119 – Wedding (3)

The portrait of Venus, the goddess of beauty, the stairs and floors made of ebony wood that boasts a profound color like black marble, and the walls painted white.

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My house, where numerous tapestries are hung on the white walls, and the pillars in between are embroidered with gold.

Irina looked at it and said with admiration.

“It’s as gorgeous as the palace in the north, but it’s not burdensome and it’s full of dignity… ”

“Yes, true luxury is not painting a house in gold and silver… It is shown in the moderation of luxury.”

“As expected, His Excellency is different… ”

So me and Irina passed through the hallway of my house, the second banquet no… We moved to the banquet hall for the final procedures of the wedding ceremony.

As we moved to the banquet hall, Irina and I spoke in honorific terms, since we were in a formal setting and we weren’t married in the real sense of the word yet.

That’s why I didn’t know how to talk, but Irina reacted lively to every word I said, as if she had a favor with me from before.

And only then did I realize that I was already recognized by Irina, just as the emperor had said.

**

In the banquet hall, unlike usual, there was a red carpet on the floor, and a purple silk carpet was spread from the door to the chair for Irina.

Purple is the color that symbolizes the emperor, so no one can use it. I was curious about who wore it, so I looked around and my father saw me and started clearing his throat.

Apparently, it was installed without my knowledge, with the hope that I would become more successful…

In addition, there was a gorgeous crystal chandelier on the ceiling of the banquet hall, and a huge amount of food and wine were placed in the center.

Irina looked at the scene and spoke in a voice of admiration.

“It’s as beautiful as a banquet in a fairy tale… isn’t it? dismissal.”

No matter how arranged marriage is, I don’t want to live a marriage where each other has to use respectful words while looking at each other.

If that happened, I’m sure Irina wouldn’t feel like a lovely wife, but more like a boss who drains everyone away.

Also, if that happens, I think I will naturally stay away from Irina and only look for the comfortable Ella, but if that happens, the vassals will make a fuss about Ella’s better son being the 2nd Earl of Creutel.

Lastly, the spies are still recording every single word Irina and I said…

At that level, it would be right to unconditionally accept the intent of the other side.

So I said that although the wedding was not finalized, I was going to be a little more comfortable with Irina in the future.

“Anyway, now that we are married, please feel free to call me Ciel. Irina Romanova.”

If I had to say it like this, it would be to the point where they wouldn’t call me ‘Sir’ anymore…

Where is this?

“Okay, Ciel.”

From my point of view, this kind of relationship is more comfortable, but I never thought it would turn out like this.

So I was perplexed, and it took me a while to get my words out.

“Yes, Irina.”

Irina and I slowly moved to the seats prepared for us, and as soon as we sat down, the band started playing.

At the same time, everyone enjoyed the banquet according to their circumstances.

“Baron Balt, I really envy you. To get a pretty wife twenty years younger at that age. My wife… ”

“Baron Frost, you have a wife now. If you do it wrong… ”

“What are you so worried about? I can’t hear anything because of other people talking and musical instruments anyway.”

“And isn’t the baron’s wife also really great at being a housemate? Although His Excellency raised our salary and raised our territory… In the midst of contemplating whether to go into debt due to the increased spending due to the banquet or dignity… I heard that the Frost family has some money left over.”

At that, Frost laughed and said,

“Yeah, my wife is kind of amazing. I do frugally frugal sometimes, but I don’t save money to keep my dignity. Thanks to you, I always go around with my chest open. Balt, I want you to meet someone like my wife.”

Young aristocrats caught a woman walking around in a dress and invited her to dance.

“Lady, could you please grant me the honor to dance with you?”

“Oh, good.”

“Dance with me, beautiful Lady of the Rose family… ”

“Oh, sorry. I decided to dance with Yeongsik of the Rhine family first… If there is a chance later, we will dance together.”

Someone said that banquets in the Renaissance and modern times were a battlefield for marriage, and it feels new to be able to see them from the front like this.

As we were drinking wine while watching the nobles enjoying the banquet, my father bowed his head toward Irina and said,

“Irina Romanova, I am Rael von Kreuttel, father of Ciel von Kreuttel.”

Hearing that, Irina stood up, grabbed the sides of the skirt of her dress, and bowed her head.

“Father-in-law, please speak at ease. Even though I have royal blood, I am the daughter of a concubine. And now it’s Ciel’s wife sitting next to him. You don’t have to raise your words.”

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My father must have noticed that our relationship had become quite close at the point where Irina was already calling me Ciel, so he responded as if he were dealing with his daughter-in-law, although he was a little stiff.

“Please take good care of Ciel. By the way… It must have been the first time I met Ciel, but I can’t believe we’ve become so close already… That’s amazing. Even when I get married, until I can talk comfortably with my wife… I think it took two months.”

At that, Irina replied with a smile.

“My father kept telling me that Count Kreutel would rather have an intimate relationship than a formal one. And me too… I wanted to be loved as much as possible by Ciel, so I just did it when he asked me to treat him comfortably.”

