‘Only a hundred people?’

To maintain such a large castle with just a hundred staff members… Just the manor of the Grand Duchy of Jericho had over a thousand servants.

Thirty-two had even accompanied Cecilia when she came to Lagos Castle.

‘No wonder I hardly see anyone around.’

Lagos was undoubtedly more impoverished than Cecilia had imagined.

‘Well, what could anyone do on this barren land where it’s winter all year long?’

Just keeping up this massive castle must be a struggle.

‘That greedy old man.’

A bitter smile crept onto Cecilia’s face. The ugly ambition of Grand Duke Jericho, who had sent her here, disgusted her.

The reason for her third marriage was due to the sense of urgency felt by Grand Duke Jericho.

It was a matter of Cecilia’s age. There was no uniform law on adulthood across the continent.

Generally, commoners married at an appropriate age, and marriage marked one’s transition into adulthood.

However, for nobles, marriage and inheritance involved more complex issues.

Thus, each grand duchy had its own family laws to define adulthood.

While family laws varied, adulthood typically fell between seventeen and nineteen.

If there were any conflicting family laws between the bride and groom, the higher age was usually adopted as the standard.

Originally, the age of adulthood defined by Jericho’s family law was eighteen.

However, after Cecilia’s second divorce, Grand Duke Jericho amended the law, raising adulthood to twenty-one.

It was an amendment with a clear motive.

Upon reaching adulthood, Cecilia would be able to marry without her guardian’s permission.

If she decided to marry and requested control over her assets, Jericho would have to comply.

It wasn’t just a matter of losing wealth—if another grand ducal family gained that right, the balance of power would shift.

Having personally benefited from this, Jericho would not want to see another family profit in his place.

As always, the grand duke had comforted Cecilia with kind words.

 

⌜ Cecilia, it’s only two years, or three at most. You just have to endure for that time. It’s a place that may lack the luxuries you’re used to, but whatever you need, just say the word, and I’ll send it. I made this decision to protect you. You know that, don’t you? I’m always thinking of you. As my only sister’s child, you are my most cherished one. ⌟

 

Two months after her third marriage, Cecilia turned twenty-one.

In her previous life, she hadn’t understood why she had to enter this marriage.

But now, she could see through Grand Duke Jericho’s machinations.

The seven grand ducal families had established their own impregnable fortresses.

Though they competed among themselves, they united as one against external threats.

Lagos was an outsider.

Even if the lord of Lagos set his sights on Cecilia’s wealth, obtaining it was nearly impossible.

Since her assets were tied to one of the seven grand duchies, they would stand together to prevent an outsider from taking them.

Additionally, sending Cecilia to a distant location distanced her from the center of attention.

As they say—out of sight, out of mind.

‘He probably also wanted to subdue my willful nature.’

Around this time, Cecilia had become rather arrogant.

She didn’t know the exact amount of her wealth, but she knew it was enormous.

She had begun to understand the ways of the world.

Once she fully realized that wealth meant power and influence, she wouldn’t cling to her ties with Grand Duke Jericho.

And so her uncle had cast Cecilia, who had lived a life of abundance, into this remote place.

Marrying her off also bought him a two-to-three-year grace period.

He was surely now devising ways to squeeze the maximum benefit out of the situation.

‘What kind of deal did he strike?’

As for the grand duke, that was expected—but what did Russell Cardros, her husband, gain from this marriage?

‘Could it be wealth? That would be so petty.’

As Cecilia toured the castle with Helen, she began to understand how such a vast castle could be managed with only about a hundred people.

Although only the north and south wings were closed off, in most areas, empty spaces outnumbered those in use.

Even at the Jericho grand ducal manor, there were spaces that weren’t used immediately, like halls and rooms reserved for special events or guests.

Such spaces were rarely used, perhaps once or twice a year.

Nevertheless, they were always meticulously maintained.