Chapter 97
Chapter 97
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 97
Chapter Title: Ducal Territory
After the news of Taylor and Raoul's wedding.
Our relationship with Luna didn't change much.
I was swamped with the Grand Duchy's affairs, went on dates with Luna, and got milked dry.
There weren't any big changes between us, but the Grand Duchy had transformed dramatically.
The Grand Duchy was prospering day by day.
Was it growing so unprecedentedly fast?
Inflation was skyrocketing out of control, so the Finance Ministry and I were doing everything we could to rein in prices.
We could handle most issues with modern knowledge, but...
Solving supply shortages and labor shortages wasn't easy.
Modern knowledge couldn't magically drop people from the sky, after all.
In the end, we had no choice but to implement a zero-tariff policy on goods entering the border.
Thanks to the help from numerous merchant guilds, we managed to stabilize prices somewhat, and a year slipped by.
It's almost been three years since I arrived here.
The Crown Prince got married, and so did the Black Knight and the Tower Lord's disciple.
Pretty much anyone who used to fawn over Luna had vanished from the picture.
But when are we getting married?
The Crown Prince and Black Knight occasionally sent letters checking in.
Every time, they went on about how great their wives were.
Urging us that marriage was wonderful and we should hurry up.
"Even if it's my nephew... those two are going on like they've got stars in their eyes..."
Raoul, who married a lesbian.
Reading his letter describing how happy he was, I couldn't believe it.
I knew all too well how psycho she was and how much she hated men.
Honestly... maybe Taylor's drug wasn't mana-sealing or paralytic, but an aphrodisiac? A love potion?
It crossed my mind.
"Is marriage really that great?"
I'm 26 now.
Luna's suddenly 22.
By local standards, she's become an old maid.
Ah... her, an old maid.
Unbelievable, but around here, people usually marry at 20.
Luna, two years past that, is basically an old maid by those standards.
The romance novel heroine, an old maid...
Of course, the reason she's an old maid is pretty much because of my lowly status.
Because of this weird law where kids born from marriage to someone without independent territory can't inherit?
When am I going to become a noble?
I'd talked about this with Luna before.
-There's still some opposition... but it should be possible soon, right?
I didn't push her further when she looked apologetic.
Time would sort it out.
"Haa... no point overthinking. Back to work."
Like that, in the middle of paperwork as usual.
-Knock knock.
Someone knocked.
"Who is it?"
-It's me, Charles.
His familiar voice.
"Ah?"
I stood up and hurriedly opened the door.
"The Grand Duchess is summoning you."
"I'll go right now."
I followed Charles to Luna's office.
What could she want?
Puzzled, I entered her office.
"Ah? You're here?"
Luna greeted me with a bright smile.
"I heard you called for me."
"Yeah, nothing major. There's an important gathering this weekend."
"A gathering?"
"Yeah, a family gathering."
Ah... a Valmore family gathering?
"There... ahem... I'm planning to bring up our marriage."
"Ah..."
But I'm still not a noble?
To marry her, a regular noble title won't cut it.
It has to be an independent lord with territory.
"But I don't have any territory yet. Is that okay?"
Luna nodded slightly at my question.
"Yeah, no big issue. I'll grant you territory and make it independent. But it has to be matrilineal marriage, right?"
Matrilineal marriage.
That means I'm the one marrying into her family, not the other way around.
I won't have a surname anymore, but it'll be Aiden Valmore from now on.
"But first, I need to tell Uncle. And as family head, announce the marriage. So dress to impress, got it?"
Sudden, but...
"So, we..."
She beamed back at me.
"We'll probably marry before the year's out."
"Ah..."
We're finally getting married?
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ After that, the designer Luna picked took my measurements...
"Please stay still."
The maids tended to my skin...
"Hah! O-one... more time!"
And I got milked until...
The weekend arrived in no time.
The Grand Palace banquet hall.
The clothes the designer tailored were pretty uncomfortable.
The frills on the collar and cuffs were a nuisance.
For a banquet hosted by Luna, there weren't many people.
Sipping wine in the corner, I scanned the room.
Just close family?
