Chapter 2: New Place, New Ripples?
Roughly half an hour later, the group had relocated from the drawing room to the grounds of the castle. Charlotte led the way to the mansion Francois had bestowed onto Rio, and they were accompanied by Satsuki, Liselotte, Julianne, and a freshly changed Christina and Flora.
“This is the mansion that Sir Haruto was given,” Charlotte said, coming to a stop in front of the building to point it out.
“It’s a stone’s throw away from the tower I’m living in. I figured it was within eyeshot of my room, but I wasn’t sure exactly where. It looks even better up close, though.”
Satsuki turned around to look up at the tower she lived in. There were fewer than one hundred meters between the two buildings.
“Let’s go inside. It has some basic furnishings and was restocked with supplies while you were all waiting, so you can move in right away. I’ll give you a brief tour of all the rooms, and then we can have a chat in the drawing room. Come this way.”
Charlotte resumed leading the way. Several of her attendants were waiting before the mansion, bowing their heads silently. One of them looked up and walked over to the entrance to open the door.
The party proceeded to enter the mansion. They first went through every room, allowing Rio to change his clothes along the way, then finally moved to the drawing room to sit down on the sofa there.
The seating was based on Charlotte’s casual lead—Liselotte and Julianne sat in the lower seats closest to the door, with the others diagonally on either side of them in a U-shape. Rio was sandwiched between Satsuki and Charlotte, while Christina and Flora sat across from them.
“As expected of a royal mansion... It’s wonderful. There’s so much space, and there are so many rooms,” Satsuki said, impressed by the tour she’d just experienced.
“I still have my doubts about living here when I’m not royalty...” Rio muttered, giving his thoughts once again now that he had seen the mansion.
“Yeah, being the only one exempted to live on the castle grounds does kind of stand out,” Satsuki said, smiling wryly out of sympathy for Rio.
But Charlotte immediately beamed. “If the king that reigns over all royalty has allowed it, then there isn’t a problem at all. I too would love to have you live in this mansion, so I’ll support you to the best of my ability.”
“Aha ha...” Satsuki laughed dryly. “There’s one thing I’ve been wondering. What is defined as ‘royalty’? I know Char is a royal, and so are Princess Christina and Princess Flora, but how far down the bloodline can you go before the relatives are no longer considered royalty? It’s never been made clear to me, so I thought there were lots of royals.”
“That’s actually explained in detail in the Royal House Law. Every child born between the current king and his first wife that hasn’t renounced their royal status is considered royal—this is the same for every kingdom. It’s also common to include the previous king and his first wife, as well as the children between them. Apart from that, it tends to vary from kingdom to kingdom,” Charlotte explained, recalling the facts from her memory. She then turned to the other princess in the room. “Is that how it works in the Beltrum Kingdom, Princess Christina?”
Christina nodded and spoke with a calm tone. “Yes, the same applies there.”
“In other words, regardless of their current or former post, whoever has a history of being the king and queen is considered royal for their entire lives. And their children will also keep being royals as long as they don’t renounce their status,” Satsuki said, summarizing the explanation to make it easier to understand.
“Yes, exactly. Renunciation is the complete withdrawal from the royal family. There are special exceptions when a foreign royal family is involved, but in most cases, marrying into the family of a vassal means taking on their status instead. It’s quite common for royals to marry into the duke families of the kingdom. In fact, a royal has married into the Cretia house in the past,” Liselotte continued, looking at Satsuki.
“Hmm... So you’re not royalty, but a relative to royalty. I see, I see.”
“Indeed.”
“Come to think of it, I don’t see any royals outside of the king’s direct descendents in the castle very often. I have greeted them before, though.”
“It isn’t desirable for other royals to involve themselves in politics, as it can potentially cause the decentralization of power. That’s why the only ones allowed to live inside the castle are father, mother, and us children—Michel, Rosalie, and myself. Everyone else lives in mansions within the castle grounds.”
“If you don’t mind me asking out of curiosity, is the reason a royal would marry a vassal and renounce their status also politically motivated?” Satsuki looked at Charlotte.
“Yes, it is. Most are made under the pretense of strengthening the royal family’s bond with a particular vassal. Since the difference in status always ends up hindering things, it’s common to marry into the vassal’s family, as I said before,” Charlotte explained, sending a quick, flirtatious glance at Rio before giggling.
“Hmm... I see...” Satsuki also glanced at Rio and nodded in understanding.
“At any rate, renunciation mostly applies to royals of low succession rank, so for those with high ranks like Princess Christina, Princess Flora, and myself, it’s not a matter of concern,” Charlotte added.
“Mm... But isn’t it difficult to find a marriage partner without renouncing your status? Will high-ranked royals end up single for their whole lives?”
“That won’t happen. For the high-ranked royals, it’s common to let the children of their vassals marry into the royal family instead. But it’s mostly the duke families that do so.”
“Ah, so they can marry while maintaining their royal status. I see.”
“It isn’t always the case, but it’s seen as disgraceful for a high-ranked royal to renounce their royal status. Even if they don’t admit it out loud, there are royals who wish to keep their status for their entire lives.”
In other words, there was a hierarchy within royalty, and whether one was renounced depended on that ranking—and high-ranked royals abhorred the idea of renouncing their status.
“I think I get it now... Royal marriage sure is complicated, huh?” Satsuki’s face twitched faintly as she processed all the information she’d just received.
