Chapter 382: The Rank That Frightens Suitors

The investiture ceremony for the commander of the Imperial Knights was held in the manor garden. It was a modest affair, but every knight and noble in Feuzen gathered to grace the occasion. The edicts of appointment were read out one by one.

"...Therefore, upon Fiel von Steinhof is bestowed the office of commander of the Imperial Knights. Commander of the Imperial Knights, rise. As an Imperial Knight who guards Beren and Altringen, fulfill your duty."

As I finished reading the final edict, I raised Fiel to his feet. With that, Fiel was formally invested as commander of the Imperial Knights. Thunderous applause rang out as he stood proudly before the assembly.

His wife Elisabeth’s eyes reddened, and Hilda comforted her.

Fiel was the star of the occasion, and the ceremony doubled as a farewell party. He had to return to Breisburg to rebuild the Imperial Knights.

Fiel and his wife sat together with the two of us.

For the sake of Hilda, who was pregnant, I didn’t touch a drop of wine.

"Ahh, I’ve been counting the days until this moment."

Elisabeth gazed at Fiel with eyes that all but dripped honey. Fiel, living up to her expectations, softly kissed the back of her hand. The couple’s affection seemed to have deepened another notch.

Quite the elegant picture.

Sensing my gaze, Fiel smiled bashfully.

"I tried to imitate you, Commander, but it’s still embarrassing."

"So you’ve stepped onto the path of the devoted husband too. If I may offer some instruction, you need to be a bit bolder."

"H-how so, exactly?"

I shared a few of the displays of affection I had lavished on Hilda that had drawn the best reactions. Fiel’s face turned bright red as he listened. The vanguard captain who charged so valiantly across battlefields was, astonishingly, a hopeless innocent.

"Your husband has risen splendidly in the world. Feeling relieved now?"

"Of course, Hilda! I can finally brag about my husband in front of you."

Commander of the Imperial Knights certainly is something to brag about.

In order of rank, it goes commander of the Imperial Knights, commander of the Grand Duke’s Guard, commander of the Beren Lance Cavalry, and then commander of the Gale Knights. Among the knight commanders I hold the lowest rank, but for a prince, such rankings are meaningless.

Still, Elisabeth, armed with a point of pride for the first time, squared her shoulders. She had been thoroughly outclassed by Hilda for quite some time. The two had been close friends since childhood, but rivals at the same time.

A husband’s title and influence mattered greatly to a noblewoman.

And in that regard, Hilda wielded tremendous power.

"But it seems he’s still clumsy with his affections."

"...He’s trying his very best, so it’s fine."

Elisabeth pouted, apparently dissatisfied on that front. That’s Hilda for you, never surrendering the upper hand easily. Aside from Hilda and Elisabeth, the only noble lady in attendance was my brother-in-law’s wife.

The crown princess to be (Lily) was also gracing the occasion. Attention poured onto Angela as well, the noble handmaid who served the future crown princess. She was, after all, the only eligible young lady at the banquet.

"My name is Angela von Euznirk."

"Euznirk? Pardon me, but surely not the house of Count Euz?"

"Yes. I am a daughter of a princely house."

For all of Angela’s fresh, cheerful smile, the noblemen present made their excuses and fled. Angela had apparently hoped to find herself a decent husband, so with every last one of them bolting, she was sorely disappointed.

Angela poured out her grievances to Lily.

"Haah, Lady Lily. Finding a good match is truly difficult."

"All we have here are nobles who take fright and give up just because you’re a prince’s daughter. Cowards."

"It’s not incomprehensible. It just means a prince’s radiance shines that brightly."

"It can’t be helped. Men like my brother are hard to find, but there’s bound to be another one out there somewhere."

"If such a man exists, I’ll pounce on him right then and there! So he can’t escape!"

"Hehe, that’s the spirit!"

...So Angela has finally been corrupted by Lily too.

Apparently she’s looking for a man like me.

The story of how I, a mere duchy knight, rose all the way to prince had become legend, and Hilda had become the romantic victor envied by noblewomen and young ladies alike.

It seems Angela wanted to dream a romance of her own.

But reality is never so kind.

I wanted to pair her with Bodo, but things don’t always go as planned, so I figured that if Angela found herself a decent partner, that would be fine too. It didn’t strictly have to be a Euznirk match.

But her prospects looked utterly hopeless.

Just in case, I sounded out the unmarried nobles.

"Sir Drek, any interest in taking a prince’s daughter as your wife?"

"My apologies, but I want a wife who suits my station. A fellow knightly family would be ideal."

"I see. Sir Ferke, what do you think?"

"Wouldn’t that be the same as serving a princess for the rest of my life? I’m grateful for the suggestion, but I too wish to marry a wife of my own standing. Fräulein Euznirk is more than I could handle."

Angela, forgive me.

She had been rejected by both Drek and Ferke without ever knowing it.

Young men these days have no spine! But it’s not hard to understand why the young nobles refused Angela. There’s a reason men like Drek and Ferke want wives of a similar rank.

If the typical wife is treated as her husband’s accessory, then when the wife is of higher station, it is the husband who ends up groveling. A lofty rank means the full weight of her family’s power stands behind her.

Isn’t it the most dreaded marriage there is, second only to becoming a live-in son-in-law?

For a textbook example of such misery, look no further than Mort.

Fortunately, though Hilda was a daughter of the War Minister’s house, she and I enjoyed a harmonious marriage without any trouble. To be precise, the truth is that I never had a spare moment to feel the pressure. That’s how fast I climbed the ranks.

"The greatest stroke of luck in my life was accepting your invitation, Commander."

"To be honest, I never expected you to accept so readily. The heir of House Steinhof coming in as vice commander was no small thing. It wasn’t just any family. It was Steinhof."

As a house famed for its swordsmanship, its pride was formidable to match. They were known as a lofty and haughty noble family, so much so that Adolf, the man who raised Steinhof to its current standing, had refused the rank of marquis.

Fiel spoke as if the notion were absurd.

"That’s all ancient history. Steinhof came to realize that without building its strength, it too would simply fall behind. That is why I came to serve under you, Commander. Though it wasn’t easy."

"Now that you mention it, I believe I heard there was a great deal of opposition within the family."

"My father said there would be no opportunity for advancement under the Gale Knight."

Fiel’s father, the current head of Steinhof, was said to be thoroughly average in every respect, unlike the previous head, Adolf. Because of that, he was constantly compared to his father and left many disappointed.