There Are Two Titles - 3
Once Erich had chosen the title he would inherit, there was nothing left that needed handling. The succession ceremony was already being prepared back in the territory, so Erich and I—who were simply going to receive our titles—only had to wait quietly.
The one task that remained, if it could even be called that, was waving to the retainers and the people of the fief after the ceremony. It wasn’t a speech; a wave required no preparation at all.
“Brother, here.”
“Ah, thanks.”
Thanks to that, I was able to spend peaceful days until Father’s message arrived.
Days spent eating the cookies Luise made, or eating cookies, or eating cookies.
They’re getting longer.
I eyed the mountain of cookies and carefully picked one up. Ever since “that” incident, the ordinary round cookies had been evolving into stick shapes. To be precise, they had grown long enough for two people to hold opposite ends in their mouths.
She had even coated them in chocolate. No matter how you looked at it, the visual was pure stick-snack from my previous world.
People really do think alike.
Well, Lotte and Luise both start with L. Maybe that was enough for some kind of connection.
I stared blankly at the cookie—calling it a cookie was already a stretch—then gently bit down on one end. Luise softly took the other tip between her lips and smiled with her eyes.
This, too, was my karma. I had poisoned the empire’s confectionery scene.
Was I too stimulating?
Belated regret washed over me as I nibbled my way along the stick. Ever since I had countered Irina’s soul-infused “Aaahn” with a cookie kiss, Luise had awakened and begun mass-producing stick snacks.
I could understand it. From Luise’s perspective, the cookies she had poured her affection into had been used to share love with someone else. Even if that someone else was a friend, claiming she felt no jealousy would have been a lie. I had been far too careless…
“It was delicious, Brother.”
“…Yeah. Same here.”
The stick snack had already vanished into both of our mouths. Luise opened her lips in a bright smile.
In that strange situation I managed, just barely, to lift the corners of my own mouth. I had taught something weird to a pure girl who would have been happy with an ordinary kiss.
I was a sinner. Not content with starting the vicious trend of splitting perfectly good rings to wear them, I had now introduced the kiss with a snack in between—
“Ah, wait a moment. There’s something on your hand.”
Still smiling radiantly, Luise took my hand as if it were the most natural thing in the world and licked the chocolate from my finger with her tongue.
Her cheeks flushed as if she herself were embarrassed, yet she did not stop.
I thought I might lose my mind.
The night before the weekend.
“Tomorrow I’ll send a mage. Where should I have him go?”
“Erich and I will be waiting in front of the main building. Please send him there.”
“In front of the main building. Understood.”
As expected, Father only spoke once he was certain. The claim that things could be finished as early as this weekend had actually come true.
It was astonishing. I had wanted it done quickly, but I had only mentioned receiving the title a few days ago. And the preparations were already complete? Had he worked the retainers in shifts?
Or perhaps, ever since the Retired Emperor had urged him to step down, he had finished most of the groundwork in advance. He had said he would prepare according to my schedule; it was entirely possible.
“After the Hardiner baronial succession, I intend to pass on the Countship of Tailglehen. Keep that in mind.”
I nodded; it was only natural. If the main event—the countship succession—came first, Erich’s elevation to titled nobility might be overshadowed. Whether or not Erich himself celebrated receiving a title, we could not bury a family celebration.
With such a considerate father and older brother, Erich truly was a blessed fellow. He ought to acknowledge his good fortune with people.
“Ah, and once the ceremony is over, go to the Imperial Palace. For other titles a letter of greeting would suffice, but in the case of an Imperial Count you must renew your oath of loyalty before His Majesty the Emperor.”
“Ah, yes. Understood.”
It was the first I had heard of it, yet it was equally obvious, so I accepted it at once.
An Imperial Count was a direct vassal of the Emperor. If someone else inherited that title and failed to pay personal respects, handling it with a mere letter, outsiders might begin to question the relationship between Emperor and Imperial Count.
Especially when that Emperor was newly enthroned and the Imperial Count was the godfather of the Crown Princess—extra caution was required. Even if ordered not to go, I would still have to go.
What a pain.
I nearly sighed. I had finally escaped the Emperor’s side and returned to the Academy, only to be dragged back before him again.
But what could I do? If I hated it that much, I should have inherited the title before the Retired Emperor stepped down.
Damn it.
The thought of entering the Imperial Palace made my head swim. I should have moved just a little faster.
I nodded as I reviewed the report the head butler had submitted. No matter how many times I checked, it was flawless.
We can proceed exactly like this.
I stamped the family seal Billy had entrusted to me and let out a quiet breath.