Maybe ten people at most?
Elderly couples, fairly old.
Apparently Luna's maternal relatives, a black-haired family from far away.
One middle-aged man stood out.
Sir Eric Valmore, right?
Luna's uncle.
Then... that kid is...
Otto Valmore, her cousin?
If Luna officially dies, Eric Valmore becomes the next Grand Duke.
Given his age, they'd probably expect Otto to take over by then.
That was when it happened.
The banquet hall doors opened, and she entered in a red dress.
"Thank you all for coming today."
Luna smiled refreshingly.
Seeing her, Eric raised his wine glass and called out, looking around.
"Blessings to the Grand Duchess and the Valmore family!"
-Blessings to the Grand Duchess and the Valmore family!
As everyone responded by raising their glasses, I hesitated.
Should I raise mine too?
While I pondered.
Luna picked up a wine glass in the hall and said,
"Blessings to the Valmore family."
She took a sip, and the banquet truly began.
The long table set in the center of the hall.
Family head Luna sat in the middle, and I took the seat to her right.
As dishes came out one by one, I felt deeply uncomfortable.
Her family members were eyeing me with curiosity.
Like, why is this guy at a family gathering?
This is awkward...
"But, Your Grace."
Eric, seated to Luna's left.
He cautiously broached the subject.
"Sir Aiden isn't Valmore family, so why is he here..."
Eric trailed off.
Luna chuckled softly and said,
"Uncle. Aiden... I intend to take him as my partner."
The room fell into stunned silence at her quiet declaration.
So... that's it?
They expected to be next in line, but she's marrying, so they're disappointed?
"Ahh... Your Grace, now I can finally face my late brother in peace."
A tear streamed from Eric's eye.
"Dear... why cry on such a joyous day."
The blonde woman comforting Eric shot him a look.
Probably Eric's wife, Luna's aunt.
She appears so rarely, I couldn't recall her name.
Anyway, Eric dabbed his tears with a handkerchief.
"Isn't it moving? When the Grand Duchess said she wouldn't marry, I felt so guilty toward my brother—no one knew."
Was I wrong to expect political backlash?
I never imagined this guy would cry.
I hadn't said it to Luna, but I'd braced for headwinds.
"Oh, our granddaughter. Finally getting married."
"Luna sis! Congrats!"
Her family congratulated her...
And Eric sobbed until his handkerchief was soaked.
Once he composed himself, he cautiously asked Luna,
"Your Grace, Sir Aiden may be His Majesty's knight, but without territory as a noble, there will be issues with the marriage. You plan to grant him a title—where are you considering?"
"The Alsace region. That should be sufficient to save face for Aiden, right?"
Alsace is a vital area connecting the Grand Duchy and the Empire.
Rich in mines and key for goods transport—prime land for the Grand Duchy.
"That would be good. But... even as the County of Alsace, it won't avoid the mismatch of high and low birth."
Luna looked surprised at his words.
"Pardon? But independent territory should suffice for mismatch of birth, no?"
"That's for regular dukes or counts. We're a Grand Duchy—different from a mere duchy. If granting Alsace, you'd need to take the entire Schwaben Ducal Territory."
Schwaben is the legal superior region over Alsace.
Think of Suwon city inside Gyeonggi Province for easy understanding.
Alsace as Suwon, Schwaben as Gyeonggi.
"Ah..."
As Luna sighed, having overlooked this.
Her maternal grandfather spoke up.
"The Grand Duchy is somewhat more lenient than kingdoms. In kingdoms, mismatch applies unless it's a family of equal rank."
I hadn't known.
So kingdoms require marriage to other kingdom nobles for titles?
Seems too strict, but it reduces unnecessary succession fights.
Definitely blocks non-heir princes from inheritance.
Diplomatic and alliance benefits too.
After pondering, she shook her head.
"No matter how important marriage is, I won't start a war. Isn't there another way?"
Eric thought for a moment at Luna's words.
With a stern expression, he cautiously suggested,
"Then, the only option is to oust one of the dukes from the previously pioneered ducal territories, grant the title to Sir Aiden, and make it independent."