The Merry Wedding - 2
As the wedding date drew near, the manor transformed into a gathering place for visitors.
"They say that if you find a companion to walk with, you may go slower than you would alone—yet you can travel farther still. I pray that you and your lady will go farther than anyone."
"Thank you for those kind words. As expected, I cannot match Your Marquisate's years of wisdom."
"Haha. Truth be told, I heard it from my own father. It's quite a famous saying in the North."
I shook hands with Marquis Barandiga as he burst into laughter, offering a quiet smile of my own. Perhaps because their faction leader's wedding was imminent, the members of the faction—led by Marquis Barandiga—had come to my manor faster than anyone else.
There was no real need for them to pay their respects in advance. If they attended the wedding, greetings could have waited until then. But for the faction members, offering congratulations on the day itself must have felt awkward.
I'd have done the same in their place.
I understood. They had banded together under the name of a faction; to exchange greetings no differently than complete strangers would have been embarrassing for everyone involved.
"The North is no short journey. I can only be grateful that you have honored me with such a precious visit."
"You flatter me. It is not as though we lack the means to come, and a dear friend's joyous occasion is one we must attend."
And so I wore the gentlest smile I could manage, greeting each faction member one by one.
Publicly, it was encouragement for those who had come to pay their respects before the other nobles. Privately, it was gratitude toward acquaintances who had come to celebrate my marriage.
"Ah—by the way, I received your gifts safely. They were so generous I briefly wondered whether I was even allowed to accept them."
After the greetings, I casually mentioned the presents the faction members had sent, and their faces brightened at once. I had stated outright that their gifts had pleased me.
Of course, given the bonds of the faction, one would offer kind words even if the gifts had not been to one's liking. But the presents I had received this time were no mere formality—they were truly substantial. Horses, furs, silver, and iron in abundance; how could anyone treat such things as trifles?
The horses alone numbered three thousand. Against the North's total herds it might not have seemed like much, yet considering that even now most of those horses were being sold off to the East, the number had clearly been chosen with care.
"My purse is full thanks to all of you, so I must return the favor. When joyous occasions arise in your own houses, I shall fill them just as generously."
"Oh dear. Had I known, I would have remained a bachelor."
Count Kaitana's jest set the other faction members laughing as well.
I laughed along so as not to spoil the mood, though my feelings were a little complicated. Come to think of it, among the entire faction, I alone had still been unmarried.
I really am still young, aren't I?
Every other faction member was married with children, while their leader was only now taking his first wife. It struck me anew just how hard I had worked myself like a dog from such a young age.
Then again—if I had labored so young, my retirement ought to come a little sooner than everyone else's, right?
I believed it would.
Unlike at the New Year's Audience, the faction members who had secured bases in the Imperial Capital returned to their respective manors. Afterward, an unexpected guest arrived.
Or rather—a guest who ought to have come all along, yet one I had strangely never had occasion to see until now.
"I cannot recall how many years it has been since I last saw you this close."
An elderly gentleman with neatly arranged white hair and a gold monocle, and beside him a noblewoman of gentle bearing.
The moment I confirmed their faces, I bowed at the waist. As the man himself said, it had been years since we last spoke at such close quarters.
Had we been complete strangers, going a lifetime without meeting would not have been strange. But the elderly gentleman before me was, if anything, close—never distant.
"I apologize for failing to visit you all this time, Grandfather."
He was Count Kemniss, head of House Aras—my maternal grandfather.
"I said it because I was glad to see you. There is nothing to apologize for. What kind of grandfather would fail to understand that his grandson is busy?"
I kept dipping my head toward Grandfather as he answered so calmly. No matter how much he insisted it was fine, we were family, and I had gone years without seeing him. Honestly, I had met the Wise Duke far more often than I had met him.
Of course, as a titled noble, Grandfather had appeared at every New Year's Audience, so I had seen his face. But it had been nothing more than that—no proper conversation, not even a proper greeting.
"You were the one who kept avoiding Karl, so of course there is nothing for him to apologize for, is there?"
Just as Grandmother, standing beside him, pointed out—Grandfather had been the one avoiding me.
"Avoiding? I merely kept a little distance."
"That is avoiding. Changing the words does not change the meaning."
Listening to their exchange, I quietly smiled. Fortunately, relations between me and my mother's family were not bad. It would be a stretch to call us warm and close, but neither did we ignore each other.
Even so, Grandfather was the Wise Duke's father-in-law. Being the father-in-law of a duke alone was enough to draw attention—and when one's grandson was the Audit Department Chief? That was more than enough reason to be hounded by nobles and dragged into baseless rumors.
And so Grandfather had chosen strict neutrality and seclusion. To keep from being swept into needless turmoil, and to ensure no one could ever claim that the Wise Duke and I "showed House Aras too many favors because they were family," he had cut off contact entirely.