“Indeed it is,” Charlotte sighed tiredly, but with strong agreement. She then turned to Rio next to her and smiled gracefully. “But if it was for Sir Haruto, I would happily renounce my royal status.”
Rio had just brought his cup to his mouth when those words took him by surprise, causing him to choke. “A-Ahem... Pardon me,” he said as soon as he recovered, still flustered.
But everyone else present was frozen in disbelief at Charlotte’s statement, so his words never reached them.
The first one to speak among them was Satsuki. “H-Hey now, Char. You shouldn’t say that in front of Princess Christina and Princess Flora, yeah?” she warned her.
“That’s not necessarily true. The situation has changed from the time when Sir Haruto left the castle after the banquet ended.”
“What do you mean...?” Satsuki asked, watching Charlotte carefully for any change in expression. She recalled the bomb that was dropped after Rio left the castle.
It’s true that I considered him to be an older brother, but it turns out I was mistaken. It seems I’ve started to harbor a liking for Sir Haruto personally, Satsuki thought.
“I’m saying that it’s all thanks to Sir Haruto. Hee hee. We weren’t able to meet for a while, but you didn’t forget about me, right?” Charlotte evaded Satsuki’s question and spoke to Rio directly.
“No, of course not...” Rio replied awkwardly under her gaze, clearly remembering what had happened at the time.
“I’m so pleased.” Charlotte was delighted, beaming in a carefree and innocent way.
Meanwhile, Liselotte watched her as though she was seeing something truly curious. As a duke’s daughter, Liselotte had known Charlotte from a young age, and since Charlotte had also taken a liking to her, they’d ended up becoming good friends. They knew each other well.
It wasn’t rare for Charlotte to show interest in the opposite sex, but it was normally for the purpose of teasing them. She had never been serious about it. In other words, teasing the opposite sex and enjoying their reactions was one of her few hobbies—and an extremely troublesome one, at that. That had been the case until now, but...
This expression... Is Princess Charlotte serious?
It seemed like this time was different; the look on Charlotte’s face was like nothing Liselotte had ever seen before. And as far as Liselotte knew, Charlotte had never made any direct statements to signify a special liking in the opposite sex. She merely pretended to like them.
If she would happily renounce her royal status for him, that means... She wants to marry him...? I-I don’t know. What happened between the two of them? What does this mean? I’m so curious, but...
Liselotte was helplessly interested in Charlotte’s intentions. A rare look of surprise remained on her face; Julianne saw that look from beside her and giggled.
Charlotte leaned in close to Rio, who was beside her. “And so, I wish to see you again soon. I won’t stop him from going to Rodania with Princess Christina and Princess Flora, but please do what you must and persuade everyone, then return quickly. I am also very curious about this Lady Celia person who is so close to you.”
“She is a part of the Restoration, so I cannot bring her with me at my own discretion... She also has work to do in Rodania right now,” Rio answered, faltering.
“Then let’s ask Princess Christina for permission. What do you say, Princess Christina?” Charlotte asked her on the spot. Her handling of the situation was extremely nimble—almost as though she had planned this from the moment she invited Christina along. This behavior would have been exceedingly rude depending on the status and position of those involved, but that didn’t apply to her as a high-ranked royal.
Christina agreed readily without any hesitation. “That should be fine. It’s almost time for a long vacation, so it won’t be particularly difficult to cut short her work as a lecturer. I’m sure she’d like to spend some time with Sir Amakawa as well.”
“Then, it’s decided!” Charlotte rejoiced with an exceedingly sweet smile. “Lady Celia and Sir Haruto seem rather close, so I’m truly looking forward to meeting her... That’s right! If Lady Miharu and any others are coming to stay, we should hold a sleepover in this mansion.”.
“You all right with that, Haruto? You don’t have to agree if you don’t want to, okay? At this rate, Char will keep deciding on everything,” Satsuki said to Rio, sighing tiredly. She probably had to put up with this kind of pushiness on a daily basis.
“I’ll decide after asking everyone what they think.”
They’ll also have to consider that while deciding whether to come... Rio thought, but he kept that to himself as he replied with a rather strained smile.
“Then we’ll have a sleepover if they all come! It’s a rare opportunity, so you should come too, Liselotte.”
“Me? I have my work schedule to consider, so it might be difficult for me...” Liselotte was taken aback by the sudden offer.
“Sir Haruto is leaving for Rodania with Princess Christina and the others tomorrow, right? How long will it take for you to return to Galtuuk?”
“Let’s see... We should arrive within the day if we take the enchanted airship from Galtuuk to Rodania, and I can speak to Lady Celia immediately... I’d need another one or two days to meet up with Miharu and the others, so if I can catch an airship back to Galtuuk, then perhaps a week or so?” Rio pondered, giving himself plenty of leeway. Since he was in front of others, he used a title when referring to Celia.
“You can leave your return trip to me. I’ll send out the airship,” Christina offered.
“Oh, are you sure? I was prepared to send one of ours to fetch him,” Charlotte said.
“Yes. I intend on returning soon to speak with King Francois, so I’d be grateful if Sir Amakawa is willing to accompany me on the trip.”
“I see. Then the transport will be left to the Restoration. If you’re coming back with Sir Haruto, would you like to participate in the sleepover too, Princess Christina?” Charlotte said with a giggle.
“Oh, no, I...” As before, her reservation towards Rio took precedence. Christina was about to reject the invitation by reflex when she suddenly noticed Flora’s expectant gaze on her and swallowed her words.
