~Chapter 40~
“Grandfather gave all this to me?”
Ruby stared blankly at the mountain of gifts.
In her past life and in this one, she had always lived in poverty. Never once had she received so many presents at once—let alone expensive, precious things like these. It felt unreal that every single box was for her.
She went through them again, one by one, to be sure they were truly hers. Calix and Sasha touched the gifts with curious, longing hands.
“I thought I’d get a present too,” Calix muttered.
“Sha-sha wants this one,” Sasha said, pointing.
Raphel immediately spoke up.
“Of course, if young master Calix or young lady Sasha need something, you may always ask. But these particular gifts were sent only for Lady Ruby. They should remain hers.”
Still, Sasha’s eyes lingered on the pretty things with obvious desire.
“If you want, I can give you a few,” Ruby offered gently.
“No,” Raphel cut in firmly. “The Grand Duke gave strict orders: all of these are for Lady Ruby alone. She must be the one to use them.”
“But it’s too much for me,” Ruby protested.
“This is not too much,” Raphel replied. “When you return to the capital, there will be even more waiting for you.”
“Why would he go so far?” Ruby asked, confused.
“Perhaps you should ask the Grand Duke directly,” Raphel said, and led her toward the study.
Ruby followed—she wanted answers too.
Inside, Lux looked up from his work as Ruby entered.
“What is it?”
Ruby walked closer, bowed politely in noble fashion, and said,
“Thank you for all the gifts, Grandfather.”
“So they arrived on time,” he said gruffly.
Though his tone was curt, he did not deny sending them. Ruby’s chest swelled with warmth—it really was true.
“This is the first time I’ve ever received so many presents,” she admitted, her voice trembling slightly.
“The first time?”
“Yes. Until now, things were always… difficult financially.”
At her calm words, Lux’s brow furrowed ever so slightly.
“From now on, use the money allotted to you properly. As a member of the Grand Duke’s house, you must always maintain the basics of appearance.”
Up to now, Ruby had only worn the simple clothes she brought from her old home, except when visiting the palace. He had never said anything before, but now he brought it up.
“Even with what you’ve given me today, I already have more than enough,” Ruby said honestly, remembering the overwhelming pile of clothes.
“Humility and modesty are fine, but only in moderation,” Lux said firmly. “You are now a noble child. You must act accordingly.”
Ruby tilted her head. “What does it mean to act like a true noble child? I’ve been studying etiquette, but…”
Lux thought for a moment, then gave her an unexpected answer.
“From now on, each quarter, you will spend every single coin of the budget allotted to you.”
“…What?” Ruby’s eyes widened.
“Not a single penny is to remain unused. Go a little over if you must—but nothing may be left unspent.”
“That’s such a large amount…”
Ruby had once heard from Balt how much her budget was. Even if she went to the most expensive dress shop in the capital and said, ‘I’ll take everything from here to there,’ she still wouldn’t use it all.
“What’s wrong? Can’t you manage it? Compared to the money you’ll use for developing Cardonia, this is nothing.”
“That’s different,” Ruby argued. “That money is for a big project. Spending on myself feels wrong.”
“It is not different,” Lux replied coldly. “That is an investment too.”
His sharp eyes swept over her plain outfit—more shabby than usual, since she was dressed for traveling.
“A person in business must present themselves properly. First impressions matter.”
Ruby knew he was right. In truth, she had always thought about it, but poverty left her no choice.
“…Understood. I’ll try to buy clothes and things more suitable. But it’s far too much for me alone—could I share some with my siblings?”
“No,” Lux said immediately. “Each child will have their own allowance. You are only to spend yours, completely.”
“The others too?”
“Yes. Learning how to handle money is something they must begin in childhood.”
Ruby already worried about what trouble her siblings might cause with large sums of money. Lux noticed her expression.
“You will be responsible for teaching them how to spend it properly.”
Ruby hesitated, then nodded. “I’ll do my best.”
Her mind raced. She would need to keep a close watch on them. And she herself had to somehow spend all that money…
But then, an idea sparked.
“Grandfather, does it matter how I use it?”
“Spend it as you will,” he said. “But you must report to me each quarter.”
“Yes. Then I’ll do my very best to put the budget to good use.”
Lux waved her off impatiently. “If that’s all, leave now.”
Ruby bowed again. “Thank you, as always, Grandfather.”
She closed the door and stood outside for a moment, replaying his words. She had always tried to save as much of the budget as possible—but this was the first time anyone had ordered her to spend it all. It was startling… but also oddly encouraging.
‘As a member of the Grand Duke’s house, you must maintain the basics…’
Did that mean she was finally being accepted, not just tolerated? Was their forced relationship slowly becoming real?
Whatever the case, Ruby felt happy. If she had to spend the money, then she would spend it wisely. She clenched her fists with determination before heading to the lobby to join her siblings for their planned outing.
***
Ruby spent the day exploring Cardonia. Later, she asked Lux to purchase the wasteland she had seen with Raphel. After surveying, the land’s size was exactly what she needed.
“This land will do?” Lux asked.
“Yes. Once you purchase it, I’ll move on to the next step.”
Without objection, Lux bought the barren land. He truly seemed intent on leaving everything to Ruby and simply watching.
To prepare the next stage, Ruby decided to return to the capital, Serenos. She and her siblings said heartfelt farewells to the people of Cardonia.
Even Raphel, who had once doubted her, sent them off with bundles of Cardonia’s food.
“Please come again anytime, Lady Ruby.”
“I’ll be back soon!” she promised.
The carriage rolled away. Ruby and the children waved until the castle disappeared. The servants waved back warmly. Though their stay had been short, Ruby felt they had been sincerely welcomed.
She resolved firmly: I’ll give everything I can for this territory’s future. For these good people, I must succeed.
***
“What’s the first thing you’ll do once we return to the capital?” Lux asked, unexpectedly curious.
“I’ll start by finding an architect.”
“I can introduce you to one I know.”
Ruby shook her head. “No, I’ll search myself. I want someone who can design something perfect for Cardonia.”
“You may find it difficult without connections.”
“I’ll manage. I’ll find someone who can create the design I need at a fair price.”
It seemed Lux wanted to help, but Ruby insisted—this was something she had to do on her own.
“What exactly do you want designed?” Lux pressed.
Since her reports had been brief, he didn’t know the details. Yet he had trusted her judgment anyway—strange, even to himself.
“I don’t want just plain buildings,” Ruby said, her eyes shining.
“Oh?”
“I want them to be functional, yes—but also beautiful, like works of art.”
Lux paused. That was quite a demanding request.
“That’s a very high standard.”
“Even so, I’ll find someone who meets it.”
Her confidence didn’t waver. In fact, the greater the challenge, the brighter her eyes sparkled.
And looking at that glow, Lux felt an unexpected swell of anticipation in his chest.
