Chapter 81: CH 77

April 7th, 2023

The rank of a duke holds power second only to the emperor or king, with a vast territory comparable to the capital, immense wealth, and a powerful military force. 

Moreover, dukes are typically closely related to the royal family by blood. As a result, if the king were to die early, the duke might serve as a regent until the next successor is mature enough to assume the throne, or even sit directly on the throne.

However, both situations can lead to turmoil in the country. In the latter case, it implies a coup d’état, while in the former case, a young successor may be placed under the duke’s influence and used as a puppet.

Therefore, many media portray people holding the rank of duke as the king’s cronies. However, this is only partially true. If a king has common sense, would he let the duke accumulate a large army and immense wealth unchecked? 

Even if the duke manages to amass power somehow, he would undoubtedly face constraints from the surrounding forces.

This was the case for the founding duke of the Minerva Empire, the Requilis Duke. The Requilis family possessed vast territory, immense wealth, and a strong military force at the time of the empire’s establishment. 

However, as time passed, the pressure from the surrounding forces grew stronger, and the Requilis family relinquished some of their territory and military power to the emperor.

At the time, it was a surprising decision, but it turned out to be the right one. The forces that were constraining the duke lost their power and eventually disintegrated. Moreover, the imperial family gained a considerable advantage as the powerful Requilis family became their ally.

To put it simply, the Requilis Duke was appointed as the prime minister who assists the emperor. When the emperor gave a specific command, the Requilis Duke was responsible for managing all the practical matters. It was a win-win strategy where both parties benefited. The emperor could strengthen his power, and the Requilis family could maintain their authority, even if they lacked military strength.

“So our mansion is in the capital. And I have to visit the palace frequently because of work.”

“I see.”

Inside the carriage heading towards the Requilis family mansion.

I was listening to the history of the Requilis family from Marie, who was sitting across from me. As someone well-versed in history, I already knew the facts, but I listened quietly.

It’s inevitable that one would feel proud and boast about their own family when their girlfriend is explaining about her family.

Anyway, as explained above, the Requilis family owns only a large mansion in the capital and has no territory. Most of the marquises are usually in charge of field commanders and stationed in border areas. Due to this strange structure, most of the powerful nobles in the center are counts.

Of course, it doesn’t mean that the Requilis family is powerless. They have a symbiotic relationship with the imperial family, so the stronger the emperor’s power, the stronger the duke’s power becomes naturally.

Moreover, the Requilis duke has an overwhelmingly good reputation among the empire’s citizens. If the Requilis family is threatened and endangered, there is a high possibility that the empire’s citizens will step forward first.

‘It’s amazing that the two can conspire together and commit despotism without any hesitation.’

Although old-timers tend to rot away, there haven’t been any signs of such a thing happening yet.

From this, one can roughly predict that both places prioritize character education.

Especially, the Requilis family is more inclined to value character, and as I mentioned before, they mercilessly exile any scoundrels who come out.

And even though Leort and Rina, the siblings, might have pressured me, I have to say they treated me in a gentlemanly (?) manner. If they had been hot-headed, they would have dismissed my opinion lightly and forced me to kneel down.

Thanks to that, the Minerva Empire had not seen a single rebellion in over 500 years. This is in contrast to the Ters Kingdom, which is both an eternal rival and a cultural powerhouse, where not just a rebellion, but a revolution occurred.

Of course, it should be noted that if the nobility of the Minerva Empire was mild, the nobility of the Ters Kingdom before the revolution was beyond spicy. Again, the Ters Kingdom did not experience a rebellion, but a “revolution.”

Fortunately, after the revolution, a similar governance system to the constitutional monarchy was adopted, but there are still some discordant notes.

“Oh, Isaac.”

“Yeah?”

“Do you happen to have any plans to stay overnight at our mansion?”

Marie’s question entered my ears while I was thinking about the history of the Minerva Empire in my head. I snapped out of my reverie and faced her.

Her blue eyes, filled with anticipation, were staring straight at me. Given her smile, she seems to want me to stay overnight at the mansion.

