"In the Toscana Empire, 95% of noble marriages are arranged with no regard for love or affection. But oddly enough, showing care for one’s wife (or fiancée) greatly enhances one’s social standing.
Maintaining a good relationship with Erica not only boosts my reputation but also strengthens my alliance with my greatest supporter, Duke Visconti.
‘If trouble arises at home, it can have significant political repercussions.’
And if I become politically isolated, my business would be finished. Those ‘one-bite’ hyenas—eager to tear off just a piece—are circling, waiting for any weakness.
“Lady Erica will arrive shortly, Baron Rothschild.”
Hearing that, I straightened my attire.
“Baron, thank you for coming to see me despite your busy schedule.”
“I came because I wanted to see you, Erica. And I also brought a gift.”
Erica smiled at my words without a trace of pretense.
Born into a ducal family, she surely never had to worry about money.
‘But who doesn’t love gifts?’
“What sort of gift did you bring?”
“Do you remember when you asked me to create a dish of my own the last time we met?”
“I remember, Baron.”
If she hadn’t said those words, I might not have thought to introduce nouvelle cuisine to our empire, beginning with Rothschild’s restaurant.
Without Erica, perhaps the nobles—and I—would still be eating visually appealing but flavorless dishes, smothered in spices, at balls and banquets without ever realizing how misguided that was.
“After hearing that, I created a new cuisine, nouvelle cuisine. While contemplating what a dish that truly reflects me might look like, the idea came naturally.”
“My grandfather and father told me that Baron Rothschild was an extremely rational and logical person, but it seems you also have a romantic side.”
If one lives too coldly, they start to lose their humanity, becoming mechanical.
Just like a butcher Stalin or other rational psychopaths who saw people only as numbers.
Even now, spreading fire in Ifriqiya and Nador is a dangerous endeavor. If I lose my humanity further...
‘I could turn into a monster who massacres thousands for my power, claiming, “It’s all due to the Jews’ vile slander!”’
If I’m not careful, I’ll inevitably become a monster.
But, beyond all that, the most important thing is...
Living in a harsh, cold world without love is simply too much to bear.
‘I don’t know what I’d become without Chloe and Kris.’
Erica looked up at me, resting her elbows on the table and gazing into my face with a smile.
“When I asked you to make a dish of your own, I honestly didn’t have high expectations. I thought you’d make something simple, like stew or bread, since you mentioned cooking as a hobby.”
Even I have to admit, I may have overdone it with this whole venture.
Creating an original dish is difficult even for chefs who’ve devoted their lives to cooking.
And changing the paradigm of cuisine?
Such an achievement would leave a mark not only on culinary history but world history.
Frankly, I’m not someone who could make a living solely from cooking.
Her thinking was entirely reasonable.
“But I never dreamed that you’d create a new style of cooking, nouvelle cuisine, with dishes that never existed in this world before.”
“Erica, without you, I would never have come up with this cuisine.”
“You know, other noblemen would probably say they made the dish just for me.”
That would indeed sound more romantic.
“I accomplished this task for you alone.”
It’s something you’d expect from the hero in Arthurian tales or chivalric romances, and it might be appealing when wooing a woman’s heart.
‘But Erica must have heard that kind of flattery thousands of times at balls.’
As a duke’s daughter, Erica would have naturally attracted countless suitors.
This 𝓬ontent is taken from fгeewebnovёl.co𝙢.
But she’s likely never had a real romance.
Why? Because a failed romance could deal a massive blow to her family’s standing, if not entirely ruin the duchy’s reputation, it could lead to a 40% drop in their influence.
Repeating the same clichéd lines on someone who’s heard them more times than she can count would be foolish.
It would reduce me to just another ordinary man among the many.
And following the crowd to success isn’t a formula that works anywhere in the world.
“Sure, it may be romantic to say something like that. But we’re going to be husband and wife, aren’t we? After the wedding, we’ll share both sickness and joy together.”
“You’re right. We’ll be together from now on.”
“I might lean on you, and you could rely on me as well. But to do that, we mustn’t lie to each other, right?”
Even if a couple spends their entire lives together, secrets between people are inevitable.
A husband might get leave for a ‘distant relative’s funeral’ only to spend the weekend gaming with friends and drinking beer all day.
Or he could buy a new graphics card with the ‘married man’s discount’ he found.
‘Knowing everything would ruin the relationship.’
So, I also pretend not to know when Chloe sometimes exercises with Kris to lose weight.
“That’s right. Unlike with others, spouses should be able to trust each other at all times.”
Everyone agrees with this truth.
But for a noble like Erica, a duke’s daughter, it may not resonate as well.
In arranged marriages, each family serves as a political ally, and it’s not uncommon for a wife to betray her husband to benefit her maternal family.
“That’s why, unlike with others, I will never lie to you, Erica.”
Erica gazed at me with interest, then turned her face away, blushing like a ripe apple.
“Baron Rothschild, you’re too blunt. Last time we met, you even told me I was cute and pretty.”
“So, did you dislike it?”
Erica shook her head vigorously.
She looked as though she wanted to say something, but no words escaped her lips.
It must have hit home.
“The life of a noble is like that, isn’t it? Sometimes for profit, sometimes out of resentment, and sometimes to survive, they deceive allies, friends, and family. We always have to be on guard, unsure if someone might stab us in the back.”
That’s why, after becoming a baron, I secretly trained spies capable of modern espionage under the Emperor’s and Duke Visconti’s noses.
And during my junior baron days, I only performed acts that pleased the Emperor and Duke to earn my place.
But now, I’m fighting to build my own faction.
‘I must survive at all costs.’
“So, nobles are always solitary. But I don’t want to live that way. I’d like to have someone I can trust completely, no matter what.”
I carefully took out the ring box I’d brought.
Erica’s gaze naturally focused on the box.
“Even though our relationship was arranged by the duke, even if it wasn’t born out of true love...”
I once read an interesting passage while preparing for an English test.
In India, all marriages are arranged, yet their divorce rate is half of that in America, and their satisfaction in marriage is higher.
Of course, India is known for its harsh treatment of women, so the statistics may be questionable...
But the conclusion was striking: that even arranged marriages can turn into love if both parties strive for happiness.
‘Though I never imagined I’d end up in an arranged marriage.’
“If we cherish and care for each other, we can be happy, like the prince and princess in a fairytale.”
I gently pulled Erica’s left hand toward me and slid the ring onto her ring finger.
“Will you be my princess, Erica?”
A tear rolled down Erica’s cheek.
Even as she cried, a smile blossomed on her lips.
“Yes, my prince.”
Considering the atmosphere, it feels like I should probably kiss her here.
But if I did, the duke would probably laugh it off and send me off to the knights, saying he’ll make a ‘man’ out of me.
I’d likely end up in Baron Ducat’s regiment, where the knights would greet me with teary eyes, thrilled to drill me in daily horseback training in 20-kilogram plate armor.
Just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes from sheer joy.
‘No, thank you. I don’t want that torture. I want to live.’
Then Erica motioned for me to leave.
“It’s late, so please, you should go.”
I couldn’t tell the time without a clock, but the sun was still shining brightly.
Seems she still isn’t ready to show me her bashful side.
“All right, I’ll come again soon.”