“If Princess Christina is in attendance, then Princess Flora is more than welcome as well,” Charlotte added with a glance at Flora.
Christina replied after a moment of hesitation. “I’m not sure if we’ll be able to participate in a sleepover, but we could attend a tea party or dinner together.”
“Wonderful! There’s even more to look forward to with the two of you there. But we don’t want Sir Haruto’s companions to feel uncomfortable, so there’ll be no formalities or any standing on ceremony—please keep that in mind,” Charlotte said, showing ample consideration for Miharu and the others as well.
Things really do keep getting more grand. Is it even acceptable for unmarried princesses and noblewomen to stay in a man’s house? It may be too late for me to ask now, though, Rio thought in dubious confusion.
“Oh, I’m so looking forward to it. If only the day could arrive faster.” Charlotte had a truly satisfied look on her face as she lost herself in her thoughts. The event was probably happening for sure in her mind.
I guess my participation is set as well... Well, I want to let Miharu see Satsuki again, and I’ll have to be there even if Latifa and the others can’t come. As for the sleepover...well, I can just shut myself in my room as much as possible...
If Charlotte was the organizer for everything, then Rio’s fears would probably be of no concern. Any further contemplation would only add to his worries, so he decided not to think anymore.
“How about you, Lady Julianne?” Charlotte asked.
“I’m married already, so you young people should enjoy yourselves. I’ll inform my husband, so please look after my daughter,” Julianne declined with a cheerful spring in her voice.
Liselotte sighed quietly. Looks like my participation in all this is decided, huh? I’ll have to adjust my schedule once I return to Amande.
However, there was a faint smile on her face.
The conversation that took place in Rio’s new mansion was generally friendly, but at the request of Charlotte, who wished to save the detailed discussion for the sleepover, they decided to call it a day a little over an hour later. Satsuki, Charlotte, Liselotte, and Julianne were to remain in Rio’s mansion.
“Well then, Flora and I will be leaving now.”
Christina and Flora prepared to leave. They had heard the story of how Liselotte’s engagement talks with Hiroaki went down earlier, so they probably wanted to talk to Duke Huguenot and Hiroaki about it in further detail.
“Could you show us the way to Duke Huguenot’s room,” Christina asked the lady-in-waiting as soon as she left Rio’s mansion. With her guards included, a total of ten odd people moved across the grounds and towards Duke Huguenot’s room.
“Duke Huguenot isn’t here right now. According to the guard, he’s currently visiting the hero’s room...”
Duke Huguenot was absent from the room the Galarc Kingdom had assigned to him. The lady-in-waiting had exchanged words with the guard beside his room to find out his location.
Christina thought for a moment before deciding to visit Hiroaki’s room. “I see... Can you lead us there?” she requested.
“Understood.”
The lady-in-waiting bowed her head respectfully and began showing them the way to Hiroaki’s room. It was right nearby Duke Huguenot’s room, so they arrived in less than a minute. Thus, Christina and Flora entered the room.
“Greetings, Princess Christina, Princess Flora.”
There were three figures inside: Hiroaki, Duke Huguenot, and Roanna. Duke Huguenot and Roanna stood up to welcome them, bowing their heads. Their expressions were slightly panicked.
“...” Hiroaki sat on the sofa with a sullen look. That was enough for Christina and Flora to presume he was in a bad mood.
“Good day, Sir Hiroaki.” Christina paid him no mind as she pinched the hem of her dress and curtseyed, greeting him calmly.
“Huh? It hasn’t been a good day for me,” Hiroaki snapped sarcastically.
“Did something happen?” Christina asked, still calm.
“No... Nothing. So you two were off having fun with that Haruto bastard, huh?” Hiroaki turned away with a huff, sulking.
“It was an invitation from Princess Charlotte, the princess of our ally kingdom that Sir Haruto, our savior, is affiliated with. We cannot treat them with disdain.”
“You say that, but you two actually wanted to be there, didn’t you?” Hiroaki muttered. However, his words failed to reach anyone’s ears.
“Did you say something?” Christina tilted her head.
Hiroaki grit his teeth. “I was in the middle of talking to Duke Huguenot and Roanna,” he began to say.
“What were you talking about?” Christina asked, seeking clarification.
“About my marriage to Rosalie.”
Christina glanced at Duke Huguenot and Roanna, who looked rather pale, then turned back to Hiroaki. “Just to confirm, this is Third Princess Rosalie of the Galarc Kingdom you’re referring to. Is that correct?”
“Yeah.”
“I see. Please let me hear the details. You may all sit down as well.”
Sensing something troublesome on the horizon, Christina prompted her party to sit down before taking a seat opposite to Hiroaki herself. Flora sat beside her, the two of them facing Hiroaki. Duke Huguenot and Roanna moved to a lower seat.
“What’s the story?” Christina asked Hiroaki once they had settled into their seats.
“There’s not much to tell. I want Rosalie as my first wife. That’s all,” Hiroaki said simply, lifting his face to watch her reaction.
“I see. Were Duke Huguenot and Roanna explaining why that would be impossible?” Christina asked in a detached tone, showing no particular surprise as she let Hiroaki stare at her.
“...Yeah.” The unexpected reaction made Hiroaki’s brow furrow faintly as he nodded.
“You originally agreed to Flora as a first wife. Is that correct? This was announced publicly.”
“But Flora disappeared with no way of knowing if she was alive. The engagement was as good as called off at that point. That’s why I was getting engaged to Rosalie to prevent the organization from falling apart,” Hiroaki replied in an overeager manner.
