Ch.155155. Filling Each Other

The proposal alone would have been enough to fill her with emotion and end things romantically. How wonderful that would be.

This was the thought that crossed Ember’s mind after spending an intimate moment together.

But she knew better than anyone that romantic endings don’t exist.

Couples who dramatically overcame family opposition to marry, or childhood friends who grew up together and wed—they all faced realistic difficulties as time passed. This was true regardless of whether they were nobles or commoners.

“Ember. I need to be honest with you. There are matters we need to discuss.”

When Erick brought this up, Ember wasn’t surprised at all.

If Erick had suggested abandoning everything and fleeing to a duchy, she might have suspected him of being a doppelganger. After all, that would mean hiding away on an island with pleasant climate while watching the Empire crumble.

‘This is actually better.’

Carefully discussing what future they would build together.

Fortunately, Ember was a woman who found pleasure in such things.

Perhaps it was this personality trait that allowed her to demonstrate talent in governing a territory she had never managed before. She preferred not to leave things to chance.

“The elderly imperial relatives are plotting something strange, Ember. …Well, from their perspective, it’s understandable. Power is concentrated in the imperial capital, yet the Emperor and princes have been pushed aside, so they must feel quite anxious.”

“So they want to attach imperial bloodlines to Erick, I see.”

Having grasped the situation, Ember began listing the names of eligible imperial daughters of suitable age.

They were daughters of imperial family members who governed large and small cities near the imperial capital, or who held honorary positions that provided them with a living.

The Emperor’s nieces, grand-nieces, and so on.

“You know them well. How…?”

“I didn’t research them to keep them in check. I’ve known about them for a while. …But Erick, if you’re rushing into marriage because you don’t want to be closely tied to the imperial family, well, I might not be enough to defend against that.”

“That could be part of it.”

“Don’t create a confrontational dynamic with the imperial family, Erick. Now isn’t the time for that.”

Ember was willing to share Erick with someone of noble blood if necessary.

Of course, it would be difficult in many ways. She would have to live as if serving a master, regardless of her husband Erick’s wishes. She would likely need to accommodate the imperial family member to avoid damaging Erick’s reputation.

Perhaps I should proactively give Erick some breathing room?

This thought suddenly occurred to Ember. She felt it was her duty to do at least that much.

However, fortunately or unfortunately, Ember wasn’t given the opportunity to demonstrate her magnanimity.

“I plan to propose to the Saintess.”

Erick already had an alternative in mind.

Saintess Gang Hannah.

Ember had never met her in person.

She had only heard about her through Erick and from merchants who visited her territory.

A woman from a strange country with 20,000 types of coins, where demons like Gwon Heejin frequently appeared, yet somehow the system remained relatively stable despite such an environment. Erick had shared this last detail, looking quite bitter as he spoke about it.

“Ah, yes, I forgot about her.”

“Right. I haven’t approached the Saintess yet. I came to you first.”

The Saintess was the perfect match even just considering political interests.

Unlike the previous Saintess who had been demoted to a mere nun, she reportedly had the trust of the Papal State’s leadership. Even if her position changed to that of a duchess, her connections to the Papal State would likely remain intact. No collateral imperial relative could match her authority.

‘I think I understand why he came to me first…’

Though different from imperial relatives, it was undeniable that the Saintess outranked Ember, a mere baroness (soon to be a countess).

Whatever Erick’s true feelings, the Saintess would publicly be recognized as the primary wife. He probably came to her first out of guilt, or to prevent discord.

‘If I step aside, everything becomes easier. Erick probably knows that, which is why he came to me.’

Ember stared intently at Erick’s face, which remained composed.

Unlike herself, still flushed with excitement, his expression was calm.

Someone who didn’t know the circumstances might dismiss Erick as simply calculating. It was true that he had become somewhat austere after weathering many storms.

But Ember, perhaps due to her own hardships, could roughly guess what Erick was thinking.

“Erick. Your reluctance to connect with the imperial family… it’s not simply because you dislike being controlled and checked by them, is it? After all, you could easily fend off the machinations of a few ambiguous imperial relatives.”

At this question, Erick’s expression brightened slightly.

“You’re right. I don’t want to spend my life with a woman who constantly watches her words around me and acts as someone else’s eyes and ears. That would make both of us unhappy. I don’t want to live making strategic calculations even within my own home.”

