Side Story Chapter 1. The Official Couple of the Worldview (Part 6)
‘Right, there’s no need for me to be so peculiar about it on my own.’
Isn’t he a fine man, objectively speaking, chosen by my sister and approved by all the elders of the family?
It seems it’s time to put aside my personal feelings toward Tesillid, which began with his familiar remark. It would be a terrible thing to deliberately seek out only his unlikable aspects here.
As if sensing Printz’s internal compromise, the topic of conversation at the table evolved.
“By the way, grandson-in-law.”
“Yes.”
“So, when do you plan to get married?”
“…Ah.”
Tesillid’s ears turned red, and he lowered his gaze, once again satisfying Leonard and Duke Hispenril.
‘He really likes our daughter!’
‘Hahaha! How fresh!’
It wasn’t entirely wrong. For someone thousands of years old, he was indeed quite fresh.
‘Marriage…’
No sooner had that single word infiltrated Tesillid’s mind than countless visions of suffocating ecstasy unfolded.
He barely managed to compose his dazed thoughts.
‘But shouldn’t I propose first?’
If he revealed the full situation truthfully, the table would surely erupt.
“Shouldn’t Sir Printz get married first? I heard from Aillet that you’ve had someone in your heart for a long time.”
His intention of changing the subject succeeded brilliantly.
Printz’s expression immediately brightened. Bianca Gillette, the person he held in his heart, was someone whose mere mention could make him feel like he was flying.
“Ahem, I intend to confess my feelings to her soon.”
His lake-colored eyes, imagining the beautiful woman with blue-black hair, grew distant.
Bianca Gillette was the young lady he had secretly harbored a crush on since his childhood, when he was a powerless attendant. Most of the servants in the Count’s mansion avoided her, calling her cold and inscrutable, but in Printz’s eyes, she was different. He had experienced Bianca’s kind and affectionate nature many times.
In the days when he had just become a whipping boy and took Romdio’s beatings in his stead, he would hide in a corner of the mansion and sob alone.
Even though it was his choice, he was still young, and the beatings hurt. Sometimes, when Romdio, true to his rogue nature, provoked the teacher, the corporal punishment Printz received was mixed with emotional venting.
The flower bed outside the library was his hard-found secret spot, as he didn’t want to worry his father and sister. He was confident no one would find him there due to its sparse foot traffic.
However, instead of people, an angel seemed to have found him. From a certain day, a bag of cookies with his name written on it was placed on a nearby windowsill every day.
‘Who on earth could it be?’
He wrote letters in return and placed them, along with garlands made of wildflowers, but there was no reply.
Eventually, Printz couldn’t suppress his curiosity about the angel and secretly ambushed the flower bed. He then saw someone’s small hand placing down a bag of cookies and disappearing, and in his haste, he grabbed it.
That’s how he learned the truth: he had dared to grab the wrist of the young lady he served.
‘Ah, Young Lady?!’
‘…Will you let go? It hurts.’
‘I-I’m sorry. But I didn’t know the angel who gave me cookies was you… Why…’
‘Because you’re suffering because of my foolish older brother. I merely felt a sense of responsibility as the future head of the Gillette family.’
‘You didn’t have to… More than that, I’m sorry.’
‘For what?’
‘Not knowing you were the young lady, and giving you something as trivial as wildflowers as a thank-you… It’s so embarrassing. You must have th-thrown them away, right? Haha.’
‘I didn’t throw them away.’
‘Thankfully… What?’
‘They were pretty, so I dried them nicely.’
‘…’
Bianca smiled softly as she answered. It was a rare smile, making it even more precious.
Wasn’t the existence of a kind noble young lady enough to become the first love of many boys? Printz couldn’t escape this classic trope, and the young boy couldn’t sleep that night.
In fact, Bianca had a significant influence on his dream of becoming a knight. Even though he was a commoner, if he received a knightly title, he might become useful to Bianca.
He harbored the dream that perhaps he could become her bodyguard.
And his dream came true. His talent was discovered following the rogue young master Romdio’s violent incident, allowing him to learn swordsmanship from Viscount Carmel.
He was going to be content with just this, but…
‘Actually, big brother, you’re kind of royalty. You and I are the Duke Hispenril’s grandchildren.’
It was a huge shock at the time, but as time passed, joy inevitably began to creep in.
If he were a noble.
If he were a noble…
Couldn’t he get closer to Bianca?
Couldn’t he become a man worthy of her?
The wish, having found its catalyst, quickly swelled. Printz himself was surprised that he had such a strong desire within him.
And now that he was a knight supported by his family, proposing marriage to the prestigious Gillette ducal family would certainly not be an insult to Bianca.
‘I’ll propose before this year is over! Definitely!’