Irina didn’t say it herself, but there was a lot of meaning in those words.

that’s… Analyzing the personality and disposition of the emperor I experienced, I must have investigated the relationship with Elana Balt as much as possible through spies.

Based on the results of the investigation, he came to his own conclusion, and he must be that if he behaves in a blunt manner like other noble ladies, he may end up being alienated.

That’s why I would have told Irina that it’s good to get as close and honest as possible.

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My father must have noticed it at first glance, so he put on a slightly displeased expression, but smiled and said.

“I’m glad you like Ciel. As I said, even if you look all over Europe, you won’t find a better husband than that guy. So, I hope you get along well with each other and show your grandchildren as soon as possible.”

To those words, Irina replied with a smile without a hint of pretense.

“He is a person who is sincerely respected by all young people. Since I heard that he was such a person, I thought that this person would be the only one to marry, father-in-law.”

Usually, when I hear this in an arranged marriage, I know that I answer very hypothetically…

Seeing how honest they are, at least when I’m with Irina, I don’t have to put on a mask and treat them like other couples in an arranged marriage.

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My father, Rael, must have thought so too, so he said with a relieved smile.

“Thank you, Irina. Take good care of that child.”

After saying that, the father gave Frost and Balt a quick pat on the back and went back.

“Baron Frost, Baron Baltic! The pillars of my family abandoned me… I’m sorry.”

“Well, shouldn’t the Viscount meet and congratulate Lady Irina and the Count before us? So I was having a drink first.”

“Frost, give me a drink too.”

Watching that, Irina patted me on the shoulder and said,

“My father is very close with his vassals… ”

“Yeah, we were originally barons in a rural area, so in the past, my father, who was a baron, and his vassals were extremely close. It’s not like that now, but in the past, if my father went out hunting and it bothered me to come back to the mansion, I would go to the mansion of Baron Frost or Baron Beerman and stay and play.”

“I see… In the imperial palace, everyone is obsessed with titles and bloodlines… I didn’t look human at all. It’s different here. Do you like it.”

I said it with bluff.

“That’s right, it’s because it’s a manor that I did my best to care for. I have to do this much, and in the future… ”

“from now on?”

I was going to say that I want to make the people live well for the stability and peace of my power, but I came up with a better word than that.

“To allow the serfs of our estate to eat meat to their heart’s content once a week. I don’t know if it’s possible… ”

At that, Irina smiled and said.

“Until a few months ago, I also ruled over the barony of Romania that I received from my emperor father… I can’t even imitate you. It’s difficult to keep the serfs from starving, but beyond that, they’re going to let them eat meat to their heart’s content, at least once a week… It’s like a fairy tale story.”

No matter how much Irina is a member of the royal family, it doesn’t make sense for a woman to receive a manor or even a barony in this era…

It’s not impossible according to the law or system, but in fact, it’s like a lot of nobles oppose it and don’t admit it… how… .

“My mother was a maid who accompanied the Duke of Helsinki when he sent his daughter to the Empress. Then, my father fell in love at first sight and gave birth to me. My mother did not participate in the last rebellion, but because of her involvement with the Helsinki ducal family, she was expelled like me to the barony of Romania, who had lost her master.”

Now, the power of the emperor is piercing the sky with the occupation of the nobility using culture and the occupation of the territory of Romania, which no emperor in history has ever done… At that time, because he was the captain of the united nobles, his power must have been weak.

That’s why I couldn’t protect Irina’s mother.

“But neither I nor my mother liked to be so extravagant. I lived well there as well, but my mother passed away four years ago. And just as the Duke of Helsinki’s rebellion was about to be forgotten, I got a letter from my father. I will give you the barony of Romania, so marry the person you want and live.”

“It must have been difficult… ”

“And I worked hard like Ciel and was recognized by the nobility of the territory. After that, thanks to Ciel strengthening my father’s power as emperor, I was able to return as a princess. Perhaps because of that background, I could believe in the achievements and efforts of a man named Ciel von Kreuttel, even if I couldn’t trust other nobles. So I came here because I asked my father.”

Then Irina smiled and said.

“Good luck in the future. Ciel.”

And after a while, Irina, myself, my family, and some of the delegation led by Count Vladimir entered the room with the bed prepared inside the banquet hall.

After leaving the room, Irina and I started chatting until the night before.

In the middle, the wind catcher I planted in the delegation in advance also said this.

“Tradition requires you two to make love behind a curtain, so why not?”

To that, the archbishop replied.

“Concerning this custom, theologians say that it may be indecent to show the bride and groom making love in front of everyone. It seems that His Excellency also believes in this view. And the custom is to see how well the two of you can get along, isn’t it enough just to have a good conversation like that?”

“… . Your Excellency Archbishop is right.”

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

And I confirmed that everyone had left and said.

“It was so hard preparing for the banquet, wedding, and entertainment for the citizens… I’m going to sleep.”

I said that and extinguished the candle near the bed and moved on.

Then Irina grabbed me by the shoulders and spoke in a voice mixed with embarrassment.

“Now that we’re done, there’s work to be done… ”