Chapter 59

As the ship arrived at the port of the Taisei Kingdom, the sun was beginning to set behind the mountains.

Despite this, the port was bustling with many people.

"Is there a festival at the port today? It’s almost night, yet there are so many people."

"No, it’s not a festival, but a welcoming."

"A welcoming?"

Naja, who was looking down at the port from the deck, asked, and Claude answered, but Opal tilted her head in confusion.

Noticing someone famous must be here, she looked around.

"Opal, it’s our welcoming."

"Huh?"

"The news that you two are a lovely couple has spread to the Taisei Kingdom!"

The last time Claude and Opal landed in the Taisei Kingdom for their marriage, they didn’t receive any special attention.

Therefore, Opal didn’t think it was their welcoming at all, and it took her a while to understand.

However, Naja nodded confidently and puffed out his chest.

Opal smiled at Naja and started down the gangway.

"Come to think of it, Claude, you are quite popular, aren’t you?"

"Even so, they wouldn’t gather just to see my face. They’re here for Opal."

"Me? To see the bride of the Rouselle Marquis?"

"They’re here to welcome Opal, the female entrepreneur who has pursued the enemies of women and supported unfortunate women."

The faces of the people gradually coming into view were mostly out of curiosity, but they seemed friendly.

Even as Opal and the others stepped onto the land, the people were kept at a distance by the port guards and the guards Claude had hired.

Still, Opal waved to everyone with her usual smile.

"Did you prepare this so they would know we arrived?"

"I think so."

When Opal arrived at the station and saw the private train, the mystery of the welcoming at the port was solved.

If they wanted to return to the capital quickly, the train was the way, but there were no regular services at this hour.

"I understand why everyone is here to welcome us. But what I don’t understand is how fast the information spread. Until recently, in the social circles of the Taisei Kingdom, I was known as the 'licentious Opal Holloway.' It’s unnatural that even ordinary people know about me now."

After saying this, Opal realized something.

Seeing Claude’s smile, she was certain.

"You manipulated the information, didn’t you?"

"Not to that extent. Until recently, the social circles’ gossip didn’t reach the general public much. Even that newspaper only started to increase its circulation in the past year, after it began covering social circles. Everyone is just that interested."

"What did you do, then?"

Seeing Opal’s strong determination to get to the bottom of it, Claude gave in.

It wasn’t something he couldn’t talk about.

"I made sure not to have anything about Opal published in the newspapers in this country or in the Sosie Kingdom. But I had nothing to do with this recent incident, so the story spread. Well, it was impossible to hide it after that commotion."

"Then you knew about Alan?"

"No, it was a coincidence."

"I see."

There were still many things Opal wanted to ask, but she also gave up.

She herself was still trying to sort out her thoughts and wasn’t sure what she wanted to ask.

However, she did understand one thing.

The information about Opal in the social circles of the Taisei Kingdom had been controlled.

But the power to control what people say was immeasurable, and Opal looked at Claude, who was sitting next to her, intently.

"Any more questions?"

"Did you also skillfully hide information about Claude—the Marquis Rouselle?"

"I just took advantage of people’s assumptions."

"You’re manipulating it!"

"Ouch!"

An angry Opal slapped Claude’s knee.

Surprised, Claude let out a cry.

"You’re not even a good liar."

Turning her face away, Opal’s anger made Claude try to suppress his laughter.

In the end, Opal also laughed, and the topic was over.

The next morning.

Waking up later than usual due to travel fatigue, Opal sighed at the numerous visiting cards and invitations.

Claude was still sleeping.

She hesitated for a moment about whether she could handle them on her own, but ultimately decided to decline all the visits.

"Is it really okay to visit someone’s home right after returning from abroad? I wish they would consider my situation a bit more."

She had been surrounded by many people for a while and was quite tired.

In her single days, she used to attend tea parties, music concerts, and evening gatherings every day, but she couldn’t believe she had that much energy back then.

However, older women also managed to keep up with their schedules during the season, so it was probably just a matter of Opal’s physical condition.

"Still, I’m also mentally exhausted... Oh, I want to spend some quiet time in the countryside..."

Opal had spent nearly seven years in the MacLeod Duchy.

Back then, she thought about how to make the lives of the people in her territory easier and how to make the land more prosperous, and she worked hard every day.

For Opal, socializing was an important job, but she missed the life in the countryside.

"The Rouselle Marquisate seems to be doing well, but the Bottselli Duchy, which I will soon receive, is apparently lagging in modernization, so there will certainly be a lot of work to do."

While sorting through the invitations to decide which to decline and which to consider, Opal thought.

After hearing about the Bottselli Duchy from Claude, Opal had done her own research, and if the information was correct, urgent reforms were needed.

"Although I haven’t yet built a network in the social circles... and I don’t have any friends, I can put those off, but it’s better to start with the territory as soon as possible. You never know when a storm or drought might come."

She unexpectedly returned home, but she no longer had to worry about Beth.

She should receive news of her upcoming childbirth soon.

Of course, anything can happen during childbirth, but everyone at the facility would help.

After giving birth, she could take some time to rest and think about what to do next.

She heard that the other two women who had given birth to Kymont’s children had decided to live as widows in provincial cities.

When their children came of age, they would inherit a substantial fortune, but until then, they would receive a living allowance from the trustee that would keep them comfortable.

After gathering the invitations, Opal stood up.

Feeling tired of writing replies, she considered hiring a secretary.

"I should consider that."

Muttering to herself, Opal went to her writing desk.

Before writing the replies, she wanted to plan her next steps—her inspection trip to the Bottselli Duchy—and discuss it with Claude when he woke up.

Thinking about the trip to the duchy, Opal’s fatigue disappeared.

In fact, she was filled with enthusiasm and opened her notebook to start writing down the necessary items.

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Thank you as always.

Volume 2 of "The Duchess in the Attic" will be released on December 10th (Monday).

For more details, please check the activity report.

Thank you very much.