Chapter 38 - Marriage and Career
Since Daphne had come to the house, Steve resigned himself to the fact that there was no escaping this and decided to talk with her.
When he went to the salon, Abigail, Sherry, Christina, Bella, and Aila were there. This was because Abigail wanted Aila to gain experience in entertaining guests in the salon for her education.
"I apologize for keeping you waiting."
"No, I am the one who intruded so suddenly, so the fault lies with me. Besides, if I were to make the Dragon Wing Medal-dono bow his head, my father would scold me."
Daphne immediately gave Steve a knight's salute. Even here, the title 'Dragon Wing Medal' was embarrassing, but Steve understood that he should formally be addressed this way, so he did not dare to correct her.
"Besides, you are my master as well."
Daphne had become able to use the Godspeed Sword because of Steve's guidance. Ever since then, she had considered Steve her master. Therefore, she had been looking forward to the possibility of meeting him now that he had returned to the Royal Capital for the first time in a while.
"So, what business brings you here today?"
"Actually..."
She trailed off, hesitating.
Steve sensed Daphne's feelings and asked Abigail and the others to leave the room.
Once they were alone in the room, he asked again.
"What is your business?"
"Actually, it has been decided that I am to be married."
Daphne broached the subject, but she found it strange that there was no surprise on Steve's face.
"You do not seem surprised; did you already know?"
"Yes, I happened to overhear some rumors about it."
"Then I apologize for the delay in my report."
"No, don't worry about it."
When Steve said she didn't need to worry, a look of disappointment appeared on Daphne's face. Seeing that, Steve regretted his choice of words.
"So, did you come to report your marriage?"
"No. I came to consult you on whether there is any way I can refuse this marriage."
"Do you have some dissatisfaction with the partner? You did say you wanted to marry someone stronger than yourself."
"It is not that. The partner is the eldest son of House Stuart, Alfred Gis Stuart-sama. I have heard he has no particularly bad rumors and is beyond reproach."
Alfred Gis Stuart was currently fifteen years old; he had broken his engagement with the daughter of Margrave Cleiman to propose marriage to Daphne.
House Stuart was a ducal house established by the current King's younger brother, a prestigious family permitted to use 'Gis' as a middle name. Its heir, Alfred, had neutral features and a gentle personality; he lacked the arrogance typical of children of high-ranking nobility and had an extremely good reputation.
If there was a flaw, it would be the fact that he had broken his engagement in order to marry Daphne.
"Since both the family lineage and his character are good, why do you wish to refuse the marriage?"
"I am aiming for the position of the first female Royal Guard Knights Order Commander. I have worked hard for that, and thanks to Master, I can now use the Godspeed Sword. Despite that, if I marry, enter a household, and bear children, that dream will not be fulfilled. I simply do not want to marry. If Alfred-sama were stronger than me, I might be able to give up, but while Alfred-sama is excellent in martial arts, he is not at the level of becoming the Royal Guard Knights Order Commander."
Daphne clung to Steve desperately. Ever since she became able to use the Godspeed Sword, talk had arisen that Daphne might be the next Royal Guard Knights Order Commander, and she herself believed it was entirely possible.
Her dream of holding the same office as her admired father was right there, and she did not want it obstructed by a marriage proposal that had appeared out of thin air.
Steve saw Daphne as a woman about to give up her career due to marriage.
In Steve's previous life, his company had been a small town factory, so there were no such things as 'careers' or 'career-track positions,' but he had seen such women at his business partners. And he had seen them quit their jobs upon marriage.
The Royal Palace valued Daphne as someone who could guard female members of the royalty, but if her marriage partner was the heir of House Stuart, it was difficult to oppose it.
Therefore, Steve was also troubled by being brought such a topic.
However, getting married and becoming the Royal Guard Knights Order Commander were not necessarily incompatible. That was what Steve thought.
"If the only reason you aren't marrying is to become the Royal Guard Knights Order Commander, then I think it's fine to get married. After all, there's surely no rule saying a married woman can't be the Royal Guard Knights Order Commander, right?"
"That... certainly, there is no such rule, but I have never heard of such a thing even in other countries."
Daphne grew flustered at Steve's words, as they were different from what she had expected.
She had thought that Steve, who taught her the Godspeed Sword, would oppose her marriage and support her path to becoming the Royal Guard Knights Order Commander.
