[Lucielle’s POV — My Chamber — Later]
PLOP!!
The moment I entered my room, I threw myself face-first onto the bed like a soldier returning from war.
"I’m deeeeeeead..."
My slippers flew in two completely different directions. One landed near the fireplace. The other... I had absolutely no idea. Probably filed for independence.
I didn’t care.
My face sank into the ridiculously soft pillow while both of my legs lazily dangled in the air. A tiny white fox cub happily hugged one of my ankles.
Lick.
The little fox continued enthusiastically washing my foot as though it had discovered the world’s greatest delicacy. I slowly rolled over onto my back; my ridiculously long crimson hair exploded across the bed like someone had dropped several kilograms of instant noodles.
My skirt had somehow ridden halfway up during my Olympic-level flop onto the mattress. Mia immediately rushed over.
"Y-Your Grace!" She gently lowered my skirt before carefully lifting the little fox; she placed it beside me. "There...now you may continue."
The fox happily accepted its promotion and immediately curled against my side before rubbing its fluffy face against my arm.
The fox answered with a tiny, "Yip."
Meanwhile, I stared blankly toward the magnificent dragon-painted ceiling. "Today was weird."
Mia tilted her head. "Is Your Grace referring to the White Fox Beasts?"
"Among other things." I gently hugged the baby fox against my chest.
It immediately began making soft little chirped noises. I gently scratched beneath his chin and muttered, "His Grace doesn’t really seem like a villain."
Mia blinked as she looked genuinely confused. "A villain? Why would His Grace be a villain, Your Grace?"
I wish I could explain to Mia because she had absolutely no idea what I meant. To everyone in this world... Cassian Ashcroft was the Empire’s terrifying Grand Duke.
To me he was the novel’s final boss, the man who casually chopped people’s heads off like he was harvesting cabbages. The same man who somehow fell hopelessly in love with the female lead started a civil war and lost everything...
And eventually had his own head rolling across the execution platform, courtesy of the crown prince.
But the way he protected me---aka--Luceille like he loved her, I wonder how in the world he fell for a female lead that led him to death. In the novel it was just mentioned that he fell for the female lead at first sight. But...how come a duke who is colder than his snowy empire fell for a baron’s daughter?
"The guy literally scares Divine Beasts; how did he lose to some blond prince?"
Mia tilted her head again. "Your Grace?"
"Nothing."
I dramatically buried my face into the fox. "Ughhhhhhh...so many death flags, so many future problems, so much thinking that I want to avoid using my brain."
Mia looked concerned. "Would Your Grace like some tea?"
"No."
"Hot chocolate?"
"No."
"A warm bath?"
"No."
"I need something that makes me happy, and except wealth, nothing makes me happy."
I absentmindedly cuddled the tiny fox tighter; he made another happy little chirpy sound.
. . .
Wait.
. . .
I froze as my eyes slowly widened and realization stuck. Then...I SAT STRAIGHT UP.
"MIA!"
"Y-Yes, Your Grace?!"
A dazzling smile spread across my face as I leaned closer with my sparkling, money eyes. "Mia...I’m the Grand Duchess, right?"
Mia blinked.
"Why do you forget your own title every other day, Your Grace?"
"Oh," I waved dismissively. "Long-term emotional damage. My bald boss permanently damaged my brain."
Mia stared at me with the exact same expression one would have after witnessing someone casually converse with invisible ghosts.
"Never mind."
I clapped both hands together as my eyes sparkled with dangerous levels of excitement and I leaned forward dramatically.
"So! As the Grand Duchess, surely we have a treasure vault?"
Mia nodded. "Of course we do, Your Grace."
I gasped. My eyes practically became golden coins; I threw both fists into the air. "Finally! My unemployed retirement plan is saved!"
Mia blinked. "Retirement?"
"Details." I slid off the bed with suspicious enthusiasm. "Take me there immediately!"
Mia hesitated. "But your grace..."
My smile froze. "Don’t tell me. We lost the keys?"
"Oh no, Your Grace." She smiled politely. "The keys are perfectly safe."
I let out a relieved breath. "Oh, thank goodness."
"It is simply that..." She clasped her hands together. "You donated almost everything."
. . .
. . .
. . .
My smile remained frozen. "Come again?"
"You donated the Ashcroft family’s treasures to the temple."
. . .
. . .
The room became deathly silent. Outside, snow continued falling peacefully. Inside, dark clouds gathered above my soul, thunder rumbled, lightning struck, and a tiny violin began playing somewhere in the distance.
I pointed at myself with a trembling finger as my voice cracked. "I...I donated...THE ASHCROFT TREASURE?!"
Mia nodded proudly. "Yes."
"Why?"
"You were angry."
"At whom?"
"The Grand Duke."
"So..." I swallowed. "I robbed my own husband...to win an ego war?"
"Yes, Your Grace."
My soul quietly packed its bags and left my body. Mia continued smiling, completely unaware of the catastrophe she had just unleashed. "The temple was extremely grateful. Several priests cried tears of joy; the High Priest personally praised your generosity—"
SLUMP.
I collapsed face-first onto the bed, then gravity betrayed me.
THUD!!
I rolled straight off the mattress and landed on the carpet like a sack of potatoes. The baby fox immediately panicked.
"Mrrr?!"
It scrambled down after me, frantically pawing at my face.
Mia gasped.
"YOUR GRACE!!"
I lay motionless on the floor; my soul had already ascended as a tiny, broken whisper escaped my lips, "Why was Luceille this dumb? WHYYYYY?"
"Your Grace, stop calling yourself dumb."
