Chapter 565
The preparations for Rin’s wedding were going smoothly.
The Count Valenti’s territory, where the wedding was set to take place, bordered the Duke Wulken’s territory, which made transportation easy. Plus, the Yoris family was prosperous in commerce, so gathering all the supplies and personnel needed for the wedding was a breeze. When we needed something, it arrived with almost same-day delivery!
While the planning went on without a hitch, an unexpected variable popped up.
“I’m not sure if I’ll be able to attend the wedding.”
My mother hesitated about attending the wedding.
It wasn’t that she hated Rin so much that she couldn’t bear to see her, nor did she have any quarrels with the Yoris family. In fact, despite her growing belly, she had visited my family’s residence at the Academy to offer Rin all kinds of advice.
Yes, she was indeed getting bigger.
“What will others think…”
My mother’s cheeks flushed as she felt embarrassed, which prompted my father to clear his throat softly.
Having a child in her forties, with two grown sons already, and then a surprise baby? It was bound to make a stir! My eldest son was married now, but to have a child at this age felt like a wild jackpot.
Because of this hefty title, my mother was reluctant to step into the spotlight. While everyone outwardly congratulated her, she was worried they might secretly think she was too old for this.
‘What should I do?’
I found myself both amused and nonplussed by her dilemma, struggling to react properly.
I understood how she felt. There’s no set age for having kids, yet there’s an unspoken customary age bracket for such things. It’s not common to have a much younger child when you’re way past the average age. Even acquaintances were likely to respond with sheer disbelief.
Not that it was shameful… well, it could be, but it definitely wasn’t taboo.
‘Honestly, who would dare say anything to my mother?’
Unless someone got shot in the head by a bullet, no one would have the audacity to make weird remarks about her having a precious youngest child.
Sometimes, I feel like the person who underestimates me the most is my mother. Who would make my birth mother the subject of gossip in high society?
“If you don’t show up, there’ll be ridiculous rumors about health issues. And it could make Rin look like a disliked daughter-in-law.”
I tried to suppress my smirk as I nudged her towards attending.
Honestly, persuading her wasn’t even necessary. She already wanted to attend Rin’s wedding and knew she should.
It was just a tiny, tiny flicker of embarrassment keeping her ankles bound.
“And our youngest would surely prefer to be out and about rather than just stuck at the estate, right?”
At that, my mother slightly nodded her head.
Our lively little one was already full of spirit, kicking about in her embrace, demanding to be fed multiple times a day.
Every time that happened, my father had to rush back from fishing to grab whatever the little one wanted. Rumor has it that once, he even bartered fish and fruits for cash because he forgot his wallet… I wonder just how tough times must have been to have such a grim legend.
“You know how our little one is. If she skips a family event, she’ll definitely throw a fit about why she wasn’t brought.”
“Well, that’s true,” my mother chuckled.
Only then did her expression brighten.
It was obvious that our active little one would be sulking in a fit if she didn’t attend the wedding of who would soon be her sister-in-law or new sister. My mother certainly would want to avoid that.
“Sorry for saying something unnecessary. Just keep it a secret from our youngest, okay?”
“Ha ha, of course!”
Watching my mother gently pat her belly, I exchanged a glance with my father.
His nod of approval was quite striking.
‘Shouldn’t it be Dad who persuades her instead?’
For a moment, that thought crossed my mind, but I quickly brushed it aside. In a way, my father was the one who had placed the shackles of embarrassment on my mother. It wouldn’t be strange for the perpetrator to comfort and persuade her.
…
‘Is Dad’s rank still okay?’
I genuinely worried. My father, even as the patriarch and a noble, had shown weakness to my mother, and now that he was neither, having given her a surprise youngest child, it wouldn’t be surprising if his status had plummeted to the ground.
Of course, neither I nor Erich would disrespect him, but for my father, the crucial people are his wife and not just his two independent sons. If his wife gives him a hard time, it renders our respect as sons completely meaningless.
‘He’ll handle it, I’m sure.’
Yeah, my father will figure it out. He just has to repay the “debt” of having a younger one since she was born.
Let’s just think of it that way.
The tulip garden in Count Valenti’s territory is quite well-known, both in the Empire and beyond. If the Aitini Baronage is famous for eels, then the Count Valenti’s territory holds a notable reputation for tulips. No wonder Rin took up flower arranging as a hobby.
