NOVEL WEB Chapter 160
“So, has the story ended well?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Then, you can tell me your answer.”
After finishing his conversation with Ioleen, Rupert arrived at the imperial audience chamber once more to meet the Emperor.
There, the Emperor awaited Rupert’s response.
Was it for the royal faction or the noble faction?
The Emperor pondered the two possibilities, curious about what choice Rupert had made.
“I will marry Ioleen.”
Rupert answered after a brief pause.
At those words, the Emperor shot up from his seat, exclaiming,
“Alright! You’ve made your decision….”
“And I will also marry Lady Amelia Bluewell of the Bluewell House.”
“What? This is insane….”
The Emperor, taken aback, had been interrupted not once, but twice in quick succession.
The first time was accidentally cut off by Rupert’s continued words, and the second time was him managing to suppress a vulgar exclamation that had nearly escaped his lips.
“Are you out of your mind?!”
Of course, it was common for nobles to have multiple wives.
However, in such cases, there was a clear distinction between wife and concubine.
Women of proud noble families seldom accepted the status of a concubine.
Let alone the declaration of marrying both a princess and a lady of the Bluewell house—this meant that at least one would be regarded as a concubine.
It was a bombshell statement that turned both the royal family and the nobles into enemies.
Even Rupert, whom the Emperor had viewed favorably, had now crossed a line that could not be tolerated, and the Emperor was on the verge of exploding with rage.
But just before he could lose his temper, someone else’s arrival interrupted him once again.
“I also agreed to this.”
“Ioleen! Are you in your right mind?”
The Emperor was astounded at Ioleen, who had suddenly appeared next to Rupert.
Hearing her say she agreed to such a statement made the Emperor’s head spin.
“Your Majesty, please give Lord Rupert the chance to explain.”
“Ha…Fine, let’s hear what insane reasoning led you to say such things.”
Seeing the Emperor’s furious expression, Rupert took a moment to catch his breath.
Gingerly.
Ioleen held Rupert’s hand reassuringly.
As her warmth touched his palm, Rupert summoned his courage and started to speak.
“Your Majesty, I understand that having an elevation two times within a generation is considered impossible.”
“Why bring that up all of a sudden? Indeed, one must skip at least one generation for an elevation to take place.”
The Emperor responded, albeit perplexed, to this unexpected question following Rupert’s declaration of marrying both Ioleen and Amelia.
“In ten years, I shall become the head of the Somerset family.”
“What does that have to do with this?”
“And when I achieve significant accomplishments for the Empire during that time, please grant me the elevation.”
“What?”
The Emperor was astonished yet again by Rupert’s bold statements.
And finally began to understand why Rupert had proposed to marry both.
“Duke, was it the title of Honorary Duke you sought?”
“Yes.”
The Emperor recollected the now-defunct precedent of an Honorary Duke.
“The Honorary Duke may have up to three principal wives.”
Among the titles in the Empire, below that of a Marquis and Duke was the honorary title that did not include a specific rank.
While receiving a treatment akin to that of a Duke, in reality, they lacked the power or territory, positioning them more like Marquis.
However, one advantage they had over a Duke was the freedom to marry multiple times.
In noble families, to prevent conflicts over succession, one could only have one legitimate wife regardless of rank.
Conversely, the Honorary Duke status was permitted by Imperial law to have up to three principal wives.
“Are you planning to follow in the footsteps of the Romantic Duke Schuller Bell?”
The reason for the emergence of the Honorary Duke title stemmed from none other than the prince, Schuller Bell.
When the original crown prince died in an accident, Schuller, second in line for succession, was due to assume the Emperor’s position.
But he declared,
“I’m sorry, but I have two beloved women. Choosing one of them as the Empress would be more difficult than dying.”
And with that, he renounced his claim to the throne.
In the end, Schuller’s brother, who was third in line, ascended to the throne, leading the Emperor to create a special title for Schuller.
He granted a unique status of Honorary Duke, allowing him to have several principal wives to fulfill his elder brother’s wish, and Schuller lived happily with both women he loved.
This story was famous enough that even the commoners of the Empire knew it, yet no one had received the title of Honorary Duke since that time.
“Indeed, if it is the title of Honorary Duke you seek, then what you said isn’t complete nonsense.”
The Emperor now understood why Rupert had made such a bombshell claim so calmly, but the issue wasn’t resolved yet.
“But do you know how difficult it is to become the head of your family and achieve elevation?”
“Of course, I do.”
