This chapter is the edited version of another translation. You can find the original chapter post .
Please notice that this chapter has NOT been re-translated but only edited in order to improve the readability.
Please be sure to thank the translator in the link provided above, if you wish to express your gratitude.
This chapter was merely moved to this blog as the original blog has been inactive for quite a while.
By no rights Infinite Novel Translations claims ownership of the translation.
Editors: James, Shasu
"Can I ask you something mother-in-law." (Amalie)
"What is it Amalie-san?" (Johanna)
"It’s about my Brother-in-law, Wend-kun…" (Amalie)
I am reffered to as Amalie von Benno Baumeister. Not too long ago I was called Amalie von Mainbach.
What it means is that I was married from the Mainbach house, my parents' house, into the Baumeister house.
The Mainbach house is of noble lineage. However, the house is in charge of a small territory within the Helmut Kingdom.
So it was natural for my parents to decide on a political marriage for me. Even if the Baumeister house that I was married into, was in the same situation.
I do not know what is on Kurt’s, my husbands, mind.
As a woman, I can't escape political marriages. Even if I longed for a marriage born from love like in the story book’s in my house.
This longing is not really a sin either.
I have no complaints about the marriage itself.
Albeit a knight peerage house in a remote location, it's not a bad story. As the second daughter of another knight peerage house, I was married to the heir son.
The second daughter usually won’t be married to such a person.
At best, I would have been paired up with the heir of an important retainer with a great noble as the lord.
For a same ranked noble family, the second son onwards would usually be placed in the vassal houses of the noble.
I would have at least been the mistress or the second wife of a great noble. It was also not uncommon for the lower class nobility like the Mainbach house to partly sell one of their family members to a big shot merchant.
So although I had no choice as to who I would marry, I thought that I was lucky given that I had married the heir of the Baumeister house.
Though I was a little surprised when I saw my mother-in-law twining rope.
But still, the sight of a noble lord working diligently to cultivate the land they were in charge of or hunting was not an unusual sight for a noble house in a rural area with a small amount of territory to their name.
"That kid…" (Johanna)
It’s just that one person.
A kid where his everyday behaviour couldn't really be understood.
The youngest child of the Baumeister house, a boy named Wendelin.
He was born as the youngest child from mother-in-law who’s age exceeded 40 at the time of his birth. This was pretty rare in and of itself.
Since it's normally the young mistress that gives birth as such a time.
In fact, the current lord of the Baumeister house also has a mistress.
It's not really that rare for the mistress to stay in her parents' house.
However, this mistress in particular was the village head’s daughter. I have only known her to the extent of meeting each other at the wedding.
The same goes for her two sons and two daughters that I would have less opportunity to meet in the future.
This was mainly because of the social standing difference between the mistress and the legal wife.
Her four children had no inheritance rights, no right to take over the village head house or being married into another village head’s house in the future.
Since the social standing was different through the half blood connection, nothing can be done about the situation.
"He was a kid that I have given birth to but I had no choice but to leave alone." (Johanna)
Mother-in-law said heavily.
Even she had not expected an eighth son to be born.
She had not looked after him for a very long after he had been born. This was because the villages were in a period where they had to make up for the damage received from the expedition to Demon forest. Every day after that disaster had been spent on land reclamation. As such, it was natural that she have left him unattended at many a time.
But let alone showing his dissatisfaction over the treatment he received, he seemed to have been just reading books in the study room alone.
And as a result, his literacy skills were much better compared to us for a kid in his age.
"He just wanted to be like Erich-san that had become independent not too long ago." (Johanna)
I have only spoken to Erich-san a little but he seemed like quite a sharp person.
I think he might have been a more suitable lord compared to my husband.
I felt that my husband maintained a distant relationship because of that but Erich-san, the person in question, has already left the house.
It is very likely that he will pass the test to be a petty official in the Imperial city.
Maybe, that person might have passed it by a large margin.
"Not just that." (Johanna)
According to mother-in-law, Wend-kun at the age of 6, could already talk to Erich-san as an equal even though Erich-san was ten years older. Wend-kun’s literacy and maths skills were above average.
"And he can also use magic." (Johanna)
I can't dare to hear to what extent he can use it.
Still, he will not have to worry about his life even if he becomes independent after growing up. Father-in-law and my husband would likely have come to the same conclusion.
"Why such talent was left by itself?" (Amalie)
That was strange.
With such a precious talent, how much would work progress if that child used his magic to develop the territory?
It would have been a great chance for the Baumeister house.
"You would normally think that way." (Johanna)
But such argument was not as valid if one looked at the bigger picture.
"The Baumeister territory is small and is located in a remote area." (Johanna)
That does not mean they couldn’t support themselves but it was a territory that no one wanted to live with all of its inconveniences.
Actually, almost all of the inhabitants of the territory had participated in the wedding.
Despite leading a modest daily life, a large amount of food and drinks was served on that day only.
This was often done during important ceremonial occasions. Like in my parents' territory, the wedding was considered a festival for the territory with few pieces of entertainment mixed in.
"It's because of Wend that a large amount of meat was served that day." (Johanna)
It was officially seen as an achievement for Erich-san who is an expert with the bow but in actual fact, The real effort came from Wend-kun who could use magic.
"All the more reason for him to cooperate then…" (Amalie)
"It would become a family feud if that happens." (Johanna)
The distance between the territory’s population and their lord is close. Couple this with the fact that if anyone knew that one of the lord’s sons could use magic and this was in a closed of off, rural area that did not have a lot of territory, that of course would influnce the territory’s population to appeal for a substitute of the next family head to father-in-law.
Normal farmers might hesitate to do so but the opinion of village head is usually enough to make this appeal directly to the current lord.
Since they're influential people in the territory.
"I can not imagine what kind of confusion would happen if that occurs." (Johanna)
There is no way everyone will agree about that.
Disputes would thus likely occur been the Kurt faction and the Wendelin faction.
And reinforcements could not be expected from the outside even if confusion happens in the kingdom’s territory since even the territory’s neighbors would need to pass the mountain range first.
"It would be your downfall as the wife for the next family head as well if that happens." (Johanna)
She was right.
I, who has just become the legal wife of the next family head. Why I would i try to throw that away.
"You're right…" (Amalie)
It looks ugly but world is not that naive.
Rather than Baumeister house being developed by Wend-kun as the family head, I choose that current life should be maintained by my husband as the family head.
I'd never choose any other option.
"Wend, fortunately is not interested in this territory." (Johanna)
She’s right.
Since he can use magic, he could become an adventurer or gain employment from other nobles.
The income from either must be better.
"So it's okay for Wend to do as he pleases. That would be better for both parties." (Johanna)
Even I felt this was a little cold but this is the only form of affection mother-in-law can show for her son.
Holding conflicting interest in the territory and one's own children fighting amongst each other. It really happens quite often and nothing can be compared to such a nightmare.
"I understand that. But unexpected things can happen in the world." (Amalie)
"You're right, unexpected things can happen." (Johanna)
Both of us sighed. I felt like I was able to befriend with mother-in-law. Even if it’s just a little.
We are now family for life anyway.
So I need to get along well with parents-in-law.