Karen Theoderic von Banners was the fourth daughter of House Theoderic.
Her father was Marquis Gehren Teoderik von Eisen, and her mother was Emma Theoderic von Rosie.
While her father was still living, her mother had already passed away. Currently, House Theoderic lacked a male heir to carry on the family name.
The eldest daughter, Shirley Theoderic von Morley, had married the alchemist Toa Eschenbach and given birth to their only daughter, Saki, before she too passed away. The second and third daughters had both married into other influential noble families.
The Marquis was fifty-four years old. He had suffered from liver cirrhosis due to long-term arsenic poisoning, though Elsa Randol had since cured him of the affliction. However, the ordeal had left him more physically exhausted than his age suggested. Even if he were to remarry, the prospects of producing a new heir were dim, and he no longer felt the inclination to try.
This meant that Karen was the only one currently capable of carrying House Theoderic into the next generation. Inevitably, she would have to take a husband who would marry into the family and succeed the Marquisate.
"...This is a problem," Karen sighed.
She had been fretting since the morning. A few days ago, her father had ordered her to attend an arranged marriage meeting with Fritz Randol von Grosch.
The Randol family's territory was adjacent to theirs. Since they were close in age to Fritz and his younger sister, Elsa, Karen had been acquaintances with them for some time.
"It is true that Lord Fritz is an excellent soldier, but..." Karen continued to fret, murmuring to herself. "...I wonder if there is some way I can make this go away."
Her father was a strict man; he would never accept a reason as flimsy as her simply "not being in the mood." She lamented having no one she could turn to for advice at a time like this.
"I know!"
Though she had initially thought she had no one, Karen remembered there was one person she could talk to.
"Is someone there? Prepare the carriage. I am going out for a while."
"My Lady, where are you headed?"
The person who responded was the Chief Maid, whom Karen found difficult to deal with. A stickler for rules, she was always admonishing Karen for her behavior, which the young woman found stifling.
When the Chief Maid asked for her destination, Karen resigned herself to being honest.
"To a relative's house. House Eschenbach."
"Lady Saki's residence, I see. Very well, My Lady."
House Eschenbach was about a thirty-minute carriage ride away—hardly a long journey—and above all, she had the perfect justification of visiting her niece, Saki.
The carriage was prepared immediately. With a guard serving as the coachman and a maid to accompany her, Karen passed through the gates of House Theoderic. As the carriage passed through rows of trees, their late-summer leaves looked somewhat weary. Karen gazed out the window listlessly until they reached their destination.
"Well then, I shall be a moment. You two wait in the carriage," Karen instructed.
"Yes, My Lady," the maid replied, while the guard bowed silently.
When she sounded the door knocker, the door opened immediately.
"Welcome, Lady Karen."
It was Aaru, Saki's dedicated servant automata.
"Hello, Aaru. Is Saki in?"
"Yes, she is. Please, come inside."
"Thank you. I'll excuse myself, then."
"Oh, Aunt Karen. This is a surprise." Saki greeted Karen as she approached the entrance hall.
"Honestly, Saki, haven't I told you to stop calling me 'Aunt'?"
"Hehe, that's right. My apologies." Saki offered a chuckle, looking not the least bit sorry.
"Sigh... well, whatever." Karen took a sip of the tea Aaru had brewed for her and let out a small sigh.
"So, what brings you here today?"
At Saki's question, Karen remembered the purpose of her visit. "Right, I have something I wanted to consult you about."
"That's rare. If I'll suffice, I'm happy to listen."
"Please."
Karen then explained that her father was moving forward with a marriage proposal involving Fritz.
"...I see. Looking at it objectively, it doesn't seem like a bad match. But there must be a reason why you—Karen-san—dislike the idea, right?"
"Oh..."
At Saki's question, Karen's cheeks flushed, and she looked down.
"H-Huh?" Saki was taken aback by the reaction. "U-Um... Aunt? Could it be that... you have someone you like?"
Saki spoke half-relying on intuition, but she clearly hit the mark. Karen's face turned bright red as she hung her head even lower.
"...Just who is it?" Saki couldn't help but ask.
Karen answered in a small, hesitant voice. "...Lord Godronas."
"Eh?" Saki made an effort to recall the major nobles and military figures of the kingdom. "Godronas... You mean, Godronas Berntzam von Nalrad?"
"Yes, that's him."
He's the Captain of the Second Platoon of the First Ritter Order, Saki recalled.
"I see. I don't know the man himself, but his status and abilities seem beyond reproach."
"They are, aren't they?"
The problem was how to convey Karen's feelings to the Marquis—or to Godronas himself.
"Oh, and what has Lord Godronas said about this?"
"Nothing."
"What?"
"...I don't think he's even aware of my feelings."
"...Yikes." Saki wanted to clutch her head. This had turned into an incredibly troublesome situation. What could someone like her, who was ignorant of romance and disconnected from social circles, possibly do?
When she admitted her lack of expertise, Karen gave a slightly lonely smile.
"I wasn't expecting you to do anything. I just wanted someone to listen, and I thought I might get some sort of advice."
"I see..." Saki felt she had to say something, but the thoughts wouldn't form into words. Her own experience in such matters was minimal, and her social skills were even lower. "U-Um... why don't you try consulting Reinhard or Elsa?"
In the end, she could only offer that.
"Phew, I suppose so. If I'm going to consult someone, I have to choose my confidant carefully."
"Urgh... Aunt Karen, that's mean."
"Hehe, just a joke. Thank you for listening to my grumbling. I should be heading home now."
"Don't let me keep you."
Karen left House Eschenbach, stating that since her pretext was just checking in on Saki, she couldn't stay for long. As she was leaving, she left her with one final remark:
"And stop calling me 'Aunt'."