It was well-known that there had been no elevations immediately following one from the same generation within the Empire’s history.
Even for rapidly rising families, it was typical to skip at least two generations.
Moreover, achieving elevation from Marquis to Duke, even with the title of Honorary Duke, required significant accomplishments.
It was nearly impossible unless one led troops to a major victory in a war against another nation.
“Your family’s ascent to Marquis was not without its challenges…”
Despite helping to resolve the Abyss Cult incident and the Sataniel crisis, Somerset had only achieved elevation to Marquis due to the Emperor’s support to counter the noble faction.
“Then let’s do this.”
“Command as you wish, Your Majesty.”
“Accomplish what no one in the Empire’s history has done before you. Then I will take responsibility and elevate you to Honorary Duke ten years from now.”
“What exactly do you mean?”
“Remove the barriers standing against the Empire.”
Rupert instantly realized what the Emperor’s words conveyed.
Currently, the Emperor was not ordering Rupert to invade foreign nations.
The continent’s history had been one of the Empire’s aspiration for expansion against the alliance of kingdoms aiming to block it.
“To enable the Empire to go further, we must break that alliance and encourage them to enter the Empire voluntarily.”
“Are you suggesting I should accomplish this with my creations?”
Rupert had not anticipated suddenly being tasked with such a monumental responsibility.
The long-held desire of all the Empire’s preceding Emperors, including the current one, had been to unify the continent.
However, from the perspective of the other nations, that implied their own demise, which made them unite against the Empire stubbornly, hindering its growth.
Attempts to exploit their internal divisions had faced countless challenges.
Firstly, they detested the Empire, making it difficult to establish any channels of communication.
The fact that the Empire and other nations had only recently set up special commercial districts for exchanges, which were often attacked by those who opposed trading with the Empire, compounded matters.
“I’m not skilled at handling soldiers, nor do I have the confidence to negotiate with other countries politically.”
“That’s precisely why you can do it.”
If Rupert could surpass the insurmountable barriers through both military and diplomatic means, that would be more than sufficient merit for an Honorary Duke.
However, it was clear this was going to be the most difficult challenge Rupert would face so far.
But he certainly didn’t want to disappoint both Amelia and Ioleen, who had expressed their feelings for him.
Rupert hadn’t realized how empowering it felt to know someone cared that much for him, but now he understood.
For the promise he made to them, it was time to rise to the occasion.
“Understood. I will be a role model for the foreign nations using the Empire’s culture and let the ink from my pen seep into their lives rather than through blades.”
With his head held high, Rupert looked confidently at the Emperor.
“In ten years, other nations will open their doors wide to embrace the Empire’s culture, and from commoners to nobles, they will strive to learn from it.”
Rupert spoke with such assurance that it seemed as if he could see the future, prompting the Emperor to nod along, unknowingly.
“In time, instead of nations fearing or dreading the Empire, I shall transform us into an object of envy.”
-That is my promise.
Rupert already envisioned the future ten years down the line.
Tourists streaming in from foreign lands eager to visit the yet-to-be-constructed Somerset Land.
People transformed by the Imperial fairy tale books and comic books that he serialized in Manapia, incorporating them into their daily lives.
Those fervently participating in card games to join the card tournaments held in the Empire.
For all of that to come to fruition, Rupert believed he would need a decade.
***
“Indeed, so that’s why you urgently came to see me.”
In Ioleen’s quarters within the Imperial Palace.
Normally, Rupert was her only visitor, but today, there were other guests present.
“I didn’t specifically ask for your opinions, but I thought this was the best course of action given the situation.”
Amelia and Jenia, who were sipping tea while listening, couldn’t help but nod.
Certainly, Ioleen’s proposal to make Rupert an Honorary Duke was a plan that created three winners instead of just one.
“From now on, instead of squabbling among ourselves, I believe we should focus on ensuring Lord Rupert’s plans succeed.”
“Your Highness, I shall take the lead in helping, as I was the first to confess my feelings to him.”
“Indeed, as one who has been promised marriage first, I believe I have much to offer in assistance.”
Once the Emperor and Rupert’s dialogue concluded, Ioleen had invited her former rivals, Amelia and Jenia.
And while she attempted to turn the current situation into a friendly relationship in which they would help one another,
‘Among the three, I’m first.’
‘Looks like she has no intention of easily giving up that first position.’
It had now turned into a battle over who would be first instead of a competition for marriage between Ioleen and Amelia.
And,
‘I’m falling behind!’
Jenia felt the fire of urgency igniting beneath her.