Starting with the smashing of Dunkirk

Chapter 232 Engagement, Return to the Front Lines

After reviewing Lelouch's draft of the councilor's proposal, the Duke did not offer much comment, merely giving a perfunctory few words of agreement before setting it aside.

He then personally arranged to entertain Lelouch and invited him to attend the ceremony the next day.

Later that day, after lunch, Lelouch was even surprised to find that his sister, brother-in-law, and younger sister had also arrived at Neuschwanstein Castle to attend the ceremony the next day.

This was something Lelouch hadn't expected at all, because he hadn't brought his family to the ceremony, feeling that their status wasn't prominent enough and they shouldn't be suitable for such an occasion.

"I didn't bring you guys with me, how did you get here on your own?" Lelouch was very surprised.

“It was Princess Ilmingard who invited my younger sister, and she said that if my younger sister was too young to travel far alone, Guildford and I could bring her along,” Cornelia explained.

Lelouch paused for a moment, then finally figured it out.

Indeed, I had brought my family to Neuschwanstein Castle before, and some members of the royal family had already become familiar with my family.

On the other side, brother-in-law Guilford also said with a smile: "We are now considered people of status. Cornelia and I are the president of Volkswagen Trains and the president of Nicopol Steel Works, respectively. We are considered figures in the business world."

Of course, this was just a joke among family members. Everyone knew that the so-called Volkswagen Company and the steel mills on the Eastern Front were all Lelouch's businesses, and the capital came from the windfall he made after winning battles.

This is just an excuse for others to invite them.

Lelouch already had a premonition of something.

……

While Lelouch was being held back by his family members to talk about household chores,

In another study at Neuschwanstein Castle, Duke Rupprecht was also looking for his daughter, Princess Ilmingard, to finally confirm some things.

"Baron Lelouch's sister, Miss Nunnally, came in your name. You two seem to get along quite well, don't you?"

“What’s wrong? When did Father start caring about these trivial matters between us girls?” Cecilia Theresa Irmingard blinked her big eyes and asked her father slyly.

Duke Rupprecht was a little embarrassed to speak, and after a moment of hesitation, he got straight to the point: "Cecilia, since you and Miss Nunnally are so close, you must also think Baron Lelouch is quite good, right?"

Princess Irmingard controlled her emotions and pretended to be calm: "If you want to use me for a political marriage to win people's hearts, just say so. As a member of the royal family, I have long been prepared to make such sacrifices."

Duke Rupprecht nearly rolled his eyes at this, but he still cared for his daughter. He gritted his teeth and said, "My daughter, how could I possibly trade her away or sacrifice her! You're still young, if you're not satisfied, we can find someone else in the future!"

Princess Ilmingard didn't want to lose face, nor did she want to give a direct answer. After hesitating for a moment, she quickly changed the subject: "Why bring this up now of all times? If outsiders find out, they'll think that Aunt Charlotte, my stepmother, can't stand me and is rushing to marry me off."

Duke Rupprecht blushed at his daughter's teasing, realizing that there was indeed a risk of things going wrong. He would only be marrying Charlotte tomorrow, and outsiders wouldn't think that Charlotte Wilhelmina was having a problem with her stepdaughter.

If Charlotte gives birth to a son or daughter for him in another year or two, and then he marries off his eldest daughter, whether he chooses a family background or a person with good talent, it will easily leave more room for outsiders to gossip.

Besides, the Duke had already made up his mind; he just wanted to see if his daughter would strongly object. Seeing her reaction, he knew he hadn't guessed wrong, so he made the decision directly to avoid embarrassing his daughter.

Since ancient times, if a woman thinks a man is handsome, dashing, heroic, and valiant, it's always "all decided by the parents." As long as there's no strong opposition, it's considered that she's taken a liking to him.

"Then we won't ask your opinion. You're still young and don't understand anything. This matter is settled."

The Duke left his daughter to process what he had said, and then instructed a servant to summon Mr. Guilford to his study for a private audience.

Before long, Lelouch's brother-in-law, Guilford, was brought to him alone.

The Duke cleared his throat, trying to give the other party a way out: "Mr. Guilford is indeed a model in the business world. The Nicopol Steel Plant that you have prepared and managed will be an important pillar of the Empire's military industry in the future. At this time of national crisis, you must continue to work hard."

Guilford was just a minor section chief in the Vienna local tax office. Even though he had helped his brother-in-law manage a heavy industry enterprise for a year and his horizons had broadened significantly, he was still very awkward in front of the Duke.

Seeing the Duke offering him a way out, he was at a loss for words and could only nod and say some humble things.

The capital for the newly built steel plant on the Eastern Front came from Lelouch and the royal families of Barea and Baden, while the technology and equipment were provided by Krupp. He was merely there to continue managing the plant under his name and handling daily operations. How could he possibly deserve such high regard from the Duke?

The Duke, not bothering with his modesty, waved his hand to stop his argument and then directly changed the subject: "I heard that Baron Lelouch had a very difficult childhood? After his parents passed away, you sponsored him to finish his studies in architecture at the Vienna Academy?"

Guilford: "That's true, but it's all thanks to Lelouch's own hard work. Anyone who sees a genius like him would be tempted to sponsor his tuition."

"Since that's the case, you were his guardian for several years during his childhood, and since his parents are no longer alive, I'll tell you about this..."