"Hiiing, Father won't see me! Does he hate me or something?"
It had been so thorough a severance that the Wise Duke herself would whine and sulk in front of me. Little wonder some nobles did not even know that House Aras stood between me and the Wise Duke.
That was how completely Grandfather had kept his silence—until at last he stood before me after so long, come to congratulate his grandson's wedding.
"I am fine. I understand perfectly well why Grandfather kept his distance."
At my words, Grandmother shot Grandfather a sidelong glance and closed her mouth. Since the party concerned had said he understood, further scolding would have been awkward.
"Still, I am glad to see you after so long. I hope there will be many more chances to pay my respects in the future."
I added the words carefully, sensing that ending things as they were would leave Grandmother feeling slighted. She, too, offered a soft smile.
Good. That seemed to be the right answer.
Knock, knock.
"Karl, it's me."
A knock came, followed by Mar's voice. The moment she heard that my maternal grandparents were in the reception room, she had scrambled to check her attire—and apparently finished in time.
She arrived at just the right moment.
Any earlier or later and it would have been awkward. Enen must have been helping her.
"My wife says she wishes to offer her greetings to the two of you. May I show her in?"
"Of course. We would like to see our granddaughter-in-law's face before we leave as well."
Grandmother accepted cheerfully, and Grandfather gave a quiet nod of agreement.
What followed—Mar entering the reception room and being thoroughly doted upon—hardly needs saying.
Mar and I sat side by side on the sofa, staring blankly up at the ceiling. The hour was already near evening; no more guests would come. We could stay like this a little longer.
"Um… I made a good impression, right?"
A small murmur reached me. I turned my head and found Mar looking rather worn out.
"Mm. They seemed to think you were absolutely lovely."
I stroked her hair as I spoke, and Mar broke into a shy smile, resting her head against my shoulder.
"I was a little nervous. I've met Father and Mother often enough, but those two were the first time."
I could guess at the weight she had felt, so I simply kept stroking her hair in silence.
Meeting one's future parents-in-law was nerve-wracking enough for a bride-to-be—and she had suddenly been faced with her parents-in-law's parents as well. Anyone would have been tense. Especially Grandmother, who, from Mar's perspective, was the woman who had produced her mother-in-law. The pressure must have been enormous.
"…Count Kemniss rarely appears in public. Anything requiring an outward role has long since been left to the heir."
"Then I was fortunate enough to meet someone rather rare?"
"That's right. Though not knowing what sort of person he was made my heart race."
At that, both of us let out soft laughter.
Father, active as a member of the Imperial Diet, and Mother, mistress of an Imperial Count's house, had no small amount of information circulating about them in high society. Mar had been able to prepare a "strategy for conquering the parents-in-law."
But the people she had met today had left almost no information to work with. No wonder she had fretted. It was like facing a boss for the first time with no strategy guide at all.
"Still, I was glad. Even though it was our first meeting, I could feel how much they care for you—and for me."
"As if there could be anyone who dislikes Mar."
With that, I pressed my lips to hers.
We would stay like this until the butler came looking for us.
Word arrived that every last preparation for the wedding was complete.
"Flawless. You have done well, Imperial Household Chief."
"I am humbled, Your Majesty."
Guided by the Imperial Household Chief, I surveyed the interior of St. Paronas Cathedral and found myself with nothing to say but that it was perfect.
Care had been poured into every last detail of the seating arrangements. The decorations preserved the cathedral's solemn atmosphere while still bringing out the splendor and warmth of a wedding.
I finished my appraisal with a light clap on the shoulder of the Imperial Household Chief, who stood bowed at the waist.
Reliable man.
He was talent worth keeping for a long time.
The previous Imperial Household Chief had recommended him upon being promoted to Palace Minister of the Ministry of Palace Affairs, so ability was never in doubt. Still, I had assigned him this task to judge the finer points.
The results were more than satisfactory. As Imperial Household Chief, he had been charged with the wedding of a mere noble rather than a member of the imperial family, yet he showed no discontent. He possessed the steadfastness to follow the Emperor's command to the letter, and the flexibility to account for the fact that a minister enjoyed the imperial household's favor.
Moreover, he had executed wedding duties far outside his own experience to perfection. Unless he had somehow discovered a hidden aptitude for the work, it meant he had listened carefully to outside specialists.
He would make an excellent next Palace Minister.
A Palace Minister served only one Emperor—but an Emperor might have several Palace Ministers in succession. If the minister departed this world before the Emperor, the vacancy had to be filled. That was only natural.
And the current Palace Minister was older than I was, so a second candidate had to be kept in mind.
"I will continue to entrust you with many tasks, Imperial Household Chief."
"Yes, Your Majesty! I shall surely repay Your Majesty's trust!"
I liked the ringing voice as well.
As long as the Imperial Household Chief lived long enough, his odds of becoming the next Palace Minister would climb without limit.