I stared blankly at the object before me.
‘No way…’
Coo coo, coo coo.
A moment later, along with the familiar sound of a bird, there was a squeak and the mechanical winding of gears. Soon, a beautiful melody played as wooden figurines emerged and began to dance. I found myself spellbound, unable to take my eyes off the large clock.
“Just so you know, don’t misunderstand. It’s not like I grabbed you because I wanted to save you, or because I like you or anything—”
“Your Grace, that…”
His words drifted right past my ears as I was utterly captivated by the clock. Before he could even finish speaking, I reached out and pointed at the grandfather clock. He frowned slightly, following the line of my finger.
“That… you mean that clock?”
“It looks incredibly expensive.”
I broke into a wide smile, finally seeing a way through.
* * *
Not long after, Grand Duke Benedict’s office felt like it was hosting some grave military strategy meeting, the tension so heavy it was suffocating.
“Your Highness the Grand Duchess. You mustn’t sell that clock.”
“It might be precious, but it’s just a clock. We’re on the brink of bankruptcy—keeping something like that purely for decoration is a luxury we can’t afford.”
“But that was something His Highness received for his achievements at the joint drills with the Grace Kingdom…”
Victor and the men of the 107th Regiment wore downcast faces as they voiced their objections. Even Albert stepped in to support them.
“It is certainly of the highest quality. Even among the Empire’s nobility, it’s something few can obtain.”
It was just a clock. If you had money, couldn’t you buy it? I tilted my head in puzzlement. Seeing my expression, Albert added an explanation.
“It’s produced exclusively by the Clock Guild in the Grace Kingdom. They strictly control how many are sold.”
“So the Empire can’t make clocks like that?”
“The designs and technology are so intricate, we simply can’t replicate them. The clockmakers who know the blueprints are kept under close watch so they can’t leave the country.”
Finally, I understood. The Aria Empire was advanced in the arts and humanities, but it had a culture that looked down on engineers and scientists. Even the Imperial Army’s main weapons were still swords, not guns or cannons. I quietly stroked my chin.
“The Guild has never released the blueprints?”
“They do show them briefly to prospective buyers, so they can confirm what they’re buying—but only for a moment. They never allow paper or pens inside to prevent anyone from copying them.”
“Oh, really?”
Suddenly, an outrageous idea struck me. A way that might solve the Grand Ducal Residence’s financial woes in one fell swoop. I discreetly reined in the smile that threatened to burst across my face.
“We definitely need to sell that clock.”
“Whaaat?”
Victor and Albert turned to look at Grand Duke Benedict, clearly hoping he would oppose me. But the Grand Duke just let out a resigned murmur.
“…Do as you like.”
“Great. Then obviously we’ll make more money selling new ones rather than a secondhand piece, right?”
At that, every pair of eyes went wide. After a moment, Benedict’s eyes narrowed slightly, as if trying to work out my meaning.
“Are you talking about middleman trade? That’s impossible. Only those licensed by the Imperial Family can engage in foreign trade. And it’s doubtful the Clock Guild would supply us with such quantities anyway.”
“No, that’s not what I mean.”
I smiled brightly at their bewildered faces.
“It means House Richard is going to start its own clock business.”
* * *
In the days that followed, the Grand Ducal Residence bustled with preparations for a visit to the Grace Kingdom. On the surface, it was framed as a belated honeymoon trip for the Grand Duke and Duchess. Of course, the real goal was for me to memorize the tightly guarded clock blueprints the Clock Guild kept secret.
Even if the Guild found out, they couldn’t really accuse me of anything. I wouldn’t be stealing the physical blueprints—everything would be inside my head. And saying it all came from my mind wouldn’t be a lie.
The problem was we didn’t have enough funds for a trip to the Grace Kingdom. Even with a minimal entourage, crossing the border required quite a sum. And naturally, the one who set out to secure those funds was Grand Duke Benedict.
“I’m going to go subjugate the barbarians who invaded the Capris Duchy.”
“Subjugate… barbarians?”
My eyes flew wide. A hunt basically meant he was going off to war.
“Yes. The Duchy has put a bounty on the barbarian chieftain. That reward will more than cover our travel expenses to the Grace Kingdom.”
“That’s out of the question!”
I shot to my feet so abruptly my chair scraped back, my voice cracking. I’ll say it again—the most critical element in catching the real culprit and reclaiming our property was Grand Duke Benedict’s survival.
