“I’m really upset. If I had known such a thing would happen, I would have followed you to Pheraira. But… The Duke has left the castle, and I should take better care of the household. Besides, there’s a need for someone to handle Princess Frida’s affairs, so I stayed…”
It’s been almost two weeks since they have returned to Aldrant.
One day, as Lady Samlet continued to lament the same story, Rensley chuckled playfully and turned to her.
“I plan to take a vacation next year. I’ll go all the way to Cornia and return. You should come along then.”
“Thank you for saying so, Your Grace.”
“Oh… When will I get used to that title?”
“You’ll get used to it soon. I’m just happy to serve the Duchess. Princess Frida might give birth in the future, or if not, one of the royal children may become the heir. Don’t worry about what others say. Eventually, everyone will accept it.”
“Your kindness these days is truly unprecedented…”
While Rensley was genuinely moved, Lady Samlet signaled, and servants hurriedly approached. Rensley stood up and followed the instructions, raising his arms, stretching his legs, turning around, and repeating the process.
The priest, who came with the attendants, carefully examined every part of Rensley’s body. Today’s priest was already the fifth one. The luxurious fabrics that Gezell had generously gifted Rensley were finally getting a chance to see the light of day.
The wedding ceremony was approaching, and Rensley had promised to stay quietly in his room. However, the brave Rensley Maelrosen, who used to escape through the window and climb the walls during such promises, now found it difficult to take a single step outside.
The reason? It was obvious. The existence that used to be considered a mere fantasy, a male Duchess, was becoming a reality in Aldrant. The people of Aldrant were sharply divided on whether to accept Rensley Maelrosen as the Duchess or not. Amidst this, Gezell expressed his intention to celebrate the wedding grandly, while several nobles from the royal family declared their intention to boycott the ceremony.
Fortunately, the Church seemed positive about the wedding, stating that there was no need to oppose a precedent.
“He was too impulsive…”
Rensley leaned against the window and murmured while looking outside. Due to the excessive reactions, Rensley had not yet participated in the planned knight training.
Gezell promised that Rensley could maintain his knight qualifications even after becoming the official Duchess, but until this situation was resolved, it was challenging for Rensley to come and go freely.
The servants of Roudken Duchy followed the orders of the lord and treated Rensley as ‘Your Grace,’ but Rensley didn’t want to think about what they might be saying behind his back. Having grown up among them, Rensley knew how acerbic their conversations could become when they were alone.
“Knight Stan Simon requests an audience.”
“Come in!”
Rensley responded promptly. Since he couldn’t go outside, he was grateful to anyone who came to visit.
“Knight Stan Simon, greetings. Your Grace.”
“Please, until the wedding ceremony, can’t you just call me by my name?”
“Well… If Your Grace insists…”
“I insist.”
The two sat down with a jug of wine from noon. Tipping his glass, Rensley rested his face on the armrest of the chair and sighed bitterly.
“Everyone hates me.”
“Not true.”
“For Rensley Maelrosen, who was always loved, this is the trial of a lifetime… Even if I’ve had some trouble with bad people, I’ve never been disliked by so many people.”
“It’s not that they dislike you; it’s just that the story is too unprecedented.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“Stan, you’re a true friend. Our friendship has deepened even more because of this incident. I’m touched. I won’t forget this favor when I become the Duchess.”
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Rensley had no words to counter that.
Marriage procedures in royal families were generally similar everywhere. If a family wanted a strategic marriage or had a suitable relationship with a foreign royal family, they would travel to the country where the marriage was to take place and hold the wedding ceremony. Before the wedding ceremony, the news of the marriage and the partner from the other country were reported to the priests and the emperor. While they technically had the authority to oppose or annul the marriage, such occurrences were rare.
The Duke of Aldrant often married without revealing the intended spouse unless there was a particular person he wanted to marry. This was a symbolic convention representing Aldrant’s commitment to maintaining peace on the continent by not opposing the emperor too much, as it raised a powerful force to prevent demons.
Gezell, who had never been interested in getting wet in the rain during his prince days and had no interest in marriage, had gone through this convention long after inheriting the throne. The result was the current situation where, strangely, Rensley Maelrosen became the Duke’s consort.
Gezell Jivendad, who rarely changed his mind once he decided, quickly resolved everything in the imperial palace. Dealing with the emperor was not as difficult as expected. Gezell blended some lies into his explanation.
He told a story about the late King of Cornia not wanting to send his daughter north and instead sending Rensley Maelrosen, who, initially surprised, eventually fell in love with each other, making it impossible to continue the false marriage.
Ivet, who initially fled because she didn’t like the arranged marriage, later visited Aldrant, worked there, and was introduced as the Duchess because it was difficult to present a male Duchess to the emperor. All of this was part of Gezell’s deception. He also requested that if there were any consequences for deceiving the emperor, the anger should be directed at him alone.
The starting point of the whole incident, King Elbanes, had died, and even Felix had left, so it was too late to argue right or wrong. Moreover, honestly, wouldn’t it be someone else’s business when it comes to marriage? The emperor was always on guard against Aldrant becoming too powerful, so there was no reason to oppose a male Duchess marrying into the royal family, even if he couldn’t produce an heir.
