“Is that what happened… I had no idea Yeny wanted to become a consort,” Jared muttered, clutching his head as Olivier recounted the events of the afternoon.
He had only learned about his grandfather’s intentions for him to inherit the Daum Baronial Family when discussions about his engagement to Olivier began. The revelation that his grandfather had intended for Yeny, whom he had treated like a younger sister, to be his bride was nothing short of astonishing.
He had assumed that with his engagement to Olivier and their cohabitation, any talk of Yeny would have been settled. But it seemed that was only his assumption.
Though Olivier was his temporary fiancé, he cared deeply for her and her family, leaving him no room to entertain thoughts of consorts.
Besides, he found himself thinking, what was a consort without being married?
However, just as a main wife has a fiancé, it wasn’t unusual for consorts to have fiancés as well. Particularly when sending unmarried daughters of noble families to become consorts, it was sometimes permissible even if they weren’t married to the main wife. Naturally, this required the agreement of both families.
Even so, the idea of accepting Yeny as a consort—as one of his wives—was beyond Jared’s comprehension.
“She was quite a charming girl. She seems to adore you, calling you ‘Older Brother’,” Olivier remarked.
“Yes, well, we’ve known each other since we were children,” Jared replied.
Jared had siblings, but their relationship was strained due to their circumstances. He was also ostracized by his Father, and since his Mother, the main wife, was a commoner, he remembered being looked down upon by the consorts even as a child, despite her being a Former Court Mage. His Father had also never seemed to mind, leading Jared to realize that this was simply the way things were and to grow to dislike nobles.
However, after his Mother’s passing, his stepmother, who became the main wife, had doted on him as if he were her own child and had been close to his Mother. She had only a son, whom Jared hadn’t seen in a while but who looked up to him as an older brother.
Yet, his relationship with another consort was at its worst. She had borne him a son and a daughter, but her strong ambition to have her son inherit the family led her to scheme against his stepmother, the current main wife, and to sow discord among her children.
This was one of the reasons Jared avoided visiting his birth family.
For these reasons, Yeny, who had unconditionally adored him since childhood, was someone he found truly endearing and felt compelled to protect.
“I found myself taking a liking to that girl. However, whether she becomes a consort is another matter. I know it would be disrespectful not only to Yeny but also to you and Baron Daum to say this, but I find it difficult to trust people. You understand why, don’t you?”
Unspoken was the reason: his Mother, Hannelore, was being targeted by the consorts.
“It might be foolish to think that such a charming girl might one day target me, but I can’t help but feel uneasy.”
“I understand how you feel.”
Jared, being well acquainted with Yeny, didn’t believe things would escalate into the same kind of animosity as the conflicts within the Alway Ducal Family. He knew Yeny to be a generally approachable child.
However, he also understood Olivier’s feelings.
If he were in Olivier’s position, he would undoubtedly be wary as well.
“It seems you tried to act on Baron Daum’s wife’s suggestion this time, but if she truly wishes to become a consort, she must speak with Baron Daum and your Father properly. I don’t mean to say she cannot marry because she is not yet an adult, but there is a proper order to things.”
Of course, Olivier would investigate Yeny’s background thoroughly. Until she could assure herself that accepting her as a consort was truly acceptable, she would likely be unable to agree.
More importantly, Olivier did not convey Yeny’s feelings for Jared as a romantic interest. She had only stated her desire to become a consort.
While her affection might have been apparent, it could easily be misinterpreted as a mere fulfillment of obligation due to their prior engagement, or even seen as acting under her grandparents’ instructions.
For some reason, Olivier was unable to tell Jared the one thing Yeny truly wanted him to know: her feelings for him.
Originally, Yeny had a high chance of becoming Jared’s fiancée, and a sense of guilt gnawed at Olivier, yet she still wished for him to remain ignorant of her true feelings.
“Shall I speak with my grandparents myself?” Jared offered.
“No, if Yeny truly wishes to become your consort, she will come to us again with a proposal. We can discuss it then.”
“Well, that’s true.”
Jared remained optimistic. While not disregarding Yeny’s feelings, he didn’t fully grasp the strength of her emotions.
Conversely, Olivier, recognizing the genuine depth of Yeny’s feelings for Jared, could only resort to postponing the issue.
“Tell me, Jared, what kind of girl is Yeny Daum to you?”
“Yeny? She’s… well, ‘younger sister’ seems to be the most fitting description.”
“A younger sister, then? She’s two years your junior, is that all it is?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“Never mind. Seriously though, do you want Yeny to become your consort?”
Regardless of Yeny’s feelings, Olivier wanted to know Jared’s true sentiments. If Jared harbored feelings for Yeny, it would mean she had unwittingly driven them apart. In that case, she felt it would be unfair to both Jared and Yeny.
Olivier waited for Jared’s response, her heart pounding with anxiety, trying to conceal her inner turmoil.
“To be frank, I’m still unsure about marriage and such, so being told about consorts presents a problem. I know it’s not uncommon for nobles to have multiple wives, but I’ve been more focused on life after I cease to be a noble, rather than continuing as one, so it’s rather troublesome for me.”
“I see, I see. If you hadn’t become my fiancé, you would have been living freely right now, wouldn’t you?”
“I don’t think that would have been the case. Even if I were no longer a noble in two years, my grandfather was making many arrangements for me that I was unaware of. The offer to become a Court Mage Candidate would have still been on the table, just as it is now. In that case, I wouldn’t have been able to live as I pleased, so Olivier, you don’t need to worry about it.”
“I’m not worried about anything,” Olivier replied with a sharp tone, surprised that Jared might have seen through her emotions, though she then offered a reassuring smile. She couldn’t help but wish she could be as straightforward as Yeny, given how her actions often contradicted her feelings.
