Chapter 258 : Chapter 258
Chapter 258. Can I Do This Well? (1)
“The groom will now make his entrance.”
The voice of Lawrence, the former butler of the Count Schneider family who was acting as the master of ceremonies, echoed through the hall.
Having retired and let go of everything, Lawrence’s only hobby was gardening.
But upon hearing that Patrick was getting married, he had prepared for this wedding with a passion, as if burning the last flame of his life.
And following his announcement, Patrick, dressed in a tuxedo, entered the ceremony hall.
“Hoo, so that man is the Double Dragon.”
“Indeed, it’s my first time seeing him, but I can tell at a glance that he is a great swordsman.”
“Yes. But….”
“Why is he entering with his mother?”
“I don’t know. I’ve seen the bride enter with her father…. but this is a first.”
“Is it a local tradition?”
The guests were curious.
Why was the groom entering with his arm linked so closely with his mother’s?
Some of them saw something shiny and silver between the two, but they couldn’t even guess what it was.
During this peculiar entrance, Ava spoke in a small voice.
“Smile. Smile as if you’re happy and joyful.”
“Motheeeeer.”
“I said, smile.”
“……”
The great Patrick Schneider.
Throughout his past and present lives, this was the first time he had been so completely subdued.
He wanted to run away, but he couldn’t bring himself to send his mother flying and escape, and in the meantime, his mother was watching him with an unprecedentedly strict attitude.
It was an unfamiliar response, so he didn’t know what to do.
And while he was hesitating and hesitating….
“The bride will now make her entrance.”
Butler Lawrence had finally said the words.
‘Damn it, should I run away now? I’ll just cut the chain of the handcuffs with a hand-sword and quickly bolt. Good. Let’s do that.’
“Twin Dragons Eight Sword Forms – Second….”
Just as Patrick was moving his energy.
“Oh… ooooh….”
“Woooow….”
“Hoho… ho….”
The brides entered.
And at that moment, all the attendees in the wedding hall were stunned.
April, Elione, Isabella.
The moment they saw the three beautiful brides, dressed in white wedding dresses, appear on the red virgin road, everyone was at a loss for words.
‘I heard they were beautiful, but….’
‘Who is the elf? I thought the most beautiful bride would be the elf, but this is….’
‘Wow, this is…. I had an inkling, but this is too much.’
‘That bastard, Patrick….’
‘Honestly, I’m jealous. No, I’m insanely jealous.’
There should be a limit to being pretty and beautiful.
This was so beautiful that it went far beyond any limit.
Let’s say Elione, an elf called the race of beauty, is like that.
But what about the other two, who showed no lack of beauty even when standing next to such an Elione?
Not one, not two, but a whopping three.
Three beautiful women, whose equals would be hard to find even if one searched the entire continent, were becoming the wives of one man.
And the guests saw it.
“Heeeeh….”
They saw one incredibly obnoxious man smiling with his mouth wide open.
“Wow, that bastard….”
“That one, that one….”
“Is that really the same guy who was throwing a tantrum saying he didn’t want to get married just a moment ago?”
“If he wasn’t my Big brother, I’d just….”
“If he wasn’t better at fighting than me, I’d just….”
Those who had been beaten up while desperately trying to stop Patrick from running away because he didn’t want to get married just a moment ago, ground their teeth and glared at him.
Some of them were emitting killing intent here and there, but Patrick didn’t pay them any mind.
All his attention was focused on the three brides who were approaching him step by step.
‘Wow…, she’s pretty. Really pretty. Insanely pretty. How can a human be this pretty.’
He knew they were pretty before, but dressed up like this, they were just so, so pretty.
All three of these beautiful women are my wives?
I can do this and that with all of them?
“Hehehehe….”
Ava, seeing her completely loosened son, sighed and unlocked the handcuffs.
And as her future daughters-in-law approached, she gently pushed Patrick’s back and said.
