Third‑year classroom.
“Ah, yesterday was exhausting.”
I’d been on edge for some reason, and the guy who showed up was the one who came to protect his cute little sister.
I don’t get the feeling of doting on a younger sister, but he’s not even trying to be my enemy, so it’s fine.
Compared to Relia and Serge, he was actually… pretty normal.
Leaning my cheek on the desk, Daniel and Raymond came up to me.
“Leon, I’ve got something to discuss.”
“Now’s a good time?”
When I looked up, both of them wore a slightly troubled expression.
“What’s up?”
“Uh, well… what?”
“Yeah.”
Daniel and Raymond exchanged glances, then laid out their concern.
“Actually… there’s that tea party in May, right?”
“Yeah, there is.”
“And about that tea party—are you going to invite anyone? Or are you even planning to hold it?”
“Huh?”
Their dilemma centered on the May tea party.
Technically, boys don’t need to invite girls anymore, but the long‑standing custom still lingers.
If a nervous guy decides to host a tea party, the other boys get uneasy.
“What did you do last year?”
Daniel’s gaze drifted.
“The headmaster said we didn’t have to force it, so Raymond and I didn’t hold one. But then the girls complained.”
I tilted my head.
“You guys said during the long break you’d gone to Alzer and pretended you already had girlfriends.”
Raymond took off his glasses and wiped a tear.
“They ended up being taken by other guys. When they came back, they were already dating someone else.”
—Feels like I did something shady.
“Well, if you guys invite, a bunch of girls will show up.”
Since the academy’s policy shift, the gender dynamics have flipped.
Even though the boys’ position suddenly got stronger, the old common sense is still tripping them up.
“That’s part of the problem. Look, the pool of marriage prospects has widened. If you call out, dozens of people will flock.”
“Widened?”
Raymond cocked his head.
“How come you don’t know? There’s this trend that even noblewomen from knight families can be marriage material.”
“What? I never heard that.”
Raymond explained that after the war with the Republic, many nobles expelled their official wives. Then they started officially taking women who had previously been concubines or mistresses as proper wives.
The kingdom, with its own history, can’t outright forbid it—so even a knight’s daughter became an acceptable option.
It seems that while counts and higher ranks are still off‑limits, a poor baronial family could settle for a knight’s daughter.
“I’d prefer a knight’s daughter. Anything above a baronial lady is a no‑go.”
Daniel said that, and Raymond agreed.
“Right? Even if they try to cozy up to us now, it’s… not a problem.”
The girls listening lowered their shoulders or let their eyes wander.
We’re a generation at a turning point.
The girls are the last class to know the old privileges; the boys have lived through both the bad and good eras.
I’ve heard that graduates are already cutting ties with their official wives as soon as the situation changes.
In other words—this is a wildly confusing generation.
“Well, it’s better than no one showing up.”
“True, but it’s a headache. So, what will you do, Leon?”
Raymond asked, and I clasped my hands behind my head.
“I’ll invite my three fiancées to the tea party. Oh, and maybe Erica‑sama too.”
“Lucky you. Wait, you have three fiancées, including Erica‑sama, right? Why treat her like a separate case?”
Daniel looked puzzled, and Raymond’s glasses flashed.
“Daniel, she’s the local girl you met while you were in the Republic. Leon, you brought her back, didn’t you?”
“You—you—!”
Seeing them angry at me, I laughed and tried to smooth things over.
“Sorry. I already have fiancées, so I’m not going to invite anyone else to a tea party.”
The girls seemed like they wanted to say something, but—no way.
If I invited anyone else, Angelica or Libya would surely flip out.
I’ve never invited another girl, so I can’t say for sure.
“Leon, hang out with me today. Let’s talk all about your lover.”
Daniel suggested, but I had to decline.
“Sorry. I’ve got business at the palace. The duke called me.”
Raymond lifted his glasses with a click.
“The duke? Redgrave Duke?”
—Looks like I’m about to get tangled in something messy.
◇
“Finally we meet, Marquis Barthofort!”
A room in the palace.
Greeting us were Vins and… a man I didn’t recognize.
A blond, blue‑eyed noble in his thirties, hair slightly curled at the ends.
He sported a beard; depending on the angle, he could be considered good‑looking.
“Uh… um…”
“Pardon! I am Dominic Fou Mottrey. Think of me as a fan of Marquis Barthofort.”
“A fan of mine!?”
How on earth does an old‑man fan end up for me?
Seeing my confusion, Vins jumped in.
“Count Mottrey was a lord who defended the border during the war with the Republic. After the war, he divorced his wife.”
And what does that have to do with me—huh!
“He was sent to the border, cursing ‘Kingdom, die!’ day after day. When he finally returned, the kingdom had already changed its policy! No one complained when he cut ties with the woman who’d mocked him all along. On the contrary, he was allowed to officially take the woman who’d supported him as his wife. —He can’t thank the marquis enough.”
Vins was smiling.
“His lady was, until recently, our adopted daughter.”
“Thank you, Duke Redgrave.”
