Chapter 11: 11
Robbenz didn’t just give in while negotiating with Fried.
He had managed to get something in return, which allowed him to extend the engagement period to six months. Initially, he wanted to impose conditions on Zion’s freedom, but since Hanette’s personality was similar to Zion’s, he let it slide.
“Even if we are sure, we shouldn’t rush into it. We need to think about why the engagement period was extended.”
Nobles viewed engagements as a promise and a symbol of trust between families. When a marriage was arranged, the families would be indirectly connected through their children. This meant they recognized each other’s value, formed an alliance, and agreed to interact periodically.
Because it was such an important matter, the engagement period was a time for both families to thoroughly assess each other and their children.
“It takes time for a child to be conceived. If things don’t go well, it might take even longer.”
“… It’s not ordinary. It seems quite thoughtful.”
Yenid had completely changed her assessment of Zion after that day. Although she had heard he was an ordinary person, his words and actions suggested he had something special. His potential might be revealed, but if it went in a negative direction, he would have to be cast aside immediately.
“Marquis Laird did well with his children. Isn’t his eldest son quite skilled with a sword?”
“I heard he’s an exceptional talent. There are rumors that the royal knight order is interested in him.”
Nobles usually maintained and expanded their power and foundation by choosing one of three paths: becoming a royal official, using their title and wealth to establish a business, or creating a knight order to contribute to the Alaine Kingdom.
Most nobles with established power became royal officials and accumulated wealth by inheriting businesses. This left other nobles with the tough task of either developing new businesses or leading a knight order to gain recognition.
“If he joins the royal knight order, he might connect with the royal family.”
“The Marquis’s family would be satisfied with that.”
“If he becomes directly connected to the royal family, he could become the king’s son-in-law. Even if another member of the royal family inherits the throne, it wouldn’t be a disadvantage.”
The current king had two princes and one princess. Only one of them would become the heir to the throne, which would again change the balance of power.
To ensure his family’s prosperity, Robbenz had to make choices.
“Noble ladies might connect with one of the two, but noble sons can only aim for the princess.”
“Can Marquis Laird do it?”
“It won’t be easy. There are other nobles too.”
“I heard Duke Ternein is pushing his daughters in that direction.”
“Yes. If we lose to Ternein, both you and I will suffer.”
The Ternein Dukedom was a powerful noble family within the Alaine Kingdom and stood in opposition to the Adelaira Dukedom. There were only two Duke titles in the Alaine Kingdom, so the two families couldn’t get close and constantly tried to expand their influence.
Knowing this, previous kings had tacitly prohibited direct royal family members from marrying into the Dukedoms to maintain balance.
“Would the king allow a marriage alliance with a Duke’s family?”
“Usually not. If the balance breaks, it wouldn’t just be us; even the king would have a hard time. Ternein is trying for a marriage alliance despite knowing this.”
“Do you think they have something to rely on?”
“Maybe. Or perhaps I’m just mistaken.”
Robbenz kept an eye on Duke Ternein’s movements but didn’t take direct action. By principle, Dukes couldn’t marry into the direct royal family. There was no need to overreact, and the Adelaira Dukedom continued with its usual approach.
“We need someone from our family to connect with the direct royal family.”
“That’s why we’re trying to recruit the Marquis family. If we lost Marquis Laird, we’d be in trouble.”
Robbenz was drawing in families that could potentially marry into the royal family. Marquis Laird’s family was one such family, and he had already negotiated with several count families.
Duke Ternein was using a similar strategy, so Robbenz had to regularly manage the families he had recruited to ensure they didn’t switch sides.
“If the engagement is broken, will we lose the Marquis family completely?”
“Most likely. Ternein would gain another ally.”
“You could have treated Marquis Laird’s family like any other.”
“… No. That’s not possible. His eldest son and the second son, who is a royal administrator, make them too valuable.”
To Robbenz, Marquis Laird’s family was a means to connect with the royal family. The second son was already serving as a royal administrator, and the eldest would likely join the royal knight order.
That’s why Robbenz led the arranged marriage between Hanette and Zion, to keep Marquis Laird’s family close.
“You understand my point. But I think it’s a bit early for marriage. How about observing them a bit longer?”
“Hmm… How about we verify things first and then think again? I’m not in a rush to marry them off.”
“Understood. I’ll check on them myself.”
Yenid wanted them to marry but didn’t want to mess things up. It was better for them to marry with mutual affection rather than with doubts.
The engagement period wasn’t set to three months for no reason.
‘I need to start with Hanette…’
* *
Adelaira Duke’s mansion, Hanette’s room.
Hanette slowly opened her eyes and sat up.
