Chapter: 705
Not long after leaving Ainter’s palace, the Barandi Marquis reached out to me. It seemed Ainter’s news had made its way to Shati and from there, to the Barandi Marquis.
– “I’ve heard that you requested the Emperor to move up the wedding. Thanks to you, Shati is overjoyed! How on earth can I repay this kindness…”
I thought this as I listened to the Barandi Marquis, but it sounded more like he’d heard it directly from Ainter rather than me.
Well, Ainter had been my club member for three years, so sure, it made sense that I’d pass along the message. But the Barandi Marquis is set to be the father-in-law to a royal. So, it was only proper that the Emperor himself show some courtesy here.
Honestly, it was thanks to the royal selection that Ainter and Shati were getting married. But still, treating the head of a family who will become my relative lightly just wouldn’t do. It wouldn’t be very neighborly to hurt someone’s feelings unnecessarily.
“Is there really any debt of gratitude? I just thought it was a pity for two people who are practically married to be living apart. The Emperor agreeing to this is entirely his own will; that is a grace from him, not me.”
With that, I spoke with a smile on my face.
Passing the aggro for Gerhardt to the Barandi Marquis. The Emperor is sure to embrace the rising influence of the Barandi Marquis.
It’s schedule adjustment for the sake of some strategic reasons rather than pure hearts, but it feels a bit off to say, “You don’t have to be grateful; that’s just strategy!” It’s probably better to tell a little white lie that benefits us both.
Well, it’s a bit tricky even calling it a white lie. The truth is, I genuinely feel that it’s sad Ainter and Shati are apart. I’ve wasted three years myself, not marrying my six wives. I completely understand how stressed Ainter and Shati must feel being more than lovers but less than spouses.
‘It’s not that I’m hiding something that doesn’t need to be revealed.’
So, I didn’t tell a flat-out lie; I just chose my words more carefully. Thinking this way puts my heart at ease.
– “I’ve naturally expressed my gratitude to His Majesty. And without your request, there wouldn’t have been His Majesty’s decision.”
Anyway, the Marquis nodded his head, expressing his gratitude in response to my modesty.
Seeing that made me feel a bit mixed-up inside. The Barandi Marquis may have a higher title than mine, but considering my position in the Empire and within the factions, I stand above him. That’s something neither I nor the Marquis can deny.
However, no matter how high my rank is, the Barandi Marquis will always be the Marquis. So we’ve both agreed to avoid excessive bowing or bending for the other.
But…
‘When it comes to his daughter, he bows right down.’
A daughter’s marriage has enough power to easily override such agreements.
‘Will I be in a position like that someday?’
For a moment, I imagined the future.
My beloved daughters, if Maria, Cecilia, Katlea, and Alina get married… what kind of reaction would I have if they are genuinely happy about it?
‘I’ll be bowing too.’
It was a fleeting thought. A little mental gymnastics brought me to that conclusion quickly.
If I were in his shoes, I’d act just like the Barandi Marquis. Forget the title and agreement; I’d express my genuine gratitude wholeheartedly. The pride of nobility would come second to a father’s heart.
Moreover, the Barandi Marquis only has one child, Shati. He must be feeling an even more intense joy than I would.
“If I’d known the Marquis would be this happy, I would have requested sooner.”
– “That would have been a little problematic. If it had been any sooner, it would have coincided with Baron Hardiner’s wedding.”
“Oh right. You have a point there.”
With that comment, both the Barandi Marquis and I burst into laughter simultaneously.
It felt more like a conversation between two fathers rather than an exchange between nobles. I could imagine the Marquis sharing the same feeling.
“Then, I’ll greet you again at the wedding. I’ll bring a mountain of gifts, so you might want to tidy up the storage in advance.”
– “Haha, just hearing that gets me excited. I’m looking forward to it.”
As I stared at the dimly lit communication device, I chuckled softly.
The Barandi Marquis is a VVIP guest who always attends my six weddings and Erich’s once. Considering the gifts I’ve received from him, I could easily fill a storage room.
And since Shati is the next Barandi Marquis, I can’t skimp on this for the sake of good northern management. Typically, those who’ve been generous during joyful events are remembered for a lifetime.
…
‘What should I give?’
I realized that while I confidently pulled off the storage quip, I had no idea what to gift.
The groom is the Emperor’s brother, and the bride is the future Marquis. The Barandi Marquis may be a rising noble but, like all other marquises in the Empire, he’s also a collector of wealth. It wouldn’t be fitting just to toss a fat wedding envelope at them.
Usually, in such cases, you’d bring fine northern horses or furs, but the Barandi Marquis is the big shot of the north. It would be like giving a tangerine to someone from Jeju Island. What’s the point?
‘You really only know what to do when you’ve been there yourself.’
My own experience attending weddings barely amounts to the wedding of the information department chief and Erich’s. Both of those were hardly examples to learn from. Not exactly events to toast and feast at.
Ultimately, after wracking my brain, I decided to seek out someone else’s wisdom.
“Wedding gift?”