“You are entirely correct. However, Flora returned alive before things proceeded with the engagement, so the Galarc Kingdom would also be expecting you to return to Flora. I believe your engagement with Princess Rosalie has been called off at this point.”
“Well, how convenient for you. I’m getting fed up with having my engagement change at the drop of a hat, you know?”
A conflicted look flashed across Christina’s face before she bowed her head solemnly. “Indeed, that is most understandable. I apologize for sweeping you along at our convenience.”
“Hmph.” Hiroaki snorted, finding some satisfaction in that response.
“There’s one thing I’d like to ask. Is the reason you feel so strongly about marrying Princess Rosalie because you love her?”
“H-Huh? Oh, not really... If anything, I’m neutral about it.” When Christina questioned him about his feelings for Rosalie, Hiroaki’s eyes darted everywhere in a show of sudden embarrassment.
“That was tactless of me. However, it is an extremely crucial point for me... I apologize for my rudeness.” Christina apologized once again.
Hiroaki looked suspicious. “Huh...?”
“Allow me to confirm one last thing. You wish for Princess Rosalie to be your first wife, not Flora. Is that correct?” Christina continued, staring at him.
“Y-Yeah. That’s what I said from the beginning.” Pressured by Christina’s gaze, Hiroaki’s answer came out in a high-pitched squeak.
“I understand. Then let’s call off your engagement to Flora,” Christina stated simply.
“Wh-What are you saying, Princess Christina?!” Duke Huguenot was unusually flustered, yelling out in confusion. Beside him, Roanna was also shocked and froze with her eyes wide open. In fact, even Hiroaki—the one who originally suggested it—was rendered speechless.
“We can’t change the facts. Sir Hiroaki wishes for Princess Rosalie to be his first wife.”
“That doesn’t mean you should agree to it so readily...! Wouldn’t Sir Hiroaki’s ties to the Restoration weaken like that?”
Are you in your right mind? Duke Huguenot implied without those exact words.
“Being married to someone you do not love would be agony for the rest of your life,” Christina answered smoothly, her tone as calm as ever. The “someone you do not love” here referred to Flora.
“B-But when you’re a royal or noble...”
“Indeed, such matters are irrelevant when you’re a royal or noble. However, Sir Hiroaki is neither royal nor noble. He’s a hero.” Christina continued Duke Huguenot’s unfinished words and argued against them.
“That’s...” Duke Huguenot fell speechless with a twitching face. If the subject had been a young noblewoman, he would have dismissed such demands with a laugh, but he couldn’t do that with the hero.
“I have no objections to marrying a complete stranger if they bring benefit to the kingdom. If I don’t love them before we marry, I will strive to do so. But that is because I’m royal—I cannot expect the same from Sir Hiroaki.”
“H-However, even then... The hero is absolutely essential to the Restoration. The best way to strengthen the ties of our organization would be...” Despite his difference in status to Christina and consideration of Hiroaki’s position, Duke Huguenot attempted to persuade her with a strained expression.
“Of course, I understand how you feel. But the heroes are not originally from this world. They merely descended here by chance through the sacred summoning stones. They were originally legends passed down through the generations. Am I wrong?”
“That is correct, but...” Duke Huguenot looked dubious, unable to see the entire picture from just that.
“The heroes originally didn’t exist. It would be wrong to force them into the framework of our organization. Do you agree?”
“Since they exist now, I don’t think it’d be wrong to consider them in our calculations...” Duke Huguenot wasn’t about to back down easily. He didn’t often press his objections towards people directly superior to him like Christina, but the hero held enough value to warrant it.
“Since they exist now, we have to consider things properly. But that doesn’t mean we can force them. The heroes transcend us humans, so forcing them into our society will create a distortion.”
Exactly like how we’re being troubled by this current mess, no? Christina implied with a smile that lacked any warmth.
Duke Huguenot fell silent at that.
“I didn’t exactly volunteer to become a hero either. If I could return to Earth, I would,” Hiroaki mumbled quietly.
A curtain of silence had fallen over the room, so his voice resounded well.
“In that case, would you like to quit being a hero?”
Christina wanted to ask what he intended to do about his engagement to Rosalie if he was saying he wanted to go back to Earth, but she decided to ignore it and touch upon the core of the matter instead.
“It’s not something I can quit even if I wanted to,” Hiroaki said sullenly. Christina was so composed he couldn’t allow himself to get heated.
“The Restoration receives great benefit just by having you as a member of the organization, but if being here is a burden to you, then there should be room for further consideration.”
“So you’re saying you don’t need me in the Restoration?”
“Honestly speaking, the Restoration would be in a very bad place without you, so we would be greatly appreciative if you continued to remain with us. However, I wish to respect your opinion above all else. That is what I’m saying. These are my sincere feelings towards you, the hero, as the representative of the organization that wishes to keep you on board hereafter,” Christina said, making an appeal to Hiroaki in a truly dignified manner.
Hiroaki opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out. He fell silent with a bitter look.
“You said you wish for Princess Rosalie to be your first wife, and I won’t stop you there. However, you should be aware that if you wish to marry her, you’ll have to continue being a hero. I hope you can understand that.”
Hiroaki held his tongue with a sullen look.
“Flora and I will be leaving for Rodania tomorrow. We need to reassure the Restoration of our safety, but we will return to Galarc immediately. While we’re there, the cancellation of your engagement with Flora will be formally announced.”
