By Zephyria 
By the time I got out of the carriage, my hair was puffed up like a sheep’s.
My two younger siblings, who had dutifully shown their faces to relatives before I died and returned, had run off to ride in the same carriage as my cousins, leaving me to sit alone between my tearful grandfather and grandmother. Even though I had grown this much, they treated me like a child, perhaps because it had been so long since they last saw me.
But how could they not be amazed by a grandchild who had died and returned? I simply let them pull me close, saying, “Yes, yes, it’s all my fault,” and meekly offered my head when they tugged, playing the role of a grandchild for several hours.
Even after returning to the Valentia townhouse, the laughter didn’t easily subside.
“Hearing that you proposed right after coming back, I knew you were truly Sierren.”
“Of course. A young man like you wouldn’t be thinking of family when you’re there. You’ve been dating since your first Hunting Festival, so your heart must have been burning.”
“…It’s not like that.”
“What do you mean, ‘not like that’? You didn’t even send a single Ranunculus to Valentia.”
“Mhm.”
I endured such scolding,
“They say you’re practically living in the Imperial Palace these days?”
“Even if they are men… is that even proper? They should at least use separate bedrooms.”
“You’re not doing anything that could be criticized. What does the Empress Dowager say about it?”
I heard such scolding too.
I had no words to say, even if I had a hundred mouths. I simply sat there, as if my mouth were coated in honey, and meekly received the touch of my grandmothers stroking my head, cheeks, and shoulders as they sat on either side of me.
Occasionally, my paternal grandmother would recall my grandfather’s dying wish and shed a few tears of apology. I deliberately and calmly comforted her, saying, “It was understandable,” and “It was my fault,” apologizing several more times. I also soothed her, saying, “Grandfather must be watching over us fondly from heaven.”
I also heard the reason why my maternal relatives had arrived earlier than expected.
“The professors said the class atmosphere wasn’t settling, so they proposed shortening the first semester and extending the second, and we agreed.”
“Local academies, you see, tend to have younger professors compared to those in the capital because their history is shorter. They say all the figures with titles are concentrated in the capital, so they must be curious. Besides, educated people are all like that. Many can’t stand it unless they see it with their own eyes.”
“It’s probably the same situation for other regional academies.”
“It’s a historic moment, isn’t it? This is the first time the owner of a Duchy has changed since the Shiaren Great Reform.”
“And it’s also the first time that Duke is the Emperor’s consort.”
I watched him carefully, noticing the hint of bitterness in my maternal grandfather’s voice when he blurted that out.
As the others paused, he, conscious of the gazes now fixed on him, smiled wryly and swallowed his tea.
“I don’t know if this is something that can be done concurrently. It’s never been done like this by our family for generations. Even with portal magic implemented, it will take several more years, and the territory’s residents haven’t settled yet, so I wonder if it’s alright…”
“Well, he’ll do well. He’s Michael, after all.”
“Of course, I know that. But…”
Then Hendel quickly interjected.
“If I win the dukedom, wouldn’t it be good for Zen to become a vassal of the Duke Ernhardt’s Territory? I won’t need my brother in my duchy.”
“What? No, I’m the one winning right now.”
“I hate the cold. If you’re going, my brother is better suited.”
“What is this now? …Alright, you’re due to receive the spirit of the Yuil Mountains too. I’ll send you.”
“I’m fine with either of you. I’ll be grateful to have both.”
“This is a disaster… My mother might have to give birth to a third child.”
How could I not know my cousins were deliberately taking my side?
After sending the elders, tired from their journey, to bed early, the young ones of the same generation gathered again.
Lanterns were hung cozily throughout the greenhouse late at night. A single candle burned steadily on the round table. I was briefly amazed to hear that it was fashionable these days to light fires by striking flint and steel rather than using magic artifacts.
Each person had a glass of fruit juice in front of them.
All five had gone through their Debutante, but we decided on this so that Asdel and Michael wouldn’t get into the habit of drinking alcohol yet. Aizen and Hendel had lemonade, Michael and Asdel had grape juice, and I had tomato juice with crackers.
We were able to have more in-depth conversations there.
“My grandfather is a bit… he’s not very understanding of a male daughter-in-law.”
“…Mhm.”
“Since you went through such a terrible ordeal, he’s letting you do as you please. Besides, given who the other party is, he’s afraid you might suffer a disadvantage later.”
“A disadvantage?”
“A bit… He’s from the old days, you see. He worries about what will happen if you don’t have children, and that you won’t be able to divorce even if you meet someone you truly love later, or that the Emperor might bring in an illegitimate child if he’s your partner… He’s probably thinking along those lines.”
“…Mhm.”
They worry about the strangest things.
Is there anyone more perfect for me than Ruben? We had already promised each other our next lives. I wasn’t going to be swayed by the trivial concerns of elders who weren’t accustomed to men sharing their hearts. Besides, even if Ruben doesn’t give birth directly, the child…
As I just laughed and swallowed my tomato juice, Asdel shook his head.
