Chapter 444
I let out a small sigh while rubbing my eyes. They felt heavy and dry, likely from hours of strain.
‘I’ve received quite a bit.’
I carefully picked up one unopened letter from the pile stacked on one side of my desk. It was a shame that, despite the time spent, there were still more letters unread than read.
But as a noble person facing a joyous occasion, it was a burden one had to bear. If I wasn’t going to live a solitary life disconnected from the world, interaction with others was important.
[Congratulations on Your Excellency the Minister’s marriage. Though I cannot greet you in person—]
Suppressing my fatigue, I opened a new letter, which, again, started with a similar line.
Anyone sending a letter during this time likely meant they wouldn’t be attending the wedding. Effectively, all the letters carried the same message.
‘The 6th Army Commander, huh.’
Flipping through the contents quickly, I confirmed that it was indeed signed by the 6th Army Commander.
The 6th Army Commander was a personnel from the Eastern Regional Forces, responsible for guarding the border. It was understandable that he would find it challenging to reach the capital. I suspected other commanders from the Eastern Regional Forces had sent letters too.
‘We’ve exchanged greetings occasionally.’
Focusing on my relationship with the 6th Army Commander, I set aside his letter for later.
While it’s customary to reply to congratulatory notes, it wouldn’t be appropriate to send the same level of response to everyone. Considering their rank and my relationship with them should dictate the nature of my reply.
I know it sounds snobby, but you can’t treat a Count and a Baron the same way. That would infuriate the Count, and if I greeted a close friend the same way as an acquaintance, they would feel hurt. That’s just how social interactions work.
‘…Not even a letter from a Marquis.’
As I continued checking through the other letters, I stumbled upon an unsettling truth. Among those who sent their regards for not attending, there was not a single Marquis.
All I had seen so far were letters from Counts or lower-ranking individuals. No letters from those above, like Dukes or Marquises.
Of course, with many unopened letters still piled high, there might be something mixed in. Yet, this stack had already been sorted for me by the butler, meant to help read the letters from higher-ranking officials quickly.
And still, there were no letters from Dukes or Marquises?
‘So all the Marquises are attending, huh.’
That meant there was no need to excuse their absence; every single one would be present. All twelve Marquises scattered across the Empire.
A bitter smile crept across my face. I knew that all five Dukes would attend the wedding, but I didn’t expect all the Marquises to show up as well. I thought a few would skip out.
“This doesn’t seem like just a Count’s wedding.”
Before I knew it, I mumbled aloud. Even a royal wedding wouldn’t have this level of grandeur. This was practically the level of a Crown Prince’s wedding.
If someone claimed a mere noble was wielding excessive power, I’d have them look to the Imperial family. It’s not my fault they’re crowning a kid in his early twenties with all these titles. Wouldn’t anyone want to attend the wedding of a significant player expected to live for decades?
‘Five more of these.’
The trivial issue here was that I had five more weddings to go through.
‘A lifespan that could stretch hundreds of years.’
My anticipated lifespan might not just be decades but could actually extend to hundreds of years.
…
‘Where had I left off reading?’
Clearing my mind, I resumed reading the letters, focusing on the immediate situation at hand.
I once again felt that Mar was cherished as the beloved youngest child.
“Finally, our youngest is getting married. Congratulations!”
My brother smiled as he ruffled Mar’s hair.
“Isn’t that the little one who was just waddling around?”
“Uh, yeah. How many years are we talking about here?”
Tears welled up in the eyes of my third sister-in-law as she reacted to Mar’s wedding, while others comforted her. Mar sat between them, turning bright red and unsure of what to do.
The commotion in the mansion restarted thanks to the timely visit of my brother and sisters-in-law.
‘What a lovely sight.’
It was indeed a picturesque scene—a genuine celebration of family, joy for marriage, and sadness over their loved one departing.
Of course, I tried to mentally erase Mar from being overly treated like a child. Honestly, Mar is pretty close in age to my fourth sister-in-law, so it wouldn’t be weird if she were treated like a daughter instead of the youngest.
“Our Mar graduated from the Academy, and now she’s leaving right after! I wish our son could live with us…”
I gave a somewhat awkward smile at my third sister-in-law’s words as she dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief.
To live in the Valenti family without leaving the household would mean I’d have to become a live-in son-in-law, and to do that I’d have to give up my title as Count of Tailglehen.
Honestly, that kind of life is tempting. Shedding the burdens of being an Imperial Count and living under a Duke? That sounds like the dream life everyone desires.
‘But it’s impossible.’
Sadly, I had come too far up the ladder to become a live-in son-in-law of any family. Changing my title would require me to relinquish everything I held. It wouldn’t fly with the Emperor just to step down without gaining something greater in return.
If only I had acted four years sooner—it might’ve been possible. How unfortunate.
“Don’t worry. I’ll be sure to visit often.”
“No need for that. She’s just being dramatic about leaving, she’ll be fine in a few days.”
As I opened my mouth to comfort my third sister-in-law, my brother shook his head firmly.
It was a harsh assessment that made her shoot him a glare, but he just wore a facial expression like, ‘What do you want me to do?’
‘This is sibling life.’
Watching that, I quietly lowered my gaze. I was so used to seeing my youngest sibling Mar getting spoiled that I had momentarily forgotten this was how typical siblings interact.
No matter how much siblings grow up, this is a normal situation…
“You don’t have to force your way here, but you better come if you have a baby, okay?”
In the midst of it all, my fourth sister-in-law gently hugged Mar. It seems she had a little more sentiment than the others since she’s the eldest sister.
“But it’s best if it’s sooner rather than later, you know? Even if it’s not after the wedding.”
“Wait, sister!”
Mar’s voice rose to a near-scream as I closed my eyes to block out the words.
I didn’t hear a thing.
*
Every day was a delight. Whether it was entertaining visitors who came to celebrate my wedding with Carl, meeting my brother and sisters who had arrived before the wedding day, or seeing Carl’s grandparents for the first time, and reading the congratulatory letters—everything was joyous.
These moments would become unforgettable memories. Years could pass, even decades, but I would never forget them.
Yet none of these memories could ever surpass today’s happiness.
“Mar.”
Today was the day I had been dreaming of, waiting for, and yearning for years.
“Let’s go. We should arrive before the guests.”
Carl, who looked stunning every day but even more so today, opened the carriage door, offering his hand.
As I gazed at him, I caught sight of the staff lined up from the main building to the front gate, smiling and urging me to board alongside my sisters and Irina.
“Yes.”
Taking a deep breath, I opened my mouth, my voice shining brighter than ever, filled with joy.
“Let’s hurry!”
I grabbed Carl’s outstretched hand and beamed. Just as he said, we needed to get there ahead of the guests.
Today, we were the stars of the show.
We had to show the guests our happiness, being the main characters of the event.
‘Marghetta Krasius.’
Thinking of the name I would be called in just a few hours made my heart race.
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.