Chapter 5
Chapter 5
The marriage candidate wasn’t the pink-haired girl I had just met—Angela.
The candidate was from the distant Rosefield family.
As soon as I heard that, I nodded inwardly.
It wasn’t a completely random suggestion.
My older brother was already married. Among my younger siblings, some were already married too. The youngest were still unmarried, and I was stuck awkwardly in the middle.
The reason was simple.
Not only inside the palace but also outside, rumors about me being insane had spread far and wide.
Even in a world where arranged marriages were the norm, very few families would willingly marry off a daughter to a madman who swung a sword at will.
But recently, rumors had started circulating that I had become relatively calm.
As a result, letters expressing a desire for marriage had slowly begun arriving.
Well, I wasn’t getting any younger.
It was about time to get married anyway.
I was curious about who they might pair me with. Few would be willing to marry a madman, but if someone wanted imperial blood, plenty of families would raise their hands.
Besides, in this world, marriage was about calculation before love.
The bride’s will? Few openly expressed such things.
The groom’s will was no different. Usually, the head of the household decided, and the children followed.
I would eventually marry whoever my father chose.
Still, the fortunate part was that nobles usually looked decent.
Even the pink-haired girl I had just met was quite attractive. She had a flashy and lively impression that I liked.
I wasn’t entirely sure what my exact taste was.
Platinum-blonde like in the stories could be nice, and calm black hair was fine too.
Of course, most people in this world had blond, black, or brown hair, so I didn’t have high expectations. If nothing worked out, I could just find a partner later.
I thought this while looking at Manuel.
“When did this story come up?”
“About a week ago. Not too long ago.”
“Is there a reason you’re telling me this yourself?”
Manuel pressed his lips together for a moment, then spoke cautiously.
“…Father wants to give you a significant position.”
That statement surprised me a little.
A significant position for someone like me?
A very ominous thought crossed my mind.
‘Could it really mean I have to take on a bothersome high noble lifestyle instead of enjoying a leisurely provincial life?’
The emperor of the Human Empire was the richest person in the country. Counting the entire imperial family’s assets, he could probably be considered the wealthiest in the world.
If he was offering a “significant position,” it could easily mean running a small kingdom.
The next problem was logistics.
There were still no computers or spreadsheets in this world. All administrative documents were handwritten.
Even neatly written copies were densely packed with words and numbers. A modern person accustomed to printed charts would feel suffocated just looking at them.
‘Maybe I should just standardize the documents with a grid-like format.’
…No, that could wait.
Right now, something more important needed attention.
“Why such a decision?” I asked.
“…Father is proud that, even though he couldn’t protect you from your injuries, you’ve stood up on your own.”
“….”
For a moment, I couldn’t say a word.
Somewhere inside me, the original Luang seemed to be crying.
How naïve. After nearly being assassinated, would one simple sentence make you forgive everything?
…Strictly speaking, that wasn’t my grudge—it was Luang’s.
If Luang could forgive, I could cover it up lightly.
And I wasn’t a petty person. If I were given the right to manage a huge estate, I could easily let go of a stale grudge that wasn’t even mine.
I comforted the crying Luang inside me and waited for Manuel’s next words.
After a brief silence, Manuel spoke again.
“The Rosefield Duchy. A great family in the northeast of the empire. They have little interest in central politics, yet central nobles still want to establish ties because of their strength.”
The Rosefields were unusual.
Wealthy estates were usually located along trade routes. Gold poured in from places connecting the northwest and southeast.
But Rosefield was different.
Their land itself was fertile.
Crops thrived, fruits gleamed, livestock grew fat.
Even if famine struck the entire empire, their land would wither temporarily but never collapse completely.
I nodded.
Good. Fertile land, strong local power, distance from central politics.
Increasingly, it sounded more like a nuisance.
The thought of running a kingdom in the provinces instead of enjoying life as a wealthy noble made my head ache.
Then Manuel said something odd.
“And they don’t easily accept outsiders. Their succession system is somewhat unique.”
