Chapter 104

There were things to take care of in the Imperial Palace. Honestly, it sounded grand, but it was nothing too significant. I just submitted a report about awarding Baroness rank to Leah the day before setting off to the Academy and was looking to see if I had any decent retainers.

Of course, there weren’t any nobles above me, but there were those with outstanding skills. You know, mainly bureaucrats and more bureaucrats.

As I strolled around the Empire’s administrative office, searching for a useful slave, someone spoke to me.

“Well, this is a surprise. Count.”

“Your Highness, Crown Prince.”

“How have you been?”

“Thanks to His Majesty the Emperor and Your Highness’s gracious favor.”

“Haha, you’ve improved your speaking skills.”

The newly appointed Crown Prince, Meyer, flashed me a wide grin. Unlike the first time I met him, he wore a carefree expression that was quite pleasing. Since he had cared quite a bit about my marriage with Chloe, I had no real reason to harbor any hostility towards him. Besides, I had never truly held a grudge against him.

“So, what brings you to the administration?”

“Um.”

Should I be honest here? If I casually mentioned I was looking to grab a useful slave to make a retainer, wouldn’t that cause an uproar? As I hesitated, Meyer tilted his head, looking confused.

“Is it something you can’t talk about?”

“Not exactly. But it might come off as distasteful.”

“Just go ahead and say it. I won’t freak out or anything.”

“Well….”

I danced around it, trying to express that I wanted to recruit a capable slave because I was overwhelmed with work and didn’t have any retainers in my territory. Meyer hummed thoughtfully.

“There are plenty of competent people in the administration, but we can’t just send those with families in the central region down to the provinces, can we?”

“So I’ve been looking for younger individuals.”

“Why are you so determined to go back?”

“Excuse me?”

“You have Chloe, right? My sister might not show interest in those matters lately, but no one can manage people better than her.”

That was unexpected. I thought he’d want to plant a loyal subordinate nearby, but was this the same Meyer I met before? I nodded, considering this.

“I see.”

“I’d love to send my people your way, but I feel like I’d get an earful from Chloe.”

“Ah, I see.”

So that was the reason. Meyer chuckled awkwardly and waved his hand dismissively.

“Well, I’ll take my leave now. Let’s catch up later, Count.”

“Until next time.”

Bowing my head in respect to the Crown Prince, I decided to take a stroll in the garden. While wandering around the palace grounds, I suddenly sensed a presence around a corner. I turned slightly in surprise and ended up bumping into someone. Looking down, I noticed a child who seemed to be around three or four, gazing up at me.

The child, with a bright red nose, looked at me and burst into a grin, seemingly undeterred by the bump. It was such a cute sight that I bent down to meet the child’s gaze. With violet hair and blue eyes. Hmm, that color combination felt oddly familiar. Just as that thought crossed my mind, a massive shadow loomed over us.

“What are you doing here, Count?”

“Your Highness, Prince Jeron.”

Prince Jeron looked down at me with his usual cold expression, then softened as he spotted the child by my feet, gently lifting them into his arms.

“Kailan. Are you okay?”

“Yup! I’m fine! Daddy!”

“That child is…”

“Um. He’s mine and Lin’s child. Kailan Selvius. He takes after the imperial lineage.”

“A brave child, isn’t he?”

“Indeed.”

Not that he seemed to have much of Altain blood flowing through him, he looked like he had inherited the imperial name. Honestly, that was a little surprising since Prince Jeron and Princess Lin had tied the knot two years ago. I heard that he was already born by then.

“Has the Queen of the Kingdom of Altain not arrived?”

“Lin is heavily pregnant.”

“Ah, I see.”

Such a good couple. Watching Kailan smile back at me made me think how cute this little guy was. I reached out my hand, and he grabbed it tightly. As he relaxed and let me guide him, he soon became focused on the feel of my hand.

“Kailan seems to like you.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah. Normally, he doesn’t take kindly to strangers.”

