Chapter 119

A portrait of the goddess of beauty, Venus, adorned the walls, complemented by stairs and flooring made of ebony wood, showcasing a deep black marbled hue, while the walls were painted a pristine white.

Numerous tapestries hung against the white walls, and the pillars in between were embroidered with gold in my home.

Irina gazed at it in admiration and said,

“It’s as splendid as the Northern palace, yet it doesn’t feel overwhelming and exudes elegance…”

“Indeed, true luxury is not about gilding a house in gold and silver… but is shown in the restraint of opulence,” I replied.

“Truly, Your Excellency, you are different…”

Thus, Irina and I passed through the corridor of my home and moved towards the banquet hall for the final ceremony of the second banquet, or rather… the wedding.

During our transit to the banquet hall, Irina and I spoke formally since it was an official occasion, and we still weren’t a true couple in the genuine sense.

Although our tone was a bit aloof, Irina seemed to have had a fondness for me for a while, responding vivaciously to my every word.

It was then that I truly realized I had already been acknowledged by Irina as the Emperor had said.

**

Unlike usual, the banquet hall was adorned with a red carpet covering the floor, and from the door of the banquet hall to where our chairs were placed, a purple silk carpet was laid out.

Purple symbolizes the Emperor, so it isn’t used by just anyone. Curious as to who had laid it out, I looked around and saw my father clearing his throat while looking at me.

It seemed he had secretly laid this down wishing for my rise in status…

Moreover, the ceiling of the banquet hall featured a splendid chandelier made of crystal, and in the center, an immense quantity of food and wine was set out.

Irina gazed at the scene and remarked in wonder,

“It’s as beautiful as a banquet from a fairy tale… isn’t it, Your Excellency?”

Regardless of the fact that it was a political marriage, I did not wish to have a marriage where we had to watch each other’s demeanor and use formal speech.

If so, Irina would surely feel more like a burdensome superior rather than a lovable wife.

Furthermore, if that happened, I would inevitably distance myself from Irina and seek comfort in Ela, and then my vassals would surely cause an uproar about making Ela’s child the second Croilet Count.

Lastly, knowing that spies were likely recording every word Irina and I exchanged…

In that situation, it would be best to unconditionally accept their intentions.

So, although the wedding ceremony wasn’t concluded yet, I spoke up, trying to make things more comfortable between me and Irina.

“Since we are now husband and wife, please feel free to call me Siel, Irina Romanova.”

Saying this might only reduce her use of ‘Your Excellency’ when calling me, but…

This is a start, and if I adjust gradually, I’m sure we’ll be able to converse more comfortably…

“I understand, Siel.”

From my perspective, such a relationship was more comfortable, yet I never expected her to respond like this.

Thus, flustered, it took me a moment to reply.

“Yeah, Irina.”

Irina and I slowly moved to the seats prepared for us and sat down, just as the orchestra began to play.

Simultaneously, everyone began enjoying the banquet according to their own circumstances.

“Count Walt, I really envy you. At your age, to have such a beautiful young wife who’s twenty years younger. Our lady…”

“Baron Frost, your wife is here right now. Be careful…”

“Why fret so much? With all the chatter and music, no one can hear anything anyway.”

“And isn’t your wife’s domestic support truly remarkable? While Your Excellency has increased our salaries and expanded the territories… everyone else is worried about debts piling up due to expenses for banquets and decor… I’ve heard the Frost family still has some money left.”

At those words, Frost laughed heartily.

“Indeed, my wife is quite remarkable. Though she can be incredibly frugal at times, she doesn’t spare any expense when it comes to maintaining my dignity. Thanks to that, I can always walk with my head held high. Walt, I hope you find a wife like mine.”

Young nobles sought dances with women dressed in elegant gowns.

“Lady, might I have the honor of dancing with you?”

“Oh my, that would be lovely.”

“Beautiful Miss Rose of the Rose family, may I have the pleasure of dancing with you…?”

“Oh my, I’m so sorry. I’ve already promised to dance with Lord Line first… perhaps we can dance together later.”

Someone once said that the banquets of the Renaissance and early modern periods were battlefields for marriage, and witnessing it firsthand feels quite novel.

As I sipped my wine while observing the nobles enjoying the banquet, my father bowed to Irina in respect and spoke.

“Lady Irina Romanova, I am Rael von Croilet, the father of Siel von Croilet.”

Hearing this, Irina rose, grasped the sides of her dress, and bowed her head.

“Father-in-law, please speak comfortably. Although I carry the blood of royalty, I am the daughter of a concubine. And now, I am Siel’s wife who sits next to him. There’s no need to address me with such formality.”

Noticing that Irina was already referring to me as Siel, my father seemed to catch on to the fact that our relationship had become quite intimate, and though his demeanor remained somewhat rigid, he replied as if treating a daughter-in-law.

“Please take care of Siel. By the way… it’s surprising how quickly you two have grown close, considering this is your first meeting. When I got married, it took me… a month or two to be able to speak comfortably with my wife.”

Irina smiled and responded,

“My father always said that Count Croilet would prefer a close relationship over formality. And as for me… I want to be loved by Siel as much as possible, so I merely did as he asked.”

