Brother Lamprecht's Marriage

The Star Binding Ceremony in the Noble District ended without anything particularly noteworthy.

If forced to mention anything, it would be that Brother Eckhart now had Angelica as his fiancée so he no longer needed to attend gatherings for unmarried men and women, that the two of them cheerfully fulfilled their guard duties together, and that once again Damuel failed to find a cute girlfriend. That was about the extent of it.

And then, the day after the Star Binding Ceremony, a request for a meeting arrived from Brother Lamprecht. It said he wanted to discuss the bride. Richarda, who had brought the request letter, let out a soft sigh.

"I know Your Ladyship is busy, but if you have an opportunity to discuss matters, it would be best to do so beforehand. ...Right now, just the fact that she is a princess of Ahrensbach has everyone on edge. I hope it won't be a repeat of Lady Gabriele."

The princess who had married into the family long ago and stirred up all sorts of trouble in Ehrenfest was apparently named Gabriele.

Riicharda had become an Attendant apprentice under a relative who was a higher-ranking noble and was receiving training. She had been asked by the then-Lord's Wife to become one of Gabriele's Attendants.

"Lady Gabriele was a pitiful woman. As the daughter of a greater duchy, she was respected as the First Wife, but her husband loved the woman who had become the Second Wife, so their relationship was purely one of obligation."

She had convinced her own father that she would be cherished as a Lord's candidate from a greater territory, and forcibly married into Ehrenfest, but the husband she was supposed to wed did not welcome her.

Gabriele introduced trends that Ehrenfest had never seen before, gathering attention while attempting to create her own faction by marrying off the retainers she had brought from Ahrensbach to Ehrenfest's nobles.

However, finding marriage partners for them was not easy. Ehrenfest's higher-ranking nobles were all connected by blood to some degree. In other words, every last one of them was related to the Liesegangs. Richarda was no exception.

She actively recruited middle-ranking nobles with higher Magic Power who resented the Liesegangs, building up her influence. Because of this, when Veronica inherited her mother's faction wholesale and became the Lord's Wife, the Veronica faction ended up with a large number of middle-ranking nobles.

"At one point, the faction wielded enough power to keep the Liesegangs and the other higher-ranking nobles in check. The old Veronica faction will undoubtedly try to get close to Brother Lamprecht's bride to reclaim that power. And if the bride learns that the forces surrounding her include those of Ahrensbach blood, she may feel a sense of kinship."

"After all, one can't help but feel nostalgic for a distant homeland."

Even within Ehrenfest, different regions had their own characteristics and climates. If you married in from another territory, you would notice differences in small customs and food, and inevitably feel homesick.

"That is why you must discuss matters thoroughly with Brother Lamprecht and his family. Whether or not she can be successfully drawn into the Florenzia faction is extremely important for Ehrenfest."

Since my fiancé was Wilfried and Brother Lamprecht, his close retainer, was my brother, the bride's movements greatly concerned me as well.

"For now, I'll ask Brother Lamprecht what kind of person the bride is. Mother must have various thoughts as well."

I told Brother Lamprecht that I also wanted to hear Mother's thoughts, and the discussion about the bride was to be held as a family meeting. We were told to gather at Father's house, making this my first visit home since becoming an adopted daughter.

Since this homecoming was for the family meeting, neither Attendants nor scholars would be accompanying me. Brother Eckhart and Brother Lamprecht were coming home together, so I had thought that only Brother Cornelius would serve as my guard knight, but Angelica was also preparing to come along.

"...Oh? Angelica is coming as well?"

"Yes. As Brother Eckhart's fiancée, there is no issue with her participating in the family meeting. I have been ordered to serve as Lady Rozemyne's guard."

"Angelica is my fiancée. She technically falls under the family category. Ideally, Rozemyne should have a female knight accompany her. Angelica should be well-suited for the role, don't you think?"

At Brother Eckhart's words, Angelica gently placed a hand on her cheek and displayed a delicate, modest smile.