The Duke then laid out his arrangements without question.

Don't think that only Easterners value arranged marriages by their parents. Western nobles also value social status and arranged marriages by their parents. It's just that commoners can freely choose their partners.

There are some things the Duke doesn't need to discuss directly with Lelouch; that would be too undignified and leave no room for negotiation. Guildford listened meekly and then went home that evening to explain the situation to his wife and brother-in-law.

Cornelia didn't want Lelouch to feel wronged, so she let him decide for himself. Nunnally, on the other hand, quickly spoke up for Princess Ilmingarde.

Lelouch then had the opportunity to back down gracefully, avoiding any awkwardness: "Alright, since Nunnally wants Cecilia to be your sister-in-law, well, I'm such a doting sister, so I'll reluctantly accept it for your sake."

Nanali wouldn't say, "Brother, don't make yourself suffer for my sake." She simply gave her brother a grateful kiss on the neck—she wanted to kiss his forehead, but she was too short, and in her haste, she couldn't wait for him to hug her.

……

The following day, March 25th, was filled with grand ceremonies.
The wedding of Duke Rupprecht and Duchess Charlotte Wilhelmina of Luxembourg.

Although it was during wartime, the ceremony was still attended by a large number of guests, but the extravagant decorations were kept to a minimum.

Neuschwanstein Castle's exterior walls were simply washed once, without any repainting or renovation; their dilapidated state was only concealed by hanging colorful ribbons.

Lelouch had nothing to do with the entire process; he was just one of the guests, like the other generals of the 6th Army who were on leave in the rear, and he attended the ceremony as a subordinate of the marshal.

However, when the emcee introduced the guests, he began to introduce them according to Lelouch's latest identity:
Baron Füssen, representative of the Imperial Sixty-Person Council, Major General of the Army, Chief of Staff of the 6th Army, Lelouch von Hunt.

Many guests were slightly surprised when they heard about his new identity, and those who were familiar with Lelouch congratulated him privately.

"Congratulations! The number of seats in the Imperial Council of Sixty is extremely limited! Even deputy ministers in many departments may not be able to secure a seat in the Council of Sixty."

"Our Kingdom of Balia originally had six people, and now with you added, it's only seven. Your Highness is clearly grooming you as a rising star in the Balia political arena!"

Lelouch responded humbly, saying he would seize the opportunity to reflect the needs of the country and the voice of the people, and that everyone could share their opinions with him, which he would relay at the conference.

However, the compliments and pleasantries from my friends were quickly diverted to the important business at hand.

At 11 a.m., the Archbishop of Munich presided over the vows for the Duke's wedding, followed by the banquet.

At the luncheon, Duke Rupprecht entertained the guests with great enthusiasm. Finally, he took the opportunity to call Lelouch over and then pulled his daughter, Princess Ilmingard, over as well.

Lelouch's family members also quickly and tactfully stood in the background to the side and behind.

"On this auspicious day, I have another announcement to make," the Duke cleared his throat and announced in a strong voice.

Theoretically, it will be several years before electronic amplifiers are invented. In the era before electronic loudspeakers, it was still very difficult to command the entire audience with just one voice.

However, as the focus of the entire event, the Duke's words gradually silenced everyone in the banquet hall.

The Duke surveyed the guests with satisfaction and patted his daughter's hand.
"I have decided to arrange the engagement between Cecilia and Baron Lelouch von Hunt. Major General Lelouch's contributions to the Empire are evident to all. In these turbulent times for the country, the Empire should give more important positions to its talents."

The Duke didn't finish his sentence, but the subtext was clear: the Barea royal family shouldn't place too much emphasis on social status when choosing a son-in-law. Besides, Lelouch was already a baron, so in terms of social standing, he wasn't too far off.

The guests were only stunned for a moment before they burst into applause.

"Congratulations! Baron Lelouch truly deserves his title."

"He truly deserves to be called the most promising young general of the empire, and he and Princess Ilmingarde are a perfect match."

Lelouch was quickly surrounded by other guests and became the main target of their toasts. He was so surrounded that he felt like he was under attack, and it took him a lot of effort to get away. Even though the champagne had a low alcohol content, he was still a little tipsy from all the champagne clinking.

It wasn't until the banquet ended that Lelouch had a chance to speak alone with Princess Cecilia Theresa Ilmingard.

"Being in the royal family must be very difficult in terms of personal relationships. Before, we only met a few times." Lelouch said this with a familiar yet strange feeling in his heart.

"It's alright. I'll just consider all your efforts over the past few years as an effort to be worthy of me," Princess Irmingard said calmly.

Lelouch smiled. Of course, he wasn't working hard for her sake. But he also knew that Cecilia knew he wasn't working hard for her; she just needed to save face in a timely manner.

Since that's the case, let's give her face. Women care about these things, men don't.

Lelouch shrugged casually: "Okay, then let's say my efforts over the past few years were to make myself worthy of you—doesn't that sound like a cliché ancient knight novel?"

-

P.S.: You wrote me in an awkward way, but I had no choice but to explain.

Fortunately, it's all over now, and everyone has come to their senses. Since it's a military district, there doesn't need to be any romance going on; Princess Irmingard can be used as a plot device with her own career storyline.

(End of this chapter)