Though Irina didn’t state it directly, her words carried significant weight.

That means… analyzing the Emperor’s personality and tendencies, she must have investigated the relationship with Ela and Balt through spies.

Based on those findings, she likely deduced that behaving aloof like other noblewomen could lead to feelings of alienation.

So, she must have been advised that it’s better to approach me as closely and honestly as possible.

My father, having sensed this subtly, initially wore a slightly displeased expression but soon smiled and spoke.

“I’m glad Siel seems to please you. It’s no exaggeration to say that, throughout all of Europa, you won’t find a better husband than him. So, let’s get along well, and I hope you’ll soon present us with a grandchild.”

Irina responded with a genuine smile devoid of pretense.

“He is someone genuinely respected by all the nobility. I believed that if I were to marry, it could only be him, Father-in-law.”

In typical political marriages, such words would merit a heavily perfumed response…

But to see such sincerity makes me think that, at least when with Irina, there’s no need to put on a facade like couples in other arranged marriages.

Even my father, Rael, seemed to agree, offering a relieved smile and saying,

“Thank you, Irina. Please take good care of him.”

With that, my father lightly slapped Frost and Walt on their backs as he turned away and said,

“Baron Frost, Baron Walt! The pillars of our family leaving me behind… how sad.”

“Well, Your Excellency, aren’t you supposed to congratulate Lady Irina and Count Siel before us? That’s why we were taking a drink first.”

“Frost, bring me a drink too.”

As Irina observed that scene, she tapped my shoulder and spoke.

“Your father seems to maintain a very close relationship with his vassals…”

“That’s because, being from the rural Baron territory, my father used to have a very close relationship with his vassals when he was merely Baron. Not so much anymore, but back then, when he went hunting, he would often stay over at Baron Frost’s or Baron Beerman’s estates to avoid the hassle of returning home.”

“I see… In the imperial palace, everyone is so obsessed with titles and lineage that you don’t see any signs of humanity at all. This place is different. I like it.”

I boasted with a hint of pride.

“That’s because I’ve carefully cultivated this territory. It must be at least this good, and going forward…”

“Going forward?”

I was about to express a desire to improve the lives of the people for the sake of stability and peace in my power, but I thought of something even grander.

“I want to ensure our serfs can eat meat freely at least once a week. I’m not sure if that’s possible, but…”

At those words, Irina laughed and said,

“Until a few months ago, I too governed the Baron territory of Romania given to me by my father, the Emperor… but truly, I can’t even remotely compare to you. It’s hard enough to keep the serfs from starving, yet you plan to allow them to eat meat weekly… that’s like something out of a fairy tale.”

Even though Irina is of royal descent, it’s utterly implausible for a woman in this era to receive a territory, let alone a barony…

Legally and systemically, it isn’t impossible, but practically, many nobles oppose it, making it essentially unviable… the mystery remains…

“My mother was a maid who accompanied the Duke of Helsingki when he sent his daughter to become Empress. Then my father fell in love with her at first sight, and I was born. Although my mother didn’t participate in the last rebellion, due to her ties with the Duke of Helsingki’s family, she was forced into exile from the Baron territory of Romania along with me after we lost our master.”

Now, the Emperor’s power is soaring due to the noble dominance through culture and the territorial acquisitions of Romania, tasks that no previous Emperor had accomplished… but back then, it must have been weak as he was the leader of the allied nobles.

Thus, they were unable to protect Irina’s mother.

“However, neither my mother nor I had a penchant for extravagant spending. We lived reasonably well, but my mother passed away four years ago. And just when the Duke of Helsingki’s rebellion was forgotten, I received a letter from my father. He told me he would grant me the Baron territory of Romania, to marry and live as I wished.”

“That must have been difficult…”

“And like you, I worked hard to be acknowledged by the nobility of the territory. After that, with the help of Siel’s consolidation of power as Emperor, I was able to return as a princess. Perhaps because of this background, other nobles might not believe me, but they surely trusted in the achievements and efforts of Siel von Croilet. That’s why I asked my father to come here.”

Then Irina smiled and said,

“I look forward to the future. Siel.”

Shortly after, Irina, I, and some members of the delegation led by Count Vladimir entered a room set up inside the banquet hall, furnished with a bed.

In that room, Irina and I began to chat, intending to talk until dawn.

In the middle of it all, one of the spies I had earlier placed in the delegation said this.

“Tradition dictates that the two of you should share love behind the curtain; why aren’t you doing that?”

To which the Archbishop replied,

“Scholars have expressed that showing the bride and groom sharing their love in front of everyone could be viewed as indecent. It seems Your Excellency shares this view. Besides, this tradition serves to observe how well you two can coexist, and seeing you so joyfully converse is evidence enough, isn’t it?”

“… Indeed, the Archbishop is right.”

Having said that, my family and the delegation led by Count Vladimir returned to the banquet hall.

I waited for everyone to leave and then said,

“I’m quite exhausted from preparing the banquet, the wedding, and the entertainment for the citizens… I’m going to sleep.”

I moved to extinguish the lit candle near the bed after saying that.

Just then, Irina grabbed my shoulder and spoke with a mixture of shyness in her voice.

“Now that everyone’s gone, there’s something we must do…”