Chapter 484
The road to Servette was much more comfortable and stable compared to the routes to Boyar and Cheness. Unlike the two duchies that are located at the southernmost and westernmost ends of the empire, Servette is right next to the capital. So, it’s a bit odd that the road to the capital is narrow and inconvenient.
With several carriages traveling in parallel, it was surprisingly spacious, clean of any stones, and the security was tight enough that even wild animals dared not show themselves. It was an environment where we could have walked without any issues.
‘Did I fall asleep again?’
Perhaps that’s why I repeatedly drifted in and out of sleep in the carriage.
It wasn’t a particularly good idea, but it was unavoidable. The road leading to the capital was a creation forged from the countless souls of civil servants and lords. Riding in a high-quality carriage felt like laying on a lavish bed; I mean, even Rizie and Lynn, who were engrossed in sightseeing, eventually closed their eyes.
“Are you awake?”
“Uh, yeah.”
Meanwhile, Trixie was the only one wide awake in the carriage filled with sleeping folks.
How embarrassing. If the two young ones were sleeping, I should at least have been conversing with Trixie instead of becoming her unintentional sleeping buddy.
“I’m sorry. You must have been bored alone?”
“No, it’s okay. It’s been a while since I went from the academy to Servette, so I enjoyed the scenery.”
Trixie shook her head with a smile, and I was relieved that it wasn’t just polite words.
“Ah, we’ll soon arrive in Kenne, so get ready.”
I shook Rizie and Lynn awake, who had been leaning against each other in slumber.
We finally arrived at our school trip destination, and I couldn’t let them get off looking all drowsy.
—
Kenne. The center of Servette duchy and one of the ten major cities in the empire.
As the closest major city to the capital, it’s a crucial hub where all sorts of goods and people converge. However, it’s oddly ambiguous what exactly makes Kenne unique. Honestly, Kenne does lack a bit of personality.
But let’s be clear, the fact that it lacks personality doesn’t mean it’s just an ordinary city. There’s a saying: “If it exists in the Empire, it exists in Kenne; if it doesn’t exist in Kenne, it doesn’t exist in the Empire.” That alone speaks volumes about Kenne’s prosperity, rivaled only by the capital.
…Sure, most of the ten major cities have such a saying, but the original is Kenne. So, point for Kenne!
“Huh?”
Just as Rizie yawns and looks around, she tilts her head.
“It seems somewhat similar to the capital?”
‘Oh.’
I couldn’t help but admire Rizie’s observation. She noticed that even after only glimpsing at the carriage.
“Kenne is a planned city made by the first Duke of Servette. It was designed based on the capital, so it’s only natural that it resembles it.”
Trixie, impressed by Rizie’s keen eye, affectionately ruffled her hair.
Just as Trixie said, Kenne is a new city that sprang up in an arid wasteland. Its establishment came at a time—specifically, during the era when Apels was reborn from the kingdom into the empire, which brought a lot of chaos and an excessive population density to the capital.
To alleviate that congestion, Kenne was made, but that’s also why Kenne is a city with little character. When you need to accommodate a sudden influx of people, who cares about personality?
“If you’re used to the capital, you won’t get lost in Kenne, so enjoy yourselves.”
That joke had a ring of truth, and a small laugh escaped me. I, too, had felt at ease navigating Kenne when I first visited because of its similar structure to the capital.
A planned city has its perks in that regard.
—
While Carl and the kids unpacked in the hotel we had chosen for our lodgings, I headed straight to the duchy’s residence.
Even carrying the title of an academy instructor, I couldn’t just stay in a hotel as a duke. Just imagining the agony of those who would be looking after me made me cringe.
Moreover, the time I spend at the duchy is overwhelmingly longer than the time in the capital. If I don’t move quickly now, who knows when I’ll return and when I’ll meet my vassals again. So, I had to hustle.
My timing and my vassals’ timing are different. What feels like a moment to me could be a lifetime to them.
“Your Grace, welcome!”
As soon as I arrived at the duchy’s residence, I couldn’t help but smile at the welcoming faces of my vassals.
It was the kids’ effort that allowed me to devote myself to magic without worries, making me able to stay as the head of the Magic Tower. If it weren’t for these kids, I wouldn’t be who I am today.
“However, Your Grace, why have you come alone?”
“Uh, huh?”
In my emotional reverie, the head butler straightened up and asked coolly.
Looking closer, it wasn’t just the butler. The other vassals behind him wore similar piercing gazes despite not speaking up.
“We consider it the utmost honor to serve the Kato family and you, Your Grace.”
I nodded blankly at the butler’s words. I’m well aware of that. Their families are like shields guarding the Kato family.
“They are the pillars supporting the Kato family and serve you most closely. That is our pride.”
I understood that well. Their loyalty wasn’t just a matter of profit but tied to honor and pride.
