The Story of a Middle-Aged Knight Who Tried to Live a Relaxed Slow Life in the Countryside, Only for a Duke's Daughter Whose Engagement Was Broken Off to Move in With Him

The Proposal

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Hello, sorry for the late update. Busy taking care of my father. Trying hard to motivate him to move his body around.

For now I'll be posting in bulk since it's already in the backlog.

Take good care of yourself and your family. Thank you and enjoy.

*****

「What are you doing out here at this time of night?」

As I sat on the railing in the dwarf village gazing up at the stars, Cistilia spoke up and sat down beside me.

Illuminated by the moonlight, Cistilia's profile was almost divinely beautiful.

(Is this woman really going to become my wife?)

I was struck by an absurd fear that, like a beautiful princess from a fairy tale, she might eventually vanish into thin air like smoke.

I handed Cistilia the small box I had been clutching.

「Um... could this be...?」

「Open it.」

Cistilia opened the small box. Inside the paulownia box lay a deep crimson cushion. Set right in the center, of course, was a wedding ring. It was set with a magnificently cut sapphire.

「You know there's a volcano near the dwarf village, right?」

「Y-Yes...」

「That's why they have hot springs here, but apparently the volcano produces raw gemstones, too. I heard diamonds were ideal, but on my income, that was way out of reach. Waldo offered to just give me one for free, but I couldn't accept that. So I managed to get something within my budget, and I had Watta carve both the stone and the band. Sorry—ideally, I should have commissioned a craftsman in the Royal Capital to make it.」

I found myself talking fast, blabbering unnecessary explanations. Cistilia looked up at me, her eyes moist with expectation.

「Ah—err, anyway. ...Marry me, Cistilia.」

I looked straight into Cistilia's eyes as I said it.

Honestly, I had prepared far more ornate words. But in the end, what came out of my mouth was that utterly simple phrase.

Cistilia took out the ring, held it up to the moonlight, and admired it from various angles. Then, she slipped the ring I gave her onto her ring finger.

「Um, is the size okay? I asked Watta to secretly measure your finger, though.」

「Yes... it's a perfect fit.」

「I see. That's good.」

「Leonardo.」

「What is it?」

「Thank you very much. Cistilia fin Eldryuse accepts Leonardo Bacchus's proposal. From now on, I will be Cistilia Bacchus... No, once you become a baron, I suppose it will be Cistilia fin Bacchus, won't it?」

「That sounds a bit awkward. Should I just change my name altogether? To something like 'Bachelore'—you know, a house name that sounds more official.」

「No, it's just a matter of getting used to it. As proof that I fell in love with plain old Leonardo Bacchus, I would be happy if you kept your family name as it is.」

「I-Is that so...」

Embarrassed, I scratched my cheek.

Cistilia took hold of that hand.

Intertwining her fingers with mine, Cistilia lowered my arm, leaned forward, and kissed my cheek.

「I look forward to being with you from now on, my husband.」

「Yeah. Same here, my wife.」

This time, I leaned toward Cistilia, cupped her shoulder with my free hand, and stole her lips. Just like that, I gently pushed her back onto the wooden bench.

「...To be honest, I was at my limit.」

「Fufu. So was I.」

Watched over only by the moon floating in the night sky, Cistilia and I were joined as one for the very first time.

***

「Hmm. So you are Baronet Leonardo Bacchus.」

Duke Eldryuse said as I greeted him at the manor. The duke was a virile, middle-aged man with a lock of white hair mixed into his locks. As expected of Cistilia's father, he had quite a distinguished face. Compared to his imposing air, his height was on the shorter side.

Behind the duke stood a luxurious two-horse carriage emblazoned with the Eldryuse crest.

The duke scrutinized my face and physique closely.

「It defies understanding. Pardon my bluntness, but I find it hard to see how you could be preferable to Patrick.」

I smiled wryly at the duke's candid tone.

「I don't get it either. You'll have to ask your daughter.」

「My daughter, is it...? I wonder how long it's been since she stopped speaking to me.」

「We shouldn't stand around chatting out here. Please, come inside. Though you might be shocked by how run-down it is.」

「I am prepared for that.」

I ushered the sullen-faced duke into the manor.

Waiting inside, Cistilia offered the duke a proper lady's curtsy.

