Drawing Manga in a Romance Fantasy – Chapter 132

After the Sataniel incident, the Somerset family was sailing smoothly as if they had caught a fair wind in their sails.

In particular, now that they had been elevated to a Marquisate, they were not only among the top three families in the southern region, but they were also recognized as one of the notable families across the entire Empire.

However, the head of the Somerset family, Marquis Bradley, was deeply troubled.

“The Imperial Family and Duke Bluewell…”

Since his elevation, he had frequently received invitations to various gatherings, including banquets, from those eager to forge connections with him.

Amidst the bustle of mandatory events and gatherings that could benefit the family, Marquis Bradley was feeling flustered due to his recent visits to two specific places.

“Isn’t your second son, Rupert, about the right age to get engaged now?”

In fact, there had been discussions about marriage for Rupert.

With his recent surge in popularity, proposals from various territories and even some prominent families had started popping up.

However, he was still young, and family engagements required careful consideration, so they had politely declined so far.

“This time, though, it’s not something I can refuse.”

The Marquis recalled attending the Imperial Palace for the celebration banquet after his elevation.

“Are you enjoying the banquet, Bradley?”

“Thanks to Your Majesty’s grace, it’s quite lavish.”

“Hahaha. I’m the lucky one for having a vassal like you.”

Rumors about the Emperor’s recent change in demeanor were not unfounded; he actually encouraged Marquis Bradley in a gentle tone instead of impressing upon him the responsibilities and obligations of a newly elevated noble, causing a stir among those present.

“How about sharing a glass of my fine wine?”

“It would be an honor, Your Majesty.”

As the banquet progressed, the Emperor called Bradley into a private reception room.

What the Emperor spoke of turned out to be tales about the Marquis’s children.

“Thanks to your eldest son, our connections with the elves have strengthened significantly. That alone has greatly alleviated the Empire’s concerns.”

“I’m glad my foolish son could be of help to the Empire.”

“Not just that! Your second son, Rupert, has been involved from the Abyss Cult incident to the recent Night’s Kin matters. I truly believe it’s a blessing bestowed upon the Empire by the Goddess.”

As the Emperor continued to praise his children while offering more wine, Marquis Bradley got a slightly dangerous feeling.

“By the way, your youngest daughter has caught the eye of my son. She’s so charming, I can’t help but brag about her. If only your daughter was married off earlier, it would have been a perfect match.”

“Isn’t a suitable partner for His Highness the Crown Prince soon to appear?”

“Indeed. I used to be rather impatient about these matters, but now I try to take it easy.”

Just as Marquis Bradley felt a sense of camaraderie with the Emperor, the latter dropped a bombshell.

“Isn’t your second son about to turn twenty?”

“Yes, he’ll be nineteen soon; it isn’t long now.”

“Normally, one ought to settle down upon turning twenty, but today’s youth seem different, and that worries me.”

“Yes, it’s true. Back in our day, if you hadn’t married by twenty, you were hardly recognized as an adult.”

“The second son is slated to marry soon, but I worry about the only daughter.”

“Are you talking about the Princess?”

“Correct. She ought to be considering marriage soon as well. I wonder if there’s a good match for her…”

“…”

“Families that are too powerful are a concern, and those that are too weak also pose issues… the Somerset family seems just about right.”

“…Is that so?”

At this moment, Marquis Bradley began to understand why the Emperor had summoned him.

“Of course, it’s not just about the family; I hope the individual has some considerable abilities. Hahaha, am I being too much?”

“Not at all, Your Majesty.”

“Haha, speaking of which, it seems your second son is also approaching marriageable age, so he could be a good match.”

When Marquis Bradley realized that the Emperor intended to marry his daughter Ioleen to his son Rupert, his head started spinning.

“If I accept, I might block Rupert’s future.”

While other families might desperately wish to marry into the Imperial Family, the Marquis was different.

Given the prevailing circumstances, he worried that his son Rupert would become bound to the Imperial Family and lose his freedom.

Once someone becomes a member of the Imperial Family, every action is scrutinized, so they must be cautious. Otherwise, they could easily find themselves embroiled in scandals.

Of course, if the family’s standing were like a great noble house from the Seven Great Nobles, it would be a different story; but as Somerset was not yet at that level, it was clear he would be dragged along by the Imperial Family.