“My grandmother was similar until His Majesty came to my brother’s funeral. I guess she’ll be fine after some time passes.”
“Right. It was like that with our aunt too. Grandfather lived as a Duke for so long that he doesn’t quite know how to treat someone with a higher title than himself. It seems like the fact that his grandson’s spouse is the Emperor is more of a problem than him being male.”
“Still, my mother liked it.”
“Aunt Caroline?”
“She said that if they’ve been dating since their academy days, it’s about time they got married, and it’s fortunate they can change the marriage laws before more time passes.”
If my grandparents had strongly opposed it, Ruben would have had many more reasons to be upset alone. I secretly harbored the ungrateful thought that it was fortunate I had made the elders go through their worries beforehand.
As I sat there meekly, Aizen stirred the pulp at the bottom of his glass with a muddler and chuckled.
“Honestly, I never imagined you’d be the first among us to get married, man.”
“Speaking of which… what about you, brother and sister?”
“We’re both engaged. We were just choosing a wedding date, but we postponed it briefly because of your situation. I was thinking of getting married around next year when you arrived.”
“…Mhm.”
“Since that’s the case, Duke Ernhardt, can we expect wedding gifts?”
“Of course.”
When the topic of the Duke Ernhardt’s Territory came up again, I casually offered the joke from earlier as a genuine offer.
“You’re welcome to come and help, really.”
“I’d like to, but it might be a concern that two duchies are related by blood, and such close interaction might not be viewed favorably. The young duke is giving Adel to you, isn’t he?”
“Mhm, yes.”
“Then it could look like we’re interfering in your internal affairs, so that’s not good. You two handle it well.”
“Instead, we’ll send a few invaluable talents that money can’t buy, so let us know when you start building the Magic Tower. Valentia’s academy isn’t fully established yet, so it might be better to draw professors from the capital.”
“Yes. We will.”
“You need to know how much of a painful, bleeding service this is.”
“I know very well. I will repay you properly next time.”
“Haha, alright. I trust you?”
My two cousins spoke at length, giving various examples of how important the division of residential and commercial districts is for managing a duchy and how best to resolve disputes between families.
These were advice that would become bone and flesh later. I listened intently.
❖ ❖ ❖
At the Valentia townhouse, the number of people coming and going within the same building was noticeably fewer compared to the Imperial Palace. Even during tea time, it was common not to have attendants nearby.
Because sitting idly made them tired, my grandparents often walked the corridors themselves to find servants for their needs, rather than ringing a bell.
Lunch was usually eaten together, but in the remaining time, everyone dispersed to spend it as they pleased.
The time spent with family passed with astonishing speed, every moment a surprise.
In the mornings, I mostly accompanied my widowed paternal grandmother on walks in the garden.
She would talk about what kind of person my grandfather was, how much he missed me, and the reasons why he had no choice but to leave such a will. All the while, she would repeatedly shed tears, saying, “It was my fault,” and “I’m sorry.”
I had heard these stories several times already. Such is the sorrow held by the elderly. How deeply must it have been etched in their hearts for them to regret and apologize a hundred times over? Therefore, I never felt any resentment, as if hearing it for the first time, and calmly and attentively comforted her for a long time, saying, “He did what was right as the head of the family.”
In the afternoon, we would go out to the market with my cousins and buy various snacks.
Aizen and Hendel, who were visiting the capital after a long time, enjoyed talking about the paths they used to walk and the things they saw when they attended the academy. Surprisingly, Asdel also knew every shop in the capital; it turned out he had spent a lot of time with Michael’s friends over the past few months.
In the late afternoon, I often watched my maternal uncle train.
My maternal uncle, the Duke of Valentia, had limited free time. Therefore, he had been wielding a sword a couple of times a week for exercise. But even someone who wields a sword as a hobby has ambitions, doesn’t he? He subtly asked for my help, and I replied that it was not yet time, though I wished to share my insights.
Since then, my uncle has been frequently visiting the townhouse’s martial arts training ground and dedicating himself to training. I didn’t stop him, hoping he would gain something before he returned to the Duchy of Valentia.
My maternal grandfather and grandmother enjoyed talking about the professors and students they met at the Valentia Academy. Due to the nature of regional academies, many children of people they had known for a long time, who couldn’t afford to travel to the capital, enrolled. They often spoke about how their appearances were so similar to their parents, making them endlessly fascinating and amusing to watch.
Among them, my parents were the busiest, moving from place to place. However, they also made sure to consistently set aside time for me.
After playing chess with my father, I thought about going fishing since I couldn’t possibly beat him at chess, but I was met with a scoff. Still, I hadn’t been fishing even once while I was away, so I promised to go at least once.
I sat beside my mother while she embroidered, reading a book. The time spent reading a poetry collection she liked, reciting each line, and exchanging thoughts on it was surprisingly profound and fragrant. I playfully put a cookie in her mouth, just as she used to do for me, but received a scolding.
And then, night.
At night, when the family members who had filled my day had all fallen asleep, I mostly thought of Ruben.