「Welcome, Father.」

「Cistilia...」

The duke wore an expression that suggested he didn't know what to say.

Turning serious, the duke faced Cistilia.

「Cistilia. I cannot comprehend any of this in the slightest. Therefore, answer me just one thing: Are you happy right now? Can you live happily with this man from here on out?」

Both Cistilia and I were taken aback by the duke's abrupt question. Cistilia and Maryse had drilled me thoroughly on the proper etiquette and procedures for an occasion like this. Yet the duke himself had bypassed every single one of them.

Cistilia smiled brightly and spoke.

「...Yes. I am happy. And I will continue to be happy from here on out.」

「I see... Very well.」

Cistilia's father merely muttered that. Then, he handed me an ornately decorated box. Prompted by the duke, I opened it, revealing an official document and an order medal. The document declared that I was being conferred the rank of Baron in the Noziek Kingdom, complete with His Majesty the King's seal at the bottom. As for the medal, it was proof of my barony, meant to be worn during national ceremonies or when marching off to war.

「I am still unsatisfied with Cistilia's husband being a mere baron, however. Why not marry into our family instead? My eldest son will inherit the dukedom, but I could grant you a separate domain and elevate you to an earl, I expect.」

「No, I'll have to pass on that. Even being a baron is a heavy burden for me.」

「You seem to be as devoid of ambition as I heard. Perhaps that is safer in its own way. An unnecessarily high rank leaves one all the more vulnerable to political strife. As the premier noble house, the ducal House of Eldryuse occasionally incurs even His Majesty the King's jealousy.」

「Ah, I see. Sounds tough.」

「Ensure you always bow your head low before His Majesty. From now on, you will be viewed as a relative of House Eldryuse. In that sense, your humble attitude is not a bad thing.」

The duke stared at me intently.

As I stood there feeling awkward—

「Father, we have prepared a meal. Please stay and dine with us.」

Cistilia invited the duke.

「Hmm. I had intended to return as soon as my business was concluded.」

「Will you not eat the food I prepared?」

「Ugh... Very well. Since I have come all this way, I shall partake.」

Cistilia guided the duke to the dining room.

The duke took a seat at the table.

While Cistilia and Maryse brought out the food, it was just the duke and me face-to-face.

「I don't know if it'll be to your taste, but the produce in this village is quite delicious.」

「Oh? I look forward to it. Fresh ingredients are difficult to come by in the Royal Capital, after all.」

「On the flip side, sugar is a rarity around here. The downside is that it's hard to get ingredients for sweets. Well, as long as I have fresh meals, I'm satisfied, but...」

「Cistilia's hobby was baking sweets, after all. That must be lonely for her. I shall arrange for some to be sent over later.」

「Thank you very much, Your Grace.」

「Drop the 'Your Grace.' And do not misunderstand. I simply do not wish to subject my daughter to inconvenience.」

The duke said with a displeased look.

「What should I call you then?」

「Mmm. Being called 'Father' sticks in my craw as well. For now, 'Duke' will suffice.」

While I was chatting with the duke, the dishes were laid out: salad, soup, bread, porridge, and wild boar hot pot. Everything was sourced right here in the village. Normally we'd gather around a large communal pot, but that might have been too much of a hurdle for a duke. This time, vegetables and meat were served in an individual small pot.

The duke narrowed his eyes.

「Did Cistilia make this?」

「Yes.」

Cistilia said as she took her seat. As the lord, I sat at the head of the table on the short side, with Cistilia on my right. Opposite Cistilia, across the corner on the long side, sat our guest, the duke. By noble convention when entertaining peers, the duke sat closest to the dining room door—a formal aristocratic etiquette meant to allow a quick escape in an emergency.

「Hm, these are... chopsticks, was it?」

The duke picked up the wooden chopsticks and looked at them with curiosity.

「Forks are fine too, but these are much more convenient when eating hot pot.」

Cistilia said with a subtly triumphant look. Though, truth be told, she herself had only recently gotten used to handling chopsticks.

「Well then, let us start with the hot pot.」

Using a spoon, the duke served meat and vegetables from the pot onto his small plate, then awkwardly brought them to his mouth with the chopsticks.

「...H-How is it?」

Cistilia asked timidly.

