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It felt awkward, like wearing clothes that didn’t quite fit.

The warm, lively atmosphere surrounding me—the in-laws smiling and extending their hands for a handshake, and the future daughters-in-law bowing politely. It all felt foreign and unfamiliar, as if it went against everything I’d ever known.

Is this what’s considered normal?

I stared absentmindedly at the hand that had just shaken Baron Artini’s. Maybe this was what was normal. Perhaps this kind of situation was perfectly ordinary, though neither I nor my wife ever experienced it.

Back when I was still just the heir, I went against my father’s wishes and married her. I ignored all the talk of forming alliances with other families and made her my only companion. Because of that, my father remained cold during the meeting with the Aras family, and we, as a couple, were treated similarly afterward.

Not that he wasn’t already a cold person to begin with.

But there’s no need to pass that down.

Fortunately, today’s meeting, the one brought about by Carl’s actions, was different from ours.

I didn’t force Carl into a marriage. I didn’t impose any expectations or obligations on him. Because of that, Carl was able to bring someone he truly cared for, and unlike back then, we could genuinely celebrate.

And so, here we were. The meeting between our families was a bit awkward, but it was harmonious overall. Our future daughters-in-law interacted warmly with their in-laws and without feeling the need to tiptoe around. It was all so natural—yet, it was also something my wife and I never had.

I’m glad.

I took a sip from the wine glass in my left hand. Since there wasn’t much left, I downed the rest.

Yes, I was glad that Carl wasn’t inheriting my misfortune. I also felt relieved that my daughters-in-law wouldn’t have to suffer the same way my wife did. So, I could bear this awkwardness. If the clothes didn’t fit, then I just had to wear them until they did.

“Father, may I pour you some more wine?”

But no matter how much I told myself that, I doubt I’d ever fully overcome the awkwardness.

“…Yes. Please do, Your Grace.”

“Fufu, please feel free to speak comfortably. What father-in-law would use formal speech with his daughter-in-law?”

The Mage Duchess smiled softly as she poured the wine, and I had to hold back a chuckle at the sight.

Father-in-law, huh.

The Mage Duchess wasn’t wrong. It was normal for a daughter-in-law to call her father-in-law ‘father’ and for him to speak informally to her.

Still, no matter how I thought about it, this didn’t feel right. Both my father and grandfather treated the Mage Duchess with the utmost respect, but now I was supposed to treat her as just another family member? It didn’t make sense. If we had met as in-laws, then it might not have been so strange.

“Since the wedding hasn’t taken place yet, I think it’s only proper to maintain the formalities.”

I managed to come up with a reasonable excuse after a moment’s hesitation.

Even though the wedding was all but certain, it hadn’t happened yet, so being formal was still appropriate. Anyone would accept that reasoning.

“Is that so? It’s a pity, but I suppose I’ll have to wait until after the wedding.”

Her reply made me break into a cold sweat. It was a perfectly valid reason, one even the Mage Duchess could understand, but it also set a clear deadline. If formality was only required until the wedding, then I’d have to speak informally right after. Insisting on formal speech after the wedding might upset her.

“Thank you for understanding.”

“Understanding? You’ve simply said what’s right. Why would that need understanding?”

The Mage Duchess spoke kindly, and I simply nodded in agreement.

I need to get used to this.

And so, I made a mental note that I had to let go of my expectations and logic before Carl’s wedding. I needed to grow used to speaking informally to a duke who was older than me.

The one thing I was relieved about was that Carl’s first marriage partner was Lady Marghetta and not the Mage Duchess. And since Lady Marghetta had no intention of marrying until after she graduated, we had at least a year left. How fortunate—

…Was it really fortunate?

A Duke as the second wife.

I felt lightheaded. It was already shocking enough that a duke would not be the only wife, but to not even be the first? Had anything like this ever happened in the history of the continent?

“Lady Marghetta is part of a ducal family, and so am I. Our families are of equal standing, so there’s no issue with Lady Marghetta being the first wife.”

But what could I do? The Mage Duchess confidently declared that it didn’t matter if she was the second wife.

The look on the Iron-blooded Duke’s face was unforgettable. On one hand, he seemed pleased that a strong contender had willingly given up the position of first wife. But at the same time, it must have felt like the very rules of society were crumbling beneath him. I understood. Everyone here must have felt the same.

Sure, both families were dukedoms, but wasn’t it clear that a duke held a higher status than a lady? Yet, if we ignore the titles and just look at the families, they were technically equal…

…

This isn’t something I need to worry about.

I quickly sorted out my thoughts. Legalities and traditions were for the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Court to handle. I trust they’d figure out how to make this work in the Mage Duchess’s favor.

“My apologies for being late.”

Just as I cleared my mind, Carl appeared alongside the Iron-blooded Duke.

“Why are you arriving just now—?”

I hurriedly pushed aside the frustration that briefly crossed my mind.

What was I thinking? Carl had been summoned by His Majesty to attend a luncheon. It was something to be proud of and an honor. How could I feel any resentment? I didn’t even have the right to harbor resentment toward Carl.

“Baby.”

