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‘Perfect!’  

I stood in front of the Duke’s study door, taking a deep breath. The servant standing by the entrance looked at me as if to ask, “Shall I open the door for you?” but I firmly shook my head. There was something I needed to organize in my mind before meeting the Duke.

I closed my eyes tightly and mentally reviewed my strategy for a successful social interaction.  

**[Problem]** Among the following, which is the most appropriate action for a daughter to take when returning home after a long time?  

Run to her father, calling out “Father!” and hug him tightly.  

Shout “I missed you!” while running to hug him.  

Act cute and say, “Aww, Daddy!”  

All of the above.

Both my reason and intuition were telling me with certainty, ‘The correct answer is number 4!’

So, the scenario goes like this: First, I open the door and, upon seeing the Duke, I call out “Father!” Then, I rush into his arms, exclaiming “I missed you!” and finish with an adorable “Aww, Daddy!” attack. It was a flawless plan.

Determined to execute the plan without a single mistake, I mentally rehearsed the situation several times before looking at the servant with a resolute expression. The servant, seeing my determined face, grew tense as well and creaked the door open.

As the door swung wide open, the first to greet me was Logan.  

“Welcome back, My Lady,” Logan said, standing beside the desk, diligently sorting through documents. It seemed that the Duke’s prolonged absence had caused a backlog of paperwork that needed to be dealt with.

Duke Elpinard never delegated decision-making entirely to his vassals, no matter how trivial the matter. He always insisted that the final signature be his, which resulted in him having a larger workload compared to the heads of other noble families. Thanks to this, the Elpinard territory was one of the best-managed in the empire.

‘So, this is what it means to put everything into your work…’  

Seeing the desk piled high with documents made me feel overwhelmed. The Duke had been away for quite some time, but I hadn’t expected the paperwork to pile up this much.

‘Now I understand why the Duke always wears a stern expression.’  

With that many documents to review each day, there would be little time for smiling.

As I looked at the mountain of paperwork, I noticed a head of bright blond hair sticking out from behind the stacks. I couldn’t see the face clearly, but I was sure it was the Duke. Gulping, I quickly reviewed the scenario I had just rehearsed. Father. I missed you. Aww, Daddy.

With the key points fresh in my mind, I dashed toward the Duke just like when I was a child. I called out, “Father!” and just as I was about to leap into his arms, my eyes met with a pair of striking blue ones, and I froze in place.

“…What is it?”  

“Uh… well… that is…”

In my imagination, running into the Duke’s arms hadn’t seemed this difficult.

Facing the real thing, my body refused to move as I had planned. I ended up standing awkwardly, frozen in the pose of someone about to run, while my eyes darted around nervously. The Duke’s brow furrowed slightly, clearly wondering, *What on earth is wrong with her?*

‘My social skills…!’  

With great effort, I managed to move my creaky limbs and hesitantly wrapped one arm around the Duke’s. It was far from the enthusiastic hug I had imagined, but it was the best I could muster.

“F-Father…”  

I squeezed my eyes shut, too afraid to see his reaction. This was a technique I had developed as a child when just making eye contact with the Duke made my heart race uncontrollably.

“D-Did you have a good trip?”  

I finally managed to get the words out. I had failed to execute the practiced lines like “I missed you!” or the playful “Aww, Daddy!” but at least I said something. It was a half-success, if nothing else.

Tentatively, I opened my eyes and looked up at the Duke. He seemed a bit dazed, staring down at me as if he couldn’t quite believe what was happening. Embarrassed, I quickly lowered my head and began to blurt out the other reason I had come to see him.

“Thank you for the personal funds. I was surprised by how much you gave me. I promise I won’t waste it and will manage it well.”

“Won’t waste it…”  

The Duke echoed my words. His voice was soft, almost a murmur, but I could hear it clearly since I was still clinging to his arm.

Letting go of his arm, I clenched my fists confidently.  

“Yes! I won’t waste it!”

