The Fairies' Invitation (1)
The Hohenberg Marquisate had been promoted from a county and, at the same time, absorbed a portion of the ruined Hillidar County along with some of the empire’s directly controlled territories. The domain had grown dramatically. It was a massive expansion, easily two or three times its previous size.
How could it be managed efficiently? To figure that out, I headed to Hillidar County with Lue and Elisabetta in tow. Ludmilla and Jeblinne were both busier than anyone else right now, so I hadn’t included them.
“W-welcome…! We’ve been waiting for you.”
We soon arrived at the lord’s castle of Hillidar County. The moment I stepped down from the carriage, the servants—led by an elderly head maid—greeted us with crisp, disciplined bows. It was a rather modest welcome. Only about ten servants had been gathered inside the castle. The ending of Hillidar County, once famous for its immense wealth, was truly miserable.
After the Hillidar family, which had participated in the racial war, was wiped out, the servants must have left one by one. Staring at the lord’s castle steeped in a desolate atmosphere, I felt the impermanence of life.
I’ll need to start with repairs…
Even though their long-time master had passed away, the loyal servants had continued to meticulously maintain the castle while reminiscing about old memories. But they couldn’t stop the tide of decline. Crumbling walls. Uneven roads and farmlands that had turned into wasteland. The visible traces of ruin seemed to scream the tragedy of a land without an owner. The masterless Hillidar County was rapidly falling into desolation.
“There’s no need to be so wary. We’re only visiting as guests.”
“Y-yes…!”
The platinum-haired princess took elegant steps forward and reassured the maids. The servants, who had been bowing their heads, looked visibly flustered. They treated her as if she were the lady of the house. The head maid had already accepted Elisabetta as the new mistress. The servants’ wariness toward outsiders softened considerably. It was because Elisabetta had captured them all at once with her overwhelming charisma.
At the beautiful princess’s gesture, the maids hurriedly followed after her. The scene unfolded like something out of a painting.
If I factor in the cost of repairing the county, paying the servants’ overdue wages, and recruiting guards to maintain public order… it’s going to cost a fortune.
I crossed my arms and gazed beyond the walls. News that the beautiful platinum-haired princess had arrived must have spread throughout Hillidar County, because countless citizens had gathered like clouds. Enormous funds would be required. And I also needed to recruit talented people to govern the Hohenberg Marquisate.
Now I understood why so many nobles had eyed the ownerless Hillidar County with greed yet ultimately hesitated. If they swallowed the territory too hastily, they would end up in the absurd position of pouring money into a bottomless pit.
The Hohenberg family’s funds are nowhere near enough. We’re already delaying the reparations we’re supposed to pay to the Valtaria Imperial Family. Should I ask Ludmilla and Jeblinne? If I promise to repay with interest later and beg them while slapping down some grand jewels…
Poverty and hardship always gnaw away at one’s pride first. Damn it. I was already talking about borrowing money. I wasn’t some kept man constantly asking his wives for cash. It was true that during my school days my top career aspiration had been to become a professional sugar baby, but I didn’t want to suddenly beg Ludmilla and Jeblinne for help.
For now, I’d have to roll out my signature petty tricks.
“Lue.”
“Yeah, what?”
I had been thinking of a clever plan even before we left the marquisate. Would it actually work? I wasn’t entirely sure, but there was no other choice. To break through this current fog of uncertainty, I desperately needed Lue’s help. So I stared at her with a meaningful gaze.
“…There’s something I’d like you to do for me.”
“You said you didn’t want to beg the aunties…! But it’s okay to ask a kid?”
“Hmm. If you refuse, I might just dump all the nong-jjuk candies in the carriage into the well.”
“Hieek! A fully grown adult is threatening a child!”
We’re partners, aren’t we? We can inconvenience each other a little. It seemed my sincerity had gotten through. Lue reluctantly nodded in acceptance.
Who should he choose as his daughter-in-law?
The head of the Hohenberg family was currently suffering from an excruciating dilemma. The empire’s red dragon and the Holy Kingdom’s white dragon. The harsh binary choice of having to pick one side was driving Otto into the abyss.
If he chose the princess, he would make the Holy Kingdom his enemy. If he chose the saintess, he would make the empire his enemy. Was this how a soldier felt when he had to defuse a time bomb? No, it was even worse. At least with a time bomb, you could survive if you managed to disarm it. But the choice facing the Hohenberg family would lead to tragedy no matter which side was selected. No matter how much they struggled, they could not escape the will of the gods.