Billy, too, was passing his title to his son, so he remained in the territory as much as possible; still, as an assemblyman his time in the Imperial Capital inevitably outweighed the rest. As a result, the head butler and I had ended up preparing most of the succession ceremony.
Fortunately, we had been preparing step by step ever since Billy’s retirement became certain, so we were not racing against the clock. Had we begun only after Karl declared he would accept the succession, the preparations would not have been finished until next year. We were lucky.
This will be the last of it.
I looked at the mountain of documents on the desk and found myself smiling. It was for my children, so it had not been hard. Yet the thought that this work would be my final duty as mistress of the Crassius family left me feeling both empty and light.
Once Karl became Count of Tailglehen, and once he married next year, I would no longer be the mistress of House Crassius. Of course, I was only forty, and considering the time the first daughter-in-law would need to adjust, I would continue acting as mistress for a while yet—but in name I would be nothing more than a retired member of the previous generation.
The previous generation.
Seeing Laura sorting other documents in the corner, I burst out laughing. If I was previous generation, then Laura was previous generation too.
“Nia? Is something wrong?”
“No, nothing.”
I shook my head firmly at Laura, who had turned at the sound of my laughter.
I could not say it. The words that both of us were now old enough to step aside could not leave my mouth. If I spoke them, Laura would explode in her usual fiery temper.
She was still a vigorous woman in her forties; who was calling her an old lady? She would insist that other people still took her for someone in her twenties and raise a storm. I could only wonder who those “other people” were supposed to be.
Objectively speaking, both Laura and I looked young for our ages. But that was true of every noble who cared about appearance. Finding a noble who did not have a baby face would have been the harder task.
“You’re no fun.”
Fortunately, Laura did not press further and let it drop.
She must be in a wonderful mood.
In fact, she began humming a little tune and moving the documents with light, dancing steps—something impossible unless she was thoroughly pleased.
I could understand it. My own feelings were probably not very different from hers.
Living together really has brought progress.
The corners of my mouth refused to fall. At last I had confirmed that Erich and Sera’s relationship had taken a step forward.
Yes, there was definitely progress. Otherwise Erich would never have chosen the Hardiner barony out of all the possible titles. He had clearly made the decision with Sera in mind.
Knowing that, Laura was helping with the work in high spirits. Sera’s desperate one-sided love had finally seen the light of day.
The moment weekend morning arrived, I waited for Karl and Erich in front of the castle’s main gate. I had already finished everything I needed to do, so there was no problem being outside. I simply wanted to meet the children even a little sooner.
“…My dear, I understand how you feel, but the mage hasn’t even departed yet.”
Billy’s words beside me barely registered. What mattered was not the hour the children would arrive. What mattered was the excitement of waiting for them.
That excitement was how one began a day happily and joyfully, yet Billy did not understand.
“The weather is chilly. Wouldn’t it be better to wait inside?”
“I’m fine, so don’t worry.”
I was grateful for Billy’s suggestion, but I shook my head firmly. Even if I could not match Billy or the children, I was still an adult who looked after her own health. A little wind would not make my body fail.
Besides, if I left my post and the children were greeted first by retainers instead of their parents, how disappointed would they be? I had already committed enough sins against those children; I could not add another—
“Then at least put this on.”
Billy’s coat settled over my shoulders.
I smiled softly at the warmth of the black overcoat.
“Thank you.”
Billy only nodded in reply.
Fearing he might run or go into hiding, I personally picked Erich up and arrived at the territory. A big brother who even does the pickup himself just to make sure his little brother gets a title—where else would you find one? Be grateful for life.
“Becoming a titled noble in your teens… is that even normal…?”
I lightly ignored Erich’s bitter muttering.
There were teenage Imperial Counts and teenage division chiefs; a teenage baron was nothing. Trixie had become a duke at the human age of four.
Hm?
I patted Erich’s shoulder as he continued to grumble and turned my gaze toward the main gate—only to find a rather unexpected sight.
Father standing without a coat in weather that was nearly winter, and Mother smiling with a very familiar black overcoat draped over her shoulders.
…Hmm.
Did we come too early?
Awkward. It felt as if we children had interrupted a quiet emotional exchange between husband and wife.
I should have come a day later.
Then perhaps the youngest of House Crassius might have been conceived.
Still, I pushed the regret aside and stepped forward. A broken mood could not be mended. Better to finish our business quickly and leave; that would be the kinder act for both of them.
“We’re here.”
And so I greeted them with the heart of a son visiting for the holidays.
Like a holiday visit: hit hard and get out fast.