“What...?” Hiroaki finally reacted, lifting his head with a twitch.
“Your engagement to Princess Rosalie will remain confidential, but I’ll pass the word on to King Francois. If you truly wish to marry her, please tell her your feelings yourself,” Christina said, urging Hiroaki, who had left all the marriage talks to others until now, to make his own move.
Hiroaki winced.
“Roanna,” Christina continued, turning to give Roanna an order. “You remain in this castle and attend to Sir Hiroaki.”
Roanna paused but eventually bowed her head. “Understood.”
“What will you do, Duke Huguenot?”
Duke Huguenot hesitated for a moment. “I will accompany you back to Rodania,” he said, choosing to return to Rodania with them.
“I wish to arrive by afternoon, so we’ll depart in the morning.”
“Understood.” Duke Huguenot nodded.
“Well, then. That will be all from Flora and myself.” Christina stood up. Flora hurriedly got to her feet as well.
“I shall leave with you.” Duke Huguenot also rose immediately.
Thus, Christina, Flora, and Duke Huguenot left the room, leaving Hiroaki and Roanna behind.
“Princess Christina, if I may have a moment?” Duke Huguenot called out to Christina as soon as he’d left the room.
“Sure. Let’s go to your room,” Christina replied, then proceeded straight to Duke Huguenot’s room nearby. Christina and Flora sat down on the sofa, facing the duke. The room was slightly smaller than Hiroaki’s.
“Is what you wish to discuss concerning Sir Hiroaki?” Christina asked first.
“Indeed. I strongly agree that there should be a limit to how far we can concede as an organization, but I believe the engagement to Princess Flora was canceled a little prematurely. Perhaps you could have allowed him a little more time to make up his mind?” Duke Huguenot suggested.
“I didn’t see him changing his mind even if we gave him more time. He said so himself that he wanted to marry Princess Rosalie, not Flora. If I absolutely had to give him time to think, the maximum limit I would allow is up until our departure tomorrow. I made my decision with that in mind,” Christina argued back calmly. She hadn’t even shared the situation with Francois yet, and she had a feeling Hiroaki wasn’t particularly in love with Rosalie either, but she didn’t mention any of this out loud.
“However, if we consult with King Francois on this matter, we could potentially ask him not to allow Hiroaki to marry Princess Rosalie. And even if it was decided that Princess Rosalie is to be his first wife, wouldn’t Princess Flora be adequate as a second wife?” Duke Huguenot paused for a short moment before rebutting. “So wouldn’t it be better to keep the engagement as a possibility?”
“If Princess Rosalie doesn’t end up becoming Sir Hiroaki’s first wife, we’ll need to discuss whether he still has any intention of marrying someone as such. Of course, Sir Hiroaki’s opinion will be prioritized, but I plan on nominating myself as a candidate if that happens.”
Christina revealed her intention to become Hiroaki’s fiancée.
“Sister...?” Flora broke her silence out of surprise.
“Breaking a publicly announced engagement would have caused problems, but as first princess, I would’ve been better suited for the position in the first place. If Sir Hiroaki is fixed on having Princess Rosalie as his first wife, then it’s the perfect time to break the engagement without any problems. We’ve merely wiped the slate clean. Is there an issue with that?”
“No... It would indeed be more convenient for the organization if you were the candidate for the first wife. If that is your intention, then I will not argue further regarding Sir Hiroaki’s case.” Duke Huguenot swallowed his objections and came to a quiet acceptance.
She got me. I cannot argue back like this... Duke Huguenot thought to himself. He personally would have preferred Flora over Christina, as it would be easier to control her as Hiroaki’s first wife. But with things like this, he could only hope Hiroaki would change his mind by the next morning. However, the chance of that happening was slim.
“Is that all you wanted to discuss?” Christina asked.
“No. I also wished to discuss Haruto...Sir Amakawa with you,” the duke said. His ability to cleanly detach himself from one thought and move on to the next subject was as sharp as ever.
“Let’s hear it.”
“Like I’ve said many times now, he is someone we should have on our side no matter what. Even if he doesn’t join the Restoration, we want him to be willing to act for our sake in an emergency.”
“Indeed... That would be preferable,” Christina agreed. The reason she took a few seconds to reply was because the fact that Haruto Amakawa’s true identity was the boy she’d known in the academy had crossed her mind.
The final straw that caused him to leave the kingdom was your son. I’ll never say those words out loud, but the temptation to throw it in his face and denounce him is there.
Christina stared at Duke Huguenot, imagining exactly that. She wasn’t aware that he had sent Latifa after Rio as an assassin, but she had enough reason to feel angered even without knowing that.
Not that I can speak, considering how I did nothing back then...
Christina felt bitter regret for being equally guilty. Beside her, Flora seemed to be thinking to herself, as her complexion was rather poor.
“What do you intend on doing about his reward?” a clueless Duke Huguenot asked.
“When it comes to a reward befitting his achievements, we can’t decide right away. It needs to be something he’ll find appealing... Since I’ve obtained a time extension on the reward, I plan on deepening our friendship to sound him out.”
“I see...”
“Did you have a good idea?” Christina asked.
“Under normal practices, I would suggest the hand in marriage of someone powerful from the Restoration. Fortunately, he is still a young and unmarried man.”
“Indeed, a normal noble would probably rejoice at that...” Christina had no choice but to agree; marrying a noblewoman from a powerful family led to success in life. An ordinary noble would naturally be delighted.