Even though she had fallen asleep drunk, her mind felt clear. Memories of yesterday slowly resurfaced.
“Oh… I messed up.”
Hanette groaned, ruffling her hair. Although she was drunk, she vividly remembered what she had done.
She had babbled nonsense in front of Zion and even brought up the topic of having children.
Thankfully, she didn’t mention her plan to run away before the wedding.
‘I shouldn’t have drunk something so strong.’
Normally, she would rotate through various liquors to confuse her bodyguards and make it seem like she was wasting money on alcohol.
But that time, wanting to show off in front of Zion, she had downed half a bottle of expensive liquor.
“Wow… I’m… Ugh…”
Hanette covered her face with her hands and stomped her feet.
The memories of what she had done haunted her. She had stopped Zion from leaving, suggested deceiving their parents, and even stripped off her clothes.
She was too embarrassed to face him.
‘What should I do? Ugh, seriously…’
Zion’s words echoed in her mind.
You’ll regret it when you wake up.
She was indeed regretting it and wanted to erase all the memories of the previous day.
‘Should I pretend I don’t remember? Say I blacked out? Ugh… But I can’t avoid him…’
Hanette mulled over her options and eventually got out of bed.
Nothing would change if she just sat there. She needed to change clothes and face Zion.
‘It’ll work out somehow.’
*
Adelaira Duke’s mansion, Zion’s room.
Zion was preparing to leave after finishing breakfast.
He had received a letter stating that Limpi Machina had been acquired, so he planned to check it out.
If he couldn’t get what he wanted, he would have to gather more Limpi Machina.
‘This takes a lot of time. Other things can be bought with money, but this is too rare.’
Limpi Machina was hard to find even though it wasn’t particularly useful.
It grew in places untouched by humans, so it was often discovered by accident while harvesting other herbs. Since it wasn’t in demand, it was often discarded or left unharvested.
However, its high survivability allowed it to be stored for a long time without wilting.
‘I’ll need more money to buy holy water.’
Zion had already received a significant amount of money from Fried and had funds saved up.
But he might need more Limpi Machina and other expensive items.
He thought he might need to ask Fried for more support.
‘Maybe I’ll use Hanette as an excuse to ask for more money. Saying I need a lot of money to associate with a troublemaker…’
There was a knock on the door from outside.
Hanette carefully opened the door and peeked inside.
Zion remembered the events of the previous day and stared at her quietly.
“What… What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“You should know better.”
“I… I don’t remember well.”
“Really? Then I should have checked inside. To steady my fluttering heart…”
“Stop! I was wrong, so stop it!”
Hanette waved her hands frantically, raising her voice.
Zion chuckled softly and approached her.
“Why? You don’t remember? You were good at undressing.”
“Hey! I only took off my coat!”
“If I had left you alone, you would have taken off your shirt and pants too. For whose benefit did you undress?”
“It was a drunken mistake, so just let it go!”
“Wasn’t it your true self showing while drunk?”
“No, it wasn’t!”
Hanette blushed and lowered her gaze.
Zion enjoyed her reaction for a moment before his expression turned serious.
“I’ll let it go today because I’m busy. Don’t do it again.”
“… Where are you going?”
“I’m going to my family’s home. I have something to do.”
“Alone?”
“Of course, I’m going alone. Am I taking you?”
“Fine. I’ll go with you.”
“…?”
Zion was too stunned to speak.
Hanette frowned, not understanding his look.
“Didn’t you say we should get along? We should act like we’re getting along, right?”
“Well… That’s true, but…”
“Won’t Marquis Laird think it’s strange if you go alone? It’s better if I go with you.”
“…”
Zion pondered for a moment and then nodded.
She wasn’t entirely wrong.
It was just surprising that Hanette suggested it first.
‘It’s better than nothing. Duke Adelaira will be pleased too.’
* *
Marquis Laird’s mansion, office.
Fried was deep in thought, looking out the window.
He had heard that Zion was stopping by briefly, but he wasn’t too pleased.
A considerable amount of time had passed since the engagement ceremony, but why was Zion coming alone?
‘He must not have gotten closer to Hanette.’
Although it was a forced engagement, it was a bit disappointing.
They needed to get closer before the wedding to avoid discord.
While it was possible to fall in love after marriage, it wasn’t common.
‘To satisfy Duke Adelaira’s daughter…’
A carriage was entering through the main gate.
The carriage stopped in front of the mansion, and Zion appeared.
And behind him, another person emerged.
“Hm? Why is Hanette…”
Fried stared at the two of them in astonishment.
They were talking to each other, looking quite affectionate, almost like a married couple.
‘To solidify that relationship, Zion needs to be assertive. That means I’ll need to give him more money.’