When Rensley went to greet the emperor, the emperor seemed genuinely amused, making jokes about how young people could get along so well and laughing heartily.
The problem arose afterward. Originally, it would have taken a long time to convince people, but Gezell called the knights and diplomats together and announced that Rensley Maelrosen would be recognized as the Grand Duchess.
“I lost my mind. I should have stopped him, but at that time, I was too excited too.”
“You had to say it anyway.”
“Of course, the Aldrant diplomatic mission was in an uproar. There were even those rare few who, in their excitement, questioned what had happened. Some individuals even personally delivered urgent messages to Aldrant.
In the midst of all this, the imperial ball proceeded without delay, and it was then that the reality of Rensley’s situation hit him belatedly. Even the allied diplomatic mission couldn’t convince them. Standing before an audience of influential figures from various fields in the grandest hall of the palace, he had to greet them as the male Duchess—a role unseen for centuries. It felt like a spectacle, an event where he was presented to everyone as the continent’s most extraordinary sight.
The repercussions of the abduction and confinement had made Rensley emotionally vulnerable. He found himself resenting his past self who had eagerly nodded along with Gezell’s decision to announce him as the Duchess.
The situation had already taken an irreversible turn. Even the preparation for the banquet was hastily done, and Rensley, who had not been properly prepared, put on a hastily chosen outfit and walked by Gezell’s side.
Despite knowing everything, Rensley used every ounce of strength to maintain a dignified demeanor before the Emperor. He offered respectful greetings as the Emperor explained the story to those present. The debut in the palace was something he wanted to throw off like a blanket.
“We can’t ruin the wedding ceremony.”
Rensley’s tone became resolute.
“What’s this all of a sudden?”
“The atmosphere in the palace ball was really tense. Do you know how well I can dance? On that day, I stepped on Your Grace’s foot twice… Still, it was okay since most people there were meeting me for the first time. There will be a chance to redeem myself later. But the wedding ceremony cannot fail. It has to be an event where I can positively establish myself as the Duchess to the people of Aldrant.”
“…Why not discuss it with Princess Ivet? She was in the upper echelons, so she might know about such matters.”
Of course, that was considered. Moreover, Rensley and Ivet both enjoyed parties and events.
Although the Emperor suggested that Ivet could help with the palace affairs while stepping back from the role of the Duchess, Ivet requested some time to think about it and declined for now. Her reluctance was evident, perhaps fearing that the Emperor might intervene and arrange a marriage ceremony.
Later, Ivet explained the situation to the upper echelons as well and was in the midst of staying in Aldrant temporarily. Rensley, as usual, faced another crossroads of choice.
“By the way, Stan, you danced with Princess Ivet at the ball, right?”
“Yeah. I thought Your Grace was asking, but it turned out to be someone else. Besides, there’s no reason why I can’t dance with her.”
At the ball where Rensley had his mind elsewhere, Ivet ended up dancing with several men instead of Rensley.
At first, Ivet proposed to Anton to dance. Normally, a princess or a noble lady doesn’t ask a man to dance first, but since it was Ivet, she did. Anton danced with Ivet, and then Stan asked Ivet for the second dance. Afterward, several other men followed suit. That night, Ivet had a lively time, dancing with various men.
“Is the princess going to stay here for a while?”
“Hmm? No. I’m not sure. It seems like she’s thinking about what to do. She could go back and work at the Pheraira Palace, or decline that option and stay here… I’d like her to stay here, but what’s important is what Ivet wants.”
“Anyway, Rensi, I’m on your side. We’re friends and fellow knights in the same order. I want to help you until the end. If you need anything, just tell me.”
“Yeah, sure… You’ve always helped me a lot.”
For some reason, Stan had an awkward expression on his face and got up already. He seemed eager to leave, avoiding Rensley’s gaze. It was as if he wanted to leave the room urgently.
“Well, then, I’ll go back. I visited because I thought you might be feeling down. Your fellow knights are generally supportive of you.”
“Stan.”
“Yeah?”
“Ivet seems to be interested in the Commander.”
“What? No, what are you talking about all of a sudden? I didn’t ask her because I have any other feelings for the princess!”
“Just saying.”
Rensley shrugged and waved his hand dismissively at Stan, who was excessively excited. In the evening, Gezell and Rensley sat side by side, facing Frida and Ivet. Rensley blushed slightly.
“I didn’t expect the princess to come…”
“It seemed interesting, so I came to see. I hope I’m not disturbing anything.”
“You wouldn’t be. If the princess hadn’t taken care of us, we wouldn’t be in this situation now. It’s just… a bit embarrassing.”
“Is there something to be embarrassed about now?”
Right. Rensley just sighed. Princess Ivet drew attention by lightly tapping the table.
“There are various ways to sell things. The basic method is to adjust the price, but what we’re selling is not an object, but Grand Duchess Rensley Maelrosen, so we can’t set a price. In the end, the only way is to promote special advantages widely and actively.”