“Please take care of him.”
“Don’t worry. Mother. I’ll take good care of him.”
“……”
I wasn’t talking to you.
Well, what does it matter?
Ava let out a small sigh and went to sit in her seat.
And the ceremony began.
The wedding ceremony proceeded smoothly.
The bride and groom exchanged vows, a formal exchange of gifts, and then a kiss of oath.
With this, they officially became a married couple.
The surrounding guests applauded and congratulated them.
But at the same time, a considerable number of guests clicked their tongues in disappointment.
‘Taking three wives at once probably means he’s cutting off any possibility of a political marriage.’
‘Count Schneider is not a politically astute person. This must be the Double Dragon’s own idea.’
‘A pity. It’s truly a pity.’
Patrick was one of the most coveted sons-in-law on a continent-wide scale.
Even if it was as a concubine and not the main wife, there were plenty of people who would have offered their daughters.
But there’s a limit to everything.
It’s unreasonable to offer your daughter to a man who has taken three wives at the same time.
You could do it if you had the nerve, but it’s not easy.
The Schneider family has no other children, and the Count and Countess are famous for their good marital relations.
In other words, it would be impossible to attempt a political marriage for the time being.
Those who were particularly well-informed were even more disappointed.
‘We should have snatched him up somehow.’
‘Tsk, it will be much harder to get him in the future.’
These were the people who knew what would happen next.
***
At the end of the wedding ceremony….
Just as all the guests were about to move to the reception hall after the bride and groom had exited through the virgin road.
“Count Schneider, please step forward.”
Count Heimbridge, who had come as the imperial messenger of the Atronia royal family, stood up and spoke in a solemn voice.
At that, Count Schneider stood up from his seat with an expression that said, ‘The time has come.’
Beside him, Ava looked at her husband with a gentle smile, as if to cheer him on.
And Count Schneider, in front of everyone, went before the imperial messenger, knelt, and bowed his head.
“Jaycall Schneider, I receive the royal command.”
The other people couldn’t figure out what was happening.
And Count Heimbridge took out a rolled-up parchment from his bosom and read it.
“The Schneider family has long fulfilled its duty as a subject of the Atronia royal family. Furthermore, no one can deny that they have contributed to the development of the kingdom by achieving great merits. Therefore….”
Count Heimbridge composed his breathing for a moment and then continued to read the royal edict.
“In the name of Fiesto Gloria Atronia, the 14th King of the Atronia Kingdom, I hereby elevate the Schneider family to the rank of Grand Ducal family and recognize the independent sovereignty of the Schneider fiefdom as a duchy.”
“I am simply grateful for His Majesty the King’s grace.”
Count Schneider, no, he who had now become Grand Duke Schneider, respectfully accepted the letter of appointment.
And the guests at the wedding, who had been watching this scene, stirred greatly.
“A Grand Ducal family? Now… then….”
“An independent state? The Count Schneider family at this point in time?”
“Hoho, what happens now?”
“Hmm….”
The guests, who had witnessed the unexpected birth of a Grand Ducal family, stirred greatly. But….
Clap clap clap….
“Congratulations. Your Grace, Grand Duke Schneider.”
“Your efforts over the years have been recognized.”
“My sincere congratulations.”
Those who had already heard the circumstances and knew led the way, clapping and congratulating.
At that, the others also joined in.
Of course, their minds were still complicated.
‘Although it’s a duchy, with the current power of the Schneider family….’
‘It’s no less than a kingdom.’
‘The presence of the Double Dragon alone is on par with a decent kingdom….’
‘Hohoho, I’ll have to line up well, won’t I?’
‘If it comes to this, I don’t care if she’s the fourth concubine, or even the tenth. I’ll definitely push her in.’
For politicians sensitive to power, there was much to think about.
And those who were quick to act moved swiftly.
“Congratulations. Your Grace. I am Viscount Kantor. I have long heard of Your Grace’s fame and have admired you.”