“Now that King Francois has given Sir Amakawa a mansion on the castle grounds, we can assume he is seriously attempting to win him over. While it may be impossible to send a first wife from the Restoration, it would be preferable to have him take in a high-ranking wife,” Duke Huguenot said eloquently.
The fact that Francois had given away a residence normally restricted to royalty was a clear message to the royal and noble classes both in and out of the kingdom—to keep their hands off Haruto Amakawa without his permission. Thus, if they made a move on Rio without Francois’s permission hereafter, they’d be picking a fight with the Galarc Kingdom—their own alliance partner.
“We cannot disregard Sir Amakawa’s own wishes, and I doubt the high-ranked positions will be taken immediately, but simply watching on silently would be foolish. He has many attractive women around him already... Perhaps it would be best to discuss things with King Francois soon?” Duke Huguenot continued, giving his opinion clearly.
Christina fell silent with a frown. Given that she knew Rio’s past, she believed a marriage to a Restoration noblewoman would just be an unwelcome annoyance to him.
However, Duke Huguenot’s opinion was completely valid from the position of the Restoration as an organization, and as the head of the organization, it would be unnatural for her to refuse.
“Would that have any adverse effects?”
“No...” Christina shook her head slowly at Duke Huguenot’s question.
“That leaves the matter of who to offer as a candidate. If we are to offer a marriage as a reward, we will need to offer a noblewoman from a high-ranking family. At present, the highest ranked noblewoman the Restoration can prepare is Duke Fontaine’s eldest daughter, Roanna, I suppose.”
“Roanna is Sir Hiroaki’s attendant right now. Wasn’t she placed near him with the intention of marriage? That is something she accepted herself.”
“Yes. However, realistically speaking, it all comes down to rank. Sir Hiroaki outwardly expressed his disapproval towards the ranking of wives, but I believe he has his order of favorites already... For convenience, he’s accepted that the top rank goes to the first wife, but he seems to be particular about who that should be,” said Duke Huguenot, analyzing the hero. After all, Hiroaki had started to insist on Rosalie as his first wife.
“And Roanna is low on that list?”
“No. She’s probably rather high on Sir Hiroaki’s internal list right now. However, he seems generally on board with the addition of new wives. That list may change if he gets more of them.”
“So you mean that Roanna’s real ranking may fall. The downside of not having a public ranking may occur,” Christina said, making a conjecture based on Duke Huguenot’s statements.
One of the major reasons why high-ranked noble families had multiple wives in the first place was simply because there was too much work for just the first wife and her children to handle. There were a small number of nobles who didn’t practice polygamy and stuck to just their beloved first wife, but having many wives was a symbol of prosperity as a noble, as it meant having enough work to allocate to all the children between the wives.
That being said, it was custom for the children of higher ranked wives to be given more important work, and the wives themselves were treated better. That was because the ranking system of the wives also functioned as an agreement to avoid unnecessary conflict between the wives and children.
“If he were to increase the number of wives he has without the use of a ranking system, it would be inevitable for there to be conflict in which child does what work. Increasing the number of wives also means the benefit each child receives will be reduced, so it is easy to imagine the bitter competition between them,” Duke Huguenot said, sighing.
“I feel we’ve strayed a little off topic, but... In other words, instead of letting Roanna marry Sir Hiroaki under such uncertain conditions, it would be better for her to marry Sir Amakawa. Is that what you’re saying?” Christina summarized.
“It would depend on Roanna’s opinion on the matter, but I believe there’s room to consider it.”
“What do you mean...?”
“Sir Hiroaki seems to be particularly opposed to the idea of ranking his wives and restricting his ability to interact with them as he wishes. Thus, as long as that obstacle is overcome, it should be possible to convince him to use ranks. The topic is a little sensitive, so I was waiting for the right time to approach him about it, but it seems that has backfired on me. I doubt Sir Hiroaki would be willing to listen in his current state...”
Not only had his marriage talks with Liselotte—his favorite—resulted in failure, there had been a brief dispute over his declaration to marry Rosalie first. It wasn’t a topic to discuss when he was in his current mood.
“I believe betrothing Roanna to Sir Amakawa under such circumstances would make him more irritated, though,” Christina pointed out calmly.
“Possibly. However, with his present demands to marry Princess Rosalie as his first wife, it’s difficult to guess where his true intentions lie. It may be disrespectful, but hinting at an engagement between Roanna and Sir Amakawa may be able to reveal some answers in that regard,” Duke Huguenot answered coolly.
So we’re turning the tables by shaking him up. He really is harsh in this regard. Christina was half exasperated and half impressed.
“I understand your aim. But there’s no guarantee Sir Amakawa will agree to marry Roanna, and it could potentially eliminate any chance of Roanna marrying Sir Hiroaki in the future. We’d also need to consult King Francois. Above all, we have to confirm what Roanna thinks about it first. I believe the likelihood of this working out is low...” Christina said, listing the issues with Duke Huguenot’s plan.
“Of course. However, if she’s aiming for the position of Sir Hiroaki’s second wife, I’m sure there’s plenty of benefit in it for Roanna as well. Surely it should be worth consideration?”
Christina paused reluctantly, but was unable to find a strong enough case to argue against it. “In that case, I will approach her about it.”
“Sir Haruto and Roanna may get married...?” Flora mumbled quietly.