"I will not interfere in your family's discussions. I will simply follow whatever orders I am given."

"...I can't believe Angelica is Grandfather's apprentice. She has such a gentle temperament. It's impressive she managed to complete that rigorous training."

Brother Lamprecht, who spent the least time with Angelica, had been completely fooled. Angelica simply didn't want to think about factions and such—what she was really saying was "just tell me what the result should be."

Brothers Eckhart and Cornelius, who knew Angelica's true nature, exchanged glances and shrugged.

"Well then, shall we go?"

I mounted my ridebeast and chased after Brother Lamprecht's, who was leading the way. I was accustomed to returning to the Temple, but since becoming an adopted daughter and going up to the castle, I had never been back home, so I didn't know the location of my family's estate.

I had only ever traveled by carriage, and even from above, all you could see were similar-looking white buildings with large gardens, making it impossible to tell them apart.

I had only been there for the short period before my Baptism Ceremony, so seeing the buildings didn't evoke a particularly strong sense of nostalgia. However, when Mother and the Attendants who had looked after me back then welcomed me home with smiles, a strange feeling of nostalgia spread through me.

"Welcome home, Lady Rozemyne."

"I have returned."

Since the family meeting was to take place after dinner with everyone else dismissed, I had already taken my bath beforehand. This way, I could participate in the discussion until I got sleepy. Once I returned to my room, I could go straight to bed.

And so, after hearing from the Attendants during my bath that "the Head Chef had been working especially hard," the dinner I had been looking forward to began.

Not just Ilse, but the Head Chef here also seemed to be putting considerable creative effort into recipes based on what Hugo had taught. Combinations of ingredients I had rarely seen and dressings with flavors I had never tasted appeared one after another.

"This is delicious. I can see the fruits of your efforts throughout."

"I'll pass that along to the Head Chef. He's been racking his brain trying to come up with new menu items."

"Rozemyne, don't you have any new recipes?"

Father looked at me with expectant eyes, but I answered with a smile: "Please refer to the next recipe collection I publish."

Nicola had been working hard putting it together. I really wanted it to contribute to sales. When I said this, Father laughed, his shoulders shaking with amusement, and promised to purchase the new recipe collection.

"Rozemyne, you're as shrewd at business as ever."

After finishing the delicious meal in a warm atmosphere, everyone else was dismissed and the family meeting began. Now that I thought about it, Father's Second Wife and half-brother Nicolaus were absent from both the dinner table and the family meeting. Even though they normally lived in a separate residence, today's discussion was important.

I looked around at everyone and tilted my head.

"Won't Trudeliede or Nicolaus be joining us?"

"She is part of the old Veronica faction, so she cannot be included in today's discussion."

Trudeliede had apparently been a Second Wife essentially forced upon him by Veronica. No wonder they had little interaction, and after Nicolaus's Baptism Ceremony, I had been warned to be careful about how I associated with them.

So factions weren't just a problem within the territory—they even affected family life. Nobles were so troublesome.

"Well then, Lamprecht, why don't you tell us about her? What kind of person is the bride who will be joining our family? Of course, I have already gathered a certain amount of information. However, I want to hear it from your own lips."

Mother smiled with a composed air, and Brother Lamprecht straightened his posture and began to speak. Looking around at everyone, he told us about the bride.

The bride's name was Aurelia, and she was apparently the daughter of the Archduke of Ahrensbach's younger brother. As the daughter of the Third Wife, she was the niece of the Archduke of Ahrensbach, but they had little direct contact. Among the children who shared the same father, she had not been treated well. Her younger sister was the youngest child, more charming and quick-witted, and was the favored one.

Aurelia's mother, the Third Wife, was a higher-ranking noble from Frewbartelk, and her position had become even more tenuous after the political upheaval.

"How exactly did you meet, and what drew you to each other?"

Mother held her pen, several sheets of Plant Paper stacked before her, and questioned him with narrowed eyes and a serious expression. But was it my imagination? She looked like she was hungrily lapping up material for her next romance novel.