But today, I only planned to visit by car. Staying at Marie’s mansion was not part of my plan.

“No, I just planned to visit today. I’ve already told my family.”

“Oh…I see. That’s too bad.”

Marie’s expression showed that she was genuinely regretful. However, based on her immediate reaction of giving up, it seemed like she knew I would decline her proposal.

In response, I chuckled softly as if unable to contain myself. Staying overnight at a woman’s home is only allowed between engaged couples or spouses.

Although I am Marie’s boyfriend, staying overnight without being officially engaged would undoubtedly draw attention and her parents would think of me as rude.

‘Speaking of engagement…’

The average marriageable age in this world is typically in the early 20s. Although it may seem like the Middle Ages and one may think of teenage marriages, the nobles tend to be late as they are obligated to graduate from an academy beforehand.

Of course, there are cases of engagement before that time. Especially for nobles like Marie, all sorts of marriage proposals must have been exchanged since their early teens.

I asked Marie a question that might be considered improper if it were someone else, but since it was her, I could ask.

“Marie, I’m just curious, but have there ever been any discussions of marriage for you in the past?”

“Huh? Why do you ask?”

“Just curious.”

“Well… there were quite a few. Since I come from a duke’s family, I’ve met a few people. One of them was Lord Leort.”

“…Really?”

I had anticipated it, but there was nothing I could do about the bitter taste in my mouth. Considering Marie’s background, it was a natural phenomenon.

Seeing my bitter expression, Marie added an explanation in a slightly anxious voice.

“Of course, I declined all of them. There were hardly any people contacting me now, and Lord Leort only made connections and then ended it.”

“You declined all of them? Why?”

“Should I say that appearances can be deceiving? There were many people who saw me as a political tool. You may not know, but I can instinctively understand a person’s psyche.”

Was it a kind of shrewdness? In my past life, there were people who were particularly good at reading people’s psyche, and Marie seemed to be a member of the same group.

While I was thinking about that, Marie smiled slyly and said to me, with a cute affectation thrown in as a bonus.

“This is also why I like you. You’re not good at pretending or lying, are you? I really like that honesty in you.”

“…I’m not good at lying either?”

“Even if you try, it’s all written on your face. Anyway, speaking of which, what about Isaac…”

“Miss, we have arrived at our destination.”

Before Marie could finish her question, the driver announced that we had arrived at the mansion.

Marie turned to look at the driver and then back at me.

“I’ll ask you later. Let’s get off for now.”

“Okay.”

Kkiik-

I opened the door first and Marie, who was inside, reached out her hand as if it were natural. I smiled and took her hand, leading her down gently.

As soon as Marie got off, she pulled my hand with force. She grabbed my hand firmly as if to say there was no way I could let go.

“Where are you trying to sneak away to? If you’re going to be an escort, you have to see it through to the end.”

“Haha.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at her cute joke. I laughed uncontrollably and looked at the mansion, our destination.

“Wow…”

As soon as I saw the grandeur emanating from the mansion, I couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration.

The gate that soared high into the sky was so tall that I had to tilt my head all the way back to see the end, and the landscape that unfolded behind it was no less impressive.

The beautiful gardens that spread out on both sides of the road that led from the gate to the mansion. At the end of the road, there stood a grand mansion that seemed to have been designed with great care by architects.

Should I say it exuded a grandeur and majesty that was ahead of its time? Our family’s mansion was also quite large, but Marie’s mansion boasted a vast size that ignored perspective.

“How about it? It’s really impressive, isn’t it? Our family may not have territory, but our mansion is reputed to be beautiful. We had a dwarf craftsman design it.”

Marie bragged excitedly next to me. As I looked at the mansion located behind the gate, a question came to mind, so I asked her.

“How many people live here?”

“About 100 people, I think. There are five gardeners alone.”

I was impressed once again. The size of the garden visible from behind the gate was enormous, and it looked even larger inside.

“Well, have a good time.”

