Ch.77Reckless (1)

The title of ‘Duke’ is described as having power second only to the Emperor or King, with vast territories comparable to the capital, immense wealth, and powerful military forces.

Moreover, dukes typically have deep blood ties to the royal family. Due to these connections, if a king dies early, a duke might become regent until the next heir grows up, or even directly take the throne.

However, both scenarios inevitably lead to national instability. The latter obviously implies behind-the-scenes plotting, while the former often results in tyranny using the young heir as a figurehead.

For this reason, in many media, those with ducal status are usually portrayed as the king’s nemesis. But this is half right and half wrong.

Let’s think logically. Would any king with common sense allow a duke to quietly amass private soldiers and enormous wealth?

Even if they somehow accumulated power, they would inevitably face opposition from surrounding forces.

The same applies to House Reckyless, founding contributors to the Empire of Minerva. At the empire’s founding, the Reckyless family possessed vast territory, enormous funds, and strong military power.

However, as time passed and pressure from others intensified, when their continued existence seemed threatened, House Reckyless surrendered all their territory and military power to the emperor.

It was a shocking decision at the time, but as years passed, it proved correct. The forces that had been checking the duke’s power were left adrift, soon fractured, and eventually faded away.

The imperial family had benefited greatly from the duke relinquishing all power, but they didn’t stop there. The emperor kept House Reckyless close to strengthen his own rule.

If that’s difficult to understand, think of it like appointing a prime minister to assist the president. When the emperor issues specific orders, House Reckyless handles all “administrative” matters.

It was essentially a win-win strategy. The emperor benefited by strengthening royal authority, while House Reckyless maintained their prestige even without power.

The territories relinquished by House Reckyless are currently divided and governed by two count-level nobles, as far as I know.

“That’s why our mansion is in the capital. I need to visit the imperial palace frequently for work.”

“I see.”

In the carriage heading to the Reckyless mansion.

I was listening to Marie explain the history of House Reckyless. As someone well-versed in history, I already knew all this, but I listened quietly.

One can’t interrupt when a girlfriend proudly explains about her family.

Anyway, as explained above, House Reckyless has no territory and only owns a large mansion in the capital.

Marquises typically serve as field commanders, so most are stationed in border regions. Due to this peculiar structure, most influential nobles are counts.

Of course, that doesn’t mean House Reckyless lacks power. Having formed a symbiotic relationship with the imperial family, the duke’s power naturally strengthens as the emperor’s does.

Moreover, House Reckyless enjoys overwhelmingly positive public opinion among imperial citizens. If the Reckyless family were endangered by opposition, the citizens would likely be the first to step up in their defense.

‘It’s strange they haven’t turned tyrannical despite having the power to do so together.’

Stagnant water tends to rot, but surprisingly, there are no signs of that yet.

From this, one can reasonably assume that both houses emphasize character education.

House Reckyless particularly values character; as I mentioned before, they mercilessly exile any scoundrels.

And while the Leort and Rina siblings pressured me, they still treated me with a certain (?) gentlemanly respect. If they had been truly depraved, they would have easily ignored my wishes and forced me to kneel.

Thanks to this, the Empire of Minerva hasn’t experienced a single rebellion in over 500 years. This contrasts with their eternal rival and cultural powerhouse, the Kingdom of Teres, which experienced not just rebellion but revolution.

Of course, one must consider that if Minerva’s nobles are mild, the pre-revolution nobles of Teres were beyond spicy. Again, Teres experienced not a rebellion but a “revolution.”

Fortunately, after the revolution, they adopted a constitutional monarchy-like governance system, though not without some discord.

“Oh, by the way. Issac.”

“Yes?”

“Would you like to stay overnight at our mansion?”

Marie’s question reached my ears while I was thinking about the Empire of Minerva’s history. I snapped out of my thoughts and faced her.

Her blue eyes, filled with anticipation, were looking directly at me. Her smile suggested she wanted me to spend the night at the mansion.

