Chapter 60

With a groan, I glared, and my lord was playing with my hair, entwining it with his fingers while carefully observing me.

"Let me go!"

I reclaimed my hair from his fingers and turned away. It was a childish attitude, but I couldn’t care less.

"Hmm..."

A wry smile escaped from my lord. I felt he was laughing at my childishness.

"Sorry about that! Even though we are married, I’m still quite clueless about matters between men and women!"

"You thought I was still that way, but... I’m not as inexperienced as you thought," he said.

"What do you mean?"

My tone became sharp. However, my lord didn’t explain further and suddenly looked outside, saying to me as if to change the subject:

"We’ve entered the territory."

The scenery outside didn’t change much as we traveled along the road. There was a signpost on the road, but my lord seemed to know without looking at it. He said this even though he wasn’t looking outside. It seems we had entered the territory quite a while ago.

The outside was calm, and thanks to the well-maintained road, the carriage ride wasn’t too uncomfortable. After all, this road was built for military purposes.

"The Lindbergh Dukedom is the first to be on the battlefield in times of war."

My lord began to speak, as if to dispel the tension from before. I still felt a bit uneasy, but this was probably the difference in life experience.

"Thanks to that, we’ve been able to maintain various advantageous conditions and our own army. As a result, we no longer face challenges from other nobles within the country."

That makes sense. After all, if they challenged us, they would likely be destroyed.

We belong to the state but have military autonomy comparable to an independent country. During wartime, it’s too troublesome to seek permission for every action, so we can act on our own and even ignore orders. However, the Lindbergh Dukedom has the most experience in war, and apparently, they’ve never been criticized by the capital.

Incidentally, most of the military families can trace their lineage back to the Lindbergh Dukedom. However, that doesn’t mean they are allies.

The current military families are those who gained fame in wars led by the Lindbergh Dukedom and received territories and titles, thus becoming independent. Therefore, they can no longer participate in wars on the Lindbergh Dukedom’s territory with a sense of superiority.

After all, they are nobles with their own territories. They cannot enter others’ territories without permission.

So, what do they do? They form political factions in the capital, stand alongside the Lindbergh Dukedom, and participate as reinforcements for the national army.

However, the Lindbergh Dukedom is not a family to be taken lightly. They couldn’t tolerate factions causing chaos on their territory during wars. Therefore, they had to quickly end wars, leading to the shortening of conflicts. The Lindbergh Dukedom’s reputation grew as a result.

In short, while other families view the Lindbergh Dukedom with ugly jealousy as a potential enemy, they cannot challenge them and thus remain peaceful.

Honestly, if this family betrayed the country, it would likely fall. However, the Lindbergh Dukedom will never turn against the state. This belief is deeply ingrained in the citizens.

Everyone knows how much the Lindbergh Dukedom has contributed to the country. That’s why everyone respects the Lindbergh Dukedom.

Most of the damage from wars is inflicted on the Lindbergh Dukedom’s territory. It almost seems like they were given this land to serve as a shield, and indeed, that seems to be the case. The first duke decided to be the shield for this country, and this legacy has been passed down to the present.

"Geographically, there are no issues. There is a lot of farmland, and the land is fertile. Therefore, we have enough warehouses to supply food during wartime. Although there are dangers, in this era, the greatest danger, 'war,' is no longer a concern, making it a truly good time. In my grandfather’s era, the seeds of war still smoldered, and there were also epidemics."

The Lindbergh Dukedom has truly survived through turbulent times. The history of war has always been present, and this has made the bonds among the vassals strong. I wonder if it’s not just because of Lockdel?

In the end, I am a complete outsider. I could become a source of discord...

"Would it be better if the past rumors were erased?"

"Well, I don’t think everyone will believe the rumors, but those who sought my wife’s position will likely say something."

The great-grandfather was a princess, and the grandfather was the daughter of the great-grandfather’s right-hand man. My lord might resemble the great-grandfather, but I think he also resembles his mother. After all, he is completely different from the father I’ve heard about through rumors.

"Recently, political marriages are not as common. In this era, it’s better to choose someone with good qualities."

The opposite, I thought, and my lord responded:

"Indeed, during wartime, someone with good qualities is necessary. However, political marriages for alliances are more important. Moreover, while more people are attending school now, the educated class is still mostly from the privileged class. Therefore, the qualities sought by the upper class are also found in the daughters of the privileged class."

That’s true. Even now, it’s still the case. However, the citizens in the cities are becoming more affluent and literate. People who can read and write naturally avoid difficult work, so the lower-class people, who cannot read and write, often do the dirty and heavy work for the nobles and the wealthy.

"In times of peace, I want to focus on internal affairs. For this, we need people with different roles than during wartime. We need someone with a broad mind, who can attract others and has a strong will. I would even want someone with the courage to challenge the head of the family."

Do you have to look away when you say that? Are you calling me cheeky?

"Even now, political marriages are still the norm. Our marriage is also a political one. If we show any weakness, we don’t know from where interference might come."

Indeed, it was a marriage by deception. If I were a princess, I might have resigned myself, but I can understand why someone with a bad reputation like me would be dissatisfied.

However, I’ve become so accustomed to this environment that I don’t want to leave. I’ll try to be a good girl. If I were to be separated, I wouldn’t be able to take care of these children.

After all, these children eat a lot. The cost of feeding them is quite high. Just keeping them is not enough; they are incredibly cute, but the cost is significant. If I were sent back to the Berdigow family, I would have to figure out how to manage the food expenses. The scale of the family might allow it, but the head of the family, my father, would never allow it.

I thought I might return after a while. It would be sad to leave, but I also thought that the trips to the territory and diplomatic missions to neighboring countries would stop. However, since I’ve settled here, I need to provide them with a place to exercise, not just food.

The capital residence is large, but considering Leitsel’s build, it’s too small for serious exercise.

"There it is. The capital, Einhorn."

At my lord’s words, I peeked out the carriage window and saw the city gradually coming into view. Surrounded by walls, a deep moat, and a river, it was a famous fortress city, a solid and formidable urban fortress.