Chapter 71: Sudden engagement

We boarded the carriage and headed for the Bentinck household. It took only a few minutes before we arrived at the lord's residence. The knights that usually trained and sparred on the premises was nowhere to be found.

Miss Edith still looked so young even though it had been years since I last saw her. Her belly was bloated which meant they were expecting a new member to the family.

"My goodness."

Miss Edith touched both my cheeks and mushed them.

"The two of you should look after your boy. Look at how handsome he is. If I was ten years younger then I would've snatched him for myself."

'Hey, now.'

She gave me a big hug.

"Haha. Well, young lady Arielle already got her hands on my son."

"The young lady from duke Luxembourg? Look at this hunk! Scoring a noble girl from such a prestigious family!"

Edith teasingly poked my chest. I laughed awkwardly while scratching my cheek.

"Looks like Diane was too late for being your first."

"Huh?"

I didn't understand what she meant by that.

"Ahem, let's go see lord Mason in the dining area." My father pushed me forward.

Speaking of Arielle, it had almost been a year since I last saw her. The letters still made it bearable but it didn't change the fact that I still missed her. I wish phones existed. That way I could ask her to send nudes to keep me company.

'These perverted thoughts again.'

After doing it with Arielle, I couldn't forget the feeling of being inside a woman. It's been long since the last time I used my hand since I didn't feel the same pleasure.

'I apologize Arielle but it looks like I should visit the brothel.'

There was no other way to get rid of the urges.

We walked through the corridor as we held conversations about everyday things. I could hear the noise coming from the dining area. Noises of plates being set down and cutlery clanking resonated through the halls.

When we entered through the door, I was blinded by the sheer cleanliness of the place.

"Ohoho! There he is!"

The earl was wearing a white suit and holding a glass of wine in his hands.

'Why is he wearing white? Could it be a special occasion?'

"Look at how much this boy has grown! It's wonderful that you were able to come back safely after the Divide."

The earl pocked me up in his big arms and hugged me.

"Sir, can you tell me why you wanted to see me?"

The earl put me down and grunted.

"Straight to the point, huh." He grabbed a nearby servant.

"Call Diane. It's time."

"Y-Yes."

I curiously looked towards my parents.

Both of them averted their eyes.

'Oi! What's going on!?'

That was my thought when I heard someone's heels hitting the floor.

The entire dining area seemed silent as the person's shadow emerged followed by their figure.

"...!"

My eyes opened wide.

'I-Is that really that little brat who chewed on my fingers...?'

Who I saw was a girl I knew quite well. We didn't really play together when we were little but I saw her a lot and even ran into her whenever I watched the knights of the Bentinck household spar. She'd always walk her dog up to that hill where I always sat.

"Here comes your wife, my boy!"

The earl's words caused me to look at my parents so they could explain. Meanwhile, Diane walked closer towards us with an expressionless look on her face.

"You see, Clyde..." My father smiled wryly. "I kind of married you to lord Mason's daughter."

"WHAT!?"

I glared at my father with a loathing gaze. He coughed and averted his eyes.

"Hello, lord Clyde."

The girl was already standing in front of me. Her silver eyes seemed to look at everyone with zero emotion as if she didn't recognize their existences.

She bowed respectfully.

"My husband."

She said with a smile.

"...What...?"

"Ohoho! Clyde is speechless by Diane's beauty!"

'No. That's not the case old man.'

She did indeed look beautiful but since I had Arielle, I didn't really have anyone else in my eyes. Arielle was already on par with Charlotte.

'Oh, right... Polygamy is legal in this world.'

But that didn't mean I'd accept something like my parents marrying me off so easily!

"It seems he doesn't understand what's going on, dear." Miss Edith spoke to her husband.

"Hmm... Let us go to the table first. I'll explain as we eat."

All of them nodded their heads. Diane suddenly linked her arms with my right arm and guided me to the table.

"E-Err..." I found it weird how bold she was.

All of us sat down on the chairs. There was a lot of food on the table enough for an entire unit of soldiers. There were servants standing by the walls.

'Wait. Is this my supposed engagement party?'

I rubbed my temples.

"Please explain, sir Mason."

He nodded.

"As you can see I am a very old man. I'm already in my sixties but I still manage my household. My son, Justin is living in another city after they won against the Republican army. My second son, Jeslan is barely ten years old and appears uninterested in studies a head should do."

The earl sighed while rubbing his head.

"I fear this house will collapse without a proper head after my death."

His gaze turned towards me again.

"That is where you come in ,boy."

I tilted my head.

"My little girl Diane also seems uninterested in becoming head and instead focuses on her own business she started a few months back. Was it a designer company, I think?"

"Yes. It is a countermeasure for income if the household does collapse, father."

She said without a change in her expression.

The earl bitterly smiled.

"See?"

"But aren't there other nobles willing to give their children for marriage? Why me specifically?"

"Hmm... There are quite a lot."

"I see. Then–"

He held up his hand.

"None of them come close to what you can offer as the head of my household."

I looked at his daughter who was quietly sitting next to me.

"Surely you have objections as well? Right ,miss Diane?"

She shook her head.

"I do not. I will follow what my husband expects of me and support him as a wife should. I will do whatever it takes to become the perfect wife."

My mouth opened wide in shock. She was basically a shell of a person that does what she's told to do.

"I already told your father not to worry about how you'll manage the household. My daughter will naturally help you. She has undergone lessons from a young age."

I could see Miss Edith look worriedly at Diane. The latter was still cutting my meat for me and feeding me with a deadpan face.

"..."