But today I was only visiting. Staying at Marie’s mansion wasn’t part of my plan.

“No, I was just planning to visit today. I’ve already told my family.”

“Oh… really? That’s too bad.”

Marie looked genuinely disappointed. However, her quick acceptance suggested she had anticipated my refusal even as she asked.

I smiled slightly at her persistence. Normally, spending the night at someone of the opposite sex’s home is only permitted for engaged couples.

Although I am Marie’s boyfriend, we’re not officially engaged, so it’s obvious what kind of looks we’d get if I stayed overnight. Marie’s parents would think me disrespectful.

‘Speaking of engagement…’

The average marriage age in this world is the early twenties. One might think it would be the late teens given the medieval setting, but nobles must graduate from the academy, which delays things.

Of course, engagements sometimes happen earlier. Especially for high-ranking nobles like Marie, marriage proposals would have been coming since her early teens.

Perhaps because I was thinking about marriage proposals for my girlfriend, I asked Marie with a mix of anxiety and curiosity.

It might be impolite to ask someone else, but I could ask Marie.

“Marie, I’m curious—have you ever received marriage proposals in the past?”

“Hmm? Why do you ask?”

“Just curious.”

“Well… many, of course. I am from a ducal family after all. I’ve met a few potential suitors in the past. Lord Leort was among them.”

“…Really?”

I had expected it, but I couldn’t help feeling bitter. Given Marie’s background, it was natural.

Seeing my bitter expression, Marie hastily added an explanation in a somewhat urgent voice.

“Of course, I rejected them all. I hardly get any proposals now, and with Lord Leort, we just established connections and that was it.”

“You rejected them all? Why?”

“Let’s say their outside and inside didn’t match? Many saw me as a political tool. You might not know this, but I can instinctively read people’s psychology.”

Is it like mind reading? In my previous life, there were people who could read others’ psychology particularly well, and Marie seemed to be one of them.

While I was thinking about this, Marie smiled brightly and said to me, with a touch of aegyo:

“That’s why I like you. You can’t even lie well, let alone be fake. I really love that honest part of you.”

“…I can lie well too, you know.”

“Even when you try, it shows all over your face. By the way, Issac…”

“Passengers, we have arrived at our destination.”

Before Marie could finish her question, the coachman announced our arrival.

Marie turned toward where the coachman was sitting, then back to me and said:

“I’ll ask you later. Let’s get off now.”

“Okay.”

Creeak-

I opened the door first and got out, and Marie naturally extended her hand from inside. I smiled and took her hand, gently guiding her down.

As Marie disembarked, I was about to let go of her hand when she firmly grabbed it.

“Where do you think you’re sneaking away to? If you’re going to escort me, do it properly.”

“Haha.”

Her cute playfulness made me laugh spontaneously. I chuckled as if to say “what can I do with you” and looked toward our destination, the mansion.

“Wow…”

I couldn’t help but exclaim at the imposing sight of the mansion.

The gate stretched so high that one had to tilt their head all the way back to see the top, and the scenery beyond was equally impressive.

The path leading from the gate to the mansion and the beautiful gardens on either side. At the end of the path stood a grand mansion that seemed designed by architects who had poured their hearts into it.

Should I say it displayed a majesty and grandeur that seemed ahead of its time? I had thought our family mansion was quite large, but Marie’s mansion boasted a vast scale that defied perspective.

“What do you think? Amazing, right? Our family may not have territory, but our mansion is renowned for its beauty. We commissioned a dwarf master for the design.”

Marie boasted proudly beside me. I was staring blankly at the mansion beyond the gate when a question occurred to me.

“How many people live here?”

“About 100, I’d say? We have five gardeners alone.”

I was amazed again. The garden visible behind the gate was already enormous, but it seemed the interior was much larger.

“Then, have a pleasant time.”

“Goodbye~”

Meanwhile, as the coachman politely bid farewell and departed, Marie sent him off with a cheerful voice. I too watched the departing carriage until it disappeared.