“No. That’s not what I meant.”  

“Excuse me?”

“You need to learn how to spend frivolously. Trembling over the cost of a dress is not befitting of an Elpinard.”

‘But… that dress was worth 30 billion! Of course, I was trembling!’  

I was dumbfounded by the Duke’s calm remark. If it had been an ordinary dress, I wouldn’t have made such a fuss. But it was a 30 billion gold dress! If I had moved the wrong way and stepped on the hem, it would have been like crushing diamonds underfoot! Who wouldn’t be nervous in such a situation? Well, maybe the Duke, Axel, or Noah, with their absurd standards of spending.

But it seemed the Duke had no intention of understanding my perspective.

“I gave you those funds so you wouldn’t have to report every purchase to me. You don’t need to manage it carefully; it’s just pocket money.”

“Pocket money…?”  

It was far too much to be considered just pocket money! But the Duke wasn’t finished.

“If you really want to manage something, take charge of the Elpinard estate’s budget.”  

“…What?”

“Traditionally, that would be the responsibility of the lady of the house. But that position is currently vacant in the Elpinard family. Until now, Veronica has been handling it, but…”

The Duke trailed off, his eyes flashing with a cold intensity. Even though I prided myself on having grown accustomed to his stern gaze, this time it was sharp enough to send a chill down my spine.

“Anyway, with Veronica gone, there’s no one else but you to take charge of this household, is there?”

He wasn’t wrong. The management of a noble family’s household typically fell to the wife, daughter-in-law, or daughter of the family head.

‘But I’m not even his biological daughter, and I’m still young…’  

I blinked, uncertain whether this was really something I should take on. The Duke, however, pulled out a set of keys from his drawer and placed them on the desk.

“These are the keys to the storeroom where the household records and budget documents are kept. I’ll instruct Logan to assist you, so don’t feel overwhelmed. Just think of it as getting a head start on something you’ll eventually be responsible for.”

I quickly glanced at Logan, hoping he might intervene and talk the Duke out of this idea, but his reaction was entirely different from what I had expected.

“I will support you with all my heart, My Lady. After witnessing how you handled the situation with Lady Veronica, I’m confident you’re more than capable!”

‘Ah!’  

So that was the problem!  

I had dealt with Veronica too effectively right in front of Logan!

A cold sweat ran down my back. The Elpinard family likely had a budget second only to the imperial family itself. Managing the finances of such a household…  

‘I appreciate the trust, but… it sounds like such a hassle…!’  

Tears welled up in my heart.  

‘Can’t I just enjoy being the daughter of a rich family and take it easy in this life?’

But with the Duke urging me to contribute as a member of the family, I wasn’t in a position to refuse.  

‘Ugh, I should have acted cuter! I should have played the role of a child more!’  

Swallowing my frustration, I bowed my head to the Duke.

“I’ll do my best, as you trust me to…”

* * *

When I returned to the Sapphire Room, keys jangling in my hand, the three flower-named maids were in an uproar.

“My goodness! The Duke entrusted you with the household management?”

Lily, who seemed the most shocked, led the chorus of “My goodness!” from Rose and Daisy. Unlike the three, who were overjoyed, I felt utterly drained. As I sighed deeply, Lily looked at me with concern.

“Are you feeling burdened by such a big responsibility?”

It wasn’t so much the burden as it was the sheer annoyance, but I couldn’t say that out loud in front of them. So, I mustered up some of my social skills and clenched my fists with determination.

“I’ll give it my all!”

At this, the three maids squealed in delight and clapped like seals.  

‘With social skills as sharp as mine,’ I thought, ‘why can’t I pull off the same mechanical charm in front of the Duke?’

Puzzled by my own inability to perform, I rubbed my chin in thought when Rose suddenly clapped her hands as if she had just remembered something.

“Oh, by the way, My Lady! Cardinal Bael is here. He’s talking with Master Axel in his room right now.”