「You really come up with all sorts of troublesome ideas, don’t you?」
「Can’t be helped. I’m your tutor. In a way, I’m an excellent teacher, right?」
「The best possible example of what not to be」
Um, it was on the desk somewhere… ah, found it. Quill pens actually exist, huh.
「Why would staying a prince force me to take wives besides Noie?」
「Simple. It’s about status difference」
「Status?」
「You’re a prince. Noie is a knight. There’s actually a huge wall between those two. Yes, what is it?」
Like I’d know, idiot. Just explain already.
And where’s the ink?
「Answer me」
「Nothing comes to mind」
「You’re hopeless. The answer is nobles」
「Nobles?」
「Yes. Nobles have three ranks: lesser, middle, greater. The royal family can only take someone from at least lesser nobility as the legal wife」
「Huh～」
Found it.
Why is the ink bottle buried under documents? Total proof he’s not working, right?
「Noie is a knight. As a prince, you can’t make her your legal wife」
「Hmm? Then what is Noie right now?」
「Just a wife. To the nobles, generals, and foreign ambassadors… at best a concubine. Most probably see her as a mistress」
「No way. I’m making Noie my legal wife」
「Then become the head of a branch family. If you give up prince status, even a knight can be your legal wife」
「Let’s do that」
「I’m a little jealous you can decide that without hesitation」
Why? Isn’t the legal wife the first one you choose normally?
Oh right, the idiot in front of me has five concubines.
「Neither aniki nor I get to choose our marriage partners」
「Really?」
「Yeah. Aniki is 24 this year. Want to guess how many legal wives he has?」
「No idea, and I haven’t even met him」
「He was at your wedding. Sitting next to me」
Then I definitely don’t remember. That day I was completely overwhelmed.
Um… first write the applicant’s name, right?
「Anyway. Aniki’s legal wife is 12 this year」
My hand holding the quill froze.
Did he just say how old?
「…Is he into that kind of thing?」
「No weird noble pervert tastes. It’s political marriage」
「But still… um… is that even possible?」
「Not impossible. Plenty of guys prefer girls that age. But for a prince, it’s a bit much」
「Right?」
If the nii-san I haven’t met is a lolicon… yeah. I’d rather avoid meeting him as much as possible.
「By the way, his concubines are 11, 10, and 8」
「People must think he has that hobby, right?」
「It only feels like harassment. But this is politics」
Politically arranged lolicon, basically?
「Kids can be made once they reach that age, but aniki would already be pretty old by then. And when the child grows up? By the time they turn 15 and become adults, he’d be close to retirement. Worst case, he might even be dead. Then they’d send powerful people from the wife’s family as 『regents』. It’s basically a smooth takeover」
「Ugh～ That kind of thing really happens?」
「It’s all over the place. That’s this world for you」
No thanks, no thanks. I just want a peaceful life.
Alright! Done, done.
I’ll check with Noie later and settle on the house name.
「…That was fast」
「Was it?」
「As your brother, I’m thrilled to have a little bro I can dump this mountain of paperwork on」
「Hello?」
「Even if you stop being a prince, you’re still royalty. Your signature approves everything. Now I can finally go on that provincial inspection I’ve been putting off. Time to work～」
He stood up, swinging his arms happily. Way too suspicious.
「Your real motive?」
「Patrolling the provinces, you know」
「Hmm!」
「…Patrolling the provinces to look for a wife」
「Another concubine?」
「Nah, legal wife this time. Planning to pick from powerful noble daughters」
「Why?」
He flopped heavily onto the opposite sofa and stared right at me.
I’m not into being stared at by guys, okay?
「Continuing from earlier. Aniki has no intention of ever making children」
「Huh?」
「No matter who the partner is, making kids causes problems. So just don’t make any」
「But wouldn’t that…?」
「Yeah. If he sleeps with his legal wife or concubines and still no kids, it becomes an issue. But if he does sleep with them and still nothing happens?」
Then it can’t be helped, right?
It’s just bad luck if it doesn’t work even when you try.
「But the odds are luck-based, right?」
「Normally, yeah」
「Huh?」
「This world has drugs that kill the seed. Or surgical ways to cut it off」
「…」
「We look like we’re just goofing around every day, but we’re that serious about protecting the country. Keep that in mind」
「…Yes」
I could never imagine that kind of resolve from his usual behavior.
…Wait?
「But isn’t that about the heir, the eldest son?」
「Yeah. I’ll take a powerful noble’s daughter as legal wife and start making kids right away. Concubines will probably come from other countries’ royalty」
「So, the successor comes from your son?」
「That’s how it goes. All these deceptions get tiring」
He shrugged with a weary sigh and stood up again.
「Arg. You just do your original job properly. That alone helps us a lot」
「I don’t care about your convenience」
Well… guess I’ll tackle this mountain of paperwork for now.
「I just want to live a perfectly ordinary life with Noie」
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