Beneath the Surviving Princess's Joyful Facade - Side Story 3

“The young Viscount of Skaella, he seems to be useful after all.”

As soon as the banquet ended, the great madam, on her way back to their chambers, raised an eyebrow at her husband’s murmuring.

“Pardon?”

“The young men are gathered around him. Not only did he dance twice with Miesa, but even Eirik kept him by his side.”

The great lord’s explanation caused the great madam to tilt her head.

“Well, I haven’t heard anything specific either.”

In truth, the great madam had found it curious as well. There wasn’t any immediate need for political balancing among the vassals, nor had any new responsibilities been given to the young viscount. She couldn’t think of any particular reason why her son and daughter-in-law were giving Viscount Skaella such special treatment.

The next morning, as usual, the former Margravine of Cladnier, who had woken up early, was leisurely strolling through the garden. It was then that the butler approached to inform her that breakfast was ready, and unexpectedly mentioned something else.

“Ah, madam. Viscount Skaella is at the west wing. The margrave summoned him early this morning.”

The fact that her son had summoned a vassal the morning after a banquet seemed out of the ordinary, especially since it was Viscount Skaella, whom the young couple had been so attentive to the previous night. Unable to contain her curiosity, the great madam grabbed the butler and questioned him.

“Is that so? Did you happen to hear what it was about?”

The butler had overheard snippets while serving tea to the guests and reported them.

“It seems the margrave was advising the viscount on a marriage match.”

“With which family? Oh, of course, perhaps someone from the Hetav family vassals would be a good match.”

Since the eldest son of Marquis Hetav was in attendance and planned to stay for a few days, it seemed like an ideal time to begin discussing matters discreetly.

Strengthening the ties between territories through such a marriage would be beneficial, and although neither of the ruling families had suitable heirs for marriage, matching one of their vassals was a decent alternative.

However, the butler shook his head. “No, the margrave only asked if the viscount had someone in mind. By the way, madam, you know Sir Bahrain from the knight order?”

“Ah, the one with six children.”

The great madam knew him well. Even during the ten-year war, each time he returned to the castle as part of the supply escort, another child seemed to follow, earning him a reputation for his prolific family life.

“Sir Bahrain’s eldest daughter is nearing eighteen and approaching a suitable age for marriage, and Viscount Skaella mentioned her name. The margrave seemed pleased with the immediate response and said he would inquire with her family.”

“I see… it seems like a bit of a waste.”

After all, there weren’t many men of marriageable age left in the vassal families either. It would make more sense to use those opportunities to forge ties with other regions for political gain, rather than spend the few remaining chances within their own territory.

“……”

Suddenly, the great madam placed her hand on her forehead. She hadn’t realized it until now, but something about the situation seemed off.

“Wait… not a few remaining, but all of them are married now.”

Why did Viscount Skaella’s marriage suddenly feel like such a waste? It was because there were no more eligible bachelors left. It dawned on her that every single one, vassal or otherwise, had already been married off.

Notably, since spring, each family had celebrated marriage after marriage, which she had thought of as just fortunate occurrences at the time…

“What do you mean, all of them?”

The butler, not missing even an offhand remark, respectfully inquired, but the great madam shook her head, not expecting a conclusive answer.

“No, it’s nothing. I just meant that everyone’s married…”

“Ah, indeed. All of the staff members are also married.”

The great madam turned to look at the butler, puzzled. Upon listening further, she learned that all the household staff were also married. Moreover, a requirement had been set for newly hired staff to be married as well.

“…Sometimes, those selected have even rushed to find a marriage partner.”

Sensing that something was amiss, the great madam quickly set off towards the west wing.

“Mother.”

When she entered the office in the west wing, Eirik stood up to greet her. It seemed the conversation had already ended, as Viscount Skaella was nowhere in sight.

“I heard you spoke to Viscount Skaella about a marriage match.”

“Yes, I was merely feeling out his preferences. I haven’t asked the other party yet, so please pretend you don’t know anything about it.”

Once the servants had left, the former Margravine of Cladnier stood silently, observing her son’s face. As usual, Eirik’s expression betrayed nothing.

“Is there something you’d like to say?”

“Well, I’m curious why you’re so eager to pair up the young men of Cladis.”

To her question, Eirik responded as if it were only natural, “During the Sidate war, many men were kept at the frontlines for over a decade. Not only were there many young women in the territory waiting for them, but there were also many widows who lost their husbands, so we needed to act quickly.”