“A subjugation means… it’s dangerous. What if Your Grace gets hurt…”
His eyes wavered slightly at my words, then turned impassive again. Searching for any reason to stop him, I fidgeted, twisting the frayed hem of my dress.
“It’s also a bit improper for a Grand Duke of the Empire to hire himself out as a mercenary for another country…”
When I looked at him so nervously, a brief huff of laughter escaped through his teeth.
“It’s not so strange. Like you said, until a few years ago I was effectively a mercenary on countless battlefields.”
“……”
After enlisting in the Imperial Army, Grand Duke Benedict had wandered from one war to the next. He often served as support troops in other nations’ conflicts. The Emperor’s ability to dominate diplomatic negotiations and consolidate imperial power was largely thanks to Benedict serving as a coalition commander and winning decisive victories. Of course, while he risked his life and racked up achievements, all he got was a hollow Grand Duke title.
“I’ve been bleeding on behalf of others for a long time. Now I’ll be the one getting paid, as it was always someone else who pocketed the reward.”
The more he spoke of shedding blood, the more anxious I became. Up to now, he’d survived because he was essential to the story, but at this point it really would come down to luck. Restless, I fiddled with the worn sleeve of my dress.
“There must be another way. We could still sell the grandfather clock, or maybe I could—”
“Why do you keep trying to solve all the Grand Ducal Territory’s problems by cutting me out of them?”
His voice was quiet, but I ignored it and kept trying to persuade him.
“Because Your Grace is what matters most to me. It’d be better to just lay off a few soldiers or servants to cut costs.”
“What…? Lay them off?”
The air around him grew distinctly cold. But I couldn’t care less about anyone else.
“They’re not as important as you—”
“Ha.”
Before I could even finish, a bitter laugh escaped him.
“I thought I made it clear. We’re just a contractual relationship.”
“What do you…?”
I stammered at the sudden change in subject. His face hardened, those crimson eyes drawing invisible lines that burned with intensity.
“No personal feelings. That was the main point, wasn’t it?”
“……!”
The atmosphere turned so hostile that I flinched. If he refused to cooperate again like last time, what would happen to me? A wave of helplessness—and then despair—washed over me.
“I’ll say it one last time. Meddling in my affairs is a breach of contract.”
With that, he turned away coldly, as if he had nothing more to say. As he moved to leave the room, I called out with a desperate heart, like grasping at straws.
“They’re not personal feelings…! Anyway, can’t I at least worry about you as your wife?”
He stopped dead in his tracks, then answered in a low voice without ever turning back.
“I don’t need the concern of a fake wife.”
And just like that, he left the room. I stood there for a long time, dazed.
“I mean, sure, I am a fake….”
His words were perfectly aligned with our contract, nothing more and nothing less—but somehow, hearing them stated so bluntly stung. I’d never felt this kind of hurt over a client before, unless it was because of delayed payment.
‘It’s definitely only that if he ignores me, goes off to war, and gets himself hurt, the payout will be delayed. That’s it!’
Trying to shake off the unfamiliar feeling, I quickly shook my head. In the end, it seemed there was only one thing left I could do.
So I went running straight to Madam Verona’s room.
* * *
After that argument with the Grand Duke, things were strangely awkward. Using preparations and training as an excuse, he left at dawn and came back late at night, so we barely saw each other. Like that, the departure day arrived.
Before the sun had even risen, the Grand Ducal Residence’s garden bustled with Victor and the soldiers moving about early. I sprang up instinctively, threw on whatever I could without even fixing my hair, and dashed out to the garden.
‘Leaving without a word is cheap, you know!’
By the time I arrived, the soldiers had already finished preparing to leave. If Madam Verona hadn’t discreetly informed me of the departure schedule, I would have missed the sendoff entirely.
“Haa, haa. Your Grace!”
I panted heavily, out of breath from sprinting. At my call, the Grand Duke’s eyes wavered finely. He seemed flustered that his plan to slip away quietly had failed. I gave him a gentle smile.
“I’m sorry. I stayed up late last night, so… I was a little late.”
“……”
He said nothing, only stared at me with that stiff face. Seeing him again after so long, he somehow looked even more tired. Preparing for this campaign must have taken a toll.
I slowly uncurled the hand I’d been clenching the whole way and held it out to him.
“I wanted to give you this before you left.”
“This is…”
The Grand Duke’s brow twitched slightly when he saw what lay in my palm.
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