Just then, Tesillid also offered words of encouragement to Printz.
“Sir Printz is a role model for knights, so the person you propose to will be very happy.”
“D-Do you think so?”
His words, delivered with a supremely benevolent face, sounded not like flattery but sincere praise. It was a moment when his fondness for Tesillid was inevitably about to surface again.
But!
“Yes, unless she’s a woman like Young Countess Bianca Gillette, who desires an adoptive son-in-law.”
“…What? What do you mean?!”
“Ah, you didn’t know? Aillet mentioned it. She said that the groom Young Countess Gillette wants is a younger son without succession rights to a title, or a commoner.”
“…!”
“Speaking of which, according to a recent letter from Her Majesty Queen Celestid, competition is fierce in the royal social circles these days for the position of Young Countess Gillette’s husband.”
At that moment, Tesillid delivered the killing blow to Printz, with a face as if molded from all the kindness in the world.
“But Sir Printz must inherit the Hispenril ducal family, so becoming an adoptive son-in-law is absolutely impossible.”
“W-w-wait a minute!”
“Yes, Sir Printz.”
“W-why should I inherit the ducal family? I have an Aura Master sister?!”
The four-person table fell silent for a moment. The awkward silence clearly implied, ‘Are you asking because you don’t know?’
After a moment, Leonard, Duke Hispenril, and Tesillid kindly provided the answer, dividing it among themselves.
“Well, Printz, you are also the eldest of our family.”
“And our little girl is the Pope of the Incantation Cult, isn’t she?”
“According to doctrine, marriage is possible, but succession to a title is difficult. It’s hard for a Pope to return to secular life.”
“…!”
Only then did a realization, like a shock, truly dawn on him.
Becoming a noble was nothing to be happy about at all!
Printz’s brain then furiously spun, devising a way to avert this once-in-a-lifetime crisis.
‘I have to pass the title to Aillet!’
And to do that, something was necessary.
“Brother-in-law!”
It was to withdraw his support for Raywin. The Hispenril family would need an adoptive son-in-law too, after all. And for the adoptive son-in-law condition, a former prince whose sister had already inherited the throne was perfect!
Tesillid was startled by the hand suddenly grabbing his. But his mouth was loyal.
“Brother?”
When he returned the correct address, as if clapping hands in agreement, Printz beamed.
“Yes, brother-in-law! I’ve thought about it, and I think it would be better for you and my sister to inherit the ducal title!”
“What? But as I just mentioned, Aillet has the issue of returning to secular life…”
“Our grandfather is still hale and hearty! He will wait long enough until his great-grandchild grows up to inherit the title!”
“…”
As Tesillid remained silent, Printz grew anxious. In a desperate attempt to persuade him, he even uttered materialistic remarks he wouldn’t normally say.
“Th-think about it carefully. The Papacy isn’t inheritable, but a ducal title is. Shouldn’t you pass on at least a ducal title to Aillet and your precious children?!”
“…”
Tesillid, who had been stiff until now, finally reacted.
“Children… Aillet’s and mine…”
The ducal title seemed irrelevant to him. Tesillid’s eyes were a little dazed as he repeated words that tugged at his heartstrings.
He was currently imagining a daughter with pink hair and sea-colored eyes, and a son with silver hair and peridot-colored eyes.
“No, do none of you have any interest in the ducal title…?”
It was then that Duke Hispenril lamented.
“Hm? What are you all talking about so interestingly?”
“Eltea! Just in time. Your father is sad. Why do you all dislike the ducal title so much? At this rate, our family line will die out!”
Printz also stepped forward.
“Mother, I have a favor to ask, could you please temporarily accept the ducal title? Just until your grandchild grows up!”
“…No, what are you all saying right now? Leo, could you explain this?”
“Hahaha…”
✠
After ample socializing at the table, people moved to meet various others.
Groups of people could be easily seen gathered in the empty spaces of the banquet hall and in the courtyard outside the hall.
Taking advantage of the relaxed atmosphere, Tesillid also decided to look for Aillet.
‘I think she went to the garden with Young Countess Gillette.’
Garden trees, having experienced summer, boasted abundant green. Walking alone among the well-trimmed hedges, the feeling of inhaling the clear, moist air was not unpleasant. The air, cleansed by the previous day’s rain, felt like it was washing even his lungs, making him feel refreshed.
However, this pleasant feeling didn’t last long. He sensed someone trailing him.
The other party seemed to have no intention of concealing their presence and called out to Tesillid. With a quite affectionate voice, too.
“Brother.”
“…”
Tesillid made the same mistake he had made before when he encountered Raviosa in the backyard of Saint Agnes Church. He instinctively stopped walking at a call he shouldn’t have reacted to.