"Good for you." Theo was congratulating him. Dereck didn't know why it felt like he was trying to suppress his laughter.
"Master!" They were alone in Theo's private library, so they didn't have to worry about their relationship.
"I thought you were better than this."
"Better than what?"
"Tell me," Theo leaned back on the chair, asking, "Why do you think the Draeh family approached you, although they said they will stay neutral?"
"Aren't they just trying to refine their magic bloodline?"
"And here I thought you were better at these political things." Theo sighed. Shaking his head, he asked, "If they just wanted their daughter to become your consort, why would they need to approach you?"
'Now that I think about it…' Only now has Dereck realized the problem. Marriage doesn't generally happen this way. The parents typically decide the marriage, more so in upper-class society, unless they fall in love with each other.
"Even if you are a count family, the women from the top six magic families are pretty sought-after marriage partners. I am sure the count would have been more than willing. Yet, he approached him."
"I don't think he had any bad intentions towards you."
"That much is true. That family is full of magic maniacs. They don't dabble much in the politics of the council, but that doesn't mean they can't. But they are not the type who would use their woman to control you. However…"
"However?"
"Why do you think they need to expose their secret test if they only want to get you to marry their daughter?"
"Oh!" The moment he realized the reason, it was already too late.
"They were just trying to confirm that you were the right one."
"Is that test perfect? Can it really confirm that I will be the tower master?"
"You are misunderstanding something. It is not a test that can predict the future. Instead, it is the test to confirm that you have the ability that the third tower master thought was necessary to become the tower master."
"And that is…"
"That is to become an eight-circled mage."
"So, have you taken that test?" Dereck smiled at his irritated glare, adding, "I heard you have also married someone from the Draeh family."
Dereck wanted to say something. Theo didn't give him the chance.
"Isn't your consort coming to your house? You shouldn't be late on such a date." He waved his head, teleporting him out of his private library.
Dereck was standing inside his room. The servant entered as soon as he called for them.
"Prepare the bath."
"Young master, we have warmed the water."
'This is the best thing about these worlds.' As he reached the bathroom, he just needed to stand there as the maids removed all the dresses for him.
Even as he entered the tub, the maid continued to tend him, cleaning and rubbing her body with wet clothes.
After a relaxing bath, he returned to the room before they dressed him. The man generally holds two wedding ceremonies, when they have their first consort and their principal wife.
The men sometimes hold ceremonies if they wed a new principal wife or consort from an influential family.
The atmosphere in Dereck's courtyard had turned festive since this was his first wedding. The color red was used as decor in every room. A gorgeously decorated main hall in the courtyard welcomed guests.
The guests could be counted with one hand. Before Veronica, the family matriarch, in this case, officiated the ceremony, Dereck would welcome Novela's entourage to his home.
After completing the ceremony, they would meet the head of the family before returning to the courtyard, where the ceremonial dinner would be held. Before retiring to their bed chamber, the groom and bride would receive gifts from other family members.
"What are you doing?" Dereck frowned as the maid started to dress up. He pointed at the piece of cloth, which was enough hint for the maid.
"Young master, it would be wise not to use loincloths tonight." The younger maid was a little too shy to explain.
The other maid added, "Young master might need to perform during the 'ritual of proof.' It would be wise not to use them, as it would be hard to remove them in front of the guest."
"Ritual of Proof…" Dereck had forgotten about that. Normally, the mission Dereck accepted us for someone who is a somewhat antagonistic being. The number of times she had a happy ending in the missions could be counted on one hand.
Rarer still was the occasion on which he was the first concubine or principal wife, requiring such a rite.
'Ritual of Proof,' as the name suggests, is the ritual to prove the ability in bed. However, contrary to what modern people might think, it wasn't just the proof of the bride's virginity but also the ritual for the groom to prove that he is not impotent.
The rite would not have been required had Dereck been a parent before. However, it was customary for most, as people think it brings good luck.
"They just want to see other people fuck."
