In an aristocratic society, marriage is a union between families. When children of the nobility reach marriageable age, they form bonds with partners from families of comparable standing, in accordance with the wishes of their head. There is no romantic narrative like love involved.
It is an aristocratic society where one can find love with anyone, and therefore, it is not difficult to tolerate a spouse having a mistress.
Marriage is merely an act with a clear purpose: to maintain the power of a family and produce a bloodline heir.
This is especially true for members of the royal family, who stand at the pinnacle of aristocratic society.
“...I don’t understand why you are getting so angry.”
Emperor Alphonse Lord Valencier of the Empire spoke as if he could not understand the sudden arrival of Crown Prince Bane.
"Princess Ebonwind would be the perfect match for us as well. Nike is already past marriageable age, after all."
“...”
“I thought you had been putting it off until now to decide on Nike’s marriage partner a little more carefully.”
The Emperor believed that the Crown Prince had postponed the marriage of the Third Prince until now, weighing the options for what would be beneficial to the imperial family.
Therefore...
So that, at a time not too late, the Imperial Family may acquire a family worthy of the best results and arrange a marriage that can yield politically significant satisfaction.
“Isn’t Ebonwind the perfect match you’ve been waiting for?”
"No."
Bane said firmly.
“The reason I postponed Nike’s marriage was not for any particular purpose. I was simply waiting for the time when Nike would find someone she desired as a spouse.”
"What?"
“You may think this is absurd, but I hope that Nike can at least have his own way when it comes to marriage.”
They should have done at least that much.
Because he is his younger brother, who has lived a life without any will of his own, obeying his innate duty solely because he is of royal blood.
"Don't you feel any pity?"
“What are you talking about?”
“I am asking if you wouldn’t feel sorry for that child’s life if, after being swayed by others all his life without any will of his own, he is now even being sold off as a sacrifice for diplomatic alliances.”
“Why do you talk like that?”
The Emperor rose from his seat in anger.
Facing him, Bane clenched his trembling hands tightly.
The relationship between the father and younger brother was closer to that of a lord and his subject than that of father and son. And it was the father's choice to decide to treat his son in that way.
The Emperor, who long ago personally subjected his young son Nike to an experiment for implanting supernatural abilities.
He must have agonized greatly, and he must have been in agony. But there was no other way. At the time, he had to do something to stand against Wassenberg.
In fact, the Emperor's decision was correct.
If Nike had not had supernatural abilities, if he had not been on the battlefield, if he had not fought on behalf of the greedy supernatural ability users.
Because the empire must have already been eaten away.
A situation where, despite the pity for his son, he has no choice but to require his sacrifice.
So the Emperor made the choice.
The empire instead of the son.
May he be remembered not as a hypocritical 'father' who says sorry and thank you to Nike, yet asks him to sacrifice himself, but as an 'Emperor' who can command him to fulfill his duties.
“Marriage is inevitable eventually. And as a father, I simply judged that Ebonwind would be the best match for Nike.”
“No. It must be as the Emperor, not as a father. Where on earth is Nike’s will in this decision?”
Bane, who always felt sorry for his younger brother, tried to fill his father's void. He wanted to be an older brother, not a Crown Prince.
In the end... He ended up becoming a hypocrite who repeatedly drives his younger sibling into a death trap.
Still, nevertheless.
He wanted to do his best to grant his younger sibling's wish someday.
"Father, you didn't even try, but I have been breaking down walls for a long time so that he can feel comfortable talking to me, at least. So, I will listen, and I will make a decision respecting his wishes. Father, please do not discuss this matter any further."
“Such an argument is unnecessary. If that is truly his will, I will ask Nike myself.”
“No. You don’t need to do that.”
Bane glared at the Emperor.
“Since he is a child who has never once rebelled until now, you must think that he would naturally obey if his father gave an order.”
"I never said I would ignore Nike's opinion. I just said I would ask because there is no reason to refuse."
“Stop it! Father, you weren't even interested in that child!”
At the conversation that kept repeating itself, Bain finally raised his voice.
The surprised Emperor's eyes widened.
"You..."
“How do you know if there is a reason to refuse or not! Father’s question would amount to tacit coercion! Didn’t I tell you that there was no need for you to ask?”
At that time.
Of all things, Nike came to visit.
The Emperor and the Crown Prince immediately shouted toward the closed door.
"Let him in!"
“Don’t come in!”
There was a brief silence outside, but soon Nike opened the door himself and came in.
Bain bit his lip tightly as he looked at Nike, who was staring at him.
