Chapter 19 – Obvious Rights

As such, Bella was hardly fazed at Amber’s counterattack.
“Your dowry shall be used for the management of the territory.
If you have seen just how much trouble the Eastern Lands are in, I’m sure you will completely understand my actions.”

Amber was at such a loss at Bella’s words that she nearly let out an audible laugh. ‘You won’t use my dowry money to manage the territory at all! You spent it all on a luxury business that was never going to succeed!’

The things she wanted to say reached the tip of her tongue.
but Amber was able to barely hold herself back.
In any case, it was in her previous life that Bella had created and lost that business after all.
Amber couldn’t push her buttons for something that hadn’t even happened yet.

Instead, Amber decided to assert her obvious rights.
“But since it was my dowry, don’t you think I should be the one to decide where to spend it by discussing so with my husband?”

“I don’t think you know this yet, but in the Eastern Lands, the elders are the ones to decide on the important decisions of a household.”

That tradition certainly did exist.

‘But it’s not like this household is even middle-class,’ Amber couldn’t believe what she heard.
The household of the Duke was directly controlled by the Duke’s orders and no one else’s.
If such official rules were changed willy nilly because of cultural tradition or whatnot, it was obvious that the territory would be in disarray.

“So don’t make such a fuss.
In any case, you won’t be able to buy most of the luxury items that you enjoyed back in the Western lands,” Bella didn’t back down and sneakily attacked Amber with the insinuation that Amber was only bringing up her dowry out of a desire to live in luxury.

The servants all turned their gaze towards Amber.

Amber let out a deep sigh.
If Bella was going to come at her in such a manner, Amber had no choice but to respond in equal measure.

“Excuse me, Mother,” Amber called for Bella with a serious tone of voice.
“Why do you so deeply need my dowry?”

“On top of that, to say that I would spend it on luxury goods, how could I have such selfish thoughts running through my mind when it hasn’t even been a day since I’ve arrived in the Eastern Lands?” Amber continued without letting Bella speak.

Bella’s expression became flustered. ‘Was she not pretending? Is she really so confident?’

As Bella stood there confused, Amber opened her mouth again.
“In normal circumstances, the owner of the dowry would be not me nor you, mother, but my husband.”

According to the laws of the empire, the wealth of the wife was immediately turned over to her husband after marriage.
If a wife had her husband’s permission, she could own some wealth, but that law didn’t apply to Amber at the moment.

“So don’t you think we should listen to what my husband has to say first?”

There are only two people that the tyrant-like Bella could not lay her hands on as she pleased within the castle.
Her husband, the previous Duke of Thales, and her stepson Kalix, the current Duke of Thales.

The previous Duke had shut himself inside a villa somewhere and never appeared in person.
Since he dearly cherished Bella, he would obviously support Bella’s decisions.
As such, Amber brought up Kalix’s name.

Though she considered Kalix’s ire at her use of his name, Amber quickly rid herself of the thought. ‘This much should be fine.
It’s not like I’m saying anything wrong anyways.’ She couldn’t help it even if he found it upsetting.
Her highest priority at the moment was to deal with Bella.

“It seems that you’re mistaking something here,” As Amber hadn’t said anything incorrect, Bella wasn’t able to easily counter.
She quickly gave up and took the easy route instead.
“Even if you keep babbling like a little bird, this is the Eastern Lands.”

Bella’s eyes glistened with violence.
“This is not a place for Westerners like you, who like to strut around despite being unable to accomplish a single thing correctly.”