A Duchess Without An Allowance

Eleanor’s POV

[System: Good morning, Eleanor.]

I slowly opened my eyes as a glowing panel appeared before me.

[Main Quest Time Remaining: 364 days.]

I let out a long sigh, then pulled the blanket up to cover half my face.

“Thank you for disturbing me first thing in the morning. I almost forgot that my life is in your hands now.”

The panel vanished without a response.

I pushed the blanket aside and sat on the edge of the bed. Sunlight streamed through the gap in the curtains, illuminating the room that had annoyed me the night before. The sheets had been changed, the vase was now filled with white roses, and the marble fireplace in the corner had been cleaned.

At least the servants in this house had managed to get one thing right.

After getting ready, I went downstairs for breakfast. A servant pulled out a chair for me while several others busied themselves with preparing the meal. The long dining table was filled with all sorts of food, from toast and eggs to fresh fruit and a cup of warm tea.

My eyes drifted to the chair at the far end of the table, which Edward presumably used.

“Has the Duke already left?” I asked the servant standing nearby.

“His Grace left the manor early this morning. He had some matters to attend to at the Alistair family offices.”

I gave a small nod.

Of course. The man seemed to have more things to do than time to spare for a conversation with his own wife.

I continued my breakfast in silence. Once I had finished, a servant brought me another cup of tea. I was just about to leave the dining room when Henry appeared in the doorway.

“Pardon the interruption, Your Grace. May I have a moment of your time?”

I set down my cup. “Of course. What is it, Henry?”

The head butler approached and handed me a thin ledger he was carrying.

“This concerns your request to His Grace last night.”

I frowned. “Which request?”

“Regarding the management of your chambers and the staff assigned to attend to you. I have begun reviewing the additional requirements for that department, but I have encountered some difficulties with the household budget.”

I opened the ledger. It contained several expense records and a list of outstanding payments.

“Is there a problem with the budget?”

Henry nodded.

“The available funds are currently insufficient to cover all the servants’ wages next month. Several household supply bills also remain unpaid.”

I looked up. “Doesn't the Alistair family have considerable financial resources?”

“Certainly, Your Grace. However, the household operates on a separate budget. Some transfers from the central office have yet to arrive, while this month's expenses have increased considerably.”

I looked down at the records in my hands again.

Impossible. I knew exactly how wealthy the Alistair family was from the novel I'd read. So how could they possibly be struggling to pay their servants?

I was certain something was wrong with the way the household finances were being managed.

“How much have the expenses increased?”

“I cannot give you an exact figure without the complete financial reports.”

“Then I'd like to see the household accounts. Including income, expenses, and outstanding bills.”

Henry hesitated slightly.

“Would you like to review them now, Your Grace?”

“Yes. Didn't I tell you yesterday that I wanted to take charge of the household matters under my responsibility?”

“You did, Your Grace. However, regarding the financial reports, I must obtain the treasurer's approval first.”

My frown deepened. “Why do you need his approval?”

“All financial documents fall under the supervision of the Alistair family treasurer. I am only responsible for the day-to-day operations of the manor.”

I closed the ledger.

“Then please arrange a meeting with the treasurer. I'd like to discuss this with him directly.”

“Certainly, Your Grace. I will contact him.”

Henry bowed before leaving the room.

I sat back and stared at the dining table, which was now nearly empty. Yesterday, Edward had told me I could manage the household matters that fell under my responsibility. Apparently, there was a difference between being given permission and actually having authority.

I held the title of Duchess Alistair, yet I couldn't even review the expense records of my own household without someone else's approval.

Damn it. How was I supposed to manage my staff and personal needs under these circumstances?

*** 

Less than an hour later, Henry returned with a bespectacled man carrying a document case.

“Your Grace, this is Mr. Robert. He is the treasurer responsible for the financial administration of Alistair Manor.”

I gave the man a brief once-over before he bowed politely.

“It is an honor to meet you, Your Grace.”

I offered him a faint smile and gestured for him to sit.

“I'll get straight to the point.” I sat upright and looked at Robert seriously. “Henry informed me that the available funds are insufficient to cover the servants' wages next month. That's why I'd like to review the Alistair household's financial records.”

Robert placed his document case on the table.

“That is correct, Your Grace. However, I'm afraid I cannot provide those reports without the Duke's direct approval.”

I frowned. “I am the Duchess of Alistair. Don't I have the right to know the financial condition of the household I'm responsible for?”

“Of course, Your Grace. However, all financial decisions remain under Duke Edward's authority. I am not authorized to hand those documents over to anyone else.”

“Anyone else?” I repeated. “I am Duke Edward's lawful wife.”

Robert looked slightly nervous but maintained his professional composure.

“I understand, Your Grace. However, I am merely following the procedures that have been in place for many years.”

I leaned back in my chair.

So this was how things really stood. I was allowed to arrange my chambers and choose the servants who would attend to me, but anything involving money remained beyond my reach.

“Very well. I won't ask you to hand over the entire financial report right now.”

Robert seemed slightly relieved.