As the carriage gradually receded, Marie turned to me and spoke. A fresh smile adorned her face.

“Shall we go in now?”

“Yes.”

Naturally, we were still holding hands affectionately. The point was that she gripped tightly as if never to let go.

I too applied strong pressure to my hand as we walked. Anyone watching would immediately recognize us as a couple.

“Huh?”

As we nearly reached the gate, I couldn’t help but wonder about the two people standing in front of it.

They wore not uniforms but heavy armor, with swords at their waists. Even their visible armaments suggested they were far beyond simple guards.

As I mentioned earlier, House Reckyless surrendered all territory and private soldiers to the imperial family. Yet now, heavily armed soldiers stood at the gate with solemn expressions.

“Halt! Identify your—!”

Just as the soldiers guarding the entrance were about to shout, one of them spotted Marie and widened his eyes in question.

“Pri… Huh? Lady Marie?”

“Ah, Uncle Rix. It’s been a while.”

Marie seemed to recognize the guard as well. The two appeared to be acquaintances.

The soldier Marie called Rix then realized something and said, “Ah.”

“Oh, right. Today marks the beginning of your vacation, doesn’t it? The Duke mentioned it.”

“Yes. It seems the Golden Eagle Knights are on duty this month?”

“That’s right. But who is this person beside you…?”

The soldier, who had been chatting amicably with Marie, shifted his gaze to me. Just as I was about to open my mouth in confusion:

*Grab!*

“He’s my boyfriend!”

Marie went beyond holding hands to linking arms as she answered energetically. Regardless of my embarrassment, she leaned on my shoulder, grinning.

Rix was slightly taken aback by her sudden action but soon burst into hearty laughter.

“Ho ho ho. Your boyfriend, is he? Well, I was quite unobservant.”

“Not at all. It happens.”

“Understood. Zeke, you can open the gate now.”

“Yes, sir.”

When Rix ordered the soldier on duty with him, that soldier walked to the center of the gate. Then, as if pressing a button, he pressed something with his finger.

Creeeeak-

The massive gate began to open slowly. It must have been well-maintained, as apart from the sound of the gate opening, there was no noise at all.

Finally, when the gate was fully open, Rix bowed his head and sincerely welcomed us.

“Welcome to House Reckyless. I hope you both have a pleasant time.”

“Thank you. Take care, Uncle Rix.”

“Th-thank you for your hard work.”

Unlike Marie, who greeted him warmly, I greeted him with a somewhat awkward voice. Rix smiled contentedly at both of us.

“Ah, youth.”

“…”

As we passed through the gate, Rix’s words penetrated my ears. My face flushed with inexplicable embarrassment, but I didn’t show it.

Creeeeak-

Subsequently, the fully opened gate closed again, returning to its original state. I looked at the soldiers on duty at the gate and then shifted my gaze forward.

The mansion, which had displayed tremendous grandeur even from outside the entrance, was on another level once inside. It wasn’t just a mansion but rivaled a palace in beauty and imposing presence.

Indeed, a duke is a duke. Its appearance was so impressive that I couldn’t close my gaping mouth.

“Let’s go. I’ll introduce you to our mansion later.”

“…Okay. But who were those people earlier? Didn’t you say ducal families have no private soldiers?”

“We don’t have private soldiers, so the imperial family sends them. It’s a mechanism to maintain our dignity.”

“I see.”

I proceeded toward the mansion with Marie, our arms still linked. Since the mansion was at the end of the path, I expected it would take a long time to reach.

Step- Step-

“…”

“…”

During that time, no words passed between us. As conversation ceased, a strange atmosphere naturally crept in.

Perhaps because of this, Marie went beyond linking arms to leaning on my shoulder, while I was initially preoccupied with looking around.

*Squeeze*

But soon Marie tightened her arm link, making me focus on her again. I hadn’t noticed earlier, but with our arms linked, the soft sensation of her breasts transmitted through her school uniform.

