To paraphrase the letter’s contents directly:
Great Emperor with a heart as vast as the ocean. It’s an honor for our insignificant Sodel viscounty to receive your personal marriage order!
But our family is poor. This isn’t flattery—we’re truly, truly penniless. We barely make a living selling fruit, and last year’s harvest was bad. We don’t even have money for a box to put wedding gifts in, let alone gifts for the Grand Duke’s family.
Moreover, my sister… Sigh. What man would ever like her? It’s better to just spare the words.
With our family in such a state, being ordered to marry the Grand Duke makes me terrified. Everyone treats the Grand Duke as if he’s some extraordinary person, but frankly speaking, isn’t he just a barbarian covered in monster bl＊＊d? You, the Emperor who peacefully rules this vast Helion Empire, are far more impressive!
Oh dear. I’ve gone off topic. Anyway, what if the savage warrior Grand Duke Leodinas comes to our family and harms us because he doesn’t like my sister? I’m truly terrified to death. Just thinking about it makes tears stream down my face and my limbs tremble. Our Sodel viscounty has no money, but we have even less power.
…But if. Really if, the most reliable and splendid Emperor, despite your busy affairs of state, would specially bestow grace and protect our insignificant Sodel family! Then I think I could accept this marriage with peace of mind….
The messenger would have been horrified if he had seen the letter.
He would have worn an increasingly rotten expression, like someone who accidentally swallowed a fly, thinking, ‘Jacone Sodel, your flattery skills are truly artistic.’
Regardless, Jacone’s letter satisfied Gheorghe. It scratched his itch perfectly, so to speak.
The letter abundantly filled Gheorghe’s chronic need for validation while simultaneously belittling Dante’s achievements. This slander was so sweet that Gheorghe savored the letter, reading it twice more with a pleased expression.
What Gheorghe couldn’t know was that Jacone had nearly vomited while writing this letter.
Going back a few days, one would find Jacone trembling as he wrote the letter at a small table, with Esteller beside him dictating what to write.
Jacone was in agony. His brow furrowed involuntarily, and breathing became difficult as if his windpipe was narrowing. Goosebumps rose on his forearms.
“Essie, isn’t this expression too much?”
“Brother, endure the disgust.”
Esteller spoke firmly.
“Remember what I told you before? If you’ve decided to bow, you should bow properly. That way, when you rise up again, you can stand tall properly too.”
Being neither here nor there would only result in losing face without any benefit.
That would be the worst outcome, Esteller quietly added.
“…When I become the Grand Duchess… many things will change. From now on, brother, you need to change your mindset and prepare for the changes.”
Esteller felt sorry. Sorry that she could no longer stay in Delmira to protect her family. Sorry that she wouldn’t be able to spend as much time with her brother who still visited her every holiday even after graduating from the academy and entering university.
Even though it wasn’t something she should feel sorry for at all…
Jacone’s mind cleared as if he’d been doused with ice water.
What was the big deal about briefly kneeling and showing submission to a disgusting person? For his sister, he would gladly crawl like a dog and pass between someone’s legs if asked.
“Essie. I’ll quickly become stronger. And smarter. Where in the world is it the law that a brother must protect his sister rather than a sister protecting her brother?”
“Where? Right here.”
Esteller smiled brightly.
It was a smile as bright as early summer sunshine filtering through leaves, yet why did it make his chest ache so painfully?
It was truly a mystery.
⁕⁕⁕
A week later, the Emperor issued a new edict.
People who have been badly bitten by snakes startle even at the sight of similar-looking ropes. With such a precedent, the Sodel viscount couple immediately became frightened.
‘What terrible order is he going to issue now!’
Faced with this ominous prediction, Robert turned pale, while Winneka merely shuffled her feet beneath her voluminous skirt.
The messenger began reading the edict in a raised voice, just like last time. After reciting the usual flowery phrases as a formality, he finally reached the long-awaited main point.