“……”

“Besides, no one was forced into marriage. We confirmed the consent of both parties three times, and the only incentives offered were reduced taxes and labor obligations. Offering such support to those who start new families isn’t a hardship.”

It made sense. The great madam had to agree. After a prolonged period of turmoil, encouraging marriages among the territory’s residents to ensure stability was the logical course of action.

“I see. That makes sense.”

The great madam, feeling a bit awkward, took a few steps towards the small table to pour herself some water.

Old habits die hard. When she instinctively glanced at the room through the reflection of the mirror on the table, she noticed Eirik’s shoulders slowly rise and fall—as if he were letting out a deep sigh of relief.

Now that she thought about it, Eirik’s explanations today were unusually long-winded. Normally, he would answer in just a few words, so why was he suddenly eager to explain everything in detail?

“Is there perhaps a reason you’re marrying off every young man in this region…?”

The great madam turned around, a hint of amusement in her voice. To her surprise, Eirik’s face was flushed red. She had her suspicions, but seeing her usually stoic son’s reaction made only one reason come to mind.

Although she already had a hunch, she asked again for confirmation.

“Did you perhaps oversee the marriage of Duke Salachez in the capital as well?”

The story of Duke Doid Salachez, the red-haired nobleman, falling in love with the eldest daughter of a scholar’s family he met by chance in a bookstore, was well-known. But she couldn’t figure out where Eirik had managed to intervene. Yet her son remained silent.

“……”

His silence confirmed what she had guessed. The great madam couldn’t help but laugh at her son’s irrational behavior and the motivation behind it.

“Then what about Tilberg? The former captain of the guards should’ve been dealt with first, shouldn’t he?”

Knowing she had already uncovered his intention, Eirik nodded. “He’s holed up in his estate, hardly ever leaving, so I haven’t had a chance to bring it up.”

The great madam rubbed her forehead. It was just like Eirik—assuming that a married man wouldn’t stray. Most men in the northern territories were indeed rather rigid in their thinking.

“Once someone has a family, they won’t have time for foolish thoughts.”

Hearing Eirik’s words, which matched her expectations perfectly, the great madam couldn’t suppress her laughter again.

“Foolish thoughts like falling in love with the Margravine of Cladnier, perhaps?”

Unable to resist teasing him, Eirik fiddled with the papers on his desk, a futile attempt to mask his embarrassment. Despite being a grown man, he still seemed endearing at times like this, at least in his mother’s eyes.

“So, does Miesa know that her husband is secretly arranging marriages for all these people?”

Eirik shook his head in response to the great madam’s question. “There’s no need to tell her.”

“Why not? She’d probably be thrilled.”

If Miesa knew, she would likely be as delighted as a child, her eyes sparkling with excitement. Yet, Eirik showed no sign of wanting to share this with her.

“It’s complicated. Please, let’s leave it at that.”

Eirik had his reasons. Once, he had misunderstood Miesa’s relationship with Tilberg, failing to be there for her during one of her loneliest times. Even though it wasn’t solely due to his jealousy, the memory still weighed heavily on his heart.

Moreover, a few years ago, Miesa had expressed her desire to live as a member of the Cladnier family, fulfilling her role appropriately. That sentiment, along with his lingering sense of guilt, kept Eirik’s lips sealed. After all, his actions weren’t entirely selfless—they weren’t befitting of the master of the Cladnier family, who valued integrity and honor above all else.

“I really can’t understand any of this.”

On the other hand, the great madam found the entire situation amusing. She had heard of men wielding swords out of jealousy, but never of someone going to such lengths to arrange countless marriages preemptively.

“Well, just leave it to us.”

“If you mess it up, I’ll step in myself.”

With those parting words, the great madam left the office with a smile. Despite everything that had happened, watching her son and daughter-in-law behave like innocent lovers from time to time wasn’t so bad.

As she strolled down the hallway, a servant ran up to give her various reports, including news that the margravine had woken up. The great madam headed towards the east wing, where her son and daughter-in-law’s chambers were located.

As soon as she reached the second floor, she heard a lively conversation echoing down the hallway. Following the sound, she entered the dressing room, where she found Miesa seated, her hair being tended to by her old nanny.

“No, no, nanny. You mustn’t tie her hair like that. Her hair is so fine, it’ll come loose.”

“Mother! You’ve come?”