“Goodbye~”

As the butler politely said farewell and left, Marie saw him off with a cheerful voice. I waited until the carriage disappeared while looking back at her.

When the carriage was getting farther away, Marie looked at me and opened her mouth. There was a fresh smile on her face.

“Shall we go in now?”

“Yeah.”

Of course, our hands were still affectionately held together. The point was that we held each other’s hands tightly as if we would never let go.

I moved my feet with a strong grip on her hand. Even a stranger would know at a glance that we were lovers.

“Huh?”

As we almost reached the gate, I couldn’t help but wonder when I saw the two people standing in front of it.

They were not wearing uniforms but heavy armor, and swords were hanging from their waists. Just by looking at their visible armaments, they were clearly more than just ordinary guards.

As I mentioned before, the Requilis family returned all their territories and soldiers to the royal family. However, now there is a soldier heavily armed and standing in front of the gate with a solemn expression.

“Halt! Identify yourself…!”

As the soldiers guarding the entrance noticed us, they shouted. The soldier, upon seeing Marie, widened his eyes in surprise and asked a question.

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“Huh…? What? Lady Marie?”

“Oh, Mr. Lux. Long time no see.”

Marie seemed to recognize the guard. They appeared to be acquaintances. The soldier that Marie called Lux suddenly realized something.

“Oh, that’s right. I was told it’s vacation time from today. The Duke asked you to come.”

“Yes. It seems that the Golden Eagle Knights are on duty this month?”

“That’s right. But who is this person next to you…?”

The guard who was conversing politely with Marie shifted his gaze to me, and I was about to open my mouth in surprise when Marie, who was holding my hand, boldly replied.

“He’s my boyfriend!”

Marie not only held my hand but also linked arms with me and answered cheerfully. Although I was taken aback, Lux was also momentarily surprised but soon burst into laughter.

“Hehehe. Are you her boyfriend? Oh, I see. I didn’t notice.”

“No. It could be hard to notice.”

“Okay then. Zeke, you can open the door now.”

“Yes.”

When Lux gave the order to the soldier working with him, the soldier walked to the center of the gate and pressed something with his finger, as if he was pressing a button.

Kiiing-

Then the giant gate began to slowly open. Except for when the gate was opened, no sound was heard, indicating that it had been kept well-maintained.

Finally, the gate was fully opened, and Lux welcomed us with a bow.

“Welcome to the Requilis family. I hope you both have a pleasant time.”

“Thank you. Please take care, Lux.”

“Th-thank you for your hard work.”

While Marie greeted him warmly, I greeted him with a slightly awkward tone. Lux smiled at the two of us.

“You must be young.”

“… …”

As we passed through the gate, Lux’s words caught my attention. I felt a bit embarrassed for some reason, but didn’t show it.

The door, which had been completely open, closed as the soldiers on duty in front of it looked on. I looked up from them and took in the mansion, which had boasted an immense grandeur even from outside but was on a whole other level inside. 

It was not just a simple mansion but had a beauty and awe-inspiring quality nearly on par with a palace.

Indeed, a duke is a duke. The exterior is so impressive that one cannot help but be struck dumb with admiration.

“Let’s go inside. I’ll show you around our mansion later.”

“… Okay. But what about those people earlier? Didn’t you say that dukes don’t have soldiers?”

“There are no soldiers, so the palace sent a dispatch. It’s a measure to maintain authority.”

“I see.”

With Marie’s arm still linked with mine, we proceeded towards the mansion. The mansion was at the end of the road, so it was expected to take a long time to reach it.

Step by step…

During that time, we didn’t exchange any words between us. The conversation was cut off, and a strange atmosphere gradually filled the air.

Is it because of this? Marie leaned her head on my shoulder, and I, who had been looking around at first, didn’t pause.

Thump-

However, as soon as Marie tightened her grip on my arm, I was drawn back to her. Although I didn’t realize it earlier, the sensation of her soft, plump breasts pressed against my school uniform was transmitted through my arm.

Even though I had experienced love in my past life, I was almost completely defenseless in situations like this. To be more precise, my immunity had dropped to almost zero.

