“Now then, the problem is Wendelin-kun’s fiancée …” (Breithilde)
He had bad luck as well, as Cardinal Hohenheim’s arrangements for his granddaughter to become Wendelin’s fiancée immediately followed .
Margrave Breithilde, having a feeling of being too late, fervently hastened the work of selecting a fiancée in his office.
In any case, I am Wendelin’s patron.
I thought it was natural that I would be the one to decide his fiancée.
Although there is no time left any more. Because of that Margrave Breithilde was in a severe hurry.
The capital was far away from southern area of the continent. Due to this extent of distance the current situation could be explained.
“However …” (Retainer)
The retainer, who brought the documents about the fiancée candidates to the office of Margrave Breithilde, wore a depressed facial expression.
The reason was because there was no girl of marriageable age amongst the descendants of Margrave Breithilde’s relatives.
They were completely lacking.
“Everyone’s marriageable daughters are already married.” (Retainer)
“Eh, is that so?” (Breithilde)
Certainly, since I remember attending their marriage ceremonies quite well, all the girls have ended up being wed.
“From the start, the candidates shouldn’t be too old, no? …” (Retainer)
Since it was a marriage between fellow nobles, the situation of deciding on a too old wife had to be avoided by all means.
The commoners wouldn’t be satisfied with that either, as male chauvinism existed and was something deeply rooted in this world.
Once in a while it happened that great nobles with superior peerage pushed mature woman, who remained unmarried, forcefully on lower-ranking nobles as wife.
But this method didn’t occur if it was a regular patron to vassal relationship. If that had been done to Wendelin, the appointed nobles of the central government would condemn it.
『The dragon-slaying hero together with a mature woman, of whom you don’t know whether or not she can give birth to any children? Good grief, that’s why it became a situation where the provincial nobles have women remaining unmarried.』 would be the apparent criticism.
“Well then, for now let’s set following as a condition: they have to be below 13 years old.” (Breithilde)
“Although, being the situation as it is …” (Retainer)
I heard that there are several very young girls amongst the branch families.
However, the oldest one is 4 years old (T/N: LOL!)
The bottom-most was just born last month.
Doing such things like pushing such children forcefully into an engagement will only give the greedy appointed nobles in the center an opportunity to strike at.
『At the time when he becomes an adult, his partner has to be an adult as well otherwise there is no point in that! Else they won’t be able to produce offspring!』 I fear that such a verbal attack would be the result.
In reality, there existed a great number or married couples with many years difference between the parties due to the political situation.
To put it simply, any reason would be fine as they aimed to find fault with Margrave Breithilde.
“My children … aren’t there only men!” (Breithilde)
“I guess.” (Retainer)
For some reason the children of the Margrave Breithilde main household had the tendency to only be male.
Though they were occasionally born at the branch families and their likes, the result still appeared to be the same.