After thoroughly extracting everything from how they first met to the feelings when circumstances forced them to part, Mother nodded with satisfaction.

"As I suspected, the finer details can only come from the person themselves. Some of it contradicted the information I had gathered."

"I don't know what information you had, but Aurelia tends to have slightly upturned eyes and a stern-looking face at first glance, so she is often misunderstood. She is by no means a bad person."

She seemed to be frequently misjudged by her appearance, and Brother Lamprecht hurriedly added explanations about Aurelia, asking Mother to help somehow get Aurelia into the Florenzia faction.

"She is the bride who will be joining our family. Regardless of the circumstances, I will welcome her and invite her to tea parties. However, what happens after that will depend on Lady Aurelia herself."

The old Veronica faction would undoubtedly try to approach Aurelia. How to handle that, and how to determine her position within Ehrenfest—she would need to be given information on a selective basis, sharing what was appropriate while withholding what was not, guiding her into the Florenzia faction.

"It is the role of Lamprecht, as her future husband, to arrange things so that Lady Aurelia can live comfortably."

"Mother!?"

"Even though circumstances have changed, she is the woman you chose and wished to marry, isn't she? If you can't even show the resolve to protect your wife no matter the situation, what good are you? Can you call yourself a knight if you can't even protect your own wife?"

Watching Brother Lamprecht gulp hard, I noticed from the corner of my eye that Father—who had apparently learned about the considerable burden Mother had borne from the conflicts between the Second and Third Wives only after I became their daughter—quietly averted his gaze at those final words.

"Lady Aurelia needs to be promptly informed about the situation within Ehrenfest. What Gabriele and Veronica had done, the friction with the Liesegangs, and how the factions that had finally started to come together were splitting apart again because of this marriage. These were all past events that Lady Aurelia had no control over, but they were information that would determine her future."

It wasn't that Aurelia herself was at fault, but feelings toward Ahrensbach were simply too complex.

"Which circumstances to share, which to conceal. Who to allow close, who to keep at a distance. How to protect a wife who has married in from another territory. I will be watching your stratagem, Lamprecht."

Mother's jet-black eyes, which had been fixed intently on Brother Lamprecht, glinted sharply.

Even though the words weren't directed at them, I could tell that Brother Cornelius and Angelica both held their breath.

"If Lady Aurelia shows the ability to bring together the old Veronica faction and draw them into ours, I will welcome her with open arms."

...Lady Aurelia has been given an impossible task!

Aurelia probably never expected to have a mother-in-law like this. Brother Lamprecht and Mother were nothing alike.

"Regarding your new residence, we are preparing a separate wing. Since it will be necessary to know which nobles come and go, it would be best for her to stay on the estate grounds. I know it will be somewhat cramped, but please bear with it."

"Mother, what about the furniture?"

"I've had the unused pieces moved over. They each have their own preferences, so it would be better for them to arrange things themselves afterward."

Perhaps because it was only family, Mother's attitude seemed a bit carefree. It was unusual for the always meticulous Mother.

Could she be tired?

"Brother Lamprecht, have you been preparing for the marriage as well? Rather than leaving everything to Mother, you should choose things with your own eyes and make preparations yourself."

"That may be true, but wouldn't women understand each other's preferences better?"

"Not at all. I believe you know Lady Aurelia's preferences better than anyone. Mother wouldn't even know her favorite color. ...You're not going to tell me you don't know either, are you, Brother Lamprecht?"

Hoping to learn her preferences from the things she owned, I asked several questions, and Brother Lamprecht was able to answer most of them properly. That showed just how carefully he had been watching her. Given the circumstances, they were marrying someone they loved, and I genuinely hoped they would be happy together.

"Lamprecht, what kind of jewelry does Lady Aurelia prefer? What kind of magic stones have you prepared? If she has a favorite motif, it could be useful when selecting furniture, couldn't it?"

Mother continued asking various questions while taking notes. She seemed slightly amused—perhaps she was in a reporting mood. I honestly admired how Mother never forgot to enjoy her hobbies, no matter how tired she was.

