What would it look like if you observed Leon Fou Bartfort from someone else's perspective?
The answer is simple.
"That guy is such a pain."
The one saying this was none other than Leon's father, Bastarque.
It was around the time the third semester had been abruptly cut short for spring break due to post-war reconstruction.
Bastarque had finally returned to his territory after sorting out various matters on the mainland, but his son—who had risen from third son to second son—was causing him a headache.
Leon's mother, Reuise, who had happily become a baroness, was equally at her wit's end.
"A fine young lady confessed to him, and rather than outright rejecting her, he's been wishy-washy about it without making his intentions clear. Why on earth?"
From Bastarque and Reuise's perspective, the ducal family was an existence beyond the clouds.
A duke's daughter was essentially a princess to them.
And yet, despite being confessed to by Angelica—a princess in all but name—and by Olivia, a gentle and well-mannered girl, Leon still hadn't made up his mind.
When they confronted him directly, all they got in return were things like:
"It's still too early, y'know~"
"Besides, I'm not exactly on equal footing with a ducal family~"
"Eh? Why is this my fault?"
Responses like these, over and over, leaving both of them increasingly irritated.
That said, Leon did have a point.
If he married Angelica, the ducal family's daughter, that would create ties between the Bartfort family and the dukes as well.
It meant all sorts of additional obligations and entanglements.
And it wasn't like he seemed entirely unconcerned about that...
"That idiot worries about the weirdest things."
He was quick with his tongue and good at coming up with excuses too.
Reuise, for her part, was also concerned about Olivia's feelings.
"I understand what Leon is saying. If he chose one over the other, it would certainly cause friction—that part isn't wrong. But telling someone who confessed to you sincerely that you 'like both of them' is really a bit much..."
Bastarque sighed.
"He doesn't need to worry about us at all. We'd be perfectly happy with whoever he wants to marry."
Both Angelica and Olivia were excellent matches from Bastarque's perspective—someone who had been desperate in his own marriage prospects.
Now that Leon had attained the rank of count, he could take Angelica as his legal wife and Olivia as a concubine.
That would be the closest thing to the correct course of action.
It might seem strange for polygamy to be accepted in a matriarchal world, but whenever a war broke out, a great number of noble-born men were killed.
Between securing heirs and various other considerations, having many children was the norm in this world.
But bearing children also carried risks.
Noble women didn't want to bear those risks over and over again.
So concubines were accepted as a compromise.
In such cases, the woman chosen would be of lower standing than the legal wife.
Generally, someone from a family below the rank of baronet.
However, most of the academy girls wouldn't choose the concubine path.
Instead, daughters from even lower-ranked families—those of vassal knights—would be selected.
Reuise's own family, after all, was a household of the Bartfort family's retainers—a family of knights.
Because of that, there had been no obligation to attend the academy.
Reuise also had brothers and sisters, which meant there hadn't been room for her to enroll at the academy either. That was why she was unfamiliar with how the academy worked.
"So, what are you going to do? What should we do?"
"Hmm... Why won't that guy get married? Isn't this everything he could dream of? Kind, gentle, and with a figure that's—ow, ow, ow, Reuise, my cheek!"
Reuise pinched Bastarque's cheek, wearing a troubled expression herself.
"He really ought to think more about his own happiness."
As the two of them, unable to comprehend Leon's values—which stemmed from his previous life—buried themselves in thought, Luxion arrived with his single red eye.
『You seem to be troubled.』
"O-Oh."
Bastarque shrank back, clearly a little afraid of Luxion.
"What's the sudden visit? Where's Leon?"
『Master is teasing his elder sister for fun.』
Both Bastarque and Reuise wore expressions of genuine irritation. "What on earth is that boy doing?"—here they were, agonizing over Leon's marriage, and the man himself was off pestering his sister Jenna for amusement.
『Incidentally, you were having an interesting conversation. Are both of Master's parents in favor of his marriage?』
Bastarque answered despite his unease.
"Y-Yes. If he's a count, there's no problem even with a duke's daughter as his bride. Besides, a new household is short on family members. Too many heirs squabbling is one problem, but too few is another issue entirely. Having Olivia come along would be more than welcome."
That a commoner like Olivia was welcomed had a lot to do with her participation in the war.
Her service aboard the royal family's ship and her contributions there had been recognized.
Operating in Leon's shadow, quiet talk of her promotion had been circulating.
That said, it was only to the extent of granting her a knightly rank for a single generation.
"I'm in favor of it too. I think Leon needs someone who can push him along. That boy won't do anything if you leave him to his own devices."
Bastarque nodded.
"He's the type who won't try unless he's backed into a corner."
Though he was also the type to explode if you pushed too hard.
Luxion moved his single eye up and down in what looked like a nod.
『Then shall we take it that you're both in favor?』
"Well, even if we're in favor, if he keeps being rude to those young ladies—"
『That's no issue. I've already obtained permission from both of them.』
"Eh?"
『In any case, Master is a troublesome fellow who will only make excuses. He'll never reach a decision on his own. So the solution is simple: just force his hand.』
Bastarque raised an objection.
"Wh-Wait. If you push him too far and he goes and does something reckless, we'll be in trouble."
『Please rest assured. Master loves both of them.』
Reuise tilted her head.
"Th-Then why did he turn them down?!"
From their perspective, it made no sense.
They couldn't understand Leon refusing to marry when there were no obstacles and he clearly cared for both of them.
『Because he's a troublesome fellow.』
Both Bastarque and Reuise were exasperated with Leon, who was so out of step with this world's values.
"What is wrong with that boy? In such an enviable situation, and he's standing there agonizing over it! I was so bitter I actually cried when I married Zola, you know!"
He had been bound by humiliating terms, and to top it off, the results were cuckolded.
Their eldest daughter Mellese and eldest son Lutoart were both children of another man.
Compared to that, Leon's refusal to commit to marriage was infuriating.
"Who knew that boy could be this much of an idiot."
The two of them calling Leon an idiot wasn't without reason.
Leon had risen all the way to the rank of hero and count, and naturally, as a noble, he would be expected to stand out going forward.
Looking at the future, there was simply no option of not marrying.
He could choose someone he loved, yet refused to—and that was what they couldn't understand.
This was not a world where you could say marriage was entirely a matter of personal choice.
『—And so, I'd like to ask for both of your cooperation as well.』
Bastarque and Reuise exchanged a glance, then nodded.
"So what's the plan?"
『It's simple. We'll arrange an engagement ceremony for Master without telling him. Ideally, it would have been a wedding, but discussions with the ducal family resulted in this arrangement.』
Bastarque was surprised.
"Wait—they've already been discussing that?"
『Yes.』
Reuise grasped Bastarque's hand.
"What should we do, dear?"
"We've come this far—there's nothing to do but go through with it. We need to lock in that engagement before some scary woman gets her hooks into him. He's heading abroad for studies soon. We absolutely have to make this happen!"
"Y-Yes. If he has a fiancée, he won't be able to run off. We have to push this through no matter what!"
Luxion had recruited them as allies, then lowered his voice to a volume they couldn't hear.
『...Well, for my own part as well, I have no desire to see Master enter into a marriage he doesn't want. It would be best if he simply accepted the engagement quietly. If we're not careful, Roland might try to pull something. If Master were to flee and keep running, Roland might misunderstand it as reluctance and grant permission right away.』
Luxion wanted to secure the engagement before Roland could make any moves.
『Besides, I'd love to see Master panicking at the engagement ceremony.』
And so Luxion moved forward with everything behind Leon's back.