Chapter 75

That night.

It was unusually hot that evening, and after finishing dinner and a bath, Zenjirou and Aura, in their nightwear, were exchanging information in the air-conditioned bedroom, a routine that had become a regular part of their nightly routine.

Unlike the comfortable sofa in the living room, the bedroom chairs were simple, made of wood and vines, lacking any cushioning. While the seating wasn't as comfortable as the sofa, on a night like tonight, when the temperature felt like it was over 30°C, the cool breeze from the air conditioner was far more important than the chair's comfort.

Under the artificial cold air from the air conditioner and the light from the LED stand lamp, Zenjirou, dressed in a blue-striped pajama, returned a blue cut-glass glass filled with fruit water to the table and began to speak. The bedroom's LED lights were not white but had a warm, yellowish hue, similar to an incandescent bulb. As a result, the blue cut-glass glass that appeared pure blue in sunlight now had a slight purple tint.

"So, today I mainly discussed the magical device with Princess Bona. From tomorrow, she will be fully focused on the device's creation, so I expect to have more one-on-one time with Prince Francesco."

"Hmm, understood. In a way, the real game starts from tomorrow."

In response to her husband's report, the queen nodded with a serious expression, her smile fading.

"Yeah. We can't talk about Zenkichi-related matters with Princess Bona around. If they don't bring it up, we'll have to probe them."

Princess Bona, who possesses the blood of both the Sharwa and Gilbert royal families, can wield two types of bloodline magic. Prince Francesco, who also possesses the blood of both families, declared that Carlos, Zenjirou and Aura's son, is like him, capable of wielding both the Sharwa royal family's "Enchantment Magic" and the Carpa royal family's "Temporal Magic."

With this fact now known to a foreign royal family, they must prepare for the possibility that it will eventually become public knowledge. Once it is known that Carlos has the potential for "Enchantment Magic," people will inevitably ask where this potential came from.

If this question arises, it will be impossible to hide the fact that Zenjirou has Sharwa royal blood. This will likely intensify the pressure on Zenjirou to take a concubine.

While Zenjirou has a secret agreement with the Sharwa royal family regarding his potential for "Enchantment Magic," such agreements are confidential. If the truth about Zenjirou and Carlos's bloodline becomes public, it could lead to further complications.

To minimize such issues, it is crucial to have a preliminary discussion with Prince Francesco.

"I'm counting on you. In this matter, you are more suitable than I am. While this is just my opinion, the psychological distance between you and Prince Francesco is quite close. When it comes to having an open and honest conversation, compatibility is more important than negotiation skills. Of course, be careful not to make any agreements that would put us at a disadvantage or leak unnecessary information."

Aura's expression showed no hesitation in assigning this task to Zenjirou.

"Understood. I'll try to gauge their intentions. Ideally, I'd like to reach an agreement that keeps our bloodlines hidden."

Zenjirou, who had become accustomed to such assignments, responded without any doubts, though his answer was tinged with hope.

However, the queen shook her head firmly, cutting off Zenjirou's hopes.

"That's not possible. The Sharwa royal family, known for never sending their princes and princesses abroad, is pushing this matter to the point of breaking their tradition. If it were just a matter of keeping things confidential, they could have sent a trusted messenger."

"Yeah, you're right..."

Zenjirou slumped in his chair, resting his hands on the table. While he had understood that this was an unrealistic hope, the gesture still conveyed his disappointment.

Regaining his composure, Zenjirou straightened his back and changed the subject.

"Alright, then that's settled for Prince Francesco. What about the Marquis Gajiru? I haven't met him since the incident. Is it okay to leave it as it is?"

The queen nodded in response to her husband's change of topic.

"Yes, it's fine as it is. In fact, if you take any further action, it might be too late. When it comes to marriage, your authority is much stronger than you think. Just expressing a desire to meet his daughter, Lucinda, is enough to deter the Marquis. If you show more initiative, it might lead to a decision to make her your concubine."