With a satisfied smile and a soft sigh, Mother set down her pen, saying, "It would make me happy if there were someone who shared Lamprecht's taste." Then she turned her gaze toward me.

"Rozemyne, you must not have any contact with Lady Aurelia until her position has been clearly established. In Ehrenfest, you are the person who must keep the most secrets, yet you are far too careless with your words and actions."

Her words left me utterly speechless, and I nodded meekly, promising not to make contact until my guardians gave their permission.

"Cornelius, Angelica. As Rozemyne's guard knights, make sure to keep a close eye on her."

"Leave it to me, Lady Elvira. I will not allow any contact until permission is granted."

Angelica, who had found a task suited to her abilities, accepted with a sharp, determined expression.

"I'm counting on you," Mother nodded, then shifted her gaze as if comparing the quietly seated Brother Eckhart and Angelica, tilting her head.

"Come to think of it, when are Eckhart and Angelica getting married? Unlike Lamprecht's situation, it's not urgent, so next year would be fine, but it would be best to start preparing the new residence early. Angelica must be getting anxious about such a long engagement period, wouldn't you think?"

Brother Eckhart apparently had a separate home where he had lived with the now-deceased First Wife. Even if Angelica were to live there, it would need to be cleaned out and furnished with new household items.

At Mother's words, Brother Eckhart grimaced slightly, while Angelica shook her head with a smile.

"...I have left the timing of our marriage entirely to Lord Eckhart, and I still want to prioritize becoming strong enough to earn my Master's recognition. I am truly not in a rush. It would even be fine after Lady Rozemyne comes of age."

Angelica declared this proudly, and Brother Eckhart smiled wryly, saying, "That's far too late, no matter how you look at it," while Mother held her head in her hands.

"That would make it impossible to face your parents. I can't believe there's a woman less eager to marry than Eckhart."

...Mother, don't expect Angelica to be interested in romance.

To prevent Angelica from being criticized as a late bloomer, it was settled that they would marry by the time she turned twenty, and the day's family meeting came to a close.

"Now then, Rozemyne, go rest."

As Mother said "Let's end the discussion here," I noticed her profile looked very tired.

"...Um, between the scholar work for the printing industry, bringing the factions together, and preparing to welcome the bride, you must be extremely busy, Mother? It may not be much, but I would like to dedicate a small amount of healing to you. Would that be all right?"

"I haven't been injured or anything."

"It's just the sentiment. May the healing goddess Lungsmier's blessing be upon you, Mother."

When I channeled my prayer into my ring, a soft green light drifted toward her. I hoped that even a small amount of healing would help. Perhaps my feelings reached her, as Mother broke into a gentle smile.

"Thank you, Rozemyne. I feel as though my fatigue has lifted. Let's have tea at home tomorrow—it's been a while. The Head Chef has learned to make all sorts of sweets now."

"Yes, I'm looking forward to it."

On the way back to my room, Brother Cornelius rolled his shoulders broadly and said, "That was exhausting."

"I'd heard that marriages with other territories were troublesome, but I didn't expect it to be this much."

"Indeed. I knew that marriages between nobles couldn't be based on feelings alone, but I was surprised as well. If you're that concerned about it, does that mean your heart's desire is from another territory, Brother Cornelius?"

"No, that's not it..."

Brother Cornelius denied it as a matter of course in the flow of conversation, then suddenly clapped a hand over his mouth and looked down at me. He immediately composed his expression into one that said "I shouldn't have said that," but his momentary panic gave everything away.

"Nfufufu," I laughed, looking up at Brother Cornelius.

"Then the person you're planning to propose an escort to is from Ehrenfest? Have you already made your proposal? If you don't hurry, such a wonderful lady will receive proposals from other gentlemen as well, and it will be too late!"

"...Ah, it's like having two mothers. Look, we've arrived at your room. It's past your bedtime, Rozemyne. You must be tired? You must be. May the blessing of Shulatravm bring you a good night's sleep. Rest well."