「It is delicious. I once went on a hunt and ate game that was butchered and cooked on the spot. It reminds me of that, though this shows far more culinary ingenuity.」

「We don't have many spices, but we make up for it with plenty of herbs. Still, I don't recall you ever going on hunts, Father...」

「Because that was before you were born. In my youth, I accompanied my friends. I was hopeless with both horses and bows, so I was hardly of any use. Eventually, they stopped inviting me.」

The duke said with a nostalgic look.

「It is ironic that my daughter turned out to love horses and excel at archery. Your mother was the quintessential noble lady, after all.」

「What did Mother say?」

「What could she say? She went half-mad. Her world is a narrow one. Anything that strays even a step outside it is vulgar and abominable to her.」

「I see...」

Cistilia didn't seem particularly shocked. It felt as though she had expected as much.

「You were always a daughter who wanted to head in the exact direction your mother and I forbade you from going. I do not know how she felt, but to me, it felt almost like a deliberate spite. As if you were telling us you never wanted to end up in a marriage like ours.」

「T-That's not...」

Cistilia was at a loss for words.

「It felt as though the more I involved myself with you, the further away you drifted. Before I knew it, I began avoiding involvement with you altogether. Whether that was right or wrong... I cannot say now.」

Cistilia had complained that her father was strict, and that she often went on long horse rides to escape from it.

(I can't really say 'he should have confronted his daughter,' either.)

If the head of the ducal House of Eldryuse tried to 'confront' his daughter, it would inevitably end up being an overbearing, top-down affair. If Cistilia was resistant, confronting each other might have only left them both deeper wounded for the effort.

The duke sampled the other dishes as well.

「Mmm. This is quite tasty. Entirely different from court cuisine.」

「Is it not to your taste, Father?」

「Indeed. Without spices, the flavors lack sharpness, the meat is boiled a bit too tough, and the bread is dry.」

「Ugh...」

「But what of it? Eating a meal crafted with care by my own daughter... How many years has it been since I last felt so satisfied by a meal?」

The duke dabbed his mouth with a napkin.

「You likely thought to prove to your father that you could survive in this village, no doubt. You are truly loved, Leonardo.」

「Pfft! Ah... h-half obliged, sir...」

Caught off guard by the sudden turn of conversation, I managed to blurt out a response.

「I cannot say I am without worries, but this is the result of your own deliberation. You forced the suitor I arranged to throw up his hands. There is no point in arguing good or bad now.」

The duke finished every single bite of the food set before him. Since we had prepared a bit generously, he looked comfortably stuffed.

「Cistilia. Should you ever falter, do not hesitate to rely on me.」

「Y-Yes... Well, not that I will ever falter, though.」

Smiling wryly at Cistilia, who remained stubborn to the last, the duke turned to me.

「High society is far more troublesome than you imagine. As a former knight, you likely know a fair share, but it is all the more so among high-ranking nobility. If anything exceeds your capacity to handle, come to me. Under no circumstances should you try to deal with it alone.」

「Ah, understood. Thank you for your consideration.」

The duke gave a small nod and stood up. Maryse swiftly approached the door to open it for him.

「I shall take my leave now. Honestly, this village does not even have an inn. With the lord's manor in such a state, you cannot properly entertain guests.」

「You're entirely right about that.」

If Duke Eldryuse were to stay the night, we would need to prepare rooms for his entourage as well. However, this manor had only a single guest room.

「The countryside has its charms, but should you not at least establish the bare minimum functions for a village, new Lord?」

Leaving us with that final piece of nagging, the duke stepped into his carriage. Before the carriage door closed, he turned back to look at Cistilia.

「Cistilia. Live as your heart desires. That is something I was never able to do. If you wish to walk a different path from mine, so be it.」

「Y-Yes. Um... thank you, Father.」

The coachman closed the carriage door, climbed onto the driver's seat, and snapped the reins. The grand carriage of the ducal House of Eldryuse slowly departed, struggling along the bumpy village road.

I spoke to Cistilia, who stood beside me.

「...I'm glad, Cistilia.」

「Yes. It seems I underestimated my father.」

Cistilia spoke with a look of relief and newfound clarity on her face.

*****

A REASONABLE FATHER FIGURE? GODDAMN!

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