She answered in a calm tone. While the secret talks with Prince Francesco were important, this matter was equally significant. It was crucial for Zenjirou and Aura to be on the same page.

The queen's expression grew even more serious as she leaned forward, revealing a hint of her cleavage.

"Wow, it's a much tighter tightrope than I thought..."

Zenjirou's face visibly tensed at the queen's response.

However, in reality, Aura's words were still relatively mild. When it came to taking a concubine, Zenjirou's authority was exceptionally strong.

Furthermore, while General Pujol was Aura's political rival, he was not an enemy of the Carpa Kingdom. If his ambitions conflicted with the kingdom's greater good, he had the magnanimity to step back.

In this case, he might easily withdraw, saying, "I see. The issue of Zenjirou's concubine is of utmost importance to the state. I will offer my blessings."

If that happened, Lucinda Gajiru's entry as a concubine would be inevitable.

While this wouldn't be a problem for Queen Aura, it would be for Zenjirou and, by extension, for Aura as his wife. Therefore, they needed to proceed with caution.

"Let me reiterate: any further action from our side is forbidden. For now, we wait until General Pujol returns and, as I expect, requests permission for Lucinda's marriage. At this point, you have only expressed a casual interest in meeting her. If my prediction is wrong, you can still play it off."

While Zenjirou's casual expression of interest might lead to disapproval from the Marquis Gajiru, Aura had calculated the risks and benefits.

Trusting Aura and lacking confidence in himself, Zenjirou decided to leave the matter to his wife.

"Understood. I'll leave that to you, Aura. Given that, can I assume the likelihood of Lucinda becoming my concubine is quite low?"

More than anything, Zenjirou was concerned about this point.

While he didn't feel a significant downside to incurring the Marquis Gajiru's disapproval, Zenjirou, as the consort, was in a precarious position. The ideal scenario was to be neither liked nor disliked, but being disliked to some extent was acceptable, even preferable to being overly liked.

Of course, as a person with a healthy mind and general values, Zenjirou wasn't entirely comfortable with the idea of making people angry or disliked, but he considered it a necessary expense to protect his current life.

In response to her husband's question, the queen nodded without any pretense.

"Yes. The likelihood of Lucinda becoming your concubine, given the current situation, is quite low. It would only happen if General Pujol takes an unexpected move. However, I can't say it's impossible. If that happens, you'll need to be prepared."

She said this in a matter-of-fact tone. As the queen of Carpa, Aura's primary concern was the kingdom. While Lucinda's entry as a concubine might complicate diplomacy with the dual kingdom, the benefits would outweigh the drawbacks.

Of course, as a wife, Aura's feelings were different.

Understanding his wife's inner thoughts, Zenjirou nodded, though his expression was grim.

"Understood. In the worst-case scenario, I'll be prepared. At least, Lucinda is still at an age where she wouldn't resist marriage, which is some consolation."

Zenjirou tried to convince himself, and the queen tilted her head slightly, looking a bit taken aback.

"Hmm? Not resist? Lucinda?"

Realizing he hadn't mentioned this before, Zenjirou explained.

"Oh, right. Here, the ideal age for women to marry is around fifteen to twenty years old, in counted years. In my country, the ideal age is much later. When I was growing up, there was a term 'Christmas cake' for women over twenty-five, implying they were slightly past their prime, but now the trend is towards later marriages. I think the average age for a woman's first marriage is around twenty-eight, and for men, it's around thirty. So, in my view, Lucinda is actually in the ideal age range for marriage."

While Zenjirou knew that historically, it was common for people to marry in their teens, his modern Japanese perspective made it difficult to adjust.

He often found himself thinking of young women like Fatima and Princess Bona as high school or middle school students.

Understanding Zenjirou's explanation, Aura nodded.

"I see. That's why you had no aversion to marrying me."

Aura, being the only surviving member of the royal family and a reigning queen, had not faced significant social pressure for remaining unmarried until her mid-twenties. However, if Zenjirou had the same marriage views, he would have been hesitant about marrying Aura.

