Little Tyrant Doesn't Want to Meet with a Bad End[1-200]

Chapter 52: I Firmly Reject Political Marriages!

It wasn't uncommon for things in life to not go according to plan, and learning how to cope with them was part and parcel to navigating life's difficulties. That being said, there were still a few events that cut exceptionally deep into one's heart, like one's father remarrying, or having to marry off one's adopted sister.

 Roel was only ten this year, but he had been through the vicissitudes of life. He had experienced the beauty of modern society, as well as the extravagant life of a noble in an era of feudalism. Despite his appearance as a cute little boy, he already had the mentality of a forty-year-old father.

 Thus, when he heard that Alicia was going to do 'bridal studies', he was utterly floored. He had actually forgotten that such a day would come when Alicia would have to be married off.

 Roel was no longer living in the modern era anymore. This was a world plagued with disease and war, where most countries would never reach their optimum population. In response, countries naturally encouraged more childbirth. The Theocracy, as the moral compass of human society, had many teachings encouraging childbirth too.

 Due to this, the people in this world tended to marry at a young age, similar to how it was in the Middle Ages in Roel's previous world. It was perfectly normal for girls of 14 or 15 years to be mothers. It was common for nobles to take it slightly slower, but most noblewomen still married and gave birth by 17 or 18. Any woman who remained single beyond 20 would be considered a spinster, or using a more common term in Roel's previous world, an old maid.

 Of course, this standard only applied to ordinary people; transcendents followed another set of rules. Transcendents would undergo some physical changes due to the assimilation of mana. This would result in their lifespan increasing or decreasing to some degree, so it depended on context. Nevertheless, most nobles were already grandparents by the time they were in their fifties.

 In this world, childbirth was viewed as a blessing rather than a burden. An additional person in the household meant an additional pair of hands to help out. Furthermore, the more children one had, the more likely the chances of drawing a SSR.

 This was especially so for noble houses. The older a noble house was, the fewer offspring they tended to have. If a noble house were to usher in a patriarch who was exceptionally good at 'sowing seeds', even the ancestors would leap out from their graves to offer praise to the great Sia above!

 It was not to say that old noble houses were lacking in that aspect. Instead, the problem stemmed from the rules governing the circle of nobility.

 To put it simply, there was no freedom to love amongst nobles. Marriages were decided by one's parents, and they were used as political tools to consolidate power.

 More often than not, nobles would only meet their betrothed partners once at a ball and, perhaps, have a dance together before suddenly marrying one another. For the couples, it was almost like drawing a lottery. If the couple surprisingly clicked with one another, it would be all for the best, but it was unfortunate that such lucky ones were rare.

 The reality for most high society marriages was that they are barely being held together by a thread known as duty. There were even some couples with completely fractured relationships.

 Given so, how high could the birth rate possibly be?

 What Roel was most worried about now was Carter embroiling the young Alicia in a loveless political marriage.

 Alicia was going to be eight this year. Going by conventions, they should have already decided on a fiancé for her. In fact, Carter's aim in adopting her was to elevate her standing, so as to find a good husband for her. If she was going to start her 'bridal studies' now, could it be that there was some progress regarding this matter?