The Reincarnated Thirty-Something Woman’s Otherworldly Reform Life
[Side Story: The Quirky Daughter (Gerald's POV - Part 1)]
Translated by: ME
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「Aren't you going to assign a tutor to the young lady?」
Countess Daphne, who had come to report the scarcely progressing educational progress of my heir and son, asked about my daughter.
「...She's only three. Isn't it a bit early?」
——How did her existence leak out already?
I responded with the prepared words, meant for when this inevitable question arose, accompanied by a wry smile.
This country was never particularly enthusiastic about educating girls in the first place; the convention was to gradually start teaching them manners and accomplishments around the age of seven.
...Although, for high-ranking nobles or proper households, one should arguably start teaching these things even earlier.
Five years ago, a prince was born, and now the early education of nobles close to his age is all the rage.
...All to serve near the future king.
As close aides for boys. As potential consorts for girls.
What this brings is not something necessary for the country or its people, but the concentration of power and wealth for themselves and their families.
Money is necessary. I don't intend to spout idealistic nonsense.
But it's also a matter of degree.
Since none of the few Duke families have daughters of the right age, unless a marriage is arranged from a foreign nation, the Crown Princess will likely come from a Marquis house.
While marriage with a foreign country can be a major opportunity for alliance, it can also become a troublesome shackle.
A convenient hostage or spy under the guise of a 'bridge for peace'.
In these peaceful times, it's unlikely any country would go so far as to disrupt the balance between nations just to arrange a marriage.
The frontrunner is Gardinia, daughter of the leading Marquis house, the Steizens.
...Of course, the hidden princess, Magnolia, is not currently a candidate.
Beyond that, the current situation is that other high-ranking noble houses are swarming, watching intently for their chance to acquire status.
Anyone will do; I just wish someone other than Magnolia would be decided quickly.
The future, which should originally be undecided, should remain undecided and become a different reality.
Regardless, the Steizen family must be desperate to secure this match by any means necessary. They would want to flaunt the prestige of the "leading Marquis house" here and now.
Rumors say their four-year-old daughter is exceptionally beautiful, and the consort education they began with all their might as soon as she turned two is proceeding smoothly. She seems to be quite a clever young lady. I truly hope she grows into a wise woman capable of restraining that spoiled prince.
(...I suppose the royal family would want to form a marriage alliance with our house.)
If that happened, those people would legally and openly get their hands on Gilmore's military strength, intellect, abundant financial resources, and support base for free.
That's why it would be troublesome if Magnolia's existence became known. They would absorb us through the simplest method: marriage.
However different the meaning, the term 'beauty who topples countries' is quite apt.
They would swiftly swallow up the knight order guarding the Azenda border region, as well as the assets of both Azenda and Gilmore.
My aging father would be pushed back into the flames of war, my overly capable brother's sword and mind would be used up, my beautiful sister would be greedily consumed, and my easily manipulated son would be cast aside.
And the country would fall into extreme chaos, rolling back as if to the era of the great war.
The current royal family possesses a fragility that makes it hard not to think this way.
The end of the century-long war achieved by the late king and the previous Gilmore Marquis, my father. The subsequent long post-war process—twenty years of managing skirmishes and promoting reconstruction.
It took long, long years to achieve a peaceful world.
Even the Ascald Kingdom, which suffered relatively little damage, was utterly exhausted, both its people and the nation itself, by the finally ended days of war.
About ten years ago, when the skirmishes with neighboring countries settled down and a semblance of peace arrived, the late king, wishing to honor my father's long-standing achievements, tried to grant him a new territory and promote him to Duke.
Although called a new territory, it was actually the land of a small duchy my father had seized during the great war long ago.
The land of forests and lakes. The former Duchy of Azenda.
Due to its location bordering the large Marinase Empire, it had become royal demesne, but for some reason, the Gilmore private knight order had been guarding the border in this remote region for a long time.