The fact that his younger brother could express his will, even just a little, was possible because he was the older brother.
But his father was different.
To Nike, his father was the 'Emperor,' and the relationship between the two was always that of a lord and a vassal.
“I apologize for interrupting your audience, Your Majesty. I had an urgent matter to report to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, so I took the liberty of interrupting.”
Nike bowed to the Emperor.
"It's fine. I was actually planning to call you anyway."
“...Yes. Please give your order.”
“The Ebonwind Royal Family visit is in four months. It is a procession of distinguished guests among distinguished guests, accompanied by the King and Queen, the Crown Prince, and even the youngest Princess.”
“...”
As soon as the Emperor began to speak, Nike froze in place.
This is because... it was a conversation that was already in his memory.
Was it today?
The situation and timing have changed slightly, but the content must be the same.
Then he could guess why his brother had argued with his father.
Nike knows what the Emperor's next words will be.
"Please take charge of escorting the youngest Princess of Ebonwind within the delegation."
It was said that the purpose was to get acquainted with the Princess before the marriage.
At this time, the self is from before the regression.
"It turns out he had accepted that marriage proposal."
Yes, that was the case.
Because at that time, it was before he met Vania, and he didn't know her.
As he was tied down to the battlefield, he had been refusing marriage proposals as much as possible...
“As you know, Ebonwind is Evgenia’s hegemonic power. It seems they are trying to solidify their ties with our Empire this time, so I have no reason to refuse.”
He replied that he would ultimately follow the Emperor's will, who emphasized the necessity of the alliance in this way.
That is exactly where the memories related to Ebonwind that he got back end.
At first, he was surprised that he had accepted the marriage proposal.
However, a future where he becomes Vania's lover. If so, it means this marriage proposal fell through long ago.
Why?
It is an aristocratic society where one can find love with anyone, and therefore, it is not difficult to tolerate a spouse having a mistress.
Marriage is merely an act with a clear purpose: to maintain the power of a family and produce a bloodline heir.
This is especially true for members of the royal family, who stand at the pinnacle of aristocratic society.
“...I don’t understand why you are getting so angry.”
Emperor Alphonse Lord Valencier of the Empire spoke as if he could not understand the sudden arrival of Crown Prince Bane.
"Princess Ebonwind would be the perfect match for us as well. Nike is already past marriageable age, after all."
“...”
“I thought you had been putting it off until now to decide on Nike’s marriage partner a little more carefully.”
The Emperor believed that the Crown Prince had postponed the marriage of the Third Prince until now, weighing the options for what would be beneficial to the imperial family.
Therefore...
So that, at a time not too late, the Imperial Family may acquire a family worthy of the best results and arrange a marriage that can yield politically significant satisfaction.
“Isn’t Ebonwind the perfect match you’ve been waiting for?”
"No."
Bane said firmly.
“The reason I postponed Nike’s marriage was not for any particular purpose. I was simply waiting for the time when Nike would find someone she desired as a spouse.”
"What?"
“You may think this is absurd, but I hope that Nike can at least have his own way when it comes to marriage.”
They should have done at least that much.
Because he is his younger brother, who has lived a life without any will of his own, obeying his innate duty solely because he is of royal blood.
"Don't you feel any pity?"
“What are you talking about?”
“I am asking if you wouldn’t feel sorry for that child’s life if, after being swayed by others all his life without any will of his own, he is now even being sold off as a sacrifice for diplomatic alliances.”
“Why do you talk like that?”
The Emperor rose from his seat in anger.
Facing him, Bane clenched his trembling hands tightly.
The relationship between the father and younger brother was closer to that of a lord and his subject than that of father and son. And it was the father's choice to decide to treat his son in that way.
The Emperor, who long ago personally subjected his young son Nike to an experiment for implanting supernatural abilities.
He must have agonized greatly, and he must have been in agony. But there was no other way. At the time, he had to do something to stand against Wassenberg.
In fact, the Emperor's decision was correct.
If Nike had not had supernatural abilities, if he had not been on the battlefield, if he had not fought on behalf of the greedy supernatural ability users.
Because the empire must have already been eaten away.
A situation where, despite the pity for his son, he has no choice but to require his sacrifice.
So the Emperor made the choice.
The empire instead of the son.
May he be remembered not as a hypocritical 'father' who says sorry and thank you to Nike, yet asks him to sacrifice himself, but as an 'Emperor' who can command him to fulfill his duties.
“Marriage is inevitable eventually. And as a father, I simply judged that Ebonwind would be the best match for Nike.”
“No. It must be as the Emperor, not as a father. Where on earth is Nike’s will in this decision?”