And that left me confused. What could have prompted them to say such things all of a sudden?
“Given that, we believe we have the right to greet your husband!”
‘Ah.’
Thanks to the butler’s follow-up, I realized my vassals’ feelings.
These kids were excited to hear that the duke—my husband—was coming!
“…He’s unpacking at the hotel. He said he would come directly to the castle, so don’t be upset.”
“Hotel? You mean…?”
“Yeah.”
I wore an awkward smile overshadowed by a mix of pride and embarrassment. They were heartily welcoming my marriage, but I hadn’t expected such overwhelming enthusiasm. Unbeknownst to me, my wedding had become not just my affair but the vassals’ wish as well.
“Why is your husband at the hotel?”
But before I could bask in that warm feeling, confusion crept in.
Why was he at the hotel? Well, if he had come for leisure, he would naturally start at the hotel…
“Shouldn’t he be at the duc’s residence?”
?
“Although you haven’t formally married yet, it’s a well-known fact across the continent that he is your husband. So why on earth is he living outside the duchy instead of at the castle? That’s simply unacceptable.”
His logic rendered me momentarily speechless.
Of course, Carl came as the academy’s inspector, so he had a reason to be staying at the lodging selected by the academy. However, from the butler’s expression, I doubted such reasoning would hold any water.
In the butler’s and the vassals’ eyes, Carl was already considered my husband, and words like “academy” or “inspector” wouldn’t register.
“If Your Grace allows, we will personally escort your husband here.”
Given the butler’s firm stance, I glanced at the vassals behind him.
Unsurprisingly, their expressions mirrored the butler’s.
In my own castle, I didn’t have a single ally.
—
Gazing blankly at the carriage ceiling, I wondered how much time had passed since I disembarked to find myself back in it again.
This time, it was a carriage sent from the Kato family.
‘What in the world.’
Seriously, what’s going on?
Overwhelmed, I rubbed the back of my neck. After seeing Trixie off as she headed toward the duchy, I was helping Rizie and Lynn unpack their things. Unlike me, who had brought only a few extra clothes, those two came with considerable baggage.
It’s only natural for someone with more to lend a hand.
However, not long after, the communication crystal began to glow.
– Carl, have you finished unpacking?
“No, not yet. Just started.”
– That’s a relief.
With a small sigh, Trixie appeared a bit fatigued as she explained the situation.
The Kato family’s vassals were adamantly insisting that Rizie, Lynn, and I stay at the residence. The original founder of the Kato family welcomed guests regardless of their rank, so how could they let family stay outside?
Now that the founder’s name was invoked, Trixie had no choice but to heed the will of the vassals. Hence the comical situation of us “moving” from the hotel to the duchy’s residence right upon arrival.
‘I’m okay with it, but…’
I pulled my hand away from the back of my neck and looked at Rizie and Lynn sitting across from me.
Right, I’m fine. It’s unexpected to be staying at the duchy instead of a hotel, but it’s not a big issue. What’s so unusual about a husband staying at his wife’s home?
But I do feel sorry for Rizie and Lynn getting dragged along with me. This was supposed to be their last school trip with friends. Even Trixy hesitated when bringing up the duchy since she knew how they felt.
Nonetheless, in contrast to the guilt weighed on me and Trixie, those two didn’t seem to worry much.
“Come to think of it, this is my third visit to the duchy, right?”
“Oh, right? We’ve also seen Ulken and Cheness, so this makes it the third for us.”
Our conversation seemed to treat heading to the duchy as not a surprising variable but more like an accomplishment. While I didn’t say it outright, internally, I sighed in relief.
I was just grateful. If they had looked uncomfortable, my heart would have ached throughout the journey.
‘The third time, huh.’
By the way, this involves a plain countess and a baroness getting intertwined in my life, bringing them to three out of five duchies. Isn’t that a genuine life achievement?
Thinking that I had altered their lives was a peculiar feeling indeed.
—
As soon as the carriage halted at the main gate of the duchy, someone promptly opened the door.
And as soon as the door opened, I froze at the sight before me.
“Welcome, Your Husband! The servants of the Kato family are here to greet you!”
“””We welcome Your Husband!”””
The vassals bowed to me, along with the servants and knights behind them, who followed suit.
Moreover, leading from the main gate to the building, there was even a military band standing proudly.
“Wow…”
Lynn’s quiet exclamation brought me back to my senses.
“Wow…”
But when I spotted Trixie among the vassals, I couldn’t help but gasp.
Trixie was blushing deeply, her eyes cast down, as if she felt guilty for not preventing this spectacle.
‘She must have been overwhelmed.’
If anyone could have stopped this from happening, it should have been Trixie, the one who had been a duke for a century. I could only imagine how fervent her vassals’ desire for her husband was.
What a shame it is that husband was me.
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