My father, who disliked trouble on one hand, and probably thought a separated territory would be inconvenient, was pondering how the surrounding areas should adjust the territorial borders. In the meantime, he left the original 'Gilmore Marquisate' and the newly granted territory as two separate entities, the latter as the 'Azenda Margraviate'.
Spouting various pretexts—that the territories and neighboring countries weren't stable yet, etc.—he convinced everyone around him. Then, he thrust a *fait accompli* disguised as a 'consultation' onto me, who hadn't even been an adult for a year, dumped the entirety of the Gilmore Marquisate on me without reservation, got the king and ministers to recognize him as the Margrave of Azenda, and then, taking my mother and young brother with him, moved to his territory like the wind.
I still remember clearly the confusion, bewilderment, the anger with no outlet, and the despair of that time.
...In truth, probably no one but my father could have governed that place effectively, and I also think he was the right person for the job.
To keep other countries in check, it's better to have someone skilled in military affairs governing it, and it must have been a choice my father made after considerable thought.
As the heir of the 'Devil General' who raced across battlefields, I had to be prepared to succeed the family head at any moment should my father die in battle. Thus, I was drilled from a young age in various mental preparations and received early instruction in territorial administration from my mother and the steward.
From around fourteen or fifteen, I practically took over the work of governing the vast Marquisate in my father's stead, as he moved from battlefield to battlefield, suppressing civil wars and unrest in the still tense, nominally post-war situation, rarely returning home.
That was probably part of the reason my father dared to pull off such a reckless succession play. I think he must have had a certain degree of trust and confidence that I could handle it.
Even so, when I think of the brother my father took with him, I wonder why I wasn't taken... It seems I was deemed sufficient as the familiar Gilmore Marquis, but inadequate as the heir to a Dukedom. But really, even if he had accepted the promotion, no one would have complained.
For a while, my days were gloomy.
My father undoubtedly wanted to avoid becoming more entangled in national politics as a Duke, the annoyance of dealing with the court sparrows, and disrupting the precarious balance of power among the nobles by concentrating too much power in our house.
Moreover, such troubles wouldn't end with him alone; they would inevitably extend to his family.
And it was only natural for my father to take along my younger brother, then just nine years old and his adopted son, as his foster parent. I understand that.
Once they took him in as their own child, they weren't the type to be irresponsible.
My parents poured equal affection on both their biological and adopted children, raised them strictly, and treated them equally.
Well, for such reasons, while we are officially a Marquis house, we are in fact treated as equivalent to a Duke house. The Steizen family is not pleased with this current situation where the ranks have somehow become reversed.
I can understand that feeling to some extent, but frankly, I don't care.
More than squabbles over house rank, I must truly stabilize the country.
The late king was shrewd, but the current king is... questionable.
His son, the prince, is, for now, spoiled and lazy.
Although suppressed by the great war, the peace maintained on the surface could revert to troubled times at any moment——I should strengthen the domestic and territorial power now.
I have no desire to bow to the current royal family, nor do I wish to openly serve them as my lords.
One option is to become Chancellor or a minister and control them, but that's high-risk; if tripped up, I'd be swallowed by the power side. Moreover, I can only imagine the struggle of trying to stop the incomprehensible, foolish strong-arm tactics of the current royal family. It seemed easier to protect what needs guarding through other means.
I don't know how far my father had thought it through, but I'm grateful he rejected holding greater power.
***
I married a wife who was not too beautiful, not particularly bright—just ordinary enough to be neither here nor there—and let her devote herself to hobbies and socializing.
To avoid trouble, like her accidentally blurting out important matters if she were to have an affair or something, I don't allow her involvement in household governance.
The head of the old Burton Count family, known for their relaxed temperament and as moderates, is a good man with no desire for advancement and doesn't pester us for favors.
His daughter, Wisteria, is moderately beautiful enough to be talked about in social circles, a young lady who dislikes trouble and is quite dependent. Perhaps because of this nature, she's unexpectedly sensitive to nuances and skilled at maneuvering to avoid taking on as much hassle as possible. However, she is not diligent, preferring to enjoy singing and dancing rather than studying or managing the household—a 'lovable woman'.
