[Translator – Angel Dust]
[Proofreader – Prototype]
Chapter 168
“…And that’s what happened.”
Glen, a Knight of the Friedrich County, finished his report to the Count and Countess.
As he had accompanied the young lord as an escort, it was his duty to report on the events that had transpired.
“Hmm.”
The Count, having heard Glen’s full report, took a sip of the tea before him with a brief hum.
‘He’s getting much better compared to before.’
When his only son returned from serving as a soldier and experiencing a great war, the Count could sense that Karl had changed somehow.
Whether it was something he had realized on the battlefield, or something he had lost…
He pretended not to notice, only showing an appropriate level of concern.
Excessive attention could become a burden, so he believed Karl would overcome it on his own.
And fortunately, Karl did take a step. Towards a better place, a brighter place.
“That’s good to hear.”
Countess Ceylon seemed to feel the same way, as she smiled softly.
“It seems he has many good people around him.”
“Do you think so too, my dear?”
For a month, while Karl traveled around the empire attending to his duties, the family hosted guests.
No, calling them guests would be inaccurate. Rather than guests, they were more like… family.
“From what I could tell, the young lady of the Nafplion Marquisate already knew.”
“Selena, it seems she knew as well.”
“My son has always been capable, but I never expected him to be this capable.”
The Count chuckled to himself.
In the aristocratic world, if one had the ability, having multiple partners wasn’t unusual.
While many, like himself, still had only one partner, there were certainly those who didn’t.
Moreover, looking at the bigger picture, it seemed Karl hadn’t chosen his women thoughtlessly.
‘One is the daughter of the Naplion Marquisate, establishing a connection with other noble families. Another is an elf, showing a willingness to ally even with a race he once fought against. The third, though a commoner, is a war hero, demonstrating that those who fulfill their sacred duty are not neglected. And lastly, the princess of Lasker, emphasizing a conciliatory approach to foreign policy…’
It was as if he were a prince, not the son of a mere count.
By doing so, he could promote the current policies of the empire and foster an atmosphere of cooperation.
For a moment, Count Friedrich even wondered if the Emperor or Crown Prince had subtly influenced Karl’s relationships.
How else could he explain the perfect alignment of Karl’s women with the current policies of the empire?
He decided to ask Karl about it later and concluded the report.
“…”
Slowly rising from his seat, he walked to the window and looked out at the garden.
There, Karl and his four ladies were enjoying afternoon tea.
“I think our estate is going to get quite noisy soon.”
His wife, who had quietly approached him, spoke, and he laughed.
“Indeed. Four weddings might be a bit overwhelming.”
“I’ll contact the Naplion Marquisate and understand their feelings. You may have spoken to the Marquis, but it’s always good to double-check people’s feelings.”
“Thank you, my dear.”
Matters outside the family were his responsibility, but if they eventually became internal affairs, it was the women’s domain. Thus, the Count decided to trust his wife and leave it to her.
‘At this rate, he might bring all four of them to the New Year’s celebration.’
Count Friedrich suddenly had that thought.
* * *
“…So, you’re saying that I have to bring all four of you to the New Year’s celebration?”
“That’s what I’m saying. Karl, it’s the Count himself who said so, you know?”
“No, Wait! Why are you the one relaying my father’s message, Eloise?”
“My father?! He’s our father! And he’s my father-in-law!”
I held back from saying, ‘What the hell kind of nonsense is that?!’ I couldn’t bring myself to say it.
As I groaned, Lav approached and carefully helped me into my uniform jacket.
“We’re all guests until the end of the break, right, Master?”
“Exactly! And we’ve all been officially invited to the New Year’s celebration!”
Eloise proudly waved the invitations.
I’m certain. They’re invitations with the imperial seal. I still don’t understand why Eloise, Lav, and even Lefia received them.
“It’s obvious, isn’t it? Who do you think is the main character of this New Year’s celebration?”
“Eloise is right this time, Master. You are the main character, and it’s only natural that we, your guests, would also receive invitations.”
