Drawing Manga in a Romance Fantasy

Chapter 160

“Did you finish your discussion?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Then I trust you’re ready to give me your answer.”

Having concluded his conversation with Iolin, Rupert returned to the throne room, where the emperor awaited his decision.

The emperor was eager to learn Rupert’s choice: the royal faction or the nobles.

“I will marry Lady Iolin,” Rupert said after a brief pause.

The emperor sprang from his seat in satisfaction.

“Good! You’ve made your decision—”

“And I will also marry Lady Amelia of the Bluewell family,” Rupert added.

“What? Are you insane?”

The emperor’s voice cut off twice in quick succession—first interrupted by Rupert’s audacious follow-up statement and second when he barely restrained himself from uttering a curse.

“Have you completely lost your mind?!”

While it wasn’t unusual for nobles to have multiple wives, such arrangements typically involved a clear distinction between a wife and concubines.

Proud women of noble birth rarely accepted the status of a concubine. For Rupert to declare his intent to marry both the imperial princess and the heir to the Bluewell duchy was essentially to imply that one of them would be relegated to concubine status.

It was nothing short of a bombshell—an announcement that could alienate both the royal family and the noble faction.

Even as someone who had long favored Rupert, the emperor found the statement nearly unforgivable. His anger was on the verge of exploding when a sudden interruption froze him in place.

“I have agreed to this arrangement,” said Iolin.

“Iolin! Have you lost your senses?”

The emperor was dumbfounded as Iolin appeared and stood beside Rupert. Hearing her personally affirm Rupert’s outrageous claim left him reeling.

“Your Majesty, please allow Rupert to explain himself,” Iolin said calmly.

“Fine. Let’s hear it, then. What on earth could possibly justify this?”

The emperor’s furious expression made Rupert tense, but he took a deep breath to steady himself.

Clasp.

Iolin reached out to hold Rupert’s hand. Feeling her warmth gave him the courage to speak.

“Your Majesty, as I understand it, no family may rise in rank twice within a single generation.”

“What does that have to do with this? It’s true that promotions in rank must skip at least one generation,” the emperor replied, though the connection to Rupert’s earlier statement was unclear.

“In ten years, I intend to become the head of the Somerset family,” Rupert continued.

“And how is that relevant now?”

“When that time comes, if I achieve a great enough contribution to the Empire, I would ask for permission to be granted an honorary dukedom.”

“What?!”

The emperor’s astonishment deepened as he finally grasped the reason behind Rupert’s shocking proposal.

“You’re asking for the title of honorary duke?”

“That’s correct, Your Majesty.”

The emperor recalled the historical precedent for such a title, though it had long fallen into disuse.

“An honorary duke may have up to three legitimate wives.”

In the Empire’s ranking system, the honorary duke title stood apart from the five standard ranks of nobility. Though it carried privileges comparable to those of a duke, it was typically awarded to individuals without a corresponding domain or significant political influence—essentially placing it closer to a marquess in practice.

However, the one unique privilege of an honorary duke was freedom in marriage.

In most noble families, to prevent disputes over succession, only one legitimate spouse was permitted, regardless of rank. The title of honorary duke, however, allowed for up to three legitimate spouses.

“Are you trying to follow in the footsteps of the Romantic Duke, Shuler Bell?” the emperor asked, recalling the origin of the honorary dukedom.

The title had been created for Shuler Bell, a member of the imperial family who, after declining to succeed the throne, chose instead to marry two women he loved equally.

‘I apologize, but I have two women I love. Choosing just one of them as empress would be harder for me than dying,’ Shuler had said.

After abdicating his claim to the throne, his younger brother became emperor. To reward Shuler’s loyalty and grant his unique request, the honorary duke title was created, allowing him to live a happy life with both of his beloved partners.

The story was well-known even among commoners, but the title had not been granted since then, effectively rendering it obsolete.

“Indeed, if you were to hold the title of honorary duke, your suggestion would no longer seem so outrageous,” the emperor admitted. “But do you have any idea how difficult it would be for your family to achieve another promotion in rank?”

“I am well aware.”

