Chapter 147 Marriage Is Not The Goal Of Life
Sara happened to glance at Robert and Rebecca, and the two were whispering to each other in hushed tones, looking like they were sharing some sort of secret. It seemed they hadn't been paying attention to our conversation at all.
'By the way, these two have been zoning out for a while now, haven't they? Is something going on?'
"What's wrong, Father, Mother?"
The two of them jumped and turned to face her.
"You two... Sara was telling a great story, but..."
"We weren't not listening, Father. but James's decision to delay his marriage felt like someone else's problem."
Robert made an apologetic face and explained.
"No, Father. It's more like, even if he delays, Mr. James's sincerity and enthusiasm to not let Ms. Cindy get away are something to be admired."
"Indeed, just as Ms. Sara said."
Rebecca nodded vigorously. Cindy tilted her head, looking at the scene.
"I apologize. I don't know much about Lord Robert's family, but I thought Sir Robert was single and Miss Sara was the daughter of Sir Arthur..."
"Yeah, that's right. Sara is going to be my adopted daughter. She's not officially registered yet, but after I marry Revi, she'll become our daughter."
"I see. So you've finally gotten engaged!"
The Marquis and bureaucrat in the room burst out laughing.
"Hey, Robert. You've even got the commoners saying 'finally' to you."
"Yeah, it seems everyone thought so. Father... this is embarrassing."
Then Cindy, who had spoken, became flustered.
"I-I'm so sorry. It's all because I made a thoughtless remark!"
"No need to apologize, Lady Cindy. It's just that my clumsiness is already well-known, so..."
"Don't worry about it, Ms. Cindy. This is all Rob's fault, anyway."
Rebecca smiled sweetly.
"To be honest, I was just talking to Rob, and I was thinking, why don't we hold your wedding ceremony inside the castle?"
"Yeah. We're planning to renovate the old hall in the castle for our wedding. But it seems like a waste to use it only once. Even though it's for us, if we can make use of it for you, James, who has worked hard for the territory, and for Lady Cindy, who has supported you, that would be great, don't you think?"
"Of course, if you two have other plans, I won't force the issