Became the Eldest Son of the Marquis House (3)
Late at night. After the banquet ended, I welcomed the guests who visited my room before bed.
"Was it really Regiph Hapsderk who lived in the demon realm for ten years and then returned to the surface?"
"Yeah."
"As I thought, right?"
Led by Unia, my special class classmates from the old school building. Caught off guard by the sudden turn of events, they hadn't been able to make any proposals or say much, just tagging along—but they each had their own words to share.
"Now that you've become the young master of the Ludbekia Marquisate, you're a noble, aren't you?"
"That's right."
"How many wives do you plan to take?"
"Is there some imperial law that sets a limit on how many wives a marquis can have... or something like that?"
Unia had a keen interest in the rights and restrictions of nobles, especially regarding marriage.
"Our empire doesn't have anything like that! No limits on polygamy!"
"So if I inherit the marquis title now, you're saying I should just hand the entire territory over to the di Ershi Empire?"
"No, I didn't mean it like th—"
"Don't worry, Evangeline. Just because I've suddenly become the eldest son of the Ludbekia Marquisate doesn't mean I plan to upend our relationship overnight."
Evangeline was intrigued by the power that came with the position of heir to the Ludbekia Marquisate.
"Then, Phoenix, that means you'll gain management authority over the monster zones, right?"
"Eventually, yeah? Right now, the Ludbekia Marchioness is handling it, but if I inherit the seat."
"If I want a fixed hunting ground, I should start cozying up to you now."
"You might not even have to wait for the distant future—if you ask now, she might just grant it, Rydmila."
Rydmila showed particular interest in the lands where hunters operated among noble families.
Each of them had different interests—
"Then, Mr. Phoenix."
"I hear there's a freshman named Seya Ludbekia in the undergrad program."
"Marriage—are you really going to do it?"
...And sometimes all three latched onto the same thing at once.
"Marriage, huh. Diving straight into heavy territory."
"You talked about building a harem, but isn't marriage talk this soon a bit premature?"
"Is it?"
"Is it, you ask?"
Unia, seated on the sofa, tapped the armrest with her fingers and puffed out her cheeks.
"I think marriage is way too early! We haven't even graduated yet!"
People's opinions vary, but I didn't need to press Unia on what she meant by "we."
"I agree. But on marriage... well, honestly, it's something I've been thinking about since ten years ago."
"Huh?"
"If I'd just planned to fool around, I'd have slept with this girl and that one by now. If it was just casual dating without responsibility. But since I'm going all the way—marriage, kids, building a family—I'm taking it slow and serious."
One misunderstanding Unia—and the old school building special class students—had:
"I'm someone who's been pondering marriage longer than you might think?"
Marriage itself intrigued me. Especially marriage in this world—it was even more tempting.
Not like modern marriage.
This wasn't a world where "marriage = risk" like back home. The only risk was how much the wife nagged her husband.
Social issues that blew up there? In this world—in the Breadcademy worldview—at least you didn't have to worry much.
Not entirely absent, but you can sort it by their level of mental abundance.
Women carrying those modern risks were mostly the type lacking generosity, like the Binyu Group, or those with zero motherhood.
Of course, not every flat-chested woman married to devour men. But any woman tied to the Binyu Group, even once, was straight-up a villain.
Avoid those, and marrying female undergrads qualified for Breadcademy meant even spats could resolve pretty easily.
—Honey, sorry. Wanna touch the mana pouch?
The Breadcademy worldview was, for many guys, a kind of "ideal paradise." Realistic elements existed, but the idealistic ones dominated.
Thus.
"The situation got weird, but as a marquis family heir, grabbing one—or several—right after graduation and holding weddings the next day wouldn't be odd at all."
I wasn't negative on marriage itself. Slip on the ring, gown up the bride, carry her to the bedroom, dive into honeymoon baby-making? Totally doable.
"So, you're doing that with Seya first?"
"That's exactly what we need to talk about, right? Calm down a sec."
With Unia openly tossing out "Seya," I reached out to all three, even pretending a big breath to soothe them.
"It's true the Ludbekia Marchioness said to impregnate her daughter Seya and marry her."
No denying it.
"But that's her proposal. I'm not 'Phoenix Hapsderk'—I've inherited the position of 'Phoenix Ludbekia.'"
You could nitpick the surname difference, but anyone knowing the families would call it a clear distinction.
"If I were Phoenix Hapsderk, I'd have to marry Seya. As her brother Regiph Hapsderk back from the dead."
"......."
"But Phoenix Ludbekia has choices. Marry her—or don't."
Not a must.
"But Mr. Phoenix, you wouldn't refuse, would you?"
Unia asked with half-lidded eyes.
"Did you refuse?"
"......."
"Not yet, right?"
"Well."
Obviously.
"I didn't accept on the spot, but no reason to shoot it down immediately either?"
No cause now to slash away marriage to Seya.
"I'm not carrying Regiph Hapsderk's blood, so even if I knock up Seya Hapsderk and raise the kid, no curse kicking in if the kid lacks a mate and goes berserk or whatever."
For Regiph, total refusal was mandatory. Marriage and kids with Seya risked massive "Haps apocalypse."
But my body now? Pure ether composition. No "Haps-born genetic disease" for any kid.
"And you're all missing something huge."
"What?"
"Even if I like Seya enough to wanna marry and impregnate her."
Probably.
"She might not be into me that much?"
"Uh...."
"Why assume she'd just accept marrying me? 'Cause of the Marchioness's order? Even academy girls have the will to defy that."
"...Then."
Unia's voice softened as she asked carefully.
"If Seya flat-out refuses, you'll give up on seducing her?"
"Not give up, but I wouldn't cling to someone who hates me, begging her to look my way."
No apocalypse risk? Seya dating whoever isn't my problem.
"Common sense: some rando fills your dead brother's shoes—would you be thrilled? Anyone that cool with it sounds off to me."
Even if I'm Regiph Hapsderk himself, as "someone else taking his spot," gushing "anyway, brother" vibes are sus all around.
"Right?"
"Yeah, fair point."
"Exactly. So let's chill and talk practical training?"
"Yeah. Whew, that was tense."
Unia stroked her chest and smiled faintly.
"I half-expected you to say you'd claim the Marchioness andSeya—mother-daughter duo."
"Nah, opposite."
"Huh?"
"Not that I'd definitely marry a mother-daughter pair, but if my harem ends up with one, I wouldn't mind."
"......."
"But realistically, would that even happen?"
Absurd.
"They're Hapsderk stock."
Even if I wasRegiph Hapsderk.
And somewhere in the marquis castle.