Chapter 86 - Episode 85: The Wedding Reception
According to the customs of the Lordberg Kingdom, weddings among commoners are simple affairs.
At most, they gather family and neighbors to prepare a banquet.
The devout have a priest perform a simple ceremony at the nearest Milleon Holy Church.
However, when it comes to a marriage between nobles, it is a different story. A formal marriage ceremony is performed at the church rather than a simplified one, and afterward, a reception is held, inviting nobles with whom they have connections.
The marriage of Noein and Clara was no exception. In the morning, they visited the church in Retovik together with their relatives, Arnold and Eleonore, where a solemn ceremony was performed. From noon onward, a celebratory gathering was held at the mansion of Viscount Koenitz to announce that they had officially become husband and wife.
Since it was a marriage between the daughter of Viscount Koenitz, one of the heavyweights of the Northwest, and the newly risen influential noble, Baronet Arqvist, the scale of the reception was quite large. As attendees, the primary nobles of the Northwest faction and lower-ranking nobles who were dependents of the House of Koenitz gathered in total, numbering several dozen people.
Because the marriage had been decided in haste, there were houses where the head of the family could not make it due to their circumstances. In those cases, their wives or children attended as representatives.
"Lord Arqvist. And Lady Clara. I find your marriage this time to be truly auspicious."
"I am extremely honored to receive your words of celebration, Marquis Bechtolsheim-kakka."
"I thank you from the bottom of my heart for attending our reception."
The first thing to take place once the reception began was the greetings from the attendees to the protagonists of the day. Celebration words were offered one after another from the dozens of attendees, and because they had to express gratitude to each person individually, it became quite a grueling greeting marathon for the bride and groom.
Since it is basic for celebratory greetings to be conducted in order of family rank, the first to exchange words was Marquis Bechtolsheim, who held the highest peerage in this place.
To the words of celebration offered by the Marquis, Noein responded with a composed expression, while Clara responded with a somewhat nervous look.
"It was only the other day that I heard from Lord Koenitz that you two had become engaged. I am surprised that you married without even several months passing."
"Due to our selfishness, it became a sudden marriage, and I believe we have caused inconvenience to your Excellency for attending. I am sorry."
"It is fine. The ability to act immediately once one has decided is also a privilege of youth. Furthermore, as the leader of the Northwest faction, it is a pleasure to see a historic great noble house and a promising young noble unite... Hearing of your marriage this time, there are likely those who are regretting that they were beaten to the punch."
Marquis Bechtolsheim laughed as if teasing.
There were likely many small and medium nobles who had thought about attaching their own daughters to Noein to become relatives of the Arqvist family, and if possible, increase their presence in the Northwest. For them, the sudden marriage of Noein and Clara must have been a complete surprise.
The fact that Arnold permitted their rushed marriage likely included the intention of wanting to establish the marriage quickly before other nobles could interfere.
"Well, regardless. It is a joyful thing that your relationship is good enough to rush a marriage. It goes without saying that you must fulfill your duties as the head of a noble house and his wife, but please be affectionate as a couple."
Perhaps thinking it would not be good for the first person to take up too much time with greetings, Marquis Bechtolsheim said that at the end and left the spot.
The next to come and offer congratulations was a young man acting as the representative for Earl Marcel. He, who was said to be the Earl's eldest son, was a man who looked very much like a warrior, with sharp eyes resembling his father.
However, perhaps he was not as conservative a person as Earl Marcel, for even seeing Noein with Clara by his side and Matilda following behind, he did not express blatant displeasure, but instead offered safe words of celebration and departed.
According to him, Earl Marcel had sent his son as a representative because he was busy, but Noein couldn't help but think that he simply hated meeting him.
Following as the third was Earl Shuvalov, who held territory in a strategic location connecting the Northwest and the Central regions of the Kingdom.
"It has been since the dinner party at the end of last year, Lord Arqvist. And Lady Clara, I recall seeing you when you were still young, but you have become very beautiful. As a comrade of the same Northwest faction, I am happy about the marriage of you two."
The Earl wore a gentle smile and offered his congratulations in a polite tone even toward Noein and Clara, who were lower in rank as nobles.
"I thank you for your warm words. Although I am inexperienced, I will strive to contribute to the development of this land as a member of the Northwest faction."
"I, too, am still immature as a noble's wife, but I will make an effort to be able to support my husband."
"This is encouraging. If there is anything an old man like me can help with, please consult me anytime, about anything."
Earl Shuvalov spoke so kindly. However, perhaps because he was a person who had skillfully dealt with the nobles and merchants of the Kingdom's Central region and supported the economy of the Northwest, there was a quiet intensity in his eyes that seemed to see through them deeply.
While he was encouraging as an ally of the same faction, Noein firmly accepted his gaze—which also radiated an unfathomable dread—while feeling slightly nervous.
...
The greetings from the attendees continued after that, and the person who arrived around the halfway point in the order was someone Noein could call a friend from the heart.
"Lord Arqvist, and your wife as well, congratulations on your marriage."
"Baron Oggoren-kakka! It has been a long time, thank you for attending."
"No, no, for a friend like you, it is only natural that I would rush here."
Baron Oggoren showed a good-natured smile, shaking his plump belly. Behind him stood the cat-person slave Misha, whom he had also brought to the previous dinner party, and beside the Baron stood a plump middle-aged woman who was no less full-figured than he was.
