CH 4.03

Ugh! I groaned and glared at my husband, but he twirled my hair around his fingers and played with it, watching me intently.

“Let me go, please!”

I retrieved my hair from my husband’s hand before he could twist it around his fingers any further and turned away.

He acted like a child, but I couldn’t care less.

“I see…”

Husband revealed a bitter smile.

I felt that he was definitely laughing at my childishness.

Excuse me!

I may be married now, but the affairs that transpire between a man and a woman are still novel to me.

“I thought we still have a long way to go, but…it’s not as much as I thought, huh?”

“What do you mean?”

He shouldn’t be surprised if my tone sounds harsh.

However, he didn’t expound his statement. He just looked outside and told me.

As if to divert the conversation.

“We’ve entered the territory.”

We’re just down the road and nothing has changed out there.

There’s a sign on the street, but Husband didn’t seem to need to see it to know.

Even now, he informed me even without looking carefully outside. Apparently, we entered the territory a long time ago.

It’s calm outside, and the roads were in good condition, so the carriage ride isn’t that painful.

Well, this road was built for military reasons.

“The Linbeld Duchy will be the first to become the battlefield in case of war.”

As if to dissipate the atmosphere of the previous moment, my husband begins to speak.

I’m still bewildered by my husband’s quick pace of switching topics.

Is this the so-called difference in life experience?…

“Thanks to this, I was also able to have a territory army with various favorable conditions. To that end, the territory is no longer being fought over by nobles in the country to this day.” 

That’s pretty much true.

If they fight with him, they’re likely to be annihilated.

Even though the military belongs to the nation, they have as much military discretion as an independent country. It’s also possible for them to ignore orders, especially during wartime, because it’s too troublesome to ask for instructions every time.

Well, I heard that the Lindbeld dukedom is the most experienced when in war, so I’ve never heard of any complaints against them from the Imperial Capital even in the past.

On that note, the lineage of most of the warlord families can be traced back to the Lindbeld Dukedom.

That doesn’t mean they’re on the Duchy’s side.

The current warlord families were originally founded by the Lindbeld dukedom, but those who made a name for themselves in wars were given fiefdoms and titles and became independent.

Thus, most of them could only make a name for themselves by fighting. However, as they were already independent from the Lindbeld Dukedom, they could no longer cheekily participate in the wars that took place in the Duchy’s territory.

They were nobles with their own domains after all.

They couldn’t just walk into someone’s territory without invitation.

So, what could they do?

They had no choice but to form a military faction in the center of politics, stand alongside the Duke of Lindbeld, and join as reinforcements for the national army.

But of course, the Lindbeld dukedom wasn’t a lenient family.

They couldn’t tolerate troublesome factions running amok in their territory every time there was a war.

As a result, the Duchy imposed a greater demand to settle wars immediately, and succeeded in shortening wars steadily.

The fame of the Lindbeld Dukedom went on the rise.

Anyway, in short, other families can be despicably jealous and then regard the Lindbeld Dukedom as their imaginary enemy, but since they are no match for them in a fight, the Lindbeld dukedom remains at peace and untouched by them.

To be honest, I’ve always believed that if this house were to commit treason, the country would be destroyed. But then again, the Lindbeld dukedom will never turn on the nation.

This fact has become so ingrained in the people that it’s almost like an imprint.

Anyway, I know how much the Dukes of Lindbeld have contributed to the country.

Everyone knows that.

That’s why everyone acknowledges the Lindbeld dukedom’s superiority. 

The territory of the Lindbeld dukedom bore the brunt of most of the war’s damages.

In fact, I can only assume that the Duchy was given the lands to use as a shield, and that’s what they did.

The first generation promised to be a shield to protect the country.

They handed this promise down from generation to generation until now.

“Land-wise, there is no problem. There is a lot of farmland, and the soil is fertile. Therefore, we have enough warehouses to supply our own wartime food needs. There are dangers, but it’s really a fortune that in this era, we don’t have the biggest danger of all: war. In my grandfather’s time, the seeds of war were still smoldering, and then there was the epidemic.”

The Dukes of Lindbeld had lived through really turbulent times, haven’t they?

The history of war had always accompanied them, and for that reason, their vassals seemed to be tightly united.

That aside, I want to say, Rockell isn’t the only exception, you know?

In essence, I’m a complete alien.

An existence, who suddenly appeared, and who can become a bud of discord…

“Would it make you feel any better if I wipe out your past reputation?”

“Hmm, I’m sure not everyone will believe the rumors, but I’m sure those who want to be your wife will have a problem with it.”

The previous candidate was the Princess, and the predecessor before her was the daughter of my father-in-law’s right-hand man, I believe.

My husband might resemble his father, but he also took after his mother. After all, from the rumors I’ve heard, his personality is a far cry from my father-in-law.

“Marriages of convenience aren’t in vogue these days. I believe that in times like these, I think it’s better to choose a person of good character.”

Isn’t it the other way around?

I thought so, but my husband continued.

“It is true that even in wartime, people of good caliber are needed. But before that, political marriage for the sake of alliance is more important. Besides, now that there is peace, more and more people are going to school. The intellectuals of that time were all privileged people, so inevitably, it was also the daughters of the privileged who possessed the caliber whom the higher-ranks seek.”

Precisely. 

In fact, it still is.

However, nowadays, the citizens in the cities are reasonably wealthy and literate.

Literate people naturally avoid hard work, which is why many of the menial and hard dirty jobs of the aristocracy and the wealthy are done by illiterates.

“In times of peace, I need to focus on internal affairs. To do that, I need a person who plays a different role than in a war; an accomplished person who can attract others. I prefer a person who has her own will and not just a yes-man. I want someone who has the guts to confront the head of the family at times.”

Can you not look at me when you say ‘the guts to confront you’?.

Are you implying that I’m cocky?

“Political marriages are still the norm. Our marriage is also a kind of political marriage. We never know where we’ll get sidetracked if we show a crack.”

In fact, it’s like a deceptive marriage.

If I were Her Royal Highness, I would have given up, but given my terrible reputation, I can understand why she couldn’t accept our marriage.

However, I’m comfortable enough with my circumstance, to the extent that I don’t want to give it up, so let me pretend to be a good girl at the very least.

I mean, if I part with my husband, I can’t keep Retzel and Licht.

They eat too much.

The cost of food for my beasts is quite pricey. They are the cutest if I just keep them! But their food is so expensive I can’t afford it.

If I were to be sent back to the Count of Verdigo’s house, I’d have to think about how I’m going to pay for their food.

No, given the size of the Count’s residence, it’s not impossible to shelter them, but my father, the absolute head of the family, would never allow it.

Honestly, I wondered if I would be going home soon.

I’ll miss them when I get back, but then I won’t have to go to some territory or do official business in neighboring countries! Those were my thoughts for a while.

However, Retzel and Licht are staying here for some reason, so we have to provide them with not only food, but also a place where they can get lots of exercise.

The Duke’s mansion is large, but given Retzel’s size, it would be too small for him to really move around.

“Ah, it’s coming into view. Einhorn, the territory’s capital.”

I peeked through the window of the carriage at my husband’s words and saw a city that was gradually coming into view. It was surrounded by walls, and even deeper moats and rivers.

It was a solid fortress-like city, known as a citadel.