"Hmm? No, I hadn't thought about it that way. It was more that I was simply... attracted to you."

Realizing he was about to say something embarrassing, Zenjirou trailed off.

"Hmm? Attracted? Attracted to what? That's interesting, tell me more."

Aura, not missing a beat, leaned forward with a delighted smile, placing her right hand to her ear.

"Um, let's put that aside for now."

Zenjirou made a pantomime of moving an invisible box to the side, but Aura, with a playful grin, moved it back.

"Stop it!"

Zenjirou's outburst made Aura chuckle.

"Sorry, I got a bit carried away."

"Really, my wife is something else."

"Alright, we'll continue the 'attracted' discussion after lights out, in bed."

"Of course we will."

With a strained smile, Zenjirou received a meaningful grin from the queen.

"Anyway, in your view, Lucinda isn't past her prime but rather is at the ideal age for marriage here?"

"Yeah, I know that's the norm here. But emotionally, I find it much easier to marry a woman in her twenties. I have some resistance to women in their late teens, and at fifteen, it feels almost wrong."

Fifteen in counted years is fourteen or even thirteen in actual age, an age where marriage is not allowed in modern Japan, even with parental consent.

While Zenjirou had found middle and high school idol girls cute and enjoyed looking at photos of teenage gravure idols, he drew a clear line between admiring them on a screen and interacting with them in real life.

"Zenjirou, have you ever talked about this to anyone other than me?"

Zenjirou, taken aback by his wife's serious tone, thought for a moment before shaking his head confidently.

"No, never. You're the first. Honestly, I didn't strongly consider it until the Lucinda issue came up."

Relaxing slightly, the queen let out a deep breath.

"Good. Then that's a relief. Don't ever mention this to anyone outside. If the nobles here learn about your views, it could lead to unspeakable and tragic situations."

"Unspeakable and tragic situations?"

Aura sighed again, rubbing her temples with her thumb and middle finger.

"Some might try to force their daughters or relatives on you as concubines, taking a desperate gamble. They might deliberately keep their daughters unmarried past twenty to increase the chances of you accepting them as concubines. If they succeed, it might work out well, but if you reject them, the daughters will be left as spinsters."

"Ah, I see."

Zenjirou understood. Ambitious nobles with multiple daughters might consider this strategy. Zenjirou was still in his mid-twenties, and he had at least five to ten years before he needed to take a concubine. If a noble kept a promising daughter unmarried past twenty, hoping to secure her as Zenjirou's concubine, it could lead to tragic consequences if Zenjirou rejected her.

The daughters, forced into this situation by their parents, might even resent Zenjirou.

While this might be an overreaction, Zenjirou didn't want to cause unnecessary suffering to innocent noble daughters due to his careless words.

"Got it. I'll keep it a secret."

Shuddering at the dark possibilities, Zenjirou nodded solemnly.

For the queen and consort, exchanging information was important, but getting a good night's sleep was even more crucial. Recognizing this, Aura ended the night's discussion and headed to bed.

Turning off the orange-tinted LED stand lamp, the queen and her consort walked confidently to the bed, even in the dark. Familiar with their bedroom, they easily found their way to the bed.

"Aura."

"Mm-hmm."

In the darkness, their breathing remained steady. Zenjirou, already in bed, pulled his wife to join him.

Lying side by side on the king-sized bed, they were so close that a single bed would have sufficed.

In the early days of their marriage, Zenjirou's arm would often go numb from Aura's head resting on it, and her legs would ache from being tangled up. But now, they were so accustomed to sleeping together that such issues no longer occurred. Zenjirou even found it easier to fall asleep with Aura than alone.

However, this night was an exception.

"So, Zenjirou, what comes after 'attracted'?"

"Ugh... She remembers that..."

That night, Zenjirou, in his pajamas, tried to resist his wife's persistent attempts to get him to say "love at first sight" by turning his back to her.