"Lord Arqvist, let me introduce her. This is my wife, Vanessa."
"Nice to meet you, Lord Arqvist. I have heard stories about you from my husband."
"It is a pleasure to meet you. I thank you for attending as a couple."
At a noble's wedding reception, it is considered not rude if only one person—the head of the house, his wife, or a sibling or heir—attends.
The fact that they went through the trouble of attending as a couple for the reception of Noein, whom they had only met once, could be called a significant proof of friendship.
"Ever since returning from the dinner party, my husband has spoken of you many times. I wanted to see what kind of person you were, so I attended as well."
As she spoke and laughed, Baroness Oggoren and the Baron standing beside her looked very much like a couple who got along well. Despite the fact that the Baron brought his pet slave, Misha.
Looking closely, Baron Oggoren was wearing two identical wedding rings on the ring finger of his left hand. And on the fingers of the Baroness and Misha, one ring each was placed.
While Noein directed his gaze toward their fingers, Baron Oggoren similarly looked at the fingers of Noein, Clara, and Matilda.
"...Hmm, as I thought, Lord Arqvist has shown love to his wife and slave in a form similar to mine."
"Then, Baron Oggoren-kakka, you as well?"
"Yes, it was already over ten years ago... Misha, whom I had since before I became an adult, and Vanessa, whom I met after becoming an adult. In order to swear love equally to both, I gave the same ring to each of them."
"Was that so..."
Noein nodded while deeply empathizing with Baron Oggoren, who spoke of the old days with nostalgia.
It seemed that the method of proving love reached by a man who loves a beastman slave while welcoming a wife as a noble was similar, regardless of time and place.
"Since then, Vanessa, Misha, and I have lived harmoniously. Right, you two?"
"Yes, to me, Misha is like a younger sister, and she is also a comrade who supports my husband together with me."
"Having been loved by the Master and the Mistress, Misha feels that she is the happiest slave in the world."
The Baroness and Misha responded to the Baron's question with beaming smiles.
Hearing Misha's words "the happiest slave in the world," Noein could tell by the atmosphere that Matilda's ears twitched in reaction. Did she feel a sense of rivalry?
"Clara, Matilda, and I will also strive to nurture a happy relationship like yours."
"Yes, I hope that you all become so. Right now, the situation is a bit hectic with conflicts and such, but once it settles down, please let me visit the Arqvist territory."
"Of course, kakka. We await you from the bottom of our hearts."
Although the conversation became somewhat long as similar souls hit it off, Noein ended his greetings with Baron Oggoren in this manner.
...
"Lord Arqvist, Clara. You must be tired."
Just as the greeting battle finally ended, Arnold and Eleonore, who had also been chased by greetings with the nobles as the bride's parents, arrived.
"Yes, as expected..."
"This is the first time in my life I have repeated words of gratitude this much..."
When greeting people with a smile as the protagonists, one's spirit is consumed whether they like it or not. Even Noein had a look of fatigue on his face, and beside him, Clara's internal "I offer my gratitude" was undergoing gestalt collapse.
Seeing the tired young couple, the veteran noble couple both gave a bitter smile.
"It is a common sight at noble receptions for the bride and groom to suffer from greeting fatigue."
"Since the greetings are finished, shall Clara go and talk with the ladies for a bit?"
"Do... do I still have to talk? Mother."
"It's alright, I will be by your side. You just need to smile with a glass of wine in your hand... Lord Arqvist, I will borrow Clara."
"...Noein-sama, I am going now."
"I understand. See you later, Clara."
Watching Clara be pulled away by Eleonore, Noein put his glass of liquor to his lips and exhaled.
"...Clara looks happy when she is with you."
Arnold muttered softly.
"Yes. Thanks to that, I believe she has opened her heart to me."
"Since she was born as a noble's daughter, it was unavoidable that political colors would be involved in her marriage... but in the end, I am glad she seems happy."
Clara, dressed in a white, gorgeous dress, talking while surrounded by ladies. Arnold, who had been watching that sight with a slightly lonely look, tightened his expression and turned toward Noein.
"Lord Arqvist... no, Noein. I ask you once more. Please make Clara happy."
"...Please leave it to me, Arnold-sama. I promise that I will definitely protect Clara and make her happy."
...
The day after the reception, Noein and Clara departed for the Arqvist territory. From this day, Clara would leave the childhood home she was accustomed to, and live not as the daughter of the House of Viscount Koenitz, but as the wife of the House of Baronet Arqvist.
They boarded the Arqvist family's private carriage and proceeded through a half-day journey without incident.
In the territorial capital, Noeina, where they arrived in the afternoon, almost all the territorial residents who were free gathered by the roadside to welcome the lord's wife.
Farmers, artisans, and merchants. Commoners and slaves. Men, women, and children. While everyone bowed their heads, the carriage proceeded and reached the Arqvist family mansion.
There, all the retainers were lined up, welcoming the wife of the master they served.
"We, all the retainers, heartfully congratulate Lady Clara on her entry into the house. For the sake of the House of Arqvist, we will continue to devote our loyalty and serve you, staking our lives."
Yuri, the head retainer, spoke on behalf of everyone lined up there.
"Thank you. As a member of the House of Arqvist, I will also do my utmost to respond to everyone's loyalty. Everyone, I look forward to working with you from now on."
The expression of Clara as she returned those words was completely different from when she had visited the Arqvist territory before; it was a radiant one, filled with confidence and a sense of happiness.