Anyway, this situation was too stimulating for me. Cecily was the same, and women’s breasts were too effective at making men’s hearts race.

Moreover, at some point, our steps slowed down, and a strange atmosphere filled the air. If it were at night instead of during the day, this atmosphere would have been even more intense.

Smoosh-

I didn’t know what to say, so I first pressed my cheek against Marie’s head. I’m on the shorter side, but I can do this much.

“Un…”

Marie also made a happy sound as I gently pressed my face against hers. We rested our heads against each other for a while, as if sharing our thoughts.

“…Isaac.”

“Yeah?”

“There’s something I wanted to ask you earlier… Can I ask?”

“Go ahead and ask.”

When I gave my blunt permission, Marie lifted her head from my shoulder and looked straight at me. I also relaxed my posture and faced her.

Her cheeks, which were as white as snow, turned red like the sunset, and her clear blue eyes were filled with affection. They still linked arms, so their faces were even closer and they could see each other more clearly.

When a smile naturally bloomed on Marie’s beautiful and youthful face, she whispered a question to me.

“Isaac, did you ever have a marriage arranged for you in the past?”

“Um… as far as I know, no.”

It wasn’t a lie, it was true. Isaac’s father had risen from a commoner to noble, so his connections were somewhat limited, and his mother was someone his father had met during his knight days. 

Moreover, the concept of engagement arrangements was essentially close to arranged marriages. Even if his father had gained fame as the Red Lion in the past, it was during his knight days and his political power was unproven.

Furthermore, our parents wanted a love marriage rather than an arranged one. Even if a marriage arrangement had come, it might have been resolved behind the scenes without Isaac knowing.

“Really? That’s a relief.”

Marie seemed to understand with her intuition that my answer was true, and her expression relaxed.

When I was still wondering, Marie suddenly jumped in.

“Then maybe I could be your first arranged engagement?”

“…What?”

For a moment, I was stunned. It was difficult to recover from the sudden question.

Perhaps knowing my mind, Marie giggled mischievously.

A person usually feels embarrassment and their face turning red in real-time, which also makes them feel more ashamed.

“Why are you so flustered? It’s not strange for us to have an engagement at our age, is it?” 

“Well…”

Is this the medieval period? 

It was inevitable for me to feel very flustered since my past life memories were deeply ingrained. In a way, it’s like talking about marriage with a high school student, so it’s hard for me to accept it easily. 

The truth is, although I am dating a high school student, marriage is too fast. It was a discrepancy caused by the difference in time periods.

“Are you worried that our parents will reject it? Don’t worry too much. My parents are not that stubborn. If my older brother, who will inherit the family, marries well, that’s the end of it. They won’t care.”

Marie thought I was too embarrassed to speak for another reason and comforted me gently. I wondered how to explain it and answered softly, taking a deep breath.

“…Still, it’s embarrassing. Why did you suddenly bring up that topic?” 

“Just because I like you and I think it might help you write a book later on.” 

“Book? Xenon’s Biography?” 

“Yeah. There are limits to imagination, you know? And experiencing something once is much more effective than hearing about it a hundred times. So…” 

Then, she linked her arms and leaned in close to my face, whispering in my ear. 

“I can help you a little.”

“… …”

A voice that was not inferior to Cecily’s, with a tantalizing and mischievous tone, was enough to make a man’s heart skip a beat.

After hearing that voice, I could not help but cover my face with one hand. My face was so hot that my hand felt hot.

Having personally experienced the spicy version of Marie’s sweet and spicy taste, I felt like I was going crazy right away.

‘…Fortunately, Xenon’s Biography is rated for general audiences.’

If I had written an erotic novel, I couldn’t even imagine what kind of inquiries I would have received.

“Look at this. It’s all over your face.”

“… Stop it.”

“Huh? Is our Isaac angry? Should I give you a kiss?”

“… …”

Isaac began to get more and more irritated.

Translators note:

The next few chapters are as hilarious as you expect.

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