”

After the greetings, he followed a man in a brown robe among the group dispersing through the main gate.

After moving some distance away from the mansion.

When they entered a place with few people, Mikhail released the invisibility spell and revealed himself again.

Just as he was about to call out to the man, the man in front opened his mouth faster.

“I didn’t come here because I wanted to.”

“…!”

Max, Mikhail’s aide, turned around abruptly.

He glared at Mikhail, then voiced his grievances.

“I was forced to come here because of that person’s nagging.”

“Huh…?”

“He said he couldn’t trust you alone, so I should go and take care of you.”

“Ah…”

It was bewildering to hear such unexpected stories one after another.

“No, I’m not a child… Master worries too much, really.”

Mikhail scratched his chin with a sour expression.

Seeing this reaction, Max frowned as if he had expected it.

“I didn’t expect a welcome anyway.”

“Ah! No, that’s not it…”

Only after hearing Max’s words did Mikhail awkwardly welcome him.

“Right. Welcome. You’ve come well, for now.”

Mikhail said nonchalantly, making a smiling expression by raising the corners of his mouth.

“Just think of it as coming to the north for a bit of fun. There’s not much for you to do specifically.”

“You’re saying that without even knowing in what capacity I came here.”

It meant he came in a capacity other than as a magician from the Magic Tower.

Mikhail immediately understood the implication of Max’s words and asked.

“What is it?”

“I came as an external magic consultant dispatched from the capital to the north.”

“Consultant?”

Mikhail made an expression of complete incomprehension.

“As expected, you haven’t heard anything yet.”

Max said so and then chided him, saying it was because he never answered calls.

“Why, what’s going on?”

“The Imperial Palace has requested cooperation from the Magic Tower to investigate and monitor the trends of magic beasts appearing in the north.”

“…!”

Mikhail’s eyes widened in surprise.

“The Imperial Palace asked for cooperation from the Magic Tower? Ha, what a ridiculous situation.”

Mikhail snorted and mocked.

Currently, the Magic Tower had raised its status to the point of having the position of an independent state by nurturing talent and expanding its influence.

However, the Imperial Palace did not welcome this situation.

They showed overt vigilance and hostility, saying they could not recognize the independence of the Magic Tower.

The relationship between the Magic Tower and the Empire could not be said to be good even in jest.

‘And yet they ask for cooperation?’

A sneer appeared on Mikhail’s face.

“Let’s say the Imperial bastards have some ulterior motive for requesting cooperation. But did Master just readily accept it?”

Mikhail asked in a tone full of dissatisfaction.

“It’s true that the appearance of magic beasts has been increasing all over the world lately.”

“Even so, why help those Imperial bastards? What’s so pretty about them?”

“We were going to investigate magic beast-related matters anyway. And in return for cooperating with the Imperial Palace, we agreed to receive an unlimited supply of top-grade magic stones needed for magic research during the cooperation period.”

“Unlimited top-grade magic stones?”

“Yes.”

Only then did a satisfied smile appear on Mikhail’s face.

“Right. That’s more like it.”

“Anyway, the Imperial Palace will soon come to the north to investigate magic beast-related matters. Be careful not to get involved unnecessarily.”

“You worry too much. Don’t worry. That won’t happen.”

Mikhail boasted confidently.

“By the way, how is the investigation of the Grand Duchess going?”

“…”

When the topic of Karina came up, Mikhail’s mouth clamped shut.

“Why? Is there something strange going on?”

The word ‘strange’ that came out of Max’s mouth echoed in his ears.

“Strange… indeed.”

Mikhail murmured.

But that was completely different from what Max meant.

Mikhail recalled Karina.

As he thought of her, the corners of Mikhail’s mouth naturally lifted.

‘At first, it was clearly just simple curiosity…’

The interest that started with curiosity made his gaze constantly follow Karina.

As he kept her in his sight, he came to know her various expressions and other aspects of her he didn’t know before.

Now he couldn’t leave Karina alone.

‘When did it grow this big?’

Mikhail was suddenly taken aback, realizing the size of his own heart.

“Haha.”

Mikhail let out a hollow laugh as he ran his hand over his face.

“…”

Max looked at Mikhail with a puzzled expression, frowning.

“Why are you laughing like that?”

Mikhail put his raised corners of the mouth back in place and hid his true feelings.

“It’s nothing.”

And he waved his hand, saying if you’re done talking, you can go.

“Mikhail.”

As he was about to turn and leave, Max called him in a serious voice.

“Don’t get too deeply involved with the Grand Duchess.”

“…”

At his words, Mikhail’s footsteps came to an abrupt halt.

As he turned to look at Max, he continued with the rest of his words.

“You shouldn’t forget the fact that you have to return to the Magic Tower someday.”

‘It’s too late to say such things now…’

Mikhail swallowed the words he wanted to say.

Instead, he made a deflating sound from his mouth.

A strange smile hung on Mikhail’s lips.

“I’m going.”

Mikhail turned and left the place.