”So, well… I received a letter from Tory Old, that gentleman I spoke with at Aile’s gathering… and the truth is… it concerns…”
Kyle broke out into a nervous sweat, wringing his hands as he gave his report to Flare.
They were standing inside Flare’s office-a newly renovated space on the first floor that used to be an empty storeroom. Seeing Kyle dash into the room so flustered, Flare paused her writing and looked up, wondering what could possibly be wrong.
Normally, he found her gaze captivating, but right now it was downright terrifying. He hadn’t done anything wrong, yet as a husband, he couldn’t help feeling a wave of guilt wash over him.
”Oh, my. This is regarding Layla, is it not? Please do not tell me her family has requested she become your concubine?”
”How on earth did you guess that!?”
The letter from Tory Old contained the exact same message Flare had just voiced. According to Old’s writing, ‘Our dear Layla has reached the proper age and we have sought a suitable husband for her, yet we truly believe no gentleman could be more fitting than your esteemed self.’ He had even written paragraphs praising Kyle, bordering on the outright bizarre.
Ultimately, he was asking if Kyle would be willing to meet his daughter in person-a formal marriage proposal, in short.
”It is common knowledge that the Old family has been searching for a husband for Layla for quite some time… Granted, it is rare for noble parents not to seek a match for their daughter, but Layla’s circumstances are rather complicated.”
”Right, I recall now. Not only was she born with those unusual features, but there were also those nasty rumors about her possessing a ‘cursed eye’ and other strange things…”
”Precisely so. Consequently, those nobles who value their precious reputations maintained their distance. As the oldest families are often the most superstitious, the poor girl has endured a rather miserable ordeal.”
That made sense. Even in his past life, he remembered that the upper class had been deeply obsessed with good luck charms and superstitions.
”Thus, they likely reasoned it would be far better for her to become a concubine than to remain unmarried forever. Very few nobles take concubines, yet perhaps they assumed you would be open to the idea, Kyle?”
”Hold on, what!? Why me? I clearly told everyone at that party that we live together happily and that our marriage is wonderful!”
That was true. He had spent the entire evening bragging about his love for Flare directly to Tory Old. If anything, shouldn’t Old have heard that and thought, ‘There’s no possible way for my daughter to fit in there’?
Flare let out a soft sigh at Kyle’s protest, patiently breaking down the line of reasoning Old must have used.
”I can imagine a few possibilities. To begin with, he was likely evaluating whether you possessed the financial capability to support a concubine, as well as the courage and open-mindedness to ignore noble gossip and curious stares. Judging by your conversation, you evidently passed Tory Old’s test with flying colors.”
Kyle had to admit-even if it sounded self-serving-that Quinta’s economy had been thriving ever since he took over the territory. Furthermore, they had gained Flare’s brilliant mind, new businesses were taking off, and investors were pouring in.
He was easily one of the wealthiest lords in the region, boasting incredible growth potential. Fair enough, that part made sense.
”Finances aside, though, I really doubt I have any ‘courage’ or ‘open-mindedness’… I’m just an ordinary guy…”
In all honesty, Kyle was terrible at fighting, easily startled, and possessed very little brave instinct. He literally hid away in his own territory just to avoid being stared at!
Flare let out another sigh, this time sounding thoroughly amused by his modesty.
”Kyle… at that party, you repeatedly declared yourself ‘happy’ without the slightest hint of shame, despite having married me under the guise of a punishment. It is entirely logical for Tory Old to think, ‘If even that fierce Flare Regal can find happiness here, perhaps my daughter with her poor reputation could live just as happily.’ Furthermore, you presented Aile with that costly Magicraft device as a gift, thereby proving your financial status beyond doubt.”
True. The Magicraft-style lantern he gave Aile hadn’t been cheap, but his goal was to use the high-profile commander as a walking advertisement for Quinta’s industry-stealth marketing, essentially.
Thanks to Fidek reaching out to his magician friends and pupils, they were building a system to produce basic MagiCraft items at low cost. It would take time, but once custom orders started coming in, having Quinta associated with high quality would build immediate trust with buyers.
As for telling everyone he was happy with Flare… he genuinely meant it, so what was he supposed to do?
Flare offered a slender smile at Kyle’s silent defense, teasing him gently.
”So, how do you wish to proceed? Personally, I consider Layla to be a sweet girl, and accepting her as a concubine would not be a bad choice. However, taking a concubine does look somewhat unfavorable. People might begin whispering that the lord of Quinta is a shameless lecher, or mock us by claiming Quinta has become a ‘dumping ground for unwanted daughters,’ given that you would be married to both myself and Layla.”
Kyle understood her point, but honestly-had Flare or Layla ever done anything to deserve such harsh cruelty? It seemed that no matter what world you lived in, some people always believed that if it was social to attack someone, it wasn’t a crime.
It reminded him of schoolyard bullying in his past life, or the hateful comments on the internet.
”If you say so, Flare… I’m not entirely opposed. If she’s a good person with nowhere left to turn, I do want to help her. But are you truly comfortable with this, Flare?”
