: Mori
: Duchess in the Attic: Volume 3
: J-Novel Club
: 9781718336810
: 1
: CHF 6.00
:
: Fantasy
: English
: 250
: DRM
: PC/MAC/eReader/Tablet
: ePUB

After a brief discussion with Claude, Opal heads to the Bocceli Duchy in Taisei Kingdom. While she still doesn't have the whole picture yet, she understands her role clearly: bait. She must act as a diversion to assist her husband and Alessandro's faction. She goes headfirst into danger, with her first step being the reform of the Bocceli Duchy, a region woefully behind on technology due to fears that using such items will bring upon the curse of the devil! As Opal patiently tries to encourage the duchy to embrace new technology and efficiency, she quickly finds herself under the strict surveillance of Julian. Just who is he? Why does Opal seem so oddly fixated on him? And what about the rumors that she's gone and eloped with the man?

1. The Duchy


It had been a few days since Opal and Claude parted ways on the outskirts of the capital, where they had met at the royal villa. Opal waved her hand at the people who were lined up on the roads for her arrival as she let out a small sigh. Everyone bowed their heads, so they couldn’t see her face. She hadn’t given prior notice of her visit to the Bocceli Duchy, but somehow the residents had already been informed. Opal didn’t expect it and thus hadn’t prepared herself for a warm welcome—but all the villagers had stopped their work and gathered to greet their new mistress.

When I arrive at the duchy, I must tell everyone that such a grand welcome is unnecessary, Opal thought. She wasn’t sure if these warm greetings were due to meeting their new duchess for the first time, or if they were always this welcoming, but neither she nor Claude wished for such gestures of grandeur.

But despite such a formal welcome the residents couldn’t entirely hide the state of their land, and in the grand scheme of things, Opal felt that her sudden visit was a success. It wasn’t as if she thought the land manager was neglecting their duties, but generally, people in that position tended to try to obscure things if the land they were responsible for wasn’t in the best shape. Prior reports had shown that the land’s poverty wasn’t due to the mismanagement of the person in charge. Hence, Opal had arrived to rectify the situation. She didn’t expect to solve every little issue with her visit, but if she didn’t start somewhere, the situation would never change.I have to say, the state of these people is quite alarming...

The residents that came to greet her weren’t exhausted or weary from their daily labor—no, they were clearly trembling in fear at the sight of their new duchess. Some were even trying to hide their repulsion, a clear sign that her next challenge would be no easy feat.

Do they despise the fact that Claude wasn’t born in Taisei and is somewhat lowborn, as the son of a baron? Is it me they dislike, since I am from Socille? This territory has somewhat oppositional leanings—are they wary of Claude since he’s close with His Majesty Alessandro? To be fair, while Claude might be related to Earl Roussel, he’s a young man who came from the Socille Kingdom and almost overnight became a marquis. Now, he’s been bestowed the title of