Jin and Elsa hurried back to the wedding reception in Loizart and seamlessly swapped places with their Doppels.
Fortunately, their acquaintances—Mattheus and the members of House Randol—had yet to arrive. They had managed to fulfill their social obligations just in the nick of time.
The couple spent the remainder of the banquet alternating between moments of genuine enjoyment and growing weariness.
"...I hope all this trouble will be something we can laugh about one day," Jin muttered.
"Mhm."
Rather than staying at the Royal Palace after the reception, they chose to return to their mansion. They wanted to rest peacefully, at least for the night.
＊ ＊ ＊
The next day, August 27th.
Jin and Elsa were relaxing at the mansion.
"Today’s luncheon is a casual one, right?"
"Mhm."
Just then, Butler’s voice announced a visitor.
"I wonder who it is?" Jin wondered aloud.
It wasn’t even 8:00 AM yet. When they went to the entrance together, they found Elsa’s brother standing there.
"Hey, you two. Good morning."
It was Fritz. He hadn’t attended the reception the day before, so it had been a while since they had seen him.
"Ani-sama."
"I’m sorry for dropping by so early, but I have a bit of an urgent matter."
"Please, come inside for now... Brother-in-law."
"Right, excuse me."
"So, what is this urgent matter?"
Elsa brewed some tea herself and offered it to him. Fritz took a sip before slowly beginning to speak.
"Actually, a marriage proposal has come up."
"Oh?"
"...Should I say... congratulations?" Jin offered tentatively.
However, Fritz looked like he had just swallowed a bitter bug.
"It’s not exactly a celebratory thing."
"...Who is the other party?" Elsa asked.
"...Karen."
"Eh?"
The name Karen rang a bell for Jin. "Wait, I remember now. Isn't she Saki’s aunt?"
Fritz nodded. "That’s the one. Karen Theoderic von Banners. The fourth daughter of the Marquis."
"Karen-san is a candidate to be your wife, Ani-sama?"
"Yes. Or rather, the proposal is for me to marry into the family as the successor."
"..."
After thinking for a moment, Elsa voiced a question. "Karen-san is seventeen or eighteen, isn't she? Wouldn't she be a good match for you, Ani-sama?"
As nobles, Elsa knew such arranged marriages were inevitable. She assumed Fritz understood that as well.
"Well, that’s true, but..." Fritz remained characteristically indecisive.
"...Do you perhaps have someone else you like?"
"..."
At Elsa’s words, Fritz lowered his head deeply.
Oh? Elsa thought. Her brother’s reaction was a novel sight.
"And who might that be?"
"..."
He didn't answer.
"Is it someone from another country?"
At that, Fritz finally looked up.
"...Which country?" Elsa asked, running through the nations her brother had visited. "...The Klein Kingdom?"
Fritz nodded silently.
"Could it be Gloria-san?"
Fritz gave another silent, sharp nod.
"Gloria-san, huh..." Jin murmured to himself.
Gloria Allstatt. The vice-captain of the Female Ritter Order of the Klein Kingdom. She also served as an instructor. She had recently been growing out her light brown hair, moving from a berry-short style to a short bob. Her amber eyes were full of life, and she had a fit figure.
Jin’s impression of her was that of a sword-obsessed enthusiast who probably lacked domestic skills.
"If I recall, she’s an only child, right?" He remembered hearing she had no siblings.
"Is she?" Fritz leaned in, looking surprised.
"Y-yes. I believe so."
"I-I see... Well, I’m a second son, and my elder brother has already inherited the family headship..."
"Ani-sama, Ani-sama." Elsa pulled him back before he could spiral into his own thoughts. "...The real question is, how does Gloria-san feel?"
"...Eh?"
Seeing his blank expression, Elsa felt the tension drain from her shoulders. "So you haven't even confirmed that much yet?"
"W-well, I suppose not."
Elsa sighed. In some ways, he was the same brother she’d always known, which was endearing, but the stakes were higher this time.
"Gloria-san is a royal ritter. You’re a soldier, Ani-sama. In the worst-case scenario, one of you would have to resign."
Furthermore, Elsa added, since they both likely handled state secrets, resigning wouldn't be as simple as just walking away.
"I’ve considered that. It’s a difficult problem, which is exactly why I’m here."
"In other words, you want my husband to put in a good word for you?"
Jin was caught off guard to hear Elsa refer to him as "my husband," but Elsa seemed even more startled by her own words, her face turning bright red.
She glared at her brother for bringing such a complicated mess to their doorstep first thing in the morning. Jin, meanwhile, was seriously considering how he could help his brother-in-law find love.
During the World Conference, Gloria had asked about Fritz's feelings, so Jin knew the attraction was mutual. However, the obstacles to actually being together were substantial. In their world, simple affection wasn't always enough to bridge the gap.
"But wait, is marrying Karen-san really that bad?"
Karen was a beauty in her own right, quite different from Gloria, and her lineage was perfect. She was headstrong, but then again, so was Gloria.
"No, it's just... I have a feeling I’d be made the successor immediately."
"...Ah."
House Theoderic had no male heirs. Jin remembered hearing that the eldest daughter—Saki’s mother—had passed away, and the second and third daughters had already married out. He specifically recalled the Marquis mentioning at Reinhard's wedding that whoever married Karen would become the successor to the house.
"I imagine the Marquis has his eye on you because he’s a former military man himself, Ani-sama."
"...It's a favor I could do without."
Jin realized this wasn't a problem that would be solved by the end of the day.