For him to tell her to aim for the Commander position while being married was the same as losing an ally. She had never heard of someone serving as the Royal Guard Knights Order Commander while being married and having children.
"The fact that it isn't forbidden means there's a possibility it can be done. Besides, even if it were forbidden, if it's a rule made by humans, it can be changed. Even with divine matters, if the rules are for human convenience, they change with the times."
In Steve's mind was the matter of the 'First Seventh Day' (T/N: Hatsunanoka, a Buddhist memorial service) from his previous life. The First Seventh Day was literally performed on the seventh day after death, but in recent years, it had become common to perform it on the same day as the funeral. It wasn't that the Buddha's thoughts had changed; it was entirely for the convenience of the humans.
And even though it was done that way, no divine punishment fell.
In other words, breaking the rules is a problem, but changing the rules is not. Even if it concerns the selection of the Royal Guard Knights Order Commander.
"But, is that not an extremely difficult path?"
"That may certainly be true. However, if you were to become the Royal Guard Knights Order Commander while married and raising children, wouldn't you become a star of hope for women throughout the world who are about to give up their jobs for marriage? In this world, especially in urban areas, work is centered around men, but why not consider it your born mission to destroy those preconceived notions and show that it's possible for women too?"
"A mission... is it?"
Daphne fell into thought after being told it was a mission by Steve.
Not just in the Kingdom of Cascade, but important work in urban areas was handled by men. Among government officials, women were non-existent except for those attending to female royalty, and even in the Knights Order, women consisted only of Daphne and a few personnel for guarding female royalty. Among commoners, jobs like merchants, blacksmiths, doctors, and pharmacists were considered men's work.
In contrast, in rural areas, both men and women performed farm work; men didn't play while women prepared meals, they both worked the fields in a form close to equality. Furthermore, there were no superstitions like being cursed if women went hunting or fishing.
Daphne, living in the Royal Capital, naturally felt that women were treated unfairly.
Steve followed up further.
"It must be difficult to boldly dive in amidst the prejudice that women have lower abilities. However, those who overcome that hardship are the ones who leave their names in history. Just being the first female Royal Guard Knights Order Commander would leave your name in history books, but if the condition of having overcome childbirth and childcare is added, wouldn't the path to becoming doctors or scholars also open up for married women?"
"Listening to you speak, it sounds as if the Dragon Wing Medal-dono has no prejudice toward women."
"I don't. My territory has a labor shortage, so we can't afford to care about whether someone is a man or a woman. We've built daycares in the factories so that residents with small children can work. Also, I created a system where they can easily return even if they leave their posts for pregnancy and childbirth. I suppose 'leave of absence' is more accurate than 'leaving the job.' Besides, I even pay wages during the leave of absence."
In a society where the system of maternity/childcare leave did not exist—or more accurately, where there was no safety net—the fact that Steve had created such a system was received with astonishment.
The reason it was difficult to employ women was due to childbirth and childcare. Naturally, since they cannot work during that period, no wages are generated. However, paying a portion of the wages during that period and continuing employment was unbelievable to other nobles and wealthy individuals.
To an outsider, it looked like grand generosity, but in reality, the residents could only use the money they received within the territory, so it didn't hurt House Archibalt at all. As long as productivity improved and there was a surplus of capital flowing in from other territories, there was no problem with domain management.
Regarding the initial out-of-pocket expenses, Steve had a large amount of temporary income he had earned, so payment was not an issue.
Steve had calculated that when weighing the loss of not being able to utilize talented women against the cost of leave compensation, it was more profitable to prevent the loss of those talented women.
"If it is that thorough, then even I might be able to aim for the Royal Guard Knights Order Commander position, but I wonder if the family I marry into will offer such favorable conditions?"
"Who knows. But either way, there's no such thing as a prepared path, so there's no point in complaining that this or that is missing. If it's not there, you have no choice but to think about what to do."
Daphne was once again bewildered. Steve spoke to her kindly.
"Since it's unprecedented, the road isn't paved. But by you paving the road, those who follow will have it easier. This is something someone has to do. If there's anything I can do to help, I'll help."
Daphne felt happy at Steve's offer to help.
However, her happiness vanished instantly upon hearing his next words.
"If you won't do it, I'll simply move to put Bella in that position. I want to spread the recognition within the country that women are not inferior to men, so I want to see a female Royal Guard Knights Order Commander born."
"Is Bella that retainer girl who was here earlier?"
