CH 192

Helmut could not figure out if what was happening before him was real. At his sister’s request, he suddenly got a day off today and went back to their parent’s house with her. Then, for some reason, Lady Christiane of the Reingen Marquisate is sitting in the carriage with them as they travel there, and when they arrive at Manor Royce, the story of his engagement with her is progressing steadily.

He doesn’t understand what’s going on. He knew that Christiane had a favorable opinion of him. However, he thought that it would be impossible for the daughter of a marquisate to marry the third son of a viscountcy. A noble daughter had many uses in this country.

Most of the family heirs will be the eldest sons. In the Kingdom of Ploiss, there are no rules regarding primogeniture or the eldest son’s inheritance. However, as long as the eldest son is not full of problems or does not die before he can inherit, most of the Houses are succeeded by the first sons. The second son’s family line may be treated as a reserve in case the eldest son’s family line is cut off, but in the end, the third and onward sons are often removed from the House and their noble status.

In contrast, there is a way to use daughters, whether they are the eldest daughter, the second daughter, or the third daughter, by marrying them off and forming relatives in other Houses. Rather, there are even people who say that the more daughters, the better. The eldest daughter is good, the third daughter is not bad, and even younger daughters are still very useful tools for political marriages.

No one would think that Helmut, who would likely be kicked out of the House as the chances of a third son even inheriting the viscountcy are so low, and Christiane, the daughter of a marquis who had such a rich and privileged history, would get married. Even so, the discussion progressed before Helmut knew it, and even his family accepted it as if it had already been decided.

No, there is a person who refuses. His father, Henry III, and his mother, Clementine, accepted him marrying Christiane, but his oldest brother, Henry IV, did not seem to agree, although he did not say it in words.

He doesn’t know why this happened. Everything is progressing so smoothly that it makes him feel as if someone is manipulating things behind the scenes and that he’s being framed. How can something so important go so smoothly? He thinks it but Helmut can no longer stop it.

His parents and Cristiane are getting closer and opening up as Helmut is swept away by the momentum. She was to stay at Manor Royce today and have dinner with the family, except for his second brother Heinrich IV.

After dinner, Helmut was out on the backyard terrace. With the front of the mansion, the distance between it and the road is too close, so it’s not possible to enter the manor grounds in a carriage and get on or off at the front door. This area is a block of houses lined up with lower-ranking aristocrats’ manors. On the other hand, behind the building, there is a small backyard and a terrace. He thinks while looking up at the night sky from the terrace.

How did this happen? He just wanted to serve Miss Flora with all his heart and soul. And yet, for some reason, he has come to the verge of whether or not he will get engaged to the daughter of a marquis.

It’s not like he dislikes Christiane. He rather thinks she is a wonderful lady. He thinks she’s a perfect match for him but he doesn’t think she can marry into a family like this. So why is she so interested…?

“Mr. Helmut…”

“Lady Christiane…”

Helmut stood up from the bench he was sitting on and turned around to the person who came up behind him. Christiane was standing there with a worried look on her face.

“Mr. Helmut…… do you hate me for doing this without consulting you?” Christiane asked.

“Huh? No… that’s…” Helmut said.

Helmut stops to think about it. Does he hold a grudge against Christiane? Does he hate her?

“Then do you have a problem with marrying me?” Christiane asked.

“Absolutely not,” Helmut said immediately.

Originally, if it was a lady like Christiane, she would be able to choose her marriage partner as she pleased. Helmut only thought of himself as the third son of a viscount family, and that he would never be in a relationship like that for the rest of his life.

Just because he was conscious of it, doesn’t mean he has the slightest dislike of Christiane as his wife.

She looks very beautiful (although she’s no match for Flora…). She has a very good personality (although she’s no match for Flora…). She was born and raised well (she is in the same class as Flora…).

No problems anywhere. No obvious shortcomings. No man would dislike Christiane, who is very considerate without the arrogance and conceit that tend to be seen in the daughters of high-ranking nobles.

However……. Yes, but… the thing is…

“But I…”

“’Can’t forget my feelings for Floto’… is that it?” Christiane asked.

“Uuu…” Helmut choked.

He didn’t mean to say that. She’s the Lord’s daughter, after all. As the third son of a viscountcy, he can’t express romantic feelings for someone who is now the master he serves. Helmut was at a loss for words when it was pointed out so bluntly.

“I also understand how you feel, Mr. Helmut,” Christa said. “If I hadn’t fallen in love with you, I would have fallen in love with Floto instead. No… even now… you may think it strange because we’re both ladies, but I also love Floto. Not as a friend, but as a lover…”

“That’s…” Helmut said.

He couldn’t say anything to Christiane’s words. Romantic relationships between same-sex couples is not permissible in the Kingdom of Ploiss according to their state religion and sense of ethics. He couldn’t hide his surprise at Christiane honestly saying that.

“But I can’t really get that close to her. I am attracted to Floto like a faint love, but unlike the others, they clearly don’t care about the ethics of this world. I don’t have the resolve to go against everything I thought is right for Floto.”

“…………”

Helmut listens silently. This is all he can do because Christiane is so serious, any hesitation or intervention only seems like mocking her.

“But more than that, I admire you, Mr. Helmut, who protected me at that time,” Christiane said. “It’s not a substitute for my feelings for Floto, nor is it an escape. My first love for Floto is faint. If it’s something like that, then my feelings for you, Mr. Helmut, are true love.”

He understands what Christiane is trying to say. You might wonder what it would be like to date 2 or 3 people. However, as a preliminary step, it is possible that she was interested in that girl, and that girl was interested in her as well. There are times when someone loves more than one person simultaneously. Choosing one of them is never unfair, unfaithful, or an escape.

