Chapter 5
Chapter 5
Even Men Want to Be Cinderella
He wasn't saying my marriage partner would be the pink-haired girl I had just met, Angela.
The other party was the distant House Rosefield.
The moment I heard that, I nodded inwardly.
It wasn't a completely random proposal.
My older brother was already married.
Even among my younger siblings, some had married before me.
The younger ones were still unmarried, but somehow I alone had been left awkwardly in limbo.
The reason was simple.
The rumors that I was insane had spread far too widely, both inside and outside the Imperial Palace.
This might be a world where political marriages were the norm, but that didn't mean many families would eagerly hand over their daughters to a sword-swinging madman.
Recently, however, rumors had started circulating that I had become considerably calmer.
As a result, letters expressing interest in marriage had apparently begun arriving.
Well, I was old enough.
It was about time I got married.
I was a little curious about who they planned to pair me with.
Women willing to marry a lunatic would be rare, but if a family wanted the Emperor's bloodline, there would be no shortage of volunteers.
Besides, in this world, calculations came before love.
The bride's wishes?
Few women openly spoke of such things.
The groom was no different.
When the family head decided, children usually obeyed.
I would probably end up marrying whoever Father chose as well.
Thankfully, most nobles were reasonably attractive.
The pink-haired girl I had just met wasn't bad at all.
I liked her bright and lively appearance.
I wasn't entirely sure what my exact type was.
Platinum-colored hair, which was difficult to see in reality, sounded appealing.
Calm black hair wasn't bad either.
Of course, most people in this world had blond, black, or brown hair, so I wasn't expecting miracles.
And if none of that worked out, I could always take a lover who matched my preferences later.
Thinking that, I looked at Manuel.
"When did this discussion begin?"
"A week ago. Not very long."
"Is there a reason you're telling me personally?"
Manuel closed his lips for a moment before speaking carefully.
"...Father intends to entrust you with a significant position."
That surprised even me.
A significant position for a lunatic like me?
An ominous thought immediately crossed my mind.
'Don't tell me this won't be a peaceful provincial life, but the life of some troublesome grand noble instead?'
The Emperor of the Human Empire was the richest man in the country.
If one included the wealth of the entire Imperial Family, he was effectively the richest person in the world.
If an emperor spoke of a significant position, there was a good chance it meant ruling something equivalent to a small kingdom.
The problem came after that.
This world still didn't have computers.
It didn't have spreadsheets.
Administrative documents were all handwritten.
No matter how neat they were, they were still dense manuscripts.
For a modern person accustomed to printed numbers and tables, simply looking at them was suffocating.
'Maybe I should standardize all documentation with grid layouts like a Go board.'
...No, that was a problem for later.
Something more important was in front of me.
"Why did Father make such a decision?"
"...Though he failed to comfort your wounds, he takes pride in the fact that you stood back up on your own."
"..."
For a moment, I couldn't say anything.
Because it felt as though the original Rouang was crying somewhere inside me.
You really are too kind, aren't you?
You almost got assassinated, and you're willing to let it go because of a few words like that?
...Well, strictly speaking, that wasn't my grudge.
It was Rouang's.
If Rouang wanted to forgive them, I could let it slide too.
Besides, I was surprisingly not a petty person.
If someone gave me the right to govern a vast territory, I could quite easily let go of old grudges that weren't even mine.
Quietly comforting the crying Rouang inside me, I waited for Manuel to continue.
After a brief silence, Manuel spoke again.
"The Duchy of Rosefield. A great house that controls the northeastern region of the Empire. Even though they have little interest in central politics, the nobles of the capital still seek connections with them because of how powerful they are."
House Rosefield was unusual.
Normally, wealthy territories grew rich through trade routes.
Places connecting the northwest and southeast poured out gold.
Rosefield was different.
Their land itself was prosperous.
Their crops flourished.
Their fruit ripened beautifully.
Their livestock grew fat and healthy.
Even when famine struck the entire Empire, Rosefield merely suffered a temporary decline rather than collapse.
I nodded.
Good.
Fertile land.
Strong regional power.
Distance from the central government.
It sounded increasingly troublesome.
The thought of playing king in the provinces instead of serving under the Emperor gave me a headache.
I'd rather be an ordinary rich man than a king.
Then Manuel said something strange.
"And that family does not easily accept outside bloodlines. Their succession customs are quite unique."
"They never considered adopting a male heir from a branch family or the maternal side?"