“Oh, well, I… I was really okay with not going… but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs forced me…”
Hey, Lefia? Are you sure you were forced? Then why are you smiling?!
At this rate, I’m going to be labeled as a crazy womanizer with four women in tow. And not just anywhere, but at the New Year’s celebration hosted by the imperial family!
Knock Knock—
“Karl, are you ready?”
“Ah, Selena.”
Selena, wearing an aqua dress, looked even more mature and womanly today.
I couldn’t help but stare at her graceful figure, when I suddenly felt someone poking my side.
“What? You didn’t react like this when Lav and I came in.”
“That’s not fair. You definitely said we looked pretty.”
“That’s true, but your eyes weren’t dripping with honey like they are now. Right, Lav?”
“…I think you might be right.”
These two bicker all the time, but they also have perfect teamwork in moments like this.
If I said Eloise and Lav were the ultimate combo, they’d probably scold me for saying something so ridiculous. Better not say it.
“Everyone, please stop. We’re going to be late!”
If Lefia is raising her voice like that, we might actually be late.
That won’t do. No matter how capable I am, I can’t be late for a banquet hosted by the imperial family.
I’ve seen plenty of people in my past life and this one who got cocky and then fell hard.
I quickly put on my jacket, buttoned it up, tidied myself up a bit, and looked in the mirror.
“…This is crazy.”
The first thing I saw was my chest covered in medals.
They tried to minimize the extravagance, but to me, it looked the same.
‘No, be grateful for the reduced weight.’
And even this doesn’t include the Medal of Honor.
Every department in the empire insisted that the Medal of Honor was too prestigious to be represented merely by a medal on the uniform.
So, they adorned the uniform with all the other medals, and then, as a separate distinction, added the Medal of Honor, making its significance even more pronounced.
“That’s surprising to me.”
“What is, Eloise?”
“Well, our people are very proud, you know. I thought they’d insist on you wearing the medal they gave you and refuse to let it be displayed as a mere Imperial badge. But instead, they immediately designed a badge version of it and even crafted it themselves to present to you.”
“Well, their intentions aren’t entirely pure. I heard they agreed to the badge to acknowledge the Empire’s superiority, subtly stepping back from having their medal displayed equally next to the Medal of Honor.”
“You could be right, Selena.”
Damn it. Stop using me for politics! And stop using my chest for medals and badges!
I heard rumors that even me having four women is being interpreted as a political move. They just won’t believe that it’s not.
What was it they said? Selena represents the noble factions within the empire, Eloise represents the elves who cooperated with the empire, Lav represents those who have served in the military, and Lefia represents the future diplomatic direction of the empire.
They say that through me, the empire wants to convey the message that it embraces all of them.
My response to that? What nonsense. It just happened this way.
If I had such deep intentions, would I have done something crazy like enlisting as a soldier after being dumped?
Knock Knock—
“Excuse me, Young Lord.”
“Yes, Head Butler. What is it?”
“Those who will be traveling with you today have arrived.”
“Ah, those damn Hydras… I mean, the four of them have arrived. I’ll be down soon, so please tell them to wait a moment.”
“Very well.” The Head Butler closed the door and left, and I quickly finished getting ready and went downstairs with the four ladies.
As we descended, I heard the voices of four men calling out, ‘Hey!’ almost simultaneously.
“Karl! Long time no see!”
“Whoa, four women?”
“So envious.”
“Let’s go, we’re going to be late.”
For some reason, Shulifen, Wilhelm, Alexander, and Joachim were all saying different things today.
“Are you guys ever going to introduce me to your future wives?”
“Busy. Later.”
“Busy my foot.”
“I really am busy. I’ll explain on the way.”
I was the one who was insanely busy during the break, what are these guys talking about?
I put the women in a different carriage and got into the same carriage as these four.
And a moment later, I was roaring.
“…Damn you guys—Argh! What in the world did you do?!”
“Oh, good. That’s the reaction we were hoping for.”
“I’m so proud!”
[Translator – Angel Dust]
[Proofreader – Prototype]
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