“Yeah. Do you have anything in mind?”
Ain’t Erich, Ainter’s same-age friend.
I’m not particularly trusting of Erich’s intelligence and insight, but since he is Ainter’s friend, I thought I’d ask him for advice. Surely he’d prepare a decent wedding gift for his buddy.
“Yeah, what would be good?”
This cocky kid!
His overly casual attitude made my hand twitch for a moment. If I hadn’t been careful, I might’ve given him a neck slice right there!
“Well, Ainter and I agreed to keep it simple. We don’t want to go overboard to make the kids outside the Empire feel bad.”
Yet with his next words, I reclassified him from a cocky kid to just a guy.
Erich isn’t the kind of jerk who would neglect his friend’s wedding. Rather, being friends, they’d both be able to say, “Let’s keep it casual, alright?”
“So, what did you get?”
“A iron mine.”
Huh?
“Hmm, I guess giving something from the Melrsina Marquisate would be appropriate. If I just give another mine, that might come off as heartless.”
Wha—?
‘What the hell?’
My brain froze for a moment. “You received an iron mine as a gift? And you’re considering just giving a profit from a marquisate? That’s not something I can easily say.”
Is this really the same Erich who used to squirm under the Marquis’ seal? The same Erich who rolled around as the youngest member of the imperial council?
This is a strange phenomenon. The guy who hated any heavy burdens is now casually talking about high-ranking noble dealings—
‘Oh.’
The twisted look in Erich’s eyes explained it all.
His personality and values hadn’t really changed. As someone who got married first, he was simply retaliating after being smashed with an iron mine gift from Ainter. That look in his eyes is all the proof I need.
“…You said you’d keep it simple, right?”
“Guess that’s not ordinary for the royals.”
With every word he spoke, I felt more convinced.
Erich was nothing more than a victim, played by Ainter.
“If you don’t have anything else to give, just gather a bunch of specialty items instead. Honestly, there’s no way the royals or the future Marquis lack money! They’d love something that’s rare or has some significance to it.”
“Surely you’re right?”
“If that’s not enough, gather some special items from your sisters’ territories too.”
“Now that sounds good!”
With a promising idea, I nodded along.
A good haul from the Taileglehen Count’s territory and the Wiriidia Count’s, alongside the special items from Leon’s lands, could create quite a meaningful gift.
Plus, including items from the Wulken Marquisate, Servette Marquisate, Flanbel Count’s, Aitini Baronage, Iones Marquisate, and Sergei Baronage… I could fulfill my ambition to fill up one storage room!
“But brother—”
“Uh, what?”
“There are still a few months left until Ainter’s wedding. Is it really necessary to prep this soon?”
I stared blankly at Erich at those words.
This jerk still didn’t know the wedding date was moved up.
“It’s only two weeks away, even with some extra time.”
“…Huh?”
“We decided to move the wedding up. It was decided today, so it’s understandable you wouldn’t know.”
Upon hearing this, Erich’s face turned a bit stiff.
“I haven’t figured out what I’ll gift yet…”
Looks like he’ll be hurriedly preparing over the next few days.
I mean, he just got married himself. What a shame!
*
Ainter’s wedding, initially expected to be in a week or two, became solidly scheduled to the maximum of two weeks later.
It feels like it’s just a final courtesy for the nobles selecting wedding gifts and those attending.
“Things are quieter than I thought.”
And despite the sudden schedule change, the social scene has been unexpectedly calm.
Not that it’s completely silent, but it’s much less raucous than I anticipated. I figured there would be tens or hundreds of nobles screaming in panic as they rushed to get gifts.
“Since it’s a royal marriage, the gift must match the occasion. We can’t give them just something you’d find at the market; it’s common for folks to order custom gifts long beforehand.”
“I see…”
I immediately understood after hearing Mar’s kind explanation.
So, they were all prepared while Erich and I were the only ones scrabbling together last minute.
‘Like a couple of no-good brothers.’
I could almost feel tears forming without realizing it. There’s really no need for siblings to share this kind of ridiculous trait.
“More importantly, it seems the Iderpen Marquis has finally found himself a family. There have been quite a few concerns about the lack of royals up until now, but now we can finally breathe easy.”
“For sure. Last year, we also welcomed the Crown Prince, so this is indeed a double blessing.”
With the emergence of this ironclad situation, the royal family has firmly established themselves, but they still have vulnerabilities due to their weak legitimacy and few members. The former was resolved with the birth of the Crown Princess, but the latter still remains a significant Achilles’ heel for the royal family—time is needed to remedy that.
Finally, the Emperor’s only brother marrying a healthy Marquis daughter should bring relief to many nobles sharing that worry.
“So, my father decided to bring out the family’s treasured sword.”
“That’s quite the impressive preparation…”
“Since it’s such a joyous occasion.”
Nodding along to Mar’s chuckling, I felt a weight lift off my chest.
It’s a significant treasure the Ducal family has safeguarded, and it’s only fitting that a royal marriage can bring it to light.
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