“Even still, the benefits would be tremendous…”

It wasn’t all bad, of course.

Just being part of the Imperial Family would yield overwhelming intangible benefits.

Most nobles would be reluctant to engage in disputes with the Somerset family, which would naturally lead them to forfeit gains, and if Ioleen and Rupert were to marry and have a son, he would take a spot in the Imperial succession line, no matter how distant.

“Furthermore, I didn’t expect a similar proposal from the Duke Bluewell!”

Had the choice been solely with the Imperial Family, he wouldn’t have faced such a quandary, but surprisingly, he was also receiving proposals from the Duke Bluewell, the most prestigious noble family in the Empire.

Especially surprising was the bold proposal of Amelia, the Duke’s daughter, joining the Somerset family instead of Rupert becoming a son-in-law.

“Rupert, what on earth have you been up to…?”

Marquis Bradley couldn’t even fathom how his son had garnered marriage proposals from two of the Empire’s most coveted unmarried noblewomen.

“The eldest son is marrying an elf, and the second is either with the Imperial Family or Bluewell, and neither had a simple match.”

He had two sons, but neither had an ordinary marriage on the horizon.

Richard felt that it would be quite shameless for him to take over the family.

He believed that he had no face to claim succession, as he was residing with his elven wife Cypris as part of the Crimson Warden and staying in Sleepy Territory.

There, he was teaching swordsmanship to the children and occasionally assisting in training knights at the request of the Countess.

“Our Aida must stay by her dad’s side forever.”

As his children aged and approached marriage, the youngest daughter Aida became all the more precious to the Marquis.

*

“Welcome back, dear brother!”

“…Yes, Aida. Did you have fun today?”

“Oh my! Fun? I studied all day long!”

Rupert was struggling to suppress a laugh at Aida, who was trying hard to appear like a noble lady.

“That’s no way to speak for a noble.”

Unaware of Rupert’s thoughts, Aida was feeling quite proud of her sophisticated behavior.

Certainly, the progress she had made was significant.

Previously, she would climb onto Rupert’s shoulders after he returned home, nagging him about his lateness and begging to play with him.

“Is learning etiquette and social etiquette enjoyable?”

“It’s tough…”

While still immature, her efforts to learn were endearing enough that Rupert picked her up and asked, prompting Aida to bury her face and start whining on cue.

The reason Aida was trying to change her behavior was, of course, Rupert.

“This isn’t the routine of a noble lady… this is more like the routine of a neighborhood little brat, isn’t it?”

After the Sataniel incident, Rupert recognized the need to rein in Aida’s exuberance.

So he asked the butler Alain to tell him about Aida’s routine.

“First, young lady wakes up early, finishes breakfast, and then goes around the mansion with Rach, looting hidden snacks.”

Despite the maids’ best efforts to hide the treats, Rach sniffed them out with uncanny precision, and now Aida, who easily surpassed the height of an adult man, would raid them and escape the mansion.

“After that, she goes down to the village to play with the local kids. Sometimes she even travels to neighboring territories for excursions.”

When Rupert heard that Aida led village kids on expeditions to nearby territories, fighting off local ruffians and bad boys, he felt a sense of impending doom.

“Upon returning, she often spars with Oun before you come home, or trains with me.”

Alain explaining how even Oun, focused solely on defense, found it hard to withstand her attacks made Rupert feel utterly flabbergasted.

“No one would mistake that for the routine of a noble lady!”

Knowing that his only cute little sister was engrossed in such activities left him bewildered.

Both his father, Marquis Bradley, and the butler Alain would endlessly praise Aida, even for simple gymnastics.

Rupert realized he needed to take action himself.

However, controlling Aida was easier said than done.

“Aida, you can’t run around the mansion.”

“I don’t listen to orders from someone weaker than me!”

“Aida, if you don’t listen to me, a ghost will come and get you!”

“Is a ghost stronger than Oun?”

No matter how hard he tried to scare her, Aida was no longer afraid of anything.

The Aida renovation project was already in deep trouble before it began.

“Come to think of it, Aida has been greatly influenced by fairy tale books, hasn’t she?”

Recalling how much Aida adored the fairy tale books he had made, Rupert decided to craft a new story for his sister.

That story would be titled <Rupert's Fable>.