“Just in case, my daughter with my second wife could also be a candidate. She’s fourteen, but considering Sir Amakawa’s achievements, she may be a little too lacking to offer as a high-ranked wife.” Duke Huguenot shrewdly offered his daughter as a candidate under a guise of modesty.
I see... So this was his real intention.
He took her by surprise by suggesting the unlikely plan of using Roanna, then offered a more realistic possibility as an alternative. It was a clever way of going about things.
“There’s also the option of just offering Flora as a candidate,” Christina said.
“Huh?!” Flora squeaked. She looked somewhat—or rather, outright—pleased about it, if Christina wasn’t mistaken.
“I’m joking...” Though you sure looked happy about it, Christina thought to herself.
It would be one thing if it was for a hero like Hiroaki, but there was no precedent of a major nation’s royalty marrying into any position lower than a noble’s first wife. If they did such a thing, they’d face backlash from the nobles of the Restoration.
“R-Right... Of course.”
Flora nodded in a daze. This time she looked somewhat disappointed. Incidentally, Duke Huguenot was similarly surprised, but since Christina immediately admitted it was a joke, he didn’t comment on it in particular.
While it’s certainly realistic from his position, offering Duke Huguenot’s daughter to Sir Amakawa is out of the question.
Christina dismissed the matter in her head. There was no way he would accept that, so even Roanna was more likely at that point. She couldn’t do something as disrespectful as recommending Duke Huguenot’s daughter to Rio for marriage—even the thought of it was repulsive to her—so she had to stop this plan in its tracks. Even if she were to bring it up to him, she’d need to approach it clearly under the premise of rejection. Thus...
I have no other choice...
Christina hesitated for a long moment before speaking.
“I would like to recommend Professor Celia as a candidate.”
In reality, the most attractive reward the Restoration could offer to Rio would be an arrangement with Celia. However, using Rio and Celia’s relationship to their advantage made Christina feel a sense of inferiority and guilt. But there was no other option.
“Celia, you say...? Indeed, she would be the closest person to Haruto within the Restoration, and as the eldest daughter of a count family, she would meet the minimum standard for a reward...” Duke Huguenot said, but he seemed to disapprove nonetheless.
“Is there a problem?” Christina asked, tilting her head.
“No. I just cannot figure out the relationship between the two. It’s clear that they’re extremely close, but I don’t believe they’re dating. Celia is five years older, so it’s possible that Sir Amakawa doesn’t see her in that way,” Duke Huguenot said.
“Wouldn’t it be rude to assume that based on their age gap alone? There’s no telling without Sir Amakawa’s confirmation.” Christina’s voice took on a cold tone.
“Indeed, you are correct. My apologies.” Duke Huguenot bowed his head, realizing he had touched upon the taboo topic of a woman’s age.
“At any rate, I will discuss this matter with Sir Amakawa, Professor Celia, and Roanna myself. There’s no guarantee any marriage will happen, so do not make any moves of your own judgment. Allow me to see it through to the end. If things get too complicated, we’ll end up incurring Sir Amakawa’s displeasure.” Christina casually took the matter of Rio’s reward into her own hands, omitting Duke Huguenot’s daughter from the candidates.
“Understood.”
Duke Huguenot had no choice but to nod. And so, their discussion came to an end.
That night, before their departure for Rodania the next morning, Christina invited Roanna to the living room of her quarters in the Galarc Castle. Flora was there as well, as they shared the same rooms.
“Sorry to call you out so late at night,” Christina said from the sofa across from Roanna.
“Not at all. It’s an honor to be invited. I’m so happy I’m able to speak to the two of you like this again,” Roanna said, bowing her head.
“I’m also glad to be able to see my childhood friend again,” Christina replied with a soft smile.
“Those words are wasted on me. I was unable to do anything despite being on board the same airship. I lived comfortably while the two of you went through such harsh times...” Roanna grimaced in pain, uttering her feelings of remorse.
“There’s no need for you to feel guilty, Roanna,” Flora objected with a frown.
“Yes, don’t be mistaken. There was nothing you could have done even if you had been there. In fact, it’s because you were there that Vanessa was saved after we were gone. Thank you so much for that,” Christina said.
“No... I may have saved her life, but I was late in discovering her and slow to treat her, so she’s still unconscious. She was the same way when I left Rodania, and her life may be in danger if she doesn’t regain her consciousness soon...” Roanna replied regretfully.
“As long as she’s alive, there’s hope. You did your best. That’s all that matters, and that’s more than enough.”
“Yes, it’s exactly as my sister says.”
“Thank you very much...” Roanna continued holding her head low.
“There’s another reason why I’ve called you here. Let’s discuss that next, shall we?” Christina said, changing the topic.
“Of course,” Roanna answered, nodding respectfully.
“The situation is rather complicated, but what I’m about to discuss with you is based on my firm trust in your loyalty to the kingdom. I don’t know whether it will actually happen, and there are risks involved, so I’d like to make a decision after considering your freedom to choose what you want. Please listen with that in mind.”
“What is this about...?” Roanna tilted her head curiously at Christina’s carefully worded lead-up.
“The truth is, when I was discussing Sir Amakawa’s reward with Duke Huguenot, he recommended you as a potential candidate for marriage.”
Roanna paused for a long moment before echoing Christina’s words in confusion. “M-Me...as Sir Amakawa’s fiancée, you say?”
“Even if we can’t have him join the organization, we want to have a strong connection to Sir Amakawa—that was the reasoning behind this decision. However, if we were to offer a betrothal as a reward, we need to provide a noblewoman worthy of his achievements. As the eldest daughter of Duke Fontaine, one of the three noble powers of Beltrum, you satisfy that requirement,” Christina explained, slightly conflicted.