Without answering a single one of my questions, Brother Cornelius quickly ushered me into my room.

The next day's tea party also revolved around Brother Lamprecht's marriage. The ceremony was to be held at the territory border, so they would eat lunch at Count Liesegang's summer estate and then head to the Gate at the border.

"Will the accommodations also be at Count Liesegang's estate?"

"Yes, most likely. It hasn't been fully decided yet, but that area has many members of the old Veronica faction. There are few places that can accommodate the Lord's family."

I had memories of being attacked at Count Liesegang's place during a past Prayer Ceremony. Back then, it was the annex where the priests stayed, and I had been asleep, so I didn't know the details, but I hoped the same thing wouldn't happen this time.

"There's no need to worry about an attack—I'll be bringing the Knight Order along, so it will be fine."

Laughing softly, Mother and I discussed matters such as the dinner banquet on the day of the ceremony and the formal presentation ceremony to welcome Aurelia.

The talk of marriage reminded me of something.

"Come to think of it, even you couldn't find a match for Damuel, could you, Mother?"

"...No. Unfortunately, the timing is particularly bad right now. It will be difficult until things settle down a bit."

Mother sighed with a troubled expression. According to her, finding a bride for Damuel was extremely difficult.

First, his Magic Power didn't match, so he couldn't look among the same class of lower-ranking nobles. Next, as Brigitte had pointed out, for a middle-ranking noble's daughter to lower her status and marry into a lower-ranking knight's family who had neither an inheritance nor an estate required extraordinary resolve.

Moreover, if a middle-ranking noble family took Damuel, my retainer, as a son-in-law, their faction would be permanently fixed. For middle-ranking nobles who wanted to align with whichever side was winning, this was problematic. Especially now, with the announcement that Brother Lamprecht's bride was coming from Ahrensbach, middle and lower-ranking nobles were lying low and watching the faction movements.

On top of that, even though Damuel was my retainer, he was originally a lower-ranking knight, so it was unclear when his position as guard knight might be revoked. Even if I had no intention of doing so, from an outsider's perspective there was no absolute guarantee. And as Grandfather had predicted, most people expected he would eventually be replaced, making him a major source of concern.

The moment I returned to the castle, I relayed Mother's words to Damuel.

"...And so, it seems your marriage won't be easy to arrange anytime soon, Damuel."

"So Lady Elvira has given up on finding me a match, which means I won't be able to get married like this?"

I tilted my head slightly at Damuel, who slumped in dejection.

"It's not completely impossible. We'll apparently just have to wait until the political situation settles, Mother and my adoptive mother's factions gain complete control of Ehrenfest, or lower-ranking nobles with matching Magic Power grow up through compression."

Damuel slumped further, saying, "That's practically the same as impossible," but there was nothing to be done about it. With my limited connections among the nobility, this was not an area where I could help.

After that, I returned to the Temple. I made preparations for conducting the Star Binding Ceremony in a location without a prayer room, and spent my days in discussion with the Chief Priest about how to forge armor from magic stones and how to strengthen the grey priests' defenses.

I learned the spells the Chief Priest had used—spells that bound hands with strips of light, spells that created nets to capture multiple enemies at once, and spells for deploying a simplified version of the Goddess's Shield—to prepare for any attacks. Preparedness prevents peril.

According to information from the scholar apprentices and guard knight apprentices who shuttled between the castle and the Temple, discussions were being held at the castle regarding the Knight Order's security arrangements, accommodations, preparations for the banquet, and more, with decisions being actively implemented.

A letter arrived with news that merchants from other territories had begun arriving, and when I immediately went to inspect the orphanage and workshops, I could feel the bustle of the lower city.

At the end of summer, with a vitality completely different from before overflowing through the lower city, we set out toward the territory border.

This was the groundwork before the wedding.

Brother Lamprecht would have to do his best to protect his bride.

Damuel's marriage was by no means impossible.

Next was the wedding ceremony at the border.