Chapter 02
“You can’t go in right now.”
I stared in disbelief at the man blocking my way.
Getting on a train heading straight north had been fine. I’d cursed under my breath the whole time, but still.
‘Why isn’t there a direct train to the Grand Duke’s territory?!’
I’d already known that, but experiencing it firsthand was infuriating. No wonder all the major merchant guilds avoided the north.
After switching between trains and carriages multiple times, I finally managed to arrive.
Grumbling, I grabbed my bag, got off the train, and headed toward the castle gates.
And as you can see—I was immediately stopped.
“A knight?”
“Can’t you tell? I’m a formally appointed knight who has completed my investiture—”
“Then why is a knight from another house at the Grand Duke’s castle?”
When I questioned him after noticing the unfamiliar crest—one that wasn’t the roaring wolf symbol of Runein—the knight faltered.
“Hah, what’s a commoner going to do with that knowledge? Anyway, you can’t enter, so just accept it.”
Nobles pass through gates in carriages. Since I had walked here myself, he’d naturally assumed I was a commoner.
I let out a scoff, fully understanding the situation.
“Call your superior.”
“…What?”
“I said call your superior. You say I can’t enter? Then I should at least hear the reason.”
A knight from another house—fine, I could accept that for now. I could ask about it directly.
But there was another issue.
‘He doesn’t recognize me?’
Me—Elysia Seton—no, Runein?
It had only been a week since the marriage, but I was officially a Runein now.
Even if he was from another house, how could an employee not recognize a member of the family he served?
“You’re not calling them? I’d appreciate it if you did soon.”
“Whom are you referring to?”
As we stood in a tense standoff, a familiar voice sounded from behind me.
I had been standing with my arms crossed in a rather unruly posture, but the low voice brushing against my ears made me jump.
“Good heavens!”
“My apologies…”
As I stumbled, a man gently wrapped an arm around my waist to steady me.
“My lady.”
Still in his arms, I blinked.
“…Why are you here?”
“This is where I live.”
At that, realization dawned on me. Then, blinking slowly, he asked—
“Shall I kill him?”
His voice was soft—like a spring breeze.
I was horrified.
“No! I just wanted a little justice, not a funeral?!”
“But it’s bothersome to hold back…”
“What did you say?”
“…Hmm, I see. Understood. Then I’ll handle it… appropriately. Normally.”
I didn’t believe him at all.
Putting on a serious face, I turned to the knight.
“Call your superior.”
“…Yes, ma’am!”
After that, everything was handled swiftly.
The knight who had blocked my way was demoted, had his pay cut for a year, and was exiled from the Grand Duke’s territory.
Letting out a sigh at the chaos that had unfolded the moment I arrived, I turned to him.
“Why are there knights from other houses in the Grand Duke’s castle?”
“We don’t have money.”
“…Excuse me?”
“Knights belonging to the family are expensive. Maintaining them costs an absurd amount.”
Well, that was true, but still—
“…You don’t have even one?”
“That’s not the case. The First Knight Order remains.”
However, they were scattered across the north to maintain public safety.
According to his helpful explanation, manpower was especially concentrated in fortresses along the borders where monsters appeared.
Even before entering the castle, I was already starting to feel dizzy.
‘This situation is way worse than I thought.’
My plan to clear the false accusation of treason was simple:
Strengthen Runein.
Though its reputation had declined, it was once a house whose name echoed across the entire continent—surpassing even the imperial family.
The great Runein.
If it regained power worthy of that name, clearing false charges would be nothing.
“What about the dowry from Seton? That should at least cover immediate needs.”
“It arrived safely today. Thank you, my lady.”
Shubel smiled softly.
“That was part of our ‘contract,’ wasn’t it?”
I drew a firm line.
“And could you stop calling me ‘my lady’? It’s giving me goosebumps.”
“That would be difficult. You are my lady, after all.”
He could be as sweet as melting ice cream, yet unexpectedly sharp in strange ways.
‘Was he like this in the original story…?’
I wasn’t sure.
Our married life had barely been described, so I had no way of knowing what Shubel was like before becoming consumed by vengeance.
‘Afterward, he was portrayed as cold and ruthless.’
A man who executed everyone even slightly connected to the false treason charge—down to nursing infants.
A protagonist with superhuman abilities, and a sense that his humanity had worn away.
[This is the story of a man who loses everything and takes revenge.]
The merciless, absolute being from the original story bore no resemblance to the man before me.
I stared at Shubel.
“Let’s go for now.”
“Where…?”
Blinking slowly with his gentle face, he asked.
I looked at him like it was obvious.
“Your house, of course.”
And now—it was mine too.
* * *
“Welcome, young mas—…”
The seasoned butler managed to complete his greeting even after witnessing the sole heir of the Grand Duke’s house walk in carrying a flashy hot-pink sparkling bag.
“…ter. And young madam. It is an honor to meet you. I am Vikal, the head butler of the castle.”
As expected of a butler from a prestigious family—he didn’t miss me trailing behind.
I waved lightly at the servants who were sneaking curious glances at me.
Nice to meet you. I’m Elysia. Well, not Seton anymore—Runein now.
Smiling brightly and offering a bit of fan service, I suddenly stopped and turned to Shubel, who had paused.
“You must’ve been surprised by my sudden visit, right? I didn’t want to come empty-handed, so I brought a gift.”
“A gift, you say?”
It was the butler who questioned me.
When I held out my hand, Shubel obediently handed over the bag.
Opening it, I pulled out a thick stack of papers.
“The train station on the way here was in terrible condition.”
Flap—
As I spread them out, the scent of money practically wafted through the air.
Sitting on the sofa with my legs crossed, I spoke meaningfully.
“So I’m planning to rebuild it.”
It was a blank checkbook.
[What is the total value of the outfit worn today by ‘the empire’s greatest heiress’?]
[A deep dive into Elysia Seton’s spending habits!]
[A prodigal of luxury and indulgence. Is this really okay?]
Whenever I appeared, newspapers would rush to publish articles like that.
And if you asked whether it was all false—
‘No? What’s wrong with luxury?’
I liked luxury. I believed everything I owned and every place I stayed should be the best.
‘So of course, shouldn’t the people around me receive the best treatment too?’
From my perspective, the Grand Duke’s castle was clearly unacceptable.
‘Not even a trace of the elegance typical of an old family—just a worn-out castle… Plain servant uniforms. And that chandelier—when was it last replaced? A hundred years ago? Are they living with relics from the Thousand-Year War?’
Since I needed to rebuild the house’s prestige anyway, I concluded that everything—from floor to ceiling—had to be redone.
The first thing I chose to tackle was the train station.
“Shall we meet the treasurer first?”
Following Shubel’s lead, we headed to meet the treasurer.
But then—
“Here we are.”
The place he led me to was none other than the Grand Duchess’s room.
“…?”
Caught off guard at the thought of meeting my mother-in-law without preparation, I panicked.
“W-wait, just a second.”
“I’m not ‘wait,’ my lady.”
“….”
“Please call me Shubel. Or… ‘dear’ would also be—”
“Shubel.”
“Yes?”
I looked at his annoyingly handsome face, smiling with curved eyes, and clenched my fists tightly.