”Indeed I am. We have not yet produced an heir, as expected, so if we cite that as our primary reason, I doubt we shall face much public backlash.”
It was true-despite sharing intimacy frequently, Flare hadn’t become pregnant yet. Using the necessity of securing a family line would be a valid justification for taking a concubine.
When Kyle confirmed this detail, Flare nodded in agreement, though she admitted they would still become a favorite topic of gossip among the rumor-loving nobles.
”I see. Well, I’m already known as the ‘eccentric lord,’ so I don’t really care what people say about me. I just can’t stand the thought of them speaking ill of you…”
Kyle mumbled the words without thinking, causing Flare to close her eyes with a smile, holding back a soft chuckle.
”Well then, why not agree to at least meet Layla first? I should like to see her again as well, after all this time. Besides, there remains the distinct possibility that you might meet her, only for her to find you utterly unimpressive, you know?” she said with calm composure.
That was a fair point. He could very well be rejected. In fact, that outcome was far more likely. Even if her parents had arranged the meeting, Layla wasn’t being forced into anything like Flare had been.
”Haha, yeah, you’re right about that. Alright, I’ll take your advice and agree to a meeting. Speaking of which, what was Layla like back when you knew her? Was she outgoing? Shy? And I’d like to know a bit more about her appearance too.”
So far, all he knew were her physical traits-striking white hair and red eyes-and that she was considered an unlucky girl plagued by rumors. He wanted to understand her actual personality from someone who had known her personally.
Specifically, he wondered if she was pretty. That was certainly something he couldn’t help being curious about.
Flare gave a faint smile and teased, “My, my, suddenly so deeply invested, are we?” She then shared her honest memories of the girl.
”That being said, the last time I attended the same academy as Layla, I was fifteen years of age, which was six years ago. Layla was merely eleven at the time, so I cannot say what sort of adult woman she has grown into.”
Wait. If Flare was fifteen and Layla was eleven, that meant Layla was four years younger. Which meant she was… seventeen!?
Kyle did the mental math and froze as he realized Layla was still a teenager. Sure, fifteen was considered adulthood here, and most nobles married between sixteen and their early twenties, making her right in the middle of marriageable age in this world. But his past life memories kept reminding him that teenagers were high school students.
If she were eighteen, that would barely be an adult, but anything younger would have been illegal back in his old life, making Kyle instantly anxious.
For a second, his mind screamed, ‘Wait, is this wrong!?’ But he quickly forced himself to calm down. It was fine.
”So she’s four years younger than you, Flare. And eight years younger than me. Right, right… ha ha ha.”
”…Are you pleased that your prospective partner is younger than you anticipated?”
”Wha-no! That’s not it at all!”
Seventeen… seventeen, huh. Well, Flare was twenty-one, so it wasn’t a massive gap, but the number itself still felt overwhelming.
Besides, people always said youth had its own charm, so it would be a lie to say he was completely indifferent. But putting that aside…
”N-No, more importantly, since you two were close, does that mean you have similar personalities? If so, I feel like I could get along with her just fine.”
Having been caught by his wife showing a bit too much excitement over her age, Kyle quickly changed the subject to her disposition.
Honestly, he didn’t do well around loud, overbearing types. He really hoped she wasn’t like that. When he asked, Flare tilted her head thoughtfully.
”Her disposition? Hmm… she was rather quiet, I suppose. It was almost as though she carried no thoughts at all, making her quite difficult to read. I found her fascinating, so I conversed with her often, though I could never truly tell what she thought of me.”
”Really? From the way you spoke earlier, I assumed you two were close friends…”
”Shall we say we merely lacked hostility toward one another, unlike our interactions with most people. Truthfully, both Layla and I were social outcasts, so we naturally gravitated together by default.”
That made sense. Layla was treated like a curse because of her eyes, while Flare was shunned for her sharp look and her family name. They were both loners… Kyle felt a wave of guilt for bringing up a painful memory.
Yet despite his worry, Flare smiled warmly. “Even so, Layla certainly belongs to the rare category of ‘classmates I would actually wish to see again.’ Thus, I suppose I am feeling a bit excited myself.”
It felt somewhat surreal that his wife was this enthusiastic about him meeting another woman, but if Flare was happy about it, the proposal didn’t seem so bad after all.
Kyle decided to accept the marriage meeting proposal from Tory Old, treating it partly as a pleasant reunion for Flare. He promptly drafted a response to the Old family, confirming his agreement.
Trivia:
- Flare’s subtle test of Kyle’s intentions through teasing questions reveals her underlying insecurity about the marriage, masked by her composed aristocratic demeanor.
- The “stealth marketing” strategy Kyle employed with Aile’s MagiCraft gift demonstrates his business acumen and forward-thinking approach, contrasting with his self-deprecating self-image.
- Layla and Flare’s shared status as outcasts creates an unspoken bond of mutual understanding that Flare values more than she lets on, hinting at a deeper loneliness beneath her polished exterior.