“Ahem, where is someone who isn’t even from the east coming from…. Your Grace, I am Baron Sardain. If you trace my lineage back, five generations ago, my roots were in the east. It is an honor to meet you like this.”
“Ahem, Your Grace, my son once received a beating… I mean, a lesson from the Grand Young Master Schneider at the Academy.”
Even nobles sometimes prioritize practical benefits over face.
They vied to approach Grand Duke Schneider, greet him, and try to make an acquaintance.
Looking at them desperately trying to create even the slightest connection, Grand Duke Schneider responded with a good-natured smile.
But inwardly, he was on high alert and tense.
‘I must not show any weakness. From now on, I have to get used to these kinds of political conversations.’
It was different from when he was just a humble country noble.
To play the role of a monarch ruling a duchy as the head of a Grand Ducal family, he himself had to change.
In any case, the true glory of the Schneider family would unfold once his son took over, but he had to protect his position until then.
‘Isn’t that right? Son.’
Grand Duke Schneider looked at his son with a pleased expression.
Just by standing there with a resolute expression and his mouth firmly shut, his presence was extraordinary.
How could such a son have come from him?
Just looking at him brought tears to his eyes.
He was the proudest son in the world and an excellent son, more than he deserved.
Probably even now, his mind was filled with thoughts about the family’s future and its upcoming course of action.
‘He’s a wise and meticulous fellow…. He must have a plan.’
In fact, a meticulous plan was being formed in Patrick’s mind right now.
‘First is April. And tomorrow is Senior Isabella. And the day after that is Elione….’
He was planning it really meticulously.
***
The reception after the ceremony.
Patrick and Grand Duke Schneider had to move around restlessly, attending to the guests.
Patrick’s mind was elsewhere, but he knew how important this was, so he quietly participated.
“Your Grace, I congratulate you once again on becoming the monarch of a new nation.”
“Hahaha, it’s not really because of anything I did well.”
“In the old days of the Baron Schneider family, I never thought a day like this would come.”
“That’s right. You are truly amazing.”
“If you have a secret, please share it with us.”
At the nobles’ questions, Grand Duke Schneider just smiled good-naturedly and said.
“What could I have done? It’s just thanks to my son being so exceptional.”
“Hahaha….”
“Mr. Schneider, no, the Grand Young Master is truly outstanding.”
“Ahem, he is indeed a great figure.”
At Grand Duke Schneider’s words, some nobles were genuinely envious.
In fact, just 20 years ago, the place called the Schneider fiefdom was a rural fiefdom that was hard to find even if you unfolded a map.
But now, its fame resounded throughout the continent.
And with this marriage as an opportunity, it had been officially granted independence by the royal family and was reborn as a new nation.
The good-natured middle-aged man in front of them had risen from a country baron to the founder of a royal family.
Honestly, the other nobles were jealous of this.
To concede a hundred times, if the Grand Duke himself had done well, they might have let it be, but….
‘It’s all because of his son, isn’t it?’
‘Damn it, if only I had a son like the Double Dragon….’
‘What a lucky bastard….’
‘To think a man who wouldn’t have dared to look me in the face in the past is now a Grand Duke.’
To others, Grand Duke Schneider was just a lucky man who had succeeded because he had a good son.
On the surface, they were laughing and congratulating him, but in the middle of their words, there were subtle barbs.
‘Tsk tsk tsk, what a bunch of morons….’
Patrick clicked his tongue inwardly as he saw the nobles who were jealous and sarcastic towards his father.
Yes. To put it bluntly, it was true that Patrick had elevated the family.
But the reason Patrick had devoted himself to working tirelessly for the family was because the head of this family was Jaycall Schneider.
What if Patrick had been reborn into an ordinary noble family, and his father was an arrogant noble full of authority and elitism?
Patrick would never have devoted himself to the family like this.