Among nobles, it wasn't unusual to bring in an heir from the same bloodline when direct descendants were unavailable.
This era lacked modern knowledge about pregnancy and contraception, and medicine was primitive.
People still seriously believed in things like bad air, bodily fluid imbalances, and divine punishment.
So noble houses frequently faced succession crises.
When that happened, they brought children from branch families or maternal relatives to continue the line.
Modern people obsessed over genetics, but nobles in this world were surprisingly flexible.
As long as they belonged to the same bloodline group,
and inherited the family's traditions and spirit,
they were considered true children of the house.
But Manuel shook his head.
"They have their own method of succession."
"Oh..."
That answer alone was enough.
Nobles sometimes valued tradition and customs as much as blood.
Some dwarf families only recognized heirs capable of working steel with their bare hands.
Some human families only acknowledged heirs who could cross the mountains of their territory without assistance.
Rosefield was probably similar.
There was no need to dig deeper.
The important point was simple.
They needed strong bloodlines to maintain their house.
And imperial blood fit that requirement perfectly.
As long as the Empire endured, the Imperial Family possessed the strongest name in existence.
Even if the Empire collapsed, imperial descendants would still be desirable marriage partners in any nation.
Enormous wealth.
Legitimacy.
Magic.
Talent.
Anyone would drool over those things.
I asked the most practical question.
"Then why someone insane like me? I have younger siblings too."
"...Sigh."
Manuel looked at me for a moment and let out a short sigh.
It was the gaze one used toward a pitiful younger brother.
Honestly, even I admitted I wasn't exactly normal.
I didn't bother arguing.
"Because they naturally don't want interference from the Imperial Family."
"They want to marry into the Imperial Family but don't want Imperial interference?"
"After marrying, do you honestly think you'll use Rosefield's power for the benefit of the Imperial Family?"
"No."
"..."
"Well, if the Empire looks like it's about to collapse, I can offer everyone a mansion. I'll still charge rent, though."
"..."
"It'll be at a discounted rate."
"...I see."
I chuckled.
I understood.
Rosefield was effectively the center of the northeast.
They united regional nobles and resisted whenever central nobles attempted to dominate the region.
The vast food supplies and gold produced by their fertile lands also helped them deal with threats coming from outside the northeast.
What benefit would a family like that gain from becoming deeply entangled with the central government?
Feudalism looked like a single nation from the outside, but in reality it was a collection of smaller countries forced together.
The Emperor was like the leader of a group project, while the nobles only cared about their own share.
So even if Rosefield connected itself to the Imperial Family,
it would want to minimize any opportunity for imperial influence to reach into its internal affairs.
And I happened to fit those conditions rather well.
First, I was a lunatic.
I didn't look like someone who would sit at a desk reviewing documents, checking ledgers, and meddling in family administration.
In other words, once the marriage happened, actual authority would naturally remain with Rosefield.
Second, my relationship with the Imperial Family wasn't good.
At least, that was how Rosefield would see it.
As long as the assassination issue remained unresolved, I didn't look like someone who would loyally work for the Imperial Family.
Third, I wasn't completely useless.
My status and bloodline as a prince still carried undeniable value.
Ultimately, from Rosefield's perspective, this marriage was close to ideal.
They would gain imperial blood.
Without bringing in imperial influence.
One final possibility crossed my mind.
'Could they be worried that I might go insane and harm a Rosefield lady?'
But even that made sense.
Rumors had recently spread that I was improving.
So they had probably concluded that they should arrange the marriage first and secure an heir before my condition deteriorated again.
What if the marriage later collapsed?
That wasn't a major issue in this world.
The naive people were the ones who expected love from political marriages.
Love was something you found with lovers.
Marriage was something maintained for the family.
That was common sense in this era.
Manuel asked carefully,
"...Do you dislike it?"
I pretended to think for a moment before answering honestly.
"No. I like it."
"...That's a relief."
At that moment, I could visibly see a heavy burden lift from Manuel's shoulders.
Meanwhile, I felt quite pleased.
After all, modern people have a secret dream.
Being taken in by some powerful and impressive family that feeds and supports you for life.
Cinderella isn't a fantasy exclusive to women.
Men dream about it too.
Of course, in this case, I was offering imperial blood instead of a glass slipper.
Still, I didn't mind.
I rolled the name of the great family that intended to take me in around in my head.
Rosefield.
Far away.
Powerful.
Prosperous.
And clearly burdened with some complicated circumstances.
As long as it wasn't too exhausting, it sounded like it might be interesting.