“But I would like to know the household's largest expenses this month. Surely you can provide general information without disclosing confidential documents, can't you?”

The man fell silent for a moment before answering.

“The largest expense comes from food purchases and kitchen supplies, Your Grace.”

“How much?”

“The amount has nearly doubled compared to the previous month.”

I immediately raised an eyebrow.

“Doubled?”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“Even though the number of residents in the manor hasn't changed significantly?”

Robert didn't answer immediately.

I turned to Henry. “Have the quantities of food purchased increased as well?”

“Not to my knowledge, Your Grace. There have been no significant changes in the kitchen's requirements.”

I turned my attention back to the treasurer.

“Then I'd like to see the food purchase records. Not the entire financial report. Just the itemized lists, quantities purchased, and prices paid.”

Robert looked uncomfortable.

“Those documents are still part of the family's financial records. I cannot release them without the Duke's approval.”

“Then you don't need to hand over the entire archive. I only want copies of the kitchen purchase records. You can keep the originals.”

Robert fell silent.

“I'm also not asking you to make any decisions beyond your authority. I simply want to ensure that the household expenses under my responsibility are being properly managed.”

After a moment, Robert finally nodded.

“I will review which documents can be made available to Your Grace. If the finance department raises no objections, I will bring them here.”

“Very well. I'll be waiting.”

After Robert and Henry left the room, I let out a slow breath.

I couldn't understand why anyone would be so reluctant to show me food purchase records. But nearly doubling the expenses for supplies that hadn't changed much was certainly not something I could ignore.

The system panel suddenly reappeared.

[System: Side Quest Unlocked.]

I stared at the words before me.

[Quest: Alistair Manor Financial Audit.]

[Objective: Review household expense records and identify any irregularities.]

[Time Limit: 7 days.]

I frowned.

“So now you want me to become an auditor, too?”

[This task is related to the development of the main storyline.]

[Reward: To be granted upon successful completion of the quest.]

I fell silent.

“Development of the main storyline?”

[System: Additional information unavailable.]

I almost laughed in frustration. This system always found a way to give me another job without explaining why.

Still, one thing caught my attention.

If this task was related to the main storyline, then the financial problems at Alistair Manor might be more than just a budget issue.

I studied the panel for a moment before finally nodding.

“Fine. I'll accept the quest.”

The panel vanished instantly.

*** 

By noon, Robert finally returned with several selected documents. This time, he wasn't alone. An administrative staff member accompanied him, carrying a folder containing copies of the purchase records from the past three months.

I gestured for them to place the documents on the table.

“Are these all the food purchase records?”

“Yes, Your Grace. I've selected the documents related to the manor's kitchen supplies. However, I must emphasize that these documents are for review purposes only. All payment decisions remain under the Duke's authority.”

I nodded. “I understand.”

After they left, I opened the first folder and began examining the purchase lists. They contained all kinds of food supplies, from meat and vegetables to fruit and dry goods regularly delivered by several suppliers.

At first glance, everything seemed normal.

But after comparing the quantities and prices across several periods, I noticed something that didn't add up.

The prices of certain food items were significantly higher than they should have been.

I picked up one of the invoices and showed it to Robert, who was still standing near the door.

“Does this supplier always charge these prices?”

Robert examined the document I was holding out.

“Not always, Your Grace. Prices can fluctuate depending on market conditions.”

“Then why are the purchase prices this month nearly double those of the previous month, even though the quantities are almost identical?”

“There may have been changes in delivery costs or price adjustments from the supplier.”

I nodded slowly but wasn't entirely convinced by his explanation.

“Are there any comparison records from other suppliers?”

Robert fell silent.

“I would need to check that first.”

“Very well. I want all purchase records from this same supplier for the past three months.”

“Certainly, Your Grace. I will prepare them.”

He gave a brief bow before leaving the room.

I continued examining the documents on my own. Some prices had indeed increased, but not all of them had reasonable explanations. There were also invoices with payment dates only days apart, even though the purchased goods were listed as separate deliveries.

I picked up a pen and began marking several entries.

The longer I examined the records, the clearer it became that something was wrong.

My experience handling administrative and financial matters in my old world might have been years behind me, but I still remembered one simple principle: every expense needed proper documentation, and every payment had to be accounted for.

I opened the final sheet in the stack of invoices.

At the bottom was a payment approval section. I studied the signature there, then compared it with those on the previous documents.

Something was off.

I pulled two invoices from the pile and placed them side by side. Their transaction numbers and purchase dates were related, yet the names of the people who had approved the payments were different.

I picked up a third sheet to make sure.

The result was the same.

Two different signatures appeared across a series of payments that should have fallen under a single approval.

I stared at the documents for a little longer.

“Why are there two different people approving payments for the same transaction?”

Just then, someone knocked on the door.

“Your Grace, may I come in?”

I quickly gathered several invoices and placed them on the table.

“Come in.”

Robert appeared in the doorway. This time, he looked far more tense than before.

I picked up one of the invoices and looked him straight in the eye.

“Mr. Robert, could you explain why there are two different signatures on the same series of payments?”

***