She can be shallow at times, but perhaps taking after her parents, she has little ulterior motive and is an honest young lady.
Choosing a marriage partner seems simple, but it's difficult.
There are cases where people marry for great love regardless of house rank, but it's very rare. Most often, marriages occur between families of similar rank.
For a lower noble to live and socialize among higher nobles involves greater hardship and stress than one might think. This is due to various factors: the consciousness and sensibilities cultivated through upbringing, demeanor, and the unspoken common sense. Living while constantly feeling these differences in numerous aspects is quite taxing, I imagine. The reverse is also true.
True to her love of socializing, Wisteria is a woman very adept at balancing these aspects.
Young ladies from lower noble families who aim to form connections with higher nobles tend to have cute faces but also strong ambition and drive.
...And there are just as many cases where their parents are troublesome people.
Lower nobles who are truly without ambition generally don't think of marrying into higher nobility. Even if such a person luckily exists, if you propose the match, they would likely refuse politely. I've seen many cases where an engagement with someone of equal rank is hastily arranged instead.
Furthermore, even if you are lucky enough to find one, this type of young lady often has too kind a heart and gets crushed by the socially superior company she is born into. I've seen many ladies who fell ill in mind and body and eventually disappeared from view.
Humans tend to focus more on negative aspects than positive ones. If the heart is wounded, they might repeatedly pick at the scab.
Even if the husband and family provide support, not everyone can simply let go or move on. A wounded heart and body become much weaker than before.
Having been raised as a high noble, Wisteria was thought to have fewer worries in that regard.
***
Anyway, Wisteria, being good-looking, finished her debutante at fifteen and energetically threw herself into society.
She reportedly wanted to marry early rather than proceed to the Royal Academy's upper division. As she was seen promoting herself to sons of good families, she seemed just right, so I proposed to Count Burton.
Surprisingly, she, while spending quite lavishly—but within acceptable limits—showed no signs of infidelity.
By worldly standards, we are known as a devoted couple.
Of course, I don't have affairs either.
It's wiser to avoid unnecessary troubles like confrontations or compensation payments.
There are plenty of ways to satisfy a man's desires discreetly, without having affairs that attract public attention.
I succeeded to the family headship just before turning nineteen, married half a year later, and had a son a year after that.
My son grew up to be a perfectly ordinary boy with no outstanding qualities except his looks.
Not particularly clever, and tends to take the easy way out. Seems he takes after his mother.
Even so, perhaps due to the Gilmore blood, he seems to like swordsmanship, respects his grandfather, and says he wants to become a knight or a soldier.
...But while he likes the sword, he's not particularly skilled.
Although I am a civil official, I am still the eldest son of the Gilmore family.
As there was a possibility I might lead the Gilmore Knight Order if something happened to my father after his passing, I was trained to a level where I could serve as a knight. From my perspective, that's what I think.
That said, given his family background and the times, he'll probably join the Royal Guard or something and become a guard knight for the prince in the future.
...No, whether he likes it or not, that's surely what will happen.
He's pliable, but as the heir expected to succeed, he's an unsatisfying boy.
Lately, due to the extremely slow progress in his studies, I sometimes teach him myself, but I can't help but sigh at his uninspiring demeanor, even though I understand it.
***
And then, the daughter born three years ago.
My daughter, born unluckily in the same generation as the prince, was born a beauty of unparalleled charm.
Her appearance is the spitting image of my father's birth mother—my paternal grandmother—who was called the 'Fairy Princess of a Ruined Nation'. She has the rare pink hair and ibis-colored eyes characteristic of a certain northern country, now vanished from the earth, just like the Azenda Duchy.
Looking at the ethereal, slender portrait of my grandmother—who passed away almost as if making way for my daughter's birth—I thought, "I see."
Foreseeing trouble, I couldn't help but sigh at the time. And then I sighed again at myself for sighing.
But as I watched her grow, she seemed vague and dull-witted.
My wife also made no effort to engage with the daughter who would likely surpass her in beauty, leaving her neglected.