“B-But I’m...”
“Yes. While it hasn’t been made public, you’ve been attending to Sir Hiroaki as a potential marriage candidate. However, Sir Hiroaki is an extremely fickle person. While he agreed to the selection of a first wife, he expressed disapproval towards the ranking of his wives.”
“Right...”
“I’m sure you understand already, but the lack of a ranking order is rather problematic. I hear Sir Hiroaki clearly professed his disgust, but it may be possible to convince him of the harm it could cause with time... If he still refuses to use ranks, then there’s no way of knowing how much favor each wife will be granted. Even as the oldest daughter of Duke Fontaine, you would not be an exception,” Christina pointed out clearly.
Roanna fell silent without expressing any denial.
“We’ve yet to hold a discussion, but King Francois must be wanting to tie Sir Amakawa to his own country with an engagement to someone influential as well. So even if we offer you as a candidate, your rank would not be any higher than his candidate.”
It was practically unheard of for the oldest daughter of a duke to marry lower than first wife to anyone other than a hero or king of a major nation. Haruto Amakawa was neither of those options. However, the fact Christina had brought up marriage with him in spite of that held meaning that Roanna could understand.
“If I settle as Sir Amakawa’s second or third wife now, I’d receive more benefit than being one of Sir Hiroaki’s many wives in the future. Is that what you’re saying?”
“Only because Sir Amakawa has the abilities, achievements, and position to seem appealing,” Christina confirmed, sighing with worry. “But if I’m honest, I do not wish to make Sir Amakawa’s reward a marriage talk with the Restoration,” Christina said truthfully.
“Why would you think that...?”
“I am only admitting this because it’s you, but I believe bringing up marriage to Sir Amakawa has a high possibility of being seen as a nuisance. If I absolutely had to offer a fiancée to him, the most realistic candidate I can think of is Professor Celia. I’m sorry, but I’ve recommended Professor Celia for this reason.”
“Thank you for informing me.” Roanna bowed her head deeply. The fact Christina was willing to keep her informed about things unfavorable to her was proof of their trust in each other.
“There are several problems with offering you as a candidate to marry Sir Amakawa. The chance of him accepting is low, offering you may immediately incur Sir Hiroaki’s displeasure, and Professor Celia may be chosen as candidate instead. Even if Sir Amakawa were to accept, depending on how our discussions with the Galarc Kingdom go, you could be reduced to a lower ranked wife,” Christina said, listing some of the realistic issues at play.
“However, as long as you strongly wish for it, I can discuss things with King Francois and have you recommended as a marriage candidate from the Restoration. This is also a chance for you to gain success as a noble. It’s only because it’s you that I’m leaving my decision up to your will,” she continued, seeking Roanna’s thoughts.
“This is such a sudden discussion. I’m honestly quite unsure,” Roanna said frankly. The reason she hadn’t immediately refused was most likely because of her awareness as an unmarried noblewoman. With the exception of certain cases, divorce amongst nobles was deemed unacceptable in the Beltrum Kingdom. That was why marrying someone required the resolution to carry out the fate of a noble and devotion of one’s entire life to the partner. Thus, one’s life was decided by their marriage.
On top of that, Roanna was currently in a very insecure position. As the top faction of the new kingdom, all the important figures of Duke Fontaine’s house—other than Roanna—were in the main Beltrum government. Anyone among them who found fault with Duke Arbor’s ways were placed under house arrest as rebels.
Thanks to the deep trust the princesses had in her, Roanna was able to work her way up to her current position in the Restoration, but she had no backing from her house and limited funds from when she left them. The only thing she could use freely was her position as the eldest daughter of a duke house—in other words, her lineage. Since it was possible for the fate of the Fontaine house to end up in Roanna’s hands depending on the situation from here on, this was an important decision that could end up affecting her family as well.
Roanna desperately racked her brains, calculating what she could do for the Restoration and her kingdom right now, as well as what she could do for the Fontaine house’s precarious situation back in the main government.
“Since Sir Hiroaki has expressed his desire to marry Princess Rosalie as his first wife and distance himself from the Restoration, your hesitation is understandable. You don’t have to give me an immediate reply here, so you can decide after watching Sir Hiroaki’s actions from here onwards,” Christina said, postponing her decision.
Honestly speaking, from Christina’s point of view, in his current state, Hiroaki was a powerful drug that was dangerous to take. His existence was certainly appealing, but since she didn’t want to take any action to force him to stay, she had to consider relinquishing him as a possibility.
Roanna took a long, deep breath. “No... It is because we don’t know where Sir Hiroaki’s heart is right now that I should be the one to tie him to the Restoration.”
“Can I leave that to you? It’s a huge role,” Christina asked, staring at Roanna.
“Yes. Who else could fulfill this role in the Restoration other than me?” Roanna nodded with determination.
“Right, my thoughts exactly.”
“So please, leave it to me.”
“All right. I’m so glad you’re here in the Restoration... I’ll leave Sir Hiroaki to you, Roanna, while Flora and I return to Rodania,” Christina said, smiling.
“Understood. It is in my hands,” Roanna said, nodding gracefully.
Even if Sir Hiroaki were to leave the Restoration, I’ll have to make sure this girl marries the best marriage partner possible.
That was the duty Christina vowed to herself quietly.
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