The baby fox whimpered and began licking my cheek in a desperate attempt to revive me. Unfortunately not even overwhelming cuteness could resurrect someone who had just discovered they’d accidentally donated their entire fortune.
***
[Cassian’s POV—Ashcroft Manor—Office—Later]
"The White Fox Beasts could become an enormous asset to House Ashcroft." Cedric stood before my desk, one hand resting upon the map of the northern territories.
"If properly trained...they could patrol the forests, protect villages from bandits, and even drive away magical beasts before they ever reach our borders."
I silently studied the parchment spread across my desk and lightly tapped the map.
"It is a reasonable proposal. If they learn to march beside our knights...Ashcroft’s northern defenses would become nearly impenetrable."
Cedric nodded. "And if the Imperial Palace does not interfere, they could become our greatest—"
"They won’t," I interrupted before he could finish.
Cedric looked up. "My Lord?"
I calmly folded another report. "The White Fox Beasts do not obey House Ashcroft, nor will they obey the Imperial Palace. They obey...Lucielle Ashcroft."
Silence filled the office.
Only the crackling fireplace disturbed the quiet. Cedric slowly lowered his gaze. "Then...only Her Grace possesses authority over them."
"Correct. They acknowledged neither me...nor House Ashcroft. They acknowledged my wife."
For several moments...
Neither of us spoke. Then almost unconsciously... I found myself looking toward the window. "It was my wife who patted the Nine-Tailed Divine Fox and got blessed."
Even after witnessing it with my own eyes, the sentence still sounded absurd. Cedric suddenly smiled, a small genuine smile.
"Perhaps the gloomy days of House Ashcroft have finally come to an end."
I looked at him and furrowed, but before I could respond—
SLAAAAAAAAAMMMMMM!!
The office doors burst open with enough force to make several books fall sideways.
"HUUUUUUUUUSBAND!! WE HAVE THE EMERGENCY!!!!"
. . .
. . .
Cedric blinked. I blinked; standing dramatically in the doorway was Lucielle. One hand on the door, the other clenched into a determined fist. Her legs were spread shoulder-width apart like a commander preparing for battle. Beside her, a tiny white fox cub stood in the exact same pose.
Tiny paws apart, tiny chest puffed out, and tiny determined face.
Even the fox was copying her; the cub proudly let out a tiny "Yip!"
As though announcing their arrival. Lucielle marched straight across the office; each step echoed dramatically.
"What kind of emergency—"
SLAAAAAM!!
As both palms landed firmly upon my desk, the ink bottle jumped. Cedric flinched; the little fox climbed onto one of the chairs beside her and copied the pose again. I looked from Lucielle...to the fox, then back to Lucielle.
"What happened?"
She met my eyes with absolute determination. "We’re getting our treasure back."
Cedric blinked. "Treasure?"
Lucielle nodded vigorously as she folded both arms proudly. "Yes. I have recovered my brain, and I’ve realized something. My previous self was an absolute financial disaster."
Cedric looked away, probably because laughing in front of one’s Grand Duchess generally shortened one’s lifespan. Lucielle continued dramatically.
"Who in their right mind donates an entire family treasure vault to the Temple?!" She pointed accusingly toward the nearest window. "As we speak...I’m absolutely certain those high priests are swimming in our money. They’re probably polishing our jewelry, wearing our crowns, and drinking tea from our expensive cups. I refuse to fund their luxurious lifestyle any longer."
. . .
. . .
The office fell silent. I should have corrected her; the temple had accepted those donations legally, and the treasures had long since become temple property. Yet...one word quietly lingered in my thoughts.
’Our.’
Not...
"My treasure or your treasure."
’Our treasure.’
An almost imperceptible warmth settled within the room. Lucielle continued pacing back and forth.
"That high priest...I should personally pluck every single hair off his head and make him bald for sucking our treasure. Actually, does he even have hair?"
Cedric finally failed, and a quiet chuckle escaped him. I looked toward him; he immediately straightened.
"My apologies, Your Grace."
I slowly looked back toward Lucielle; she was still muttering to herself. "Those temple people are a bunch of daylight robbers."
Without realizing it, the corner of my lips lifted just slightly. A quiet breath escaped me, almost...a laugh, and made Lucielle freeze; her eyes slowly widened, and she pointed directly at my face.
"You smiled."
I raised an eyebrow. "Did I?"
She took one dramatic step backward. "Wow...that’s terrifying."
Cedric lowered his head; his shoulders were shaking suspiciously. Lucielle rubbed both of her arms. "I think smiling actually makes you scarier, Impressive."
I sighed heavily and walked around the desk until I stood before her. "Do you truly wish to retrieve those treasures?"
She answered so quickly it sounded rehearsed. "VEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRYYYYYYYYYY MUCH! Let’s leave for the Imperial Capital right now! We’ll knock on the temple gates, and we’ll reclaim every single coin—the perfect operation."
I smiled softly. "Quite the strategy."
"I know." She nodded proudly. "I’m something of a genius."
"...Debatable."
I returned to my desk, pulled a fresh sheet of parchment toward me, and picked up my pen. Lucielle leaned over the desk immediately.
"What are you doing?"
"Writing."
"...To whom?"
"The Grand Temple."
Her eyes lit up as she cracked her knuckles. "Excellent, threaten them with something elegant but terrifying like you usually do: ’Return our treasure before I personally redecorate your holy walls.’"
Cedric immediately looked down at the floor; his shoulders shook again. I dipped the pen into the ink. Lucielle leaned even closer, and for the first time since our marriage... my office no longer echoed only with silence.