“There can be as many special advantages as you want. Maelrosen is outstanding in appearance, affectionate in character, and excellent in personality, unlike ordinary royalty. He is diligent, capable in various tasks, and intelligent.”
“No, Your Grace. I’m not talking about those advantages. I admit that Rensley is a good man, but honestly, just being good-looking and having a good personality makes it difficult to win a popularity vote in Aldrant. It’s more important to have one impressive quality than a hundred miscellaneous advantages.”
It was a painful evaluation. Rensley could only nod without uttering a word. Rensley Maelrosen was undoubtedly an impeccable individual, but if asked whether he stood out in any particular aspect, the answer was not that clear.
‘For someone like me, who has always believed that living a moderate and uneventful life is the key to life, it’s ironic that now I need a completely opposite challenge.’
“In contrast, the disadvantages are quite intense. Many people naturally have reservations about same-sex unions, and not being able to produce an heir in the royal marriage is perceived as fatal in common understanding. Rensley needs to present something to offset these two significant disadvantages.”
“I don’t have anything like that…”
In fact, he did have something. His exceptional talent as an Elementalist.
However, he couldn’t demonstrate his abilities as an Elementalist right away. There was still a lot of training ahead, and Rensley had only recently received a few lessons from the wolf.
Moreover, to those unfamiliar with magic, the term ‘Elementalist’ was just a name they might have heard somewhere, and even if he flaunted it, the response would likely be, ‘What is that? Is it something extraordinary?’
“Moreover, the biggest problem right now is not that I’m a man.”
The story of a male Duchess among nobles was nothing more than an unfounded tale. The opposition was rooted in fundamental reasons such as the inability to produce an heir through same-sex marriage, but the common people of Aldrant were different.
The primary reason they couldn’t accept Rensley Maelrosen now was an emotional one.
“How could he deceive us so easily?”
This was the last thing Rensley heard from the stable keeper, who used to be close to him, after publicly declaring his intent to become the Duchess.
The princess from the southern country, who had arrived wearing a veil on a cold winter night. The new Duchess of Aldrant, greeted after a change in leadership seven years later, was known to be beautiful and kind but physically weak. However, behind the veil of the Duchess was a man from the knight order, Rensley Maelrosen, who was sturdy, robust, and even perfectly groomed. Those who knew Rensley were shocked, and those who didn’t felt a sense of betrayal.
“What if you had divorced Ivet and remarried me, as we initially thought?”
“Then you would have faced even more difficulties, labeled as a historic villain who took away his sister’s husband.”
To Frida’s remark, Rensley nodded weakly. When faced with reality, the problem was not the emperor or the nobles. He had taken the act of deceiving too lightly.
The people of Aldrant already had affection for the fake Duchess that Rensley Maelrosen had portrayed. It was challenging for them to easily accept the fact that the object of their affection was entirely fictional and deceitful.
When making the announcement, Rensley had expected that his relationships with colleagues and neighbors would become awkward, and there would be people who wouldn’t acknowledge him. However, he hadn’t anticipated this type of rejection.
In other words, the biggest barrier Rensley Maelrosen faced now was not issues like same-sex marriage, the heir problem, or eligibility. It was the sin of deceit.
“Still, isn’t there a way to change the situation? You should approach people first and try to change their minds.”
“I really don’t know what to do. Last time, I went outside the castle walls and got hit by eggs from who knows where.”
“Is that really true?”
Oops. Rensley, who had been keeping that fact a secret from Gezell, closed his mouth. Gezell grabbed Rensley’s hand firmly.
“Sir Maelrosen. While I agreed because you seemed eager to proceed smoothly, this is ultimately our marriage. I’ll handle people’s opposition, so please don’t worry about it anymore.”
“No, Your Grace… That method is the last, absolutely not an option…”
If Gezell set his mind to it, he could probably silence everyone with pressure. However, that would only lead to the worst conclusion, creating the most negative outcome that an outsider, a male Duchess who had deceitfully deceived people, could achieve.
Frida handed a glass of liquor to the despondent Rensley.
“Let’s at least talk over a drink. Brooding over what has already happened won’t change anything, right?”
Princess… It’s another matter within the royal family, but she seems to enjoy others’ affairs. Rensley smiled faintly, accepting the glass from her, but hesitated mid-motion.
“That’s right. It’s someone else’s business. Enjoyment is what matters.”
“Someone else’s business?”
“I’m the same. People are generally drawn to interesting things, and besides, Aldrant people enjoy rumors.”
Ivet nodded at his words.
“I thought of someone who might help.”
“Who?”
“It’s someone I got to know in the upper circles. I’ll try to get in touch. This person tends to be around this time. They only stay in the north when it’s cold. It should be helpful. Rensley, it might be tough, but cheer up. Anyway, your sociability is one of your strengths. If you keep hiding inside, misunderstandings will only grow. You didn’t pretend to be the Duchess to deceive people intentionally, so with time, people will understand your sincerity.”
Rensley agreed with those words. It was true. Hiding in his room wouldn’t improve the situation.
Thank you!
The last one 🥲