Still, I couldn’t completely shake off the faint annoyance as the Mage Duchess immediately rushed over to Carl.

“Think of it as your punishment.”

“Wife.”

My wife leaned in and whispered to me as our future daughters-in-law and in-laws began to gather around Carl.

“If we had just met with our in-laws on the first day, then none of this would have happened.”

“…”

Her words shut me right up. She had a point. If we had all gathered on the first day, then Carl wouldn’t have had to leave, and I wouldn’t have been left alone to deal with the Mage Duchess.

Of course, I had my excuses. Didn’t Carl tell her they’d meet later? Even if I had made time on the first day, it wouldn’t have made much difference.

Why did I even say that?

The real issue was that my wife found out that I had refused the Crown Prince’s suggestion to join Carl and meet our in-laws during the first day of the New Year’s Ball.

What was I supposed to do? I couldn’t stand seeing my wife anxious while watching Carl from afar, so I tried to console her by making conversation. My only crime was trying to calm her down, and in doing so, I accidentally let slip something I should’ve kept hidden forever.

“We’ll be sleeping in separate rooms for a while when we return to the territory.”

Her anxious expression vanished in an instant, replaced by a cold declaration.

Still, I managed to calm her down, so I think it was a reasonable sacrifice.

***The family meeting ended without much fuss. After all, we’d been spending time together during the New Year’s Ball, and it seemed like the patriarch of all families had plenty of time to talk while I was being pulled around by the Emperor.

The Patriarch, as usual, simply nodded with a stoic expression, but Mother couldn’t stop smiling. It wasn’t just at Marghetta, who she had already considered as a future daughter-in-law. She gazed at Louise, Irina, and even the unfamiliar 1st Manager with such a loving look that it was almost endearing.

She even managed to smile warmly and be courteous with the Mage Duchess, whom she had initially found to be somewhat awkward. It struck me how strongly a mother felt about sending her eldest son off to marry.

And so, the family meeting ended without a hitch.

Just the meeting.

“Aren’t you the one who set the social scene ablaze this year? We finally meet.”

The meeting may have ended, but the New Year’s Ball continued, which meant that there were still countless nobles to interact with.

Though I had been sticking close to my in-laws to avoid mingling with other nobles, it was impossible to block them all out. After all, the Empire had its share of bulldozers who could break through any wall.

“‘This year,’ you say? It’s only January.”

“I can’t imagine anything coming up that’ll top your news, no matter how long the year is.”

Like the Gold Duke, who casually stabbed people with his words.

“And yet, Executive Manager, such news is always welcome.”

And the likes of the Invincible Duke, who laughed along as if it were nothing.

Who knew where the Wise Duchess was? She was probably off in some corner, mixing whiskey and vodka or something.

“Well, I’m glad it made the both of you happy.”

I bowed my head respectfully to the two dukes.

The stark contrast between the Gold Duke as he was surrounded by his twelve wives and the Invincible Duke who came alone almost brought tears to my eyes. They were both dukes, so why were their personalities so different?

“It looks like the fun will continue for a while, so don’t worry too much about it.”

“Y-yes…”

The Gold Duke chuckled at my clearly worried response, then glanced at my left hand.

“So this is the famous item I’ve only heard about in rumors.”

An ‘item,’ a peculiar object. I almost admired how keen the Gold Duke’s eye was in recognizing the odd nature of this ring.

Yes, this thing was certainly strange. It wasn’t exactly something you’d expect to set a trend. But, of course, someone who controlled the Empire’s economy would have a good eye—

“As always, it’s the peculiar items that set the trends.”

Good… good… ah, damn it…

“Thank you for the compliment.”

“Though I must say, I feel a bit left out. If you had such an idea, then you should’ve shared it with me. I would’ve gladly given you a share of the profits.”

“I never imagined it would become such a trend.”

I forced a smile as I responded to the Gold Duke’s words.

Who in their right mind would tell a duke that this ring was a last-minute replacement because I forgot to buy a proper set of couple rings?

“Still, I hear Count Flanbell is preparing a business venture. Given that this was a gift from you to your father-in-law, it makes sense now.”

My smile grew even more strained. I’d already heard that from the Iron-blooded Duke, but hearing it from the Gold Duke too was overwhelming.

For the Gold Duke to mention it meant that that the venture was likely serious. Even if Count Flanbell was part of his faction, it wasn’t like the Gold Duke kept track of every single venture his subordinates were working on.

The fact that the Gold Duke had made space in his memory for this… It was terrifying.

“When the business starts, I’ll place an order myself. Finally, I’ll be able to wear all twelve rings.”

“Th-thank you, and congratulations.”

I couldn’t help but glance at the Gold Duke’s hands as he burst into a hearty laugh.

With twelve wives, of course, he had twelve rings. Naturally, each of his ten fingers was adorned with a ring, and on each wrist were what he called ‘rings,’ but anyone would call them bracelets.

…Well, good for him.

I quickly tore my eyes away from those ‘rings,’ which were clearly bracelets.

He would probably be able to fit all twelve rings on his fingers if they were half-rings.

I had brought peace to the Gold Duke.