The emperor shook his head. Promotions in rank were extraordinarily rare, and even for rapidly growing families, they typically required skipping at least two generations. For a marquess family to become a dukedom—honorary or otherwise—within one generation would require unparalleled achievements.

Unless Rupert led an army to a decisive victory in a major war, such a feat seemed impossible.

“Your family’s promotion to marquess was hardly straightforward either…”

The Somerset family had been promoted to marquess rank thanks to their contributions during the Abyssal Cult and Sataniel incidents, though even those efforts had not been decisive. The emperor had granted the promotion primarily to balance the power of the noble faction.

“Then here’s my proposal,” the emperor declared.

“I’m listening, Your Majesty.”

“If you can accomplish something unprecedented in the Empire’s history, I will personally ensure that you are granted the title of honorary duke in ten years.”

“What would you have me do?”

“Dismantle the wall that divides the Empire.”

Rupert immediately understood the emperor’s meaning.

The emperor wasn’t asking for war or territorial conquest. Since its founding, the Empire had been in perpetual conflict with the Kingdoms’ Alliance, which resisted its expansion at every turn.

“To advance, the Empire must fracture the Alliance’s unity and bring them into our sphere of influence.”

“You want me to achieve this through my works?”

The emperor’s words weren’t random. Unifying the continent had been the dream of successive emperors, but the Alliance had always resisted fiercely, binding its member states together with mutual fear of the Empire.

Even trade negotiations were fraught with difficulty, as many in the Alliance despised the Empire and sabotaged efforts to establish economic ties.

“I know nothing of leading soldiers or navigating politics,” Rupert said. “But if Your Majesty believes I can accomplish this through cultural influence, then I will do my utmost.”

Breaking through barriers that neither military force nor diplomacy could overcome would certainly qualify as a historic achievement worthy of the honorary duke title.

It would also be the most challenging task Rupert had ever faced.

But he couldn’t bear to disappoint Iolin and Amelia, who had shown such faith in him.

“Very well,” Rupert said, lifting his head to meet the emperor’s gaze. “I will make the Empire a cultural model that other nations aspire to emulate. I will wield ink and paper, not swords and shields, to infiltrate their hearts and minds.”

His eyes shone with unwavering determination.

“In ten years, other nations will open their doors to the Empire, adopting our culture from commoners to nobles alike.”

Rupert’s voice carried a conviction that even the emperor found infectious.

“In time, the Empire will no longer be feared—it will be admired.”

—That is the promise I make to you.

In Rupert’s mind, the vision of the next decade was already taking shape: crowds of foreign tourists flocking to Somerset Land, his unreleased comics and fairy tales becoming indispensable parts of everyday life across nations, and card tournaments in the Empire inspiring their own cultural movements abroad.

He knew it would take ten years to turn that vision into reality. But he was ready to begin.

+++++

"So this is why you came to see me in such haste, Sir Rupert."

Inside Iolin's quarters at the imperial palace.

Rupert was usually the only visitor to her residence, but today, there were others present.

"I didn’t ask for your individual opinions, but in the given circumstances, I believe this was the best course of action."

Amelia and Zinnia, sipping their tea as they listened, could only nod in agreement.

Indeed, Iolin’s proposal to elevate Rupert to an honorary duke wasn’t a plan that crowned a single winner; it ensured all three women could share in victory.

"Going forward, I think it’s best for us to focus our efforts on helping Sir Rupert realize his plans rather than wasting energy competing with each other."

"Of course, Your Highness. As the one who confessed to Rupert first, I’ll lead the way in assisting him," Amelia declared confidently.

"Yes, and as the one who first secured a promise of marriage from him, I too have much to contribute," Iolin added with a smile.

After the emperor and Rupert concluded their tense discussion, Iolin had taken the initiative to invite Amelia and Zinnia, formerly her rivals, to a meeting. She sought to explain the current situation and transform their relationship into one of cooperation.

But...

“Out of the three, I am the first.”
“It seems she has no intention of easily relinquishing her position as first.”

Now, Iolin and Amelia were locked in a silent battle—not over marriage, but over who would hold the "first" position in Rupert's life.

Meanwhile...

"I’m falling behind all of them!"

Zinnia felt a burning urgency, as though a fire had been lit under her.