“It may be difficult for us to marry right away, but first of all, please get to know me as your fiancée,” Christiane said. “If you don’t fall in love with me after then, we can break off the engagement. So please… please, give me even just one chance.”

Having said this much, he can’t let a girl that opened her heart like this stay confused forever. Besides, Helmut doesn’t hate Christiane either. He doesn’t know how this will turn out. However, there was no longer any reason for him to reject Christiane, who wanted to marry him even if it meant throwing away her public image and her family name’s reputation.

“Lady Christiane…” Helmut said, approaching her and putting a hand on her shoulder.

“Christa… please just call me Christa,” Christa said, her eyes wet as she looked up at him.

Helmut pauses to catch his breath before he speaks again,

“Christa… I can’t say that my feelings have been settled yet. Above all, I’m still confused. But I can say this for sure: I love you as well, Christa. At the least, I don’t know what the future holds. I want you to give me a little time from now on to make a decision. In the meanwhile, let’s get to know each other better and learn if our feelings are sure.”

“Yes!” Christa cried. “I know I’m going a bit wild, but I’m looking forward to being with you!”

Helmut has not yet consented to marriage or engagement. He just said that from now on, let’s make sure of each other’s feelings. Christa was in high spirits as if their marriage had already been decided, but Helmut had no desire to forcibly stop her from feeling that way.

The next day, at the same time as sending a messenger to Manor Carruthers in the morning, Heinrich III began preparing to leave. He goes as soon as the messenger comes back and reports that Lord Carruthers has granted him an appointment that day.

He would like to discuss Helmut and Christiane’s engagement. He was requesting a meeting for that purpose. A time was arranged, so Heinrich III and Helmut, as well as Katharina and Christiane, boarded a carriage and headed for Manor Carruthers.

When Katharina excused herself, the remaining 3 entered Margrave Albert’s office, where there were 2 people waiting. One of them was, of course, the room’s owner, Margrave Albert. The other was Flora Charlotte von Carruthers, a woman who could not be mistaken for anyone else, who’d only grown more beautiful after this short absence.

Why is it an office instead of a reception room? And why is Lady Flora also present? Heinrich III did not understand it, but he silently followed Margrave Albert, telling himself that he should not interfere.

“Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule today,” Heinrich III said. “I’ll get right to the matter at hand…”

Albert doesn’t like uselessly long greetings and speeches. Heinrich III knew it was better to state the matter simply, and so he said it as bluntly with as few redundancies as possible.

“Hmm… In other words, you want to discuss the engagement and marriage between Houses Royce and Reingen, yes?” Albert asked.

“Yes,” Heinrich III said.

He didn’t say it clearly because Christiane was also here, but there was an implied “Is House Reingen aiming for something?” in the question. Albert is asking for Heinrich III’s judgment if there is some kind of political significance in permitting such marriages outside the usual order of family status.

“What do you think, Flora?” Albert asked, turning to his daughter.

Heinrich III could not understand the situation, but he listened silently.

“Right away,” Flora said. “House Reingen has no conspiracy or political motivations in this engagement and future marriage. House Reingen family has only given permission to follow Christa’s wishes and has no intention of doing anything to House Royce or the Carruthers Vassals, I assure you.”

Heinrich was now sure there were no ulterior motives here, especially with Christiane right there. Besides, Heinrich III didn’t know why Flora could say it so confidently.

“Even if that were the case, it would be difficult for our House to support the daughter of a marquis…” Heinrich III said.

For example, if this was the eldest son’s marriage partner, he would have done his best to support the daughter-in-law from a marquisate. However, it is not possible to go that far for the third son’s wife, who can’t afford to be given territory. On the contrary, he might be expelled from the House soon. If the eldest son and the second son’s family become stable, the third son’s role may disappear and he may have to make his living elsewhere.

“That is true,” Flora said, “but let’s use this as an opportunity to clarify how Helmut is currently treated by our House.”

Heinrich III tilts his head at Flora’s words. For Heinrich III, Helmut’s position is clear. His eldest son has already been introduced to Albert as the future Viscount Royce and is involved in the management of House Royce’s territory. And his second son is also learning territory management, just in case. In comparison, Helmut became a servant of House Carruthers, specifically Flora’s butler. There is no problem there.

However, after hearing Flora’s explanation, Heinrich III understood that Helmut was in a more complicated position than he thought. He doesn’t even understand where his son stands now and with who.

From the point of view of House Carruthers, Helmut is unquestionably a butler from House Royce, serving under Flora. However, he is also a butler who serves Sir Floto von Caan at the same time. House Caan is difficult to handle even within Carruthers, and few people understand it accurately. They have come so far with that ambiguity, but it can be said that it is a good opportunity to clear it up.

“I would like to make Helmut independent from the Royce Viscountcy and make him a direct vassal of House Caan,” Flora said.

“Wha…?!” Heinrich III spluttered, unable to hide his surprise.

He doesn’t know where the Caan Knighthood stands among the noble Houses, but even if his third son becomes the vassal of one, it will be difficult just to support even the daughter of a barony. More so, if the daughter-in-law of a viscount’s son was from a marquisate, there is no way that a knighthood can support them. That’s even more impossible than House Royce supporting them.

“Hmm… so I see…” Albert said. “Well then, let’s give both Isabella and Helmut their dismissals. With this, is it alright with you to officially become a direct vassal of House Caan?”

“Yes, my Lord,” Helmut said.

Nevertheless, Albert easily gave permission, and Helmut accepted without hesitation. Lady Christiane is just happy and does not oppose the decision. Only Heinrich III, lost and unable to keep up, was puzzled.