“…Therefore, to match the formality of the Leodinas grand ducal family, I shall raise the rank of the Sodel viscounty one level to that of count.”
Robert nearly bit his tongue in shock.
He pinched the back of his hand slightly.
It hurt, so this couldn’t be a dream.
Really?
‘Am I truly Count Sodel now?’
He had lived in peaceful Delmira without pursuing any particular changes. While he had never foolishly squandered his assets, he hadn’t accomplished anything noteworthy either.
He had assumed nothing would change in the future.
Yet suddenly, Robert himself had become a count. He felt awkward and uncomfortable, like wearing a stiff new garment that didn’t fit properly.
Regardless, the messenger recited the next sentence.
“And I bestow a mansion located in the capital’s District 2 for the count’s daughter to take with her upon marriage.”
This time, Robert, Winneka, and Jacone’s mouths all dropped open simultaneously.
A mansion in District 2!
To understand the value of this gift, one must briefly examine the capital’s situation.
Currently, the Helion Empire’s capital was divided into four main residential districts, with land becoming more expensive and safer the closer it was to District 1.
In the early days of the nation, when there were fewer nobles and the capital’s population was smaller, one could purchase property in District 1 by diligently saving money.
However, as time passed, the population increased while land remained limited, so real estate prices rose continuously.
In particular, the land and buildings in District 1 had reached astronomical prices.
〈It’s not only difficult to have that much money, but even having the money doesn’t necessarily mean you can buy it.〉
The above sentence perfectly describes District 1. Currently, most land and mansions in District 1 were owned by high-ranking nobles or the imperial family. Not only were people who could readily pay such prices rare, but even having the money didn’t mean one could buy freely.
For these reasons, nine out of ten nobles seeking a capital residence nowadays targeted District 2. With demand surging but limited properties available, securing a decent mansion in District 2 recently had become as difficult as catching a star from the sky.
‘Essie, this is wonderful news. Truly wonderful!’
Recalling these facts, Winneka’s face glowed with undisguisable delight.
To think that a prime property in the capital would be added to her daughter’s dowry! This could only be described as a windfall.
Of course, Esteller had reassured her. Knowing their circumstances, she said the Grand Duke Leodinas would never find fault over material matters as long as formalities were observed, so her mother needn’t worry.
But that was easier said than done.
Her only precious daughter. A daughter who had never caused trouble and had always behaved maturely since childhood, making Winneka worry about her all the more. That child was suddenly going to marry into the intimidatingly high-ranking grand ducal family.
Since the marriage order came down, Winneka had felt like she was sitting on pins and needles.
She also disliked how people around them gossiped about their unexpected good fortune.
Whether Esteller would have a difficult time or not, how could anyone call it a windfall when they knew nothing about the future… She would tear up and become distressed at even the slightest breeze passing by the window.
In fact, Winneka had already cleaned out the family storehouse, her own jewelry collection, and even her emergency savings that she had accumulated penny by penny to send with Esteller.
For a while, whenever Robert returned home, he would witness his wife polishing old gold coins like some miserly old man, blowing on them and wiping them with handkerchiefs.
Embarrassed, he tried to calm Winneka by saying the grand ducal family wouldn’t lack for money, but his angry wife only scolded him in return.
How could he! What an utterly ignorant thing to say!
Even if their child wanted to run away to her parents’ home after fighting with the Grand Duke, she would need money for the gate fare, and how bitter would it be if she had to use funds issued in Leodinas’s name after a huge fight?
Winneka felt like she might burst into tears again just thinking about it.
“Finally, Her Majesty the Empress has bestowed a set of jewelry as a blessing for the bride.”
An attendant accompanying the messenger stepped forward. He presented a beautiful jewelry box with a white background, silver trim around the edges, and arabesque patterns engraved on the lid.
Jacone received it with reverence. Whatever precious jewels it contained, it was quite heavy.