‘At most, I would have run out of the family to avoid seeing such a dirty sight and made my own way.’
They don’t know.
They don’t know how difficult it is to not just learn about goodness, but to actually practice it.
It’s not about wanting someone to recognize it.
It’s not about doing it for something in return.
It’s just about doing good because it is good, as a matter of course.
Does that look easy?
‘You guys couldn’t do it even if you were told to.’
Stupid fools.
If he had his way, he would have beaten them all up to shut them up. But for Patrick to step forward and confront them here would be to make his father a complete scarecrow Grand Duke.
That wouldn’t do.
‘He has to do his job.’
He might be a bit weak now, but as the position makes the man, he will get the hang of it to some extent if he keeps at it.
The reception continued late into the night.
Patrick, in case of any unforeseen circumstances, did not leave in the middle and stayed until the end.
Seeing the envoy from the warring Holy Theocracy and the delegation from the Empire exuding a subtle atmosphere, and the envoys from various countries subtly testing his father, he couldn’t bring himself to leave first.
The reception finally ended at 3 in the morning.
Only then could Patrick be free.
“Hoooo….”
After completely clearing the alcohol with his internal energy.
‘Finally.’
Patrick steeled his heart and opened the door.
This was the first time since he was born in this life that his heart pounded so much just from the act of opening a door.
And inside, beyond this door….
“Oh…. You’ve come. Young Master.”
“Sir Patrick….”
“You’re too la…te.”
Three brides, as nervous as Patrick, were waiting.
April, who couldn’t even meet Patrick’s eyes and was clearly nervous.
Elione, whose eyes were filled with not just longing but madness, staring at Patrick as if she would devour him.
Isabella, who spoke curtly but whose face was as red as an apple….
The three beautiful brides had been waiting for Patrick until this late hour.
‘Hmm…. Let’s see, so today is….’
Patrick, lost in thought.
There were three brides, but he had to send two of them away for now.
But what should he say and how should he send them away?
‘How can I do it so they are hurt as little as possible?’
It was then.
While Patrick was deliberating, Isabella gently pushed April’s back, sending her towards Patrick.
“Princess.”
“You’ve known him the longest, haven’t you?”
Isabella, yielding the first night with Patrick to April.
April was flustered by her consideration, and Elione….
“Wait? If we go in the order we met, I’m last, aren’t I?”
“So what? You don’t want to?”
“Of course I don’t want to.”
“Then how should we decide?”
“Let’s play rock-paper-scissors.”
Elione protested vehemently, but Isabella shook her head and said.
“Never mind that, let’s go.”
And she personally took Elione and left the room.
Elione shouted ‘rock-paper-scissors’ even as she was being dragged away, but she was cleanly ignored.
And in the bedroom, where only the two of them remained.
Patrick approached April, caressed her cheek, and said.
“Honestly….”
“……”
“When I first took you in, I didn’t think something like this would happen.”
At Patrick’s words, April nodded.
In fact, even now, she couldn’t believe it.
The fact that she had actually married the Young Master.
What if all of this is just a dream?
What if, when she wakes up from the dream, they go back to their old relationship?
She was filled with such anxiety.
To her, Patrick spoke.
“But you know. Now that I think about it, the thought that another man might be by your side, honestly, I couldn’t stand it.”
“Young Master….”
“So I promise you now. I will take responsibility for you until the end.”
And Patrick’s lips gently met April’s.
It was the first kiss of Patrick Schneider’s life.
As they kissed, Patrick’s hand moved stealthily.
And as a result of removing the strap of the dress draped over April’s shoulder….
Swoosh.
The evening dress slid down, grazing her skin.
And the faint light of the lamp illuminated everything about her.
“……”
Patrick was speechless at the breathtakingly beautiful sight.
Not even a gasp came out.
A beauty that makes one lose one’s soul.
Without hesitation, Patrick carried April to the bed and laid her down.
And then….
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