Bane, who always felt sorry for his younger brother, tried to fill his father's void. He wanted to be an older brother, not a Crown Prince.
In the end... He ended up becoming a hypocrite who repeatedly drives his younger sibling into a death trap.
Still, nevertheless.
He wanted to do his best to grant his younger sibling's wish someday.
"Father, you didn't even try, but I have been breaking down walls for a long time so that he can feel comfortable talking to me, at least. So, I will listen, and I will make a decision respecting his wishes. Father, please do not discuss this matter any further."
“Such an argument is unnecessary. If that is truly his will, I will ask Nike myself.”
“No. You don’t need to do that.”
Bane glared at the Emperor.
“Since he is a child who has never once rebelled until now, you must think that he would naturally obey if his father gave an order.”
"I never said I would ignore Nike's opinion. I just said I would ask because there is no reason to refuse."
“Stop it! Father, you weren't even interested in that child!”
At the conversation that kept repeating itself, Bain finally raised his voice.
The surprised Emperor's eyes widened.
"You..."
“How do you know if there is a reason to refuse or not! Father’s question would amount to tacit coercion! Didn’t I tell you that there was no need for you to ask?”
At that time.
“His Royal Highness the Third Prince has arrived!"
The Emperor and the Crown Prince immediately shouted toward the closed door.
"Let him in!"
“Don’t come in!”
There was a brief silence outside, but soon Nike opened the door himself and came in.
Bain bit his lip tightly as he looked at Nike, who was staring at him.
The fact that his younger brother could express his will, even just a little, was possible because he was the older brother.
But his father was different.
To Nike, his father was the 'Emperor,' and the relationship between the two was always that of a lord and a vassal.
“I apologize for interrupting your audience, Your Majesty. I had an urgent matter to report to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, so I took the liberty of interrupting.”
Nike bowed to the Emperor.
"It's fine. I was actually planning to call you anyway."
“...Yes. Please give your order.”
“The Ebonwind Royal Family visit is in four months. It is a procession of distinguished guests among distinguished guests, accompanied by the King and Queen, the Crown Prince, and even the youngest Princess.”
“...”
As soon as the Emperor began to speak, Nike froze in place.
This is because... it was a conversation that was already in his memory.
Was it today?
The situation and timing have changed slightly, but the content must be the same.
Then he could guess why his brother had argued with his father.
Nike knows what the Emperor's next words will be.
"Please take charge of escorting the youngest Princess of Ebonwind within the delegation."
It was said that the purpose was to get acquainted with the Princess before the marriage.
At this time, the self is from before the regression.
"It turns out he had accepted that marriage proposal."
Yes, that was the case.
Because at that time, it was before he met Vania, and he didn't know her.
As he was tied down to the battlefield, he had been refusing marriage proposals as much as possible...
“As you know, Ebonwind is Evgenia’s hegemonic power. It seems they are trying to solidify their ties with our Empire this time, so I have no reason to refuse.”
He replied that he would ultimately follow the Emperor's will, who emphasized the necessity of the alliance in this way.
That is exactly where the memories related to Ebonwind that he got back end.
At first, he was surprised that he had accepted the marriage proposal.
However, a future where he becomes Vania's lover. If so, it means this marriage proposal fell through long ago.
Why?
"Why did you fall over?"
"...I don’t know up to that point since I haven’t received all the memories."
Actually, he had been evasive because he didn't want Ryan to find out, but Nike fully understands the reason.
It wasn't difficult to guess.
The marriage proposal was accepted in March.
He met Vania in June.
It was July when he was scheduled to meet Princess Ebonwind.
It was amazing every time he tried to guess what he might have been like in his lost memories, as if piecing together a puzzle.
'Seriously...'
He must have been heartbroken after falling for a woman from an enemy family he had seen just once, and then reversed the marriage proposal he had already accepted.
'...You crazy bastard.'
Nike smirked self-deprecatingly.
"...I don’t know up to that point since I haven’t received all the memories."
Actually, he had been evasive because he didn't want Ryan to find out, but Nike fully understands the reason.
'I must have changed my mind.'
The marriage proposal was accepted in March.
He met Vania in June.
It was July when he was scheduled to meet Princess Ebonwind.
It was amazing every time he tried to guess what he might have been like in his lost memories, as if piecing together a puzzle.
'Seriously...'
He must have been heartbroken after falling for a woman from an enemy family he had seen just once, and then reversed the marriage proposal he had already accepted.
'...You crazy bastard.'
Nike smirked self-deprecatingly.
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