'Isn't this almost the same as the middle ages?'

Parents were the ones who decided who their children would marry. Commoners whose children were chosen didn't have a say in the matter. Could it have been the same as my case?

In the middle ages, girls were typically in their teens when they married, and boys were in their early twenties. Here it seemed that it didn't matter what age you were after 14. The arrangement of the marriage was based on monetary worth. The family of the girl who was to be married would give a dowry, or donation, to the boy she was to marry.

In some cases you could get married as soon as you hit puberty – and parental consent was not required. Marriage was the only acceptable place for sex in the medieval period, and as a result Christians were allowed to marry from puberty onwards, generally seen at the time as age 12 for women and 14 for men. I was almost 15 years of age. Diane should've been the same age.

"As you will become my son-in-law, I will transfer all the household's wealth excluding my personal money towards you. Diane will manage my territories along with the vassals of our house."

"Since you are beginning your third year in a few days, Diane will take care of the needed documentation."

George took out a bunch of documents from his bag and held it out.

"Yes, father-in-law." Diane took the documents in her hands and bowed her head.

A servant came to retrieve the documents from Diane.

We ate in silence for a few minutes.

"When was this decided?"

I broke the silence.

"Back when I signed the papers for you to enter the academy. I did say that it wasn't a loan but I didn't say there wasn't a catch."

"Son, look at it this way..." My father put his hand on my shoulder. "As thanks for always being there for us, he wants us to be there for him as well. If lord Mason dies without a successor than this entire household will collapse. Without a lord to manage the territory, the villagers and town folk will cause riots which could cause civil wars. His first wife does not have the proper education to manage a household since she runs a clothier shop."

"Even my second wife, Edith was a commoner when I first married her so she isn't capable of managing a household. She only recently started learning the way to manage a territory. Enemy nobles will swallow this house and destroy the lives of this family. My little girl, Diane might even get taken by another noble to become his wife."

I looked at Diane and saw her look at me as well. Her silver eyes still looked dead and emotionless but there was a smile on her face. Not a very bright one though.

"If lord Clyde, who is hailed as someone as talented as the Head Mage, is chosen as my husband then I will gladly accept. Be it my mind, heart and body."

She continued feeding me.

"..."

I silently accepted her actions and ate the food.

"If you do not have any other career in mind then you can manage my assets as a real head. Of course, if you decide to become a mage for the Magic tower then I won't stop you. I need a capable head even if it's in name only. Diane will take care of some of your duties but not everything. A few things still need your–the head's–approval."

"..."

'Why are they telling me this when I already don't have a choice?'

My father must've done a lot of things to fulfil his role as a parent. Maybe that was one of his debts to be paid.

I had to marry Diane.

"...?"

Diane tilted her head when I looked at her. Her eyes blinked with curiosity.

She had unblemished silky skin. Her eyes were like the stars reflecting the light from the surface of a mana rich lake.

"...Okay."

I nodded my head.

"If this benefits both our families then I'll do it."

"Wonderful!"

The earl stood up and clapped his hands.

"Bring out my hundred year old wine. We have something to celebrate! Tonight, the Astley and Bentinck households shall become family!"

◇◇◇

Throughout the night, Diane and I remained together as the special guests of the night. She kept hugging my arm and feeding me through the engagement party. My parents looked relieved that I accepted the position as head.

I didn't hesitate when it meant it'll benefit our household too.

That said, it wasn't a real engagement party. The real one would be held later on. They'll invite people on the night of the real one. It will be held on the same day as my age of coming ceremony.

We had to show the rest of the aristocracy that the prestigious Bentinck household already had a head and there was no need for them to fight amongst themselves. I had a feeling that I'd be targeted by many of the nobles threatening to take me out.

I was far stronger than before my cores were destroyed so I didn't feel fear. If they dare come at me then I'll just blast them away.

My total amount of mana increased immensely after I got my cores back. I already made it to the bridge between the 5th and 6th mana grade stage. My spirit mana remained in the eighth stage so there was no change there.

Anyway, I needed to visit Damian before the academy reopened. It was time for us to plan our revenge against his siblings. My blood would boil whenever I remembered the smile on that bitch's face. Although I didn't die that didn't mean I'd just let it go.

Magic was part of my life and I almost lost it to that bitch. The one I should be blaming is myself for actually accepting to become Charlotte's knight. It was because I was her knight that I was also targeted. But the time for regret was over.

I pledged to become her knight on that hill a year ago. Even if I almost died for being her knight then I could only blame myself.

"..."

The carriage ride home the next day was awkward. My parents didn't initiated any sort of conversation. I was the same.

They never even told me about last night. I was basically caught off guard by the engagement. I sent them a letter to let them know that I would come after my A rank quest at the guild branch in Hurge.

"So, err... How are things with Arielle?"

My father was the one to stop the silence.

"Well, things were pretty good. How will I explain to her that I will have another wife in the future? And since Diane will become my first wife, Arielle can only become my concubine. I'm scared to even send a letter to her."

"I-I see. W-Well, she'll understand. Since you're marrying into the Bentinck family that means our fallen household will also be restored."

The Astley household fell after father left the family to travel with my mother. They made a mistake in appointing his eldest brother with the position of head. The bastard took all the family's assets and ran away with his mistress. George always looked angry whenever his brother is mentioned.

'That bastard should hope I never find him either.'

My parents almost died from being driven out of the Astley household. They had to survive a battlefield as children. How shitty can you be to throw your sibling away when you know times were tough since war was all over the continent?

Anyway, with this marriage, we had officially become the Astley Bentinck household.