...From the way she dotes on our son, I thought she had a normal amount of maternal instinct. So, does she only love those who solidify her position as the future Marquise?... (No, that's not it. Surely she also...)
I hear the Steizen young lady has been receiving the fullest education possible since age two, is learning court manners at four, and can already speak simple foreign languages.
Even if our house rank is slightly inferior, it's obvious to anyone that if we raise our daughter as we are, the Steizen girl is more suited to be the future Queen.
I deliberately decided to neglect early education and raise her in a 'leisurely' manner.
Taking extra care, I avoided her debut and concealed her existence.
...It's not that I feel no guilt.
But, considering my daughter's future, this is absolutely for the best.
Not having had her debut in infancy equals having a flaw.
In noble society, someone who hasn't had their debut is thought to have some problem, even if it's not visible. My wife, unlike with our enthusiastic son, doesn't even utter a word about a debut.
When my son enters the Academy, I plan to find an opportunity to place her in a rural monastery and have her receive five or six years of simple education.
Then, marry her off to a low-ranking noble in a land far from the capital, someone trustworthy and tight-lipped, along with an increased dowry.
...It's a bit early, but marriages at a young age aren't unheard of.
If she becomes a wife before her debut, there's no need for a splendid social debut in the capital, and she would have no reason to come to the capital from the borderlands.
Her connection to the royal family would be virtually nil, and even in the worst case, if her origins were discovered by the royal family, a flawed daughter with a 'stain' would be worthless.
A daughter who, under normal circumstances, would surely have been revered as a great flower of society.
A life that should have been loved by her family and praised by many... I feel pity for this daughter, arbitrarily branded with a flaw, neglected by her family, destined to fade away in obscurity.
——Isn't it better than being used up as the queen of that foolish royal family?
What would be worse than that is——
***
「...I see. That is a waste.」
Countess Daphne seemed about to say something but closed her mouth.
The wise lady knows that Gerald, who appears placid, unambitious, and harmless, is actually a shrewd man contrary to his looks.
「I hear the Steizen young lady is a truly marvelous child.」
When I implicitly indicated I had no intention of competing, the Countess lowered her light blue eyes and let out a small breath.
「...That is not what I meant... It would be meaningless to say anything, I suppose. Please excuse me.」
「Keep the girl's affairs to yourself.」
When I hinted at her having a 'flaw', the Countess bowed her head slightly without changing her expression and left the room.
...Quite a sharp and thorny remark.
(Now that I think about it, I haven't seen her in a while...)
To avoid causing unnecessary waves both externally and internally, I diligently attend evening social events with my wife.
Using work as an excuse to avoid the hassle of dealing with the children, I only interact with my son about once in several occasions.
I, who is supposed to be known as the 'busy yet doting father and devoted husband', neglects my immature, still clueless, dull, and troublesome daughter.
There are plenty of servants; as long as she grows up minimally, that's fine. I can pretend to be doting once she's older and can understand things.
It would be worse if we developed affection for each other, causing the plan to go awry or creating unnecessary stress. If I can't give it, it's better not to have or foster any attachment from the beginning.
(Is she implying she's beautiful and, with education, could become Queen?... But her tone didn't seem like that...?)
Recalling Countess Daphne's expressionless yet sorrowful eyes, I tilted my head.
If she has something to say, I wish she'd say it clearly. I don't intend disrespect; I like intelligent people. Conversations with them are constructive and productive.
It's also interesting to learn beneficial things I wasn't aware of.
Countess Daphne is a rare, intelligent woman for her gender.
Even though she left the royal palace long ago, she must know that the current royal family is different from before.
But how did she learn of my daughter's existence... I should probably check and take precautionary measures to conceal her, just in case.
Sighing as I mulled over various things, I thought I'd read a knight's tale to distract myself and headed for the library.
***
Author's note:
A week has passed since my last post, and the story has progressed at a snail's pace.
I hope to gradually accelerate from now on and deliver a work you can enjoy.
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