Even though I had dating experience in my previous life, I had little immunity to such things. More accurately, my immunity had completely worn off.

Anyway, this situation was too stimulating for me. Like with Cecilly, a woman’s breasts are incredibly effective at stirring a man’s heart.

Moreover, at some point our pace had slowed, creating a peculiar atmosphere. If it had been night instead of day, this atmosphere would have been even more intense.

*Slide*

Not knowing what to say, I first rested my cheek against her head. Though I’m on the shorter side, I could at least do this.

“Mmm…”

Marie also made a pleased sound when I gently placed my face against hers. As if sharing each other’s thoughts, we kept our heads together for a while.

“…Issac.”

“Yes?”

“About what I was going to ask earlier… can I ask now?”

“Go ahead.”

After my curt permission, Marie lifted her head from my shoulder and looked straight at me. I also relaxed my posture and faced her.

Her cheeks, once white as snow, were now red like the sunset, and her eyes, refreshing like the blue sea, were filled with affection. With our arms still linked and faces close, I could see her clearly.

As I smiled involuntarily at Marie’s beautiful yet innocent face, she asked me in an almost whispering voice:

“Issac, have you ever received any marriage proposals?”

“Hmm… not that I know of.”

This wasn’t a lie; I really hadn’t.

My father was a case of commoner-to-noble elevation, so his connections were somewhat limited, and my mother was someone he met during his days as a knight.

Moreover, the exchange of marriage proposals is essentially close to political marriage. Even though my father was once renowned as the Red Lion, that was during his knighthood, and his political power remained unproven.

Furthermore, my parents prefer love marriages over political ones. Even if proposals had come, my parents might have handled them without my knowledge.

“…Really? That’s a relief.”

Marie seemed to have determined my answer was truthful through her mind-reading ability, as she showed an expression of relief.

As I wondered about this, Marie suddenly came in with a direct question:

“Then I might be your first marriage proposal?”

“…What?”

For a moment, my mind went blank. It was hard to regain my composure after such a sudden curveball.

Unaware of my feelings, Marie smiled brightly and acted playfully.

Her face was turning increasingly red in real-time, suggesting she was embarrassed too.

“Why are you so surprised? It’s not unusual for people our age to discuss marriage.”

“That’s…”

Is this what the medieval era is like? With memories of my previous life embedded, I couldn’t help but be very surprised.

When you think about it, it’s like discussing marriage with a high school student, which is hard for me to accept easily.

Even though I’m dating that high school student, marriage seems too rushed. It was a gap caused by the difference in eras.

“Are you worried our parents might refuse? Don’t worry too much. My parents aren’t that harsh. As long as my brother, who will inherit the family, marries well, it doesn’t really matter for me.”

Marie misunderstood that I was too shocked to speak for a different reason and tried to soothe me.

I pondered how to explain, then sighed deeply and answered quietly:

“…It’s still surprising. Why bring that up suddenly?”

“Just because I like you, and I thought it might help when I write my book later.”

“Book? The Biography of Xenon?”

“Yes. There’s a limit to imagination alone, right? And experiencing something once is much more effective than hearing about it a hundred times. So…”

Then, with our arms still linked, she brought her face close and whispered in my ear:

“I can help you a little.”

“…”

A voice as suggestive and mischievous as Cecilly’s, sufficient to make a man’s heart race.

After hearing that voice, I couldn’t help but cover my face with one hand. My face was so hot that my hand felt warm.

Experiencing Marie’s spicy version after her usual sweetness made me feel like I might lose my mind right then.

‘…Thankfully, the Biography of Xenon is rated for all ages.’

I can’t imagine what kind of interrogation I would have faced if she had written erotica.

“See? It shows all over your face.”

“…Shut up.”

“Oh? Is our Issac angry? Should I give you a kiss?”

“…”

Things were getting spicier by the minute.