“I thought so. Then what about Gang Hannah?”

“She’s a woman I somehow want to take care of. She’s also someone I need, just as much as you.”

A straightforward answer, nothing more, nothing less.

It wouldn’t be truthful to say it was pleasant, but she didn’t find it particularly brazen either.

Above all, it was welcome news that Erick had even a small desire to be happy.

For such an Erick, Ember was willing to step aside. No, honestly, it wasn’t even a sacrifice. Until very recently, Ember had been contemplating the gloomy prospect of spending her entire life as a vassal to the ducal family.

“Erick. When official events come up, I’ll yield to her in matters of protocol. Actually, I’m fine not attending events with large crowds at all.”

“Ember.”

“I’ll be busy taking care of the territory anyway. If anything, I feel bad about burdening the Saintess with such roles.”

At these words, Erick showed a refreshingly bright smile.

He didn’t look at Ember with a mournful expression to say thank you, nor did he apologize. He simply embraced her tenderly once more and whispered sweet words. That alone was enough to fill Ember’s heart with happiness.

***

“I’ll see you soon in the imperial capital, Erick.”

I left Ember behind in the duchy for now.

As much as I wanted to leave together… it would be too much to suddenly ask a gently raised woman to fly on a wyvern.

Ember probably wouldn’t want to appear disheveled before me on the day of her proposal, so it was better to let her follow elegantly.

‘We’ll see each other soon anyway.’

Fortunately, we had as many days left together as there are feathers.

Now, it was the Saintess’s turn.

While I shouldn’t rush through a sacred proposal as if completing a subjugation mission, there was actually a reason to hurry.

A small incident had occurred during my absence.

– An incident has occurred at the Academy where a temporary closure order was issued.

– Students clashed in the dormitory. We subdued them immediately, but several were seriously injured and one is in critical condition. We are investigating the details, but according to witnesses, it appears that conflict over personal financial transactions escalated into violence.

– We have urgently requested the Saintess to come.

This was the report from the imperial capital.

I wasn’t the Academy’s headmaster, and had no reason to get involved in fights between cadets. If not for the Saintess, I wouldn’t have gone.

However, this wasn’t entirely trivial. Students who lost their temper over debt default had ambushed the debtor. Innocent students were caught up in the incident as well. That’s why the Saintess was rushing there.

To think this would happen while the Academy was closed with plans for restructuring. I could imagine the current state of the Academy.

It wasn’t particularly surprising.

Unlike centralization or productivity improvements that could be pursued from a mid to long-term perspective, the Academy was like a goblin-infested cave.

The harm caused by each individual was small, but incidents never ceased.

That’s why the Saintess, who had been quietly staying in her parish, was now deployed.

Some might say it’s no big deal for a clergy member to heal people, but considering why the Saintess chose to remain in this world, I doubted she would be pleased about dispensing holy magic in this situation.

‘It might be good for me to comfort her personally. And decide on measures for the Academy.’

After all, I was the only one in the entire continent who could understand the Saintess’s feelings.

I’m not saying this out of self-importance—it was simply reality.

That’s why she opened up to me and shared her thoughts. Because I was the only one she could have a proper conversation with.

…Yes. Come to think of it, the Saintess had no choice.

Unless she wanted to live piously in the church, engaged in contemplation. If she wanted to interact with someone without pretense, I was her only option. And if she desired to form a family, I was all the more her only choice.

However, I had no intention of forcing her to accept marriage by saying, “You have no one else but me.”

I planned to express my desire to care for her so she wouldn’t feel isolated, and calmly explain what I hoped to accomplish together in the future.

And I would honestly confess why I was rushing the marriage at this particular time. With as much sincerity as I could muster.

‘It would be easier to tear apart a thousand demons.’

This wasn’t because I was overcome with passion for the Saintess.

The Saintess was, of course, flawless in both appearance and character. She had a cute face radiating kindness, and a petite but well-proportioned figure. But it would be strange to suddenly feel love without having had the opportunity to build tender feelings.

Yet there was one reason why I was investing my sincere efforts.

Because I desired to build a family with good women.

If I could create a family that strived for happiness and cherished each other, it would also drive my efforts to reshape the Empire. Perhaps because I had just received Ember’s acceptance, my vision for the future seemed even clearer.

I was simply working to fulfill that wish.