"Sorry, young master, did you say something?"
"No. Dress me."
Silk was the primary material in today's dress. The simple undergarment that he put on was made of silk. Although it paled compared to the dragon dress that a genuine holder of a noble title would wear, the leading dress was strikingly similar.
Still, the craftsman had spent a lot of time weaving silk with gold and silver strings. A lot of tiny stones were woven into the garment as well.
"How do you like it, young master?"
"It is quite heavy."
They didn't hesitate to flirt with him, while one of the maids was very serious about preparing him for the wedding.
She then put a sweet red paste on his lips and a powder on his face before she tied his long hair herself. Like an artist inspecting a model, the maid's expression was deadly serious.
The maids giggled, saying, "Young Master looks very handsome today."
"And what do you think?"
"Huh!" The maid did not realize she was staring at the young master until that moment. In an instant, her cheeks flushed. She lowered herself and said, "Young master, I am sorry."
"Come on, I want your honest opinion."
"Come on, Fida, say it. The young master wants your 'honest' opinion."
The other maid also started to tease Fida, making her blush harder. She didn't dare look him in the eyes but complimented, "There is no man in the capital who is more handsome…"
Fida didn't complete her sentence before the other maids cheered out loud. The teasing and flirting continued until the messenger arrived to report that the bride's entourage would reach the mansion soon.
Dereck went to receive Novela. Her possessions were long, and she was carrying her dowry. Quite a few people had gathered to watch what was happening.
Novela's dress was more luxurious than his. This red and gold fiber accessory perfectly complemented the newlyweds' dress. The head cover was very low, while the lower part of her face was covered with a veil.
Their eyes still met for a moment, but they didn't have time to talk. Veronica came with the few guests she had invited.
She first showed them the way to the manor's ancestral temple. The entire rite of showing respect to the ancestors took a long time. The sun had already begun to descend from its highest point by the time they emerged from the temple dedicated to their ancestors.
Then, they went to meet the lord of the house, Count Dovric Longhorn.
The part about showing respect was shorter this time. Dovric said a few words of encouragement and history before handing her a deed to a shop.
It was customary for the nobles to gift the newlyweds with the shops of the capital. Novela's family had also granted Dereck two shop deeds. One is an inn in the commoner district, and the other is a clothing store in the business area.
Dereck was sure that if his magical ability hadn't been public, he would have received much less than this.
As a tradition, the newlyweds served the food to the lord of the family. As always, the servants prepared the meal; their only responsibility was to bring it to the table.
After that, they returned to the Dereck courtyard. They took the highest position in the main hall. Before the hall was opened for other guests, Veronica came in.
Even on this happy occasion, her expression didn't change. She removed a golden bangle from her robe and put it on Novela's left arm.
"This is from the temple. I have specially ordered it to make it for you. Never remove it. It is for his wellbeing."
"I will always keep it close, Mother."
"Good." Veronica took another look at Dereck, adding, "He can be quite eccentric and pretentious. You should always stay by his side."
"I will always be by his side. I won't let any harm come to him."
"Like his father, he has the habit of dragging in anything he fancies. Make sure he doesn't get any unwanted trouble."
"Mother!"
"Yes, Mother." Compared to Dereck's complaining voice, Novela's voice was more resolute. "I can understand why others would be attracted to him. But I can promise, as long as he doesn't push me away, I will stay beside him."
"Good thing, you know." Veronica was about to leave but stopped. "Even if you are in the academy, you should complete the obligation of his consort."
"Yes, mother."
And Veronica left.
Dereck took a deep sigh, saying, "You don't have to take Mother's words to heart. You can bear a child when you graduate from the academy."
"I will not." Her voice sounded extra resolute.
"Sorry!?"
"I have already consulted my instructor. She said, If I get pregnant, I can take a year off before returning to the academy." She paused before continuing in a low voice. "If I want to have a large family, my mother said I should start early."
For some reason, Dereck felt she gave an unintentional jab to his earthly self.