“For the Hohenberg family, which has remained unwaveringly loyal to the Valtaria Imperial Family, I have prepared a modest gift. I hope the marquis will graciously accept it.”
At Ludmilla’s signal, the imperial knights moved in and began transporting the goods. It looked more like a military operation. A long procession of transport wagons stretched out like a line of ants carrying food. The servants who witnessed the scene of the imperial princess boldly sending tribute gossiped among themselves as they gawked at the rare gold, silver, and luxurious garments.
Upon seeing the brilliant gleam, the servants opened their mouths wide and let out gasps of awe.
“By any chance… Master Edan isn’t being sold off, is he?”
“Hmm. If I were the family head, I would have sold him dozens of times over.”
Right after that, the holy knights also unleashed a flood of goods, competing with the imperial knights. Jeblinne, not to be outdone, offered equally dazzling treasures and clothing. As if to prove her fierce determination not to lose to the eternal spinster, among the items being carried were even sacred relics from the Holy Kingdom.
“May the Hohenberg Marquisate, which possesses such devout faith, be blessed with the grace of the Earth Mother and endure forever. This is a wedding gift—no, a reward for the faithful—bestowed in the name of the saintess.”
Was it really okay to accept all this? It was terrifying. At this point, it was downright frightening. The servants who continued to watch the spectacle gradually began to feel overwhelmed. The warehouses of the lord’s castle had already reached full capacity due to the massive material offensives from both the empire and the Holy Kingdom.
“E-Edan…! Just what in the world did you do in the imperial capital?!”
Otto, who had been watching the situation from the window of his office, collapsed into his chair in utter shock. What kind of scene was this? What exactly had his second son done in the capital to cause this? Even the most perfect host with flawless hospitality and eloquence couldn’t pull off something like this. From the Hohenberg family, which had produced countless talents, the greatest host of all had finally been born. Otto pressed his temples and offered a sincere apology to all the previous family heads.
The treasures bestowed by Her Highness the Princess and the Saintess will have to be returned to the empire and the Holy Kingdom. Otherwise, people might accuse us of using our son to make money.
Greed that exceeded one’s station would only bring disaster. While he was grateful, Otto truly wanted to decline the dazzling gold and silver treasures. Having lived a frugal life for half a century with his upright character, the material offensives from the empire and the Holy Kingdom only felt burdensome. Even if they were gifts from his prospective daughters-in-law to their in-laws.
“Are you there, Marquis Hohenberg?”
“I’ve brought a gift for the devout believer. May I have a moment?”
The moment the head of the Hohenberg family had made up his mind, a knock sounded at the door. Soon after, Ludmilla and Jeblinne entered the office. The fierce competition between the red dragon and the white dragon had finally reached their father-in-law. Otto swallowed hard as he watched his prospective daughters-in-law stride toward him.
The moment I returned from Hillidar County, I headed straight to the office. It was three in the afternoon—the exact time my father enjoyed his tea. I opened the office door, intending to share some refreshments and have a conversation.
“…Uh, Father?”
“……”
Sitting in the office chair was my father, adorned from head to toe in luxurious robes and accessories like the ruler of a brilliant golden empire. A crown decorated with all kinds of jewels. A voluminous wig caked in white powder. A cloak made from the rare white fox pelt and formal attire made from the finest silk without restraint. For some reason, he was even gripping a pure gold scepter that symbolized the authority of wealth. Large jewel-encrusted rings adorned every one of his fingers.
Since my upright father wouldn’t have suddenly lost his mind, I could guess that Ludmilla and Jeblinne had already paid the office a visit.
“D-don’t misunderstand! Her Highness the Princess and the Saintess insisted, so I only wore them for a short while…”
“I fully understand how you feel, Father.”
The fate of shrimp that inevitably get caught in the violent battles between whales—wasn’t that exactly the pain they suffered? I sympathize. I’ve endured it for an entire month, so I know exactly how it feels. If Ludmilla and Jeblinne both entered the Hohenberg family as daughters-in-law at the same time, Father would clearly be unable to endure even half a day before being sent off to a nursing home.
“Father, there’s something important I need to discuss with you.”
“S-surely! You’ve chosen between Her Highness the Princess and the Saintess?”
Father asked, his face turning pale with shock. I shook my head at his urgent question and spoke.
“Starting tomorrow, I’ll be visiting the fairies’ wonderland.”
In a serious voice, I revealed my secret plan to revive the Hohenberg Marquisate. Father responded with a benevolent smile.
“You crazy bastard.”
The moment his twenty-three-year-old second son started talking about a wonderland that only appeared in children’s fairy tales, a harsh curse flew at me immediately.