"That's right. Once her body matures a bit more, I intend to teach her swordsmanship in earnest."
"How could you..."
Daphne had thought that she alone was special to Steve. He was the one who taught her the Godspeed Sword, and since it wasn't something he would teach just anyone, it was natural for her to think she was receiving special treatment.
However, from Steve's perspective, he thought it was only natural to teach what he could if someone asked to learn a technique. It would be different if it were a rival company, but if it was someone from a business partner, he would blithely talk about technology—which was very much like a craftsman.
It wasn't particularly special.
Therefore, seeing Daphne look disappointed, Steve could not understand why she was reacting that way.
"Then, I shall take my leave for today."
Daphne said only that and left the salon.
Bella was standing there, waiting for Steve to come out.
Naturally, she caught Daphne's eye.
Daphne, curious about Bella who was being looked after by Steve just like herself, spoke to her.
"I would like to speak with you alone for a moment, if that is alright?"
"Is that something that needs Steve's permission?"
"No. It is not as if I am trying to pry into any secrets; it is just a continuation of the chat in the salon from earlier."
"Understood. Where shall we go?"
Asked for a location, Daphne thought for a moment. She couldn't use the salon since Steve was still there, and yet there were no rooms she could use as she pleased in someone else's house.
Therefore, the conclusion she reached was the garden.
"How about while walking in the garden?"
"Okay."
And so, Daphne and Bella walked through the garden together.
"Bella, what is your relationship with the Dragon Wing Medal-dono?"
"Childhood friends. I was just born one year earlier."
"Then, you have been together the whole time."
"Yes. Playing together, getting scolded for mischief, going hunting. But since Steve started using magic, I guess our time together has decreased. Steve started going out to various places, and I started doing work like guarding and patrols."
Daphne felt a strong pang of jealousy at the past with Steve that Bella spoke of. Bella wasn't bragging, but Daphne took it as a boast.
"Have you ever been taught swordsmanship by the Dragon Wing Medal-dono?"
"No. I've been taught how to handle the guns we use for hunting, though. That's why when the bandits attacked, Steve ended up having to protect me."
"Eh, what is that? I would like to hear the details, if you do not mind?"
Requested by Daphne, Bella spoke about the time Jack Olgren had disguised himself as a bandit and attacked the territory. Her way of speaking was mixed with admiration for Steve, which tightened Daphne's chest even further.
Daphne, who had sought strength until now, had never experienced a situation like being protected by a man. Consequently, she felt intense jealousy and envy toward Bella's experience.
Note that at this time, Bella did not mention the story of Steve saving her when she was attacked by a wild boar. That was a precious memory, and she didn't want to tell anyone.
"I see. Even so, it seems you are quite favored by the Dragon Wing Medal-dono."
"Why do you think so?"
"I have never heard of using a girl for guarding or patrols. You must be quite trusted and specially favored."
"If that's the case, Abel is with me too, so I don't think it's just me being favored. Ah, Abel is a boy one year older than me. We're mostly assigned the same jobs. Besides, Steve is always saying we're short-handed. He says he doesn't actually want to use children like us. Even though he's a child himself."
Bella did have feelings of wanting to be treated specially by Steve, but she also thought it couldn't be helped that she was with Abel. If Abel were gone now, the patrols of the Archibalt territory would become thin. She didn't want to prioritize her own feelings and trouble Steve.
After hearing about the past from Bella, Daphne finally wanted to confirm the girl's own feelings.
"Bella, do you like the Dragon Wing Medal-dono?"
"Of course I like him."
Daphne flinched at the straightforward answer. She had thought there would be a bit more bashfulness or shyness, so being met with a direct response was unexpected.
"Does that mean you want to marry him and have children?"
"I don't think so. For marriage, there's Chris, and if I have a child, I won't be able to do my current job until it's born. If I can be of use to Steve, I don't need marriage or children. Ah, but if it's Steve, he'd probably say that if it happens, it happens, and to think about what I can do then."
What Bella said was exactly what Steve had told Daphne earlier. Daphne was shocked that a girl younger than herself understood Steve's way of thinking better than she did.
And she felt ashamed of her own actions.
"Was my own thinking naive?"
"Eh?"
"No, I was talking to myself. Thank you, I am glad we could talk. Will you be my conversation partner again?"
"Of course."
Daphne renewed her resolve and parted ways with Bella.