And only the ruling family of Valenti has the privilege to hold a wedding ceremony in this continental tourist hotspot.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?”
The tulip garden we visited the day before the wedding was beautiful enough to warrant such a comment. Tulips of all colors bloomed harmoniously, accented by statues and fountains that didn’t mar the scenery.
That the tulips bloom in spring instead of summer? Not important. With enough magic and gold, one can cover that up easily.
“Right? It’s the pride of Valenti!”
Rin shrugged her shoulders proudly at my honest remark.
It was a place truly worth being proud of. If I had a place like this in my territory, I wouldn’t stop coming here every time I felt tired. Even the mentally breaking grind of dealing with a royal pain in the ass could mend itself by just laying here.
“When I was little, I’d often imagine what kind of man I’d marry here.”
“Isn’t that a bit early for a kid to be thinking about marriage?”
“My mom would never stop bragging about the wedding she had here.”
Rin’s bashful smile made me chuckle.
To a child, parents are the entire world. If half that world was bragging about their wedding in an almost educational manner, that would easily cultivate the child’s dreams.
“So, did that imagination come true?”
“In the best way possible.”
After placing a kiss on my cheek, Rin took a few steps back and stuck out her tongue.
“I didn’t think I’d end up as the wife of a man with six other wives, but if we’re counting, I’ve technically stolen my sister Marghetta’s husband, so I’m cool with it!”
“Cheeky tactic, huh?”
I wrapped my arms around Rin, who was playfully hitting me, and returned the kiss.
In a place that could make even the heavens gasp in awe, it would be a downer for a couple about to become officially married to just play the “smack-a-cheek” game.
And it’s a gentleman’s duty to take the lead in areas where his wife hasn’t yet moved forward.
“Shall we practice a little since we’re here?”
I didn’t wait for an answer.
Rin hugging me was all the permission I needed.
The day of the wedding had arrived.
“I’m here!”
“Ah, you made it?”
Of course, they should show up, but it felt a bit awkward when a guest actually arrives.
“…Can I just drop off the wedding gift and leave? I’m feeling super awkward right now.”
“Where do you think you can just show up, drop a coin, and leave? Sit and clap your hands instead!”
“Ugh…”
The flustered Third Section Manager—no, Executive Manager, scratched his slick head as he nervously looked around, greeting other guests.
I could understand his situation. Even though he had apologized and compensated before, it was still a miracle that the Yoris family didn’t go down in flames because of him. And now he was attending a wedding where his boss’s daughter was marrying into that same family? Talk about a mind flip!
“What you went through back then was tough, but luckily no one got hurt. It wasn’t intentional, and you compensated for it, so it’s all good now.”
Yet still, the Yoris family, including Rin, forgave the Executive Manager for his grand trolling.
As Rin said, no family or servants were harmed. Additionally, the Executive Manager had cleaned things up with the Gold Duke just in time, while the rival family who had wronged the Yoris family was obliterated back then.
‘Thank goodness it ended well.’
Thinking back on that situation still makes me shiver. If anyone had gotten hurt or worse, what would have happened to Rin and me? What would the fate of the Information Department be?
“What are you thinking about so seriously?”
“Just thinking how you might have ended up as the fourth…”
Before I could finish, Erich came up next to me and poked me in the waist.
“Eh?”
She tilted her head in confusion at my statement as she spotted the Executive Manager’s back from afar.
“That was close, right?”
“Why do you phrase it as if you’re innocent?”
Her shameless reaction made me pull her lips playfully.
The whole mess was led by the then-Third Section Manager, and while the Executive Manager took the brunt of the blame, the other managers were practically partners in crime too. The only difference was the level of involvement.
“Ugh, ugh!”
However, when I grabbed her lips, Erich flailed her arms in protest, looking all indignant.
How ridiculous! After all that, she still tried to deny her role?
‘There’s no such thing as an innocent civil servant in this world.’
Only the unlucky ones exist.
Civil servants lacking luck, colleagues, or subordinates. That’s what the world holds, and Erich was cashed in due to her bad colleague luck.
“I merely prepared everything! I didn’t actually carry it out!”
Even though her protest was desperate, seeing her twist around whimsically was too adorable for me. I slowly let go of her lips, and she retaliated with the expected complaints.
“Ugh!”
“If you had actually followed through, you’d have been the mastermind instead of the Executive Manager.”
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