To sum it up:
Mottrey, a self‑made count, married a viscount’s daughter—who turned out to be a typical noblewoman of the kingdom. That alone shows how much Mottrey had endured.
Foreign forces invaded the border, the kingdom forced him to fight, and when he came back the kingdom had flipped its stance. It was exactly the period when I was fighting the Republic.
Societal winds shifted, ushering in a harsher era for women.
Or maybe things just went back to normal?
Anyway, his lady’s family was destroyed in the war with the Republic. No one complained, so Mottrey divorced her.
He then married the maid who’d supported him, taking her into the ducal family as an adopted daughter.
She went from commoner to knight’s household, then gradually rose to become a ducal adoptive daughter, now with children.
—A commoner turned noble via adoption laundering! She’s now a count’s wife with kids.
“There’s no need to let some unknown kid inherit the Mottrey name. All thanks to Marquis Barthofort.”
He said it with a big grin.
“Is… that so?”
“—At times, Marquis Barthofort—”
“Yes?”
“...shall we burn the palace together?”
—What on earth is he talking about?
Vins added more about Mottrey.
“Mottrey is extreme. But Leon—your husband Angelica, I have high hopes for you too.”
“The duke?”
Mottrey’s expression turned dead serious. He wasn’t joking.
“Baron Barthofort, you’ve been away from the kingdom for a while, so you might not know—our kingdom is in a precarious state. As border‑holding lords, we’re all uneasy.”
Vins, too, had taken on a serious look.
“Leon, do you think the current palace is necessary?”
—So that’s what Angelica was getting at!
When I stayed silent, Vins smiled.
“Think it through. Even if the kingdom survives, many won’t be satisfied. Someone has to step up.”
That “someone” is probably Vins himself. He’s probably counting on Luxion’s capabilities.
◇
Academy.
Marie was searching for Erica.
“If I look away for a second, she disappears!”
She’s being diligent because of some lingering regret from a past life.
Noelle spotted her and waved.
“Ah, Maritch.”
“You gave her another vague nickname. Noelle, are you okay now?”
“Yeah. Light exercise is approved. So, where are you heading?”
“Looking for Erica.”
“The princess?”
They walked together, chatting.
For Noelle, the kingdom’s academy is full of surprises.
“Hey, they’re planning a tea party in May, but the boys’ reaction is… meh?”
“Oh, that. Everyone secretly thinks tea parties are a hassle. The only one who’d gladly host is our big brother.”
Except for the tea‑obsessed male students, nobody cares about a May tea party. But because it’s tradition, they feel awkward not doing it—so the boys are also indecisive.
“You could just invite whoever you like.”
“Girls who aren’t invited have it rough, though.”
Marie knew the rapid changes had left the girls bewildered. They’d been used to being courted, and now being told to do the courting themselves was confusing.
Smart girls moved fast; those who couldn’t adapt clung to old habits.
Can’t help it.
(After a few years things will settle, but not anytime soon. Our generation really has it tough.)
“Maritch, did anyone ask you out?”
Marie’s expression went blank.
“—Those five did.”
“Why so gloomy? You should be happy! Maybe you’re used to seeing them all the time, so it’s not novel? You spoiled brat.”
“Don’t get depressed over that. I’ve decided not to expect anything from those five. Actually, I’d love to go to my brother’s tea party.”
There’ll be fancy tea and sweets, and Leon will definitely invite Erica. Marie wanted to join too.
As they entered the academy courtyard, a youth in a deep hat was tending the garden.
Noelle felt uneasy.
“Looks risky. Is he a rookie gardener? Doesn’t he have a senior to guide him?”
He was clearly clumsy, his movements awkward.
“It’s dangerous to watch.”
Marie agreed.
“I could do it better. When I was at the Republic’s manor, I tended the garden too. The grass got so wild in summer I hated it.”
Practical skills improve even without effort.
Marie felt sad.
“Maritch, you’ve got it rough too.”
“Yeah. It’s tough. So, if you go to brother’s tea party, bring back some sweets for me.”
Marie was basically extorting sweets from Leon’s fiancée.
◇
The lousy gardener muttered when the two girls vanished.
“Damn! You clueless brats!”
He ripped off his hat, revealing a twisted blond face, and slammed his tools to the ground.
“Why does a noble like me have to do this? I was supposed to become a baron!”
The youth was Lutoart.
He’s the son of Zola, the former wife of the Barthofort baron, and the former heir.
“My mother and Merse forced this job on me.”
Lutoart had slipped into the academy to gather intel—for a coup, no less.
He pretended to work, picking up tools, listening to passing students.
“Did you hear? Erica‑sama was invited to Marquis Barthofort’s tea party.”
“Jealous. Why didn’t the seniors target the marquis? He’s never been a promising candidate since enrollment.”
“I don’t know. But I’m engaged now, so I can’t get close. There’s also Angelica‑sama from the Redgrave house.”
Whenever Leon’s name came up, Lutoart clenched his molars.
(That guy. Because of him I’m stuck in this mess. I’ll never forgive you, Leon!)
He once was Leon’s younger brother and now swears revenge.