"Can I ask you something mother-in-law." (Amalie)
"What is it Amalie-san?" (Johanna)
"It's about my Brother-in-law, Wend-kun…" (Amalie)
I'm called Amalie von Benno Baumeister. Not too long ago I was called Amalie von Mainbach.
In other words, I was married from the Mainbach house, my parents' house, into the Baumeister house.
Albeit being a small territory, the Mainbach house is of noble lineage.
So it was natural for my parents to decide on a political marriage for me. Even if the Baumeister house that I
was married into, was in the same situation.
Since Kurt, who has now become my husband, is a man, I don't know what's going on in his mind, but as I'm a woman, even I'm longing for a marriage out of love as depicted in the books back home, despite knowing that a political marriage is inevitable.
This longing is not really a sin either.
I have no complaints about the marriage itself.
Albeit a knight house in a remote location, it's not a bad story. As the second daughter of another
knight house, I was married to the heir.
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 of the high-ranking noble who's our patron, one of the sons coming after the second son, who has been turned into a retainer with a noble house of the same rank as ours, or something like that.
If I had been unlucky, I would have ended up as mistress or second wife of a high-ranking noble. Furthermore, it wouldn't have been unusual if had even been forced to form a commoner family with a big merchant with the intent to basically sell me off to some extent.
Hence, I can only consider myself lucky for simply having been allowed to marry the heir of the Baumeister house.
Though I was a little surprised when I saw my mother-in-law twining rope.
Even so, the sight of a noble house's men diligently working on reclamation and hunting wasn't especially unusual to witness in a noble house in a rural area with a small territory to their name.
"That kid…" (Johanna)
However, among them, there's one boy whose usual conduct I rarely get to see. The youngest child of the Baumeister house, a boy named Wendelin.
He was born as the youngest child of mother-in-law whose age exceeded 40 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 Baumeister house also has a mistress.
Since my father back home had one as well, it's not all that unusual to begin with.
However, this mistress seemed to be the village head's daughter, and I only ever met her in person during my marriage ceremony.
The same goes for her two sons and two daughters that I would have even less opportunity to meet in the future.
This was mainly because of the social standing difference between the mistress and the legal wife.
Her four children had no inheritance rights, and thus they'd take over the village head house or marry into
another village head's house in the future.
Since their social standing was different because of the half blood connection, nothing can be done about this
situation.
"He's a boy I gave birth to while injuring my belly, but I have no choice but to leave him alone." (Johanna)
Mother-in-law said sadly.
Even she had not expected an eighth son to be born.
She did not look after him for very long after he was born. This was because the villages were in a period
where they had to make up for the damage received from the expedition to Demon forest. Every day after that
disaster had been spent on land reclamation. As such, it was natural that she had left him unattended much of
the time.
But instead of showing his dissatisfaction over the treatment he received, he spent his time just reading
books in the study alone.
And once they noticed, the boy had become better at reading and writing characters than them, despite being a child.
"He's a boy similar to Erich-san, who went independent not long ago.." (Amelie)
I haven't talked much with Erich-san, but he's quite the clever guy.
In my eyes, he might be a more suited as lord than my husband.
I feel that my husband maintained a distant relationship because of that but Erich-san, the person in question,
has already left the house.
It is very likely that he will pass the test to be a petty official in the royal capital.
Maybe, that person might have passed it by a large margin.
"It's not just that." (Johanna)
According to mother-in-law, the problem child Wend-kun at the age of 6, could already talk to Erich-san as an equal even though Erich-san was ten years older. At this point, Wend-kun's literacy and math skills were already flawless.
"And he can also use magic." (Johanna)
It looks like she hasn't explicitly how much magic he can use.
Still, Father-in-law and my husband appear to believe that he probably won't be troubled with his livelihood even after he leaves the house and becomes independent after coming of age.
"Why are you leaving such a talented person to his own devices" (Amalie)
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 be a great chance for the Baumeister house.
"You would normally think that way." (Johanna)
But such an argument was not valid if one looked at the bigger picture.
"The Baumeister territory is small and is located in a remote area." (Johanna)
That does not mean they couldn't support themselves, but it's an inconvenient territory where everyone must cooperate to keep on living.
Actually, almost all of the inhabitants of the territory had participated in our wedding.
Despite leading a modest daily life, a large amount of food and drinks was served on that day alone.
It's something said to happen often at important ceremonial occasions, and my home was no exception of that either, but in the eyes of the residents, who had only few opportunities for some entertainment, a marriage ceremony was a festival.
"It's because of Wend that a large amount of meat was served on that day." (Johanna)
It was officially seen as an achievement for Erich-san who is an expert with the bow but in actual fact, the real
effort came from Wend-kun who could use magic.
"All the more reason to have him cooperate then…" (Amalie)
"It would trigger a family feud if we did that." (Johanna)
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 in this closed off rural area, that would influence
the territory's population to appeal for a substitution of the next family head to father-in-law.
Normal farmers might hesitate to do so, but if it comes to people at the level of village headmen, it'd be normal for them to directly offer their opinion to the lord.
Since they're influential people in the territory.
"I can not imagine what kind of confusion would happen if that occurs." (Johanna)
There is no way everyone will agree about that.
Disputes would thus likely occur been the Kurt faction and the Wendelin faction.
And reinforcements could not be expected from the outside even if confusion happens in the kingdom's territory
since even the territory's neighbors would need to pass the mountain range first.
"It would be your downfall as the wife of the next family head as well if that happens." (Johanna)
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…" (Amalie)
It looks ugly but this world is not that naive.
Rather than the Baumeister house being developed by Wend-kun as the family head, I choose that our current life
should be maintained by my husband as the family head.
I'd never choose any other option.
"Wend, fortunately is not interested in this territory." (Johanna)
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 Wend to do as he pleases. Rather, it's better this way for both parties." (Johanna)
I felt this was a little cold but this is the only form of affection mother-in-law can show for her son.
Holding conflicting interests 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." (Amalie)
"You're right, unexpected things can happen." (Johanna)
Both of us sighed. I felt like I was able to befriend my 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 my parents-in-law.