My Dear Husband, Let's Keep It Business-Like! ~Countess Anastasia, Raised in The Downtown, Won't Give Up Her Way~ - Episode 10

About two weeks later, on a certain day.

While drinking the chamomile tea that Marie had made for me, which had become my absolute favorite, I was compiling various data such as the reports on the earldom I received from Marcus and the local specialties I had learned about over the past few weeks.

For example, loungewear that I wore on the first day and was amazed by how incredibly soft it felt.

I was completely convinced that it was silk, but it turns out it was fabric woven with thread harvested from the earldom.

Moreover, it seems that these are items woven by the wives of wealthy families as a hobby, and they are hardly circulated.

What a waste of a story!!

With that quality, it will undoubtedly become very popular among the nobles of the royal capital.

It might become the new specialty product of the Earl’s territory.

Then, the bread served at the count’s residence.

The wheat has a rich flavor and is more delicious than what is served at the duke’s residence, but I hear that this too is made with wheat harvested in the count’s territory! And yet, it is hardly distributed.

What a waste! It’s such a huge waste!!

If the earldom had been a poor territory, these items would undoubtedly have been brought to the royal capital and quickly become popular products.

However, the count’s family is wealthy after all. There was probably no need to go out of their way to sell things on their estate.

So why is the count’s family so wealthy…?

The answer is quite simple. As reported by Marcus, the count’s territory has a “gem mine.” The raw gems extracted from this mine are of the highest quality in the country, and other territories (especially the neighboring Fairfanville duchy, which is envious to the point of gnashing their teeth) are extremely envious.

Until this mine was discovered, the count’s family must have had a history of accumulating wealth through trade with other countries, but it can be said that the finances of the count’s territory in recent years have become entirely dependent on this gemstone mine.

I don’t know how much ore is in the mine, but there is no such thing as a mine where minerals never run out. Eventually, the gems will be exhausted. If other industries have also declined by that time, the future of the earldom will be bleak.

Given the recent situation, it’s hard to believe that Marcus hasn’t noticed this, but whether he has some plan in mind or if he intends to devour the Count’s family… it’s still too early to tell, but eventually, we will need to determine the truth.

For the time being, I am considering developing other industries so that the residents can continue to live even if something were to happen to the mine.

I want to visit the territory directly at least once.

While closing the notebook, lost in thought, I suddenly notice what seems to be voices coming from downstairs.

“Oh? It seems like there’s a lot of commotion downstairs, but did we have any guests scheduled to come over?”

“No, I don’t think there was any such plan…”

Marie, also looking puzzled, says, “I’ll go check on things,” and leaves the room.

Visiting a noble’s residence without prior notice is unimaginable unless you are extremely close.

Could it be Eugene’s friends or relatives?

Eugene is out as usual, but should I handle this situation?

“Hmm?” I was tilting my head in confusion when Marie returned with an increasingly troubled expression.

“Madam, we have a guest for you…”

“Huh? Me!?”

Of course, I don’t remember any close acquaintances who would suddenly come to visit.

I’m not bragging, but I don’t have a single friend in the noble world.

“This is Lady Christina of the Fairfanville Duke Family.”

“!!”

I want to commend myself for not grimacing when I heard that name.

“Since there was no promise made, it seems that Mr. Sebas gently declined, but it appears that he is being complained about for being cruel to send back the younger sister who came to visit her married sister out of affection…”

Wow… Sebastian, I’m sorry.

It might be the right decision to leave the handling to Sebastian as it is, but after all, the other party is that duchess’s daughter, Christina.

I think it should be fine since they barged in without any prior arrangement, but if they start making a fuss about disrespect towards the servants, it could become a bit of a troublesome situation.

Just when I was finally starting to get along with the servants little by little, I can’t stand having it all ruined like this.

Honestly, I never want to see Christina’s face again…

When I stood up, I tightly grasped the pendant at my chest.

“……I’ll meet her. Show the Fairfanville Duke’s daughter into the reception room and prepare me immediately.”

“Understood!!”

After my reply, Marie hurriedly left the room, and just as she did, Daria, Iris, and Desiree entered the room.

“Madam, unfortunately, there isn’t enough time for a bath. We will warm your body with a foot bath while simultaneously providing a hand and leg massage, hair styling, and makeup.”

At the same time like that!?

As soon as Daria speaks, the three of them quickly spring into action, preparing everything in no time and starting to get me ready.

My feet were warmed, my hair was brushed, and cream was applied to my face. As I was being pampered by three people and was in a daze, Marie returned with a patter.

“I would like to report. The Fairfanville Duchess’s daughter has been shown into the first reception room, and the head maid is attending to her. The tea served is Ceylon, just imported from the neighboring country of Austburg, prepared as the Duchess’s daughter likes it, with milk. The sweets are from a famous shop currently popular in the royal capital…”

And so, I was given a detailed explanation about the hospitality for Christina. As the host for the guest (who came uninvited, by the way!!), it’s only natural that I should be aware of the details.

Simultaneous multi-pro…

As those words involuntarily crossed my mind, I, having entrusted my body to the professionals, was contemplating the purpose of Christina’s visit.

Christina seemed to say something like, “I came to visit because I missed my married sister,” but that’s impossible.

Christina doesn’t even look up to me, and she doesn’t even acknowledge me as her sister.

It’s even questionable whether they are treating me like a human.

It’s not an exaggeration or anything; I have truly been treated like that in the ducal family.

By the way, I was hit with a teacup full of tea on my first meeting.

“Someone like you could never be accepted into noble society. You would surely be treated as a nuisance even in the count’s family. Got it? Don’t you dare do anything that would bring shame to the Fairfanville Duke family, both you and your child!”

The day before the wedding, Christina’s voice, which was said with mockery, still lingers in my ears.

The ducal family that continued to belittle both me and my parents.

Until just before he disappeared, my father continued to worry about that ducal family.

Everyone around me says my parents are dead, but I actually believe they are alive.

Perhaps the disappearance of the two is somehow related to the aristocratic society.

It’s precisely because I think that way that I didn’t run away from the ducal family and came to marry into the count family.

I won’t run away, Christina.

At that time, when I existed only as an adopted daughter of the Fairfanville Duke family, it would have been easy for the Duke family to erase me with just a single thought.

That’s why I pretended to be a quiet and timid girl.

But now, I am the Countess of Hamilton.

It won’t be that easy to erase, will it?

“Madam, your preparations are complete.”

I was told, and I stared at my reflection in the mirror.

The reflection staring back at me was of a self-polished to an incomparable beauty compared to my time in the duke’s household.

Lustrous and flowing, beautiful golden hair.

Skin as white and smooth as a doll, with transparent emerald eyes.

The healthy body regained during the time spent at the count’s residence has a well-defined shape, and the latest trendy dress accentuates it.

I gazed at myself in the mirror and smiled brightly.