While watching Kailan fiddling with my hand, Jeron glanced up at the sun.

“Holding onto a busy person, are you? Kailan, we should head back soon.”

“Okay, Daddy.”

With a nod, Kailan followed Prince Jeron as they disappeared from my sight. Watching them depart left me feeling oddly empty. A child… a child…

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A week later, having returned to Vexter Territory with the retainers Chloe rescued, I hastily began sorting out the estate. The wedding with Lilian was scheduled for six months later, so I aimed to resolve the piled-up issues as quickly as possible. With things I had postponed due to a lack of manpower finally being handled, time flew by like water flowing.

“I can’t believe I’m hosting two weddings in a year! There’s probably nothing like this in the history of imperial nobles!”

“After all, it’s the first same-sex marriage among nobles, isn’t it?”

“True enough.”

Upon receiving news that the wedding preparations were complete and heading to Portus Territory, the Marquis of Portus said this with a straight face. I couldn’t tell if he was teasing or genuinely displeased.

“To be honest, I expected it to turn out like this, even if it wasn’t a full-on wedding.”

“Excuse me?”

“Who would accept my daughter’s personality? I thought you’d be the only one capable of putting up with her for a lifetime.”

….

No, you’re her father! You shouldn’t say such things! My eyebrows raised in astonishment as I looked at the Marquis, who quickly averted his gaze.

“Well, she seems to have improved a lot these days.”

“That may be true.”

I wondered if the current Lilian was the same lady I once served. I still didn’t have an answer to that. But while I didn’t love her as passionately as I did back then, I could say that I loved the current Lilian too. If I had feelings of guilt and affection for the former lady, perhaps now I felt something resembling love.

At the very least… I didn’t hate her or feel angry like I did in the beginning. After all, the current Lilian remained a lady in her own right. The lady I knew hadn’t exactly disappeared; she had merely changed. That’s why I found myself capable of accepting her.

I fell in love with the ‘lady’—not her image fabricated in my mind—so my feelings had to change. Nothing remains the same forever. So we continue to change.

This time, as I was also involved in the preparations, I wore a tuxedo for the ceremony. With my black hair tied back, I donned a snug suit and quietly tightened my tie. I looked rather androgynous, which wasn’t bad. Unlike when I wore a wedding dress, this went by quickly, and as I sat quietly, a flood of thoughts rushed in.

From realistic considerations to near-delirious worries. As those thoughts collided in my mind, I suddenly snapped back to reality—entry time was drawing near. I hadn’t seen Lilian for several weeks. Honestly, not just Lilian; I hadn’t seen Chloe or Yulia either.

With the approach of the ceremony, the tasks requiring my attention had multiplied immensely. I had been so busy during the previous days that I couldn’t even sleep in my own bedroom. So, that’s why I also hadn’t seen Lilian in ages.

“So, how do I look?”

“…”

Lilian’s hair, almost silvery, gleamed beneath her pure white wedding dress. Her blue necklace and earrings matched her eyes perfectly, reflecting a divine presence. Staring at her in awe, I noticed her face turning crimson.

“Do you think it looks bad?”

“Not at all! It’s, um, hard to express, but… it’s beautiful.”

“Really? I’m glad to hear that…”

Feeling genuinely relieved, Lilian slowly extended her fidgeting fingers toward me. Taking her hand gently, she finally smiled. Together, we began to walk toward the ceremony hall.

The venue prepared by the Marquis of Portus was absolutely beautiful. As expected, the Marchioness was nowhere to be seen. The hall, filled with high-ranking nobles, sparkled brightly, as bright as the futures of the two ladies—or rather, four ladies—before us.

As I wondered how many among them truly wished to celebrate this wedding, that thought vanished the moment I saw Lilian’s bright smile beside me. Thus, the protagonists of today slowly walked towards the altar. The usually stoic face of the Marquis of Portus was tinged with emotion, displaying sadness, excitement, and joy. Thus, my second wedding began.

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