“Did they not take in a male from a branch or maternal line?”
In noble society, if a family lacked heirs, it was common to adopt someone from the same bloodline. Modern knowledge of pregnancy and contraception didn’t exist, and medical understanding was crude. People still seriously believed in bad air, bodily fluid imbalances, and divine punishment.
Thus, it was not rare for noble families to face succession issues.
In such cases, children could be brought from branch or maternal lines to continue the family. Modern people may obsess over genetics, but nobles were surprisingly lax.
As long as the child was of the same bloodline and inherited the family’s customs, they could be treated as their own.
But Manuel shook his head.
“They have their own way of succession.”
“Ah…”
That one phrase was enough.
Nobles valued not only blood but also tradition and custom. Some dwarf families required handling steel with bare hands to be recognized as heirs. Some human families required crossing mountains of their estates to gain recognition.
Rosefield was probably one of those families.
No need to pry further.
The point was clear.
They needed strong blood to maintain the family, and imperial blood fit that condition perfectly.
Imperial blood was the strongest name as long as the empire stood. Even if it fell, royalty would still be a coveted match anywhere.
Massive wealth, legitimacy, magic, talent.
Anyone would salivate at the opportunity.
I asked the most realistic question.
“But why someone as crazy as me? Aren’t there my siblings?”
“…Ha.”
Manuel looked at me briefly, then sighed.
A look of pity for a younger brother.
Honestly, I recognized my own abnormality. I didn’t bother to deny it.
“Of course, they wouldn’t want imperial interference.”
“Marry into the imperial family and not want imperial interference?”
“After you marry, do you think Rosefield will use their power to act for the empire?”
“No.”
“….”
“Oh, if the empire falls, I could give you a mansion each. But I’ll charge rent.”
“….”
“A bargain.”
“Understood.”
I snorted.
I got it.
Rosefield was practically the hub of the northeast. They rallied local nobles, and if central nobles tried to suppress the provinces, they resisted.
With their massive wealth from fertile land, they could handle threats from beyond the northeast.
What good would it do for them to be deeply entangled with the central government?
Feudalism might seem like one country, but in reality, it was small nations forced to stick together. The emperor was like a group project leader, and nobles only cared about their share.
Thus, from Rosefield’s perspective, even if they married into the imperial family, they’d want to minimize imperial interference.
And I fit that condition perfectly.
First, I was a madman. Not someone who would sit at a desk, scrutinize papers, and meddle in estate affairs. In other words, the power would naturally remain with Rosefield after the marriage.
Second, I wasn’t on good terms with the imperial family. At least, that’s how Rosefield would see it.
Unless the imperial family properly resolved the assassination issue, I was unlikely to act loyally for them.
Third, I wasn’t completely useless. My royal name and bloodline carried weight.
In short, this marriage was an ideal arrangement for Rosefield: acquire imperial blood without imperial influence.
I considered one last possibility.
‘Maybe they’re worried I might go insane and harm the Rosefield lady?’
But that made sense too.
Recent rumors suggested I had improved. So they probably thought it was best to marry me off and secure an heir before my condition worsened.
If the marriage fell apart later, it wouldn’t be a major problem. In this world, expecting love from an arranged marriage was naive. Love was for lovers; marriage was for families.
That was common sense in this era.
Manuel asked cautiously.
“…Do you dislike it?”
I pretended to think for a moment, then answered honestly.
“No. I like it.”
“…Good.”
At that moment, a heavy burden visibly lifted from Manuel’s shoulders.
Meanwhile, I felt quite pleased.
Even modern men secretly dream of it: being taken in by a strong, wealthy family and being cared for.
Cinderella wasn’t only a fantasy for girls. Men could dream it too.
Here, instead of a glass slipper, they offered imperial blood.
Still, it was fine.
I rolled the name of the grand family taking me in around in my mind.
Rosefield.
Distant, strong, prosperous, and with complicated affairs.
It would probably be fun as long as it wasn’t too exhausting.