Chapter 117

Since the time humans began to possess letters and civilizations, marriage has been celebrated as a significant event that happens only once in a lifetime.

Gradually, its meaning has grown, and the ruling class has started to exclude personal sexual, mental affinities, and love from the concept of marriage.

As a result, any power that holds a certain vested interest in society has started to use marriage not as something centered on love but as evidence of the alliance between powers.

In that process, the wedding ceremony has become not merely a union of two people but a ritual declaring the establishment of a firm alliance between two great powers.

And since this ceremony is generally presided over by the church, which governs human life and the afterlife, our family’s loyal Archbishop manages everything…

As I continued to be lost in thought, the Archbishop in front of me cleared his throat and began to speak.

“Count Your Excellency, then… on the first night, you must lay down the veil in front of your parents and Count Vladimir, who will be accompanying the Imperial Princess. This is a beautiful custom of the Deus faith, but…”

I responded bluntly to his words.

“Archbishop, I don’t want to expose my future wife’s naked body in front of them. So please find another way.”

Given that I have memories of being a modern Korean, I could never consider having an open intimacy in front of others.

Moreover, being a Count like myself, I cannot treat someone of the Archbishop’s stature, who oversees a religious ceremony like marriage, in such a way.

Because if the Archbishop believes his authority has been infringed upon, it would lead to the reputation that I disrespected the church, which acts on behalf of Deus.

However, the current relationship between the Archbishop and me is essentially that of lord and vassal, so…

The Archbishop wore a slightly annoyed expression, expressing his resentment toward my words in a dissatisfied voice.

“This ceremony is a sacred ritual in which those who have sworn marriage before Deus prove their love in front of the guests, so it is difficult to completely omit it. However… a marriage arranged for political reasons isn’t necessarily conducted after reaching adulthood, like Your Excellency. In such cases, it usually concludes with a conversation on the bed while the guests observe.”

“In that case, there’s no need to publicly engage in intimacy during the wedding ceremony. I feel this might lead to other issues. How do we handle that?”

At my words, the Archbishop shook his head.

“Actually, there was a lot of talk about this custom even 14 years ago when I was working on my doctorate in theology… Regardless of the fact that it’s a ritual meant to bless the marriage, conducting intimacy in front of the guests has been considered an obscene act. Therefore, Your Excellency, you might want to purify the ritual based on this.”

Having recruited the Archbishop for 20,000 gold coins, I found it convenient to see its effects here.

Indeed, money is the best; it’s always thrilling.

Thus, we spent an hour discussing the wedding ceremony, and I was mostly able to adjust it in my desired direction.

After the Archbishop withdrew, the Short Lieutenant came to inform me.

“Your Excellency, Count Vladimir has arrived.”

Isn’t it still a week until the wedding envoy is supposed to come? Why is Count Vladimir coming already…?

Usually, it’s common to discuss future plans while preparing for a wedding…

However, I couldn’t keep our VIP, the father-in-law of the Northern Alliance, waiting.

“Understood, escort him to the reception room.”

Upon hearing this, the Short Lieutenant replied with a concerned expression.

“Since he has come entirely on an unofficial schedule, he doesn’t want the servants here to know… I’m sorry, but he has asked you to come to Orbo village.”

During the last war, a Baron would ride through enemy lines for a special mission, and now he comes alone, leaving his envoy behind.

What is this? Does he think he’s shed the guise of an envoy and is now a free-wheeling cicada?

“Go now and call up the squad under First Lieutenant Mark.”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

**

I went straight to the secluded house in Orbo that he requested, accompanied by First Lieutenant Mark and a few of his squad members.

There was one house at the location I visited, and as I approached, I noticed spiderwebs under the eaves.

Count Vladimir probably intends to remain hidden in this shabby place so that no one knows he has been here…

Upon opening the door and entering, I was greeted by the smell of dust and mold that filled the house.

Mark’s squad members began to cough upon smelling it.

Even a poor serf wouldn’t live in such a place in our territory… Would Count Vladimir, who has lived in good houses all his life, be able to endure this?

Thinking that, I moved toward the corner of the house, where I saw a man already half-dressed like a beggar.

“Count Vladimir, why did you suddenly come and stay in such a place…?”

Upon hearing my words, the Count laughed and replied.

“Oh, Count Croilet!! Thank you for coming so quickly. Given my current appearance, I must ask for your understanding for not being able to offer you hospitality.”

“Not at all, but where are your guards? Even if you came by yourself…”

“I instructed those fellows to take some money and have fun, as we will be having an important conversation.”

“Have fun?” Nonsense. He must have seized the opportunity of being here to instruct his subordinates to investigate the conditions of our territory.

If I fall for such words, I would deserve to be called Schwabin.

“Oh dear, you’ve had a tough time. Please wait a moment.”

Then, I called Mark, who was standing behind me.

“Only you stay. Ask the other subordinates to bring food and wine that the Count can eat.”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

At my command, Mark’s subordinates quickly left the house.

“Thank you, Count…”

“Now, we are no longer different Counts, right? Please, call me comfortably.”

“No, even though you are a Count, His Majesty the King has ordered that Count Croilet should be treated with the same respect as His Grace.”

“Understood, Count.”

He was relentless even back when he was a Baron, and now as a Count, he shows no signs of letting up.

No, he does not even give me the chance to be careless.

This type would be troublesome as he wouldn’t react as I would want even if provoked or insulted…

“By the way, why did you come? The envoy is not yet prepared to be received.”

“Actually, our Emperor, or rather, His Majesty, has been worried that the Duchy of Maxburg has become too desolate.”

Considering the reports I received, even though the villagers had harvested enough turnips for everyone to eat, some are starving because they had collected them all…

If it continues like this, it would require enormous costs to rebuild the territory even after the Emperor occupies it, so he must be concerned.

“I am also very worried about that, Count. That is why I sent 300 brides from our territory to assist them.”

“I understand… However, if this continues, the Duchy itself will become uninhabitable. In that case…”

It’s evident; I wouldn’t know why we need to form a marital alliance.

“That means we might have to cancel the marriage alliance. But don’t worry. I have already instructed my merchants to replace the wild herbs commonly found in Maxburg with enough grain to keep them from starving.”

“Well, if that resolves the issue soon, but still…”

“And here are documents obtained by bribing the butler of the Duchy of Maxburg. Let’s read these first, Count. I’m sure you will like them.”

I then handed the documents to Count Vladimir.

After reading them all, the Count suddenly broke into a wide grin as if he were crazy.

“The Duke of Maxburg ordered the nobility under him to pay the compensation you instructed, and even… Ha…”

“Just laugh. It’s okay to laugh.”

“Hahaha, to order that 30% of the taxes collected by the nobility be used for overcoming the crisis… While it’s entirely justified, if the brides see the serfs starving to death… they will soon be carrying the brides, and all sorts of people will rise up.”

While we were laughing like this, the solution Maxburg took was not wrong.

Because if I were in a similar situation as Maxburg, I would order the nobility to pay compensation and tell them to collect taxes.

However, there is one critical weakness in the plan of our adorable Duke.

If he collects 30% more taxes from the nobility… the nobles will have to charge at least double the amount to the merchants and serfs.

In doing so, after harvesting so many turnips through taxes, there will be so little left that some will starve to death.

If this piles up, it won’t just be a small riot anymore.

In the beginning, the bailiff will get stabbed, then the inspectors supervising the bailiff, and finally, the noble lords of the territory will realize they will be stabbed to death under Maxburg.

And if that occurs and a fire is ignited… I could gobble up all that empty land alongside the Northern Emperor.

Knowing that, it seems just thinking of Maxburg would make me burst into laughter.

“I think there’s no need for further explanation on this matter.”

“Yes, thank you. And while you are here… No, never mind.”

“What were you about to say?”

“I was going to talk about the Imperial Princess, but since His Majesty says he will know once he meets her himself, I’m not allowed to say anything. I can’t say a word. Instead, I will provide you with the documents regarding the dowry we brought as well as the items needed for the ceremony.”

“Thank you, Count. Then I shall take my leave. If I stay away too long…”

“Does it matter? Please go in.”

After those words, I stepped out of the moldy-smelling house and returned to the castle.

On the way back, worries unrelated to the wedding began to rise in my mind.

“The noble from the North I’ll have to deal with the most is Count Vladimir. If that guy acts like this… there’s no way forward.”