[Cecily's POV]
「Can I ask you something mother-in-law.」
「What is it Cecily?」
「It's about my Brother-in-law, Claude....」
I am referred to as Cecily Curzon. Not too long ago I was called Cecily Maibach.
What it means is that I was married from the Maibach house, my parents' house, into the Curzon house.
The Maibach house is of noble lineage. However, the house is in charge of a small territory within the Zariya Kingdom.
So it was natural for my parents to decide on a political marriage for me. Even if the Curzon house that I was married into, was in the same situation.
I do not know what is on Karl's, my husband, mind.
As a woman, I can't escape political marriages. Even if I longed for a marriage born from love like in the storybooks in my house.
This longing is not really a sin either.
I have no complaints about the marriage itself.
The second daughter usually won't be married to such a person.
At best, I would have been paired up with the heir of an important retainer with a great noble as the lord.
For the same ranked noble family, the second son onwards would usually be placed in the vassal houses of the noble.
I would have at least been the mistress or the second wife of a great noble. It was also not uncommon for the lower class nobility like the Maibach house to partly sell one of their family members to a big shot merchant.
So although I had no choice as to who I would marry, I thought that I was lucky given that I had married the heir of the Curzon house.
Meeting my husband's family first time at the marriage ceremony, I thought that they all might be very strict, especially his father. I prepared myself for the hard life that I might have ahead. However, my expectation was quickly betrayed as I found out that it was actually a very warm family.
They welcomed me with open arms and were very kind to me. Looking closely, my husband was really good looking too. There is nothing more I could have asked for!
Though I was a little surprised when I saw my mother-in-law twining rope.
But still, the sight of a noble lord working diligently to cultivate the land they were in charge of or hunting was not an unusual sight for a noble house in a rural area with a small amount of territory to their name.
「That kid…」
It's just that one person.
A kid where his everyday behaviour was as normal as it can be.
The youngest child of the Curzon house, a boy named Claude.
He was born as the youngest child from mother-in-law whose age exceeded 30 at the time of his birth. This was pretty rare in and of itself.
Since it's normally the young mistress that gives birth as such a time.
In fact, the current lord of the Curzon house has no mistress. Even my husband doesn't have the mind of getting one. I feel a little happy.
But coming back to Claude, it's not like he talks with me rudely or anything like that. In fact, he is actually very polite for his age.
But, I don't know how to put this, it's like the aura he gives off is strangely weird.
It's nothing like my husband's or the current lord's, which makes me really respect them. I feel like I can depend on them.
However, whenever I am around Claude, I always feel inferior. That he is above me and I can't ever reach him. As if he is an existence that I can't possibly even try to comprehend. I get a feeling of idolizing him, something I have never felt towards another person.
But I couldn't say it in front of everyone. That's why I tried asking my mother-in-law today.
「I think I know what you might be trying to say. Even as his mother, I feel like the child is weird.」
Mother-in-law said heavily.
Even she finds him weird.
According to her, due to some reason, she didn't want to look after Claude when he was little.
But let alone showing his dissatisfaction over the treatment he received, he seemed to have been just reading books in the study room alone.
And as a result, his literacy skills were much better compared to us for a kid in his age.
「He just wanted to be treated the same way as Ralph and Karl. But when I didn't show him any affection at the start, instead of making a big scene he quietly went to the study saying that he will improve himself so that he would be treated as an equal. And before I knew it, he won my heart.」
「Just curious but why didn't you want to look after him, mother-in-law?」
I tried asking just in case she might reveal it. Instead, she gave a very lady-like laugh and continued-
「That's something I haven't even told Karl and Ralph yet. And I don't have the mind of telling them any soon.」
Sadly my attempt failed.
「Not just that.」
According to mother-in-law, Claude at the age of 6, could already talk to father-in-law as an equal even though father-in-law was many years older. His literacy and maths skills were above average too.
「Also, this is a secret only among our family but he can also use magic.」
I can't dare to hear to what extent he can use it.
Still, he will not have to worry about his life even if he becomes independent after growing up and leaving the territory. Father-in-law and my husband would likely have come to the same conclusion.
However, the person in question doesn't want to leave the territory though. He even had permission the mother-in-law and father-in-law to keep staying with them even after he becomes of age.
But then a question arose in my mind.
「Why such talent was left by itself?」
That was strange.
With such a precious talent, how much would work progress if that child used his magic to develop the territory?
It would have been a great chance for the Curzon house.
「You would normally think that way.」
But such an argument was not as valid if one looked at the bigger picture.
「The Curzon territory is small and is located in a remote area.」
That does not mean they couldn't support themselves but it was a territory that no one wanted to live with all of its inconveniences.
Actually, almost all of the inhabitants of the territory had participated in the wedding.
Despite leading a modest daily life, a large amount of food and drinks was served on that day.
This was often done during important ceremonial occasions. Like in my parents' territory, the wedding was considered a festival for the territory with few pieces of entertainment mixed in.
「It's because of Claude that a large amount of meat was served that day.」
It was officially seen as an achievement for Ralph who is an expert with the bow but in fact, The real effort came from Claude who could use magic.
「All the more reason for him to cooperate then…」
「It would become a family feud if that happens.」
The distance between the territory's population and their lord is close. Couple this with the fact that if anyone knew that one of the lord's sons could use magic and this was in a closed-off rural area that did not have a lot of territories, that, of course, would influence the territory's population to appeal for a substitute of the next family head to father-in-law.
Normal farmers might hesitate to do so but the opinion of village head is usually enough to make this appeal directly to the current lord.
Since they're influential people in the territory.
「I can not imagine what kind of confusion would happen if that occurs.」
There is no way everyone will agree about that.
Disputes would thus likely occur been the Karl faction and the Claude faction.
And reinforcements could not be expected from the outside even if confusion happens in the kingdom's territory since even the territory's neighbours would need to pass the mountain range first.
「It would be your downfall as the wife for the next family head as well if that happens.」
She was right.
I, who has just become the legal wife of the next family head. Why I would I try to throw that away?
「You're right…」
It looks ugly but the world is not that naive.
Rather than Curzon house being developed by Claude as the family head, I choose that current life should be maintained by my husband as the family head.
I'd never chosen any other option.
「Moreover, it was also the influence of my husband's feelings.」
「What do you exactly mean?」
「Normally, he wouldn't mind exploiting anything that might bring benefit to the territory but he became a little soft when it came to his own sons. He didn't want any of them to kill each other just because of the right to succeed the house. He loves those three dearly.」
「.....I see.」
「Moreover, Claude, fortunately, is not interested in this territory. He himself understands that he is not somebody who can govern a land.」
She's right.
Since he can use magic, he could become an adventurer or gain employment from other nobles.
The income from either must be better.
「So it's okay for Claude to do as he pleases. That would be better for both parties.」
I felt yet again that this family really care for each other very much.
Holding a conflicting interest in the territory and one's own children fighting amongst each other. It really happens quite often and nothing can be compared to such a nightmare.
「I understand that. But unexpected things can happen in the world.」
「You're right, unexpected things can happen.」
Both of us sighed. I felt like I was able to befriend with the mother-in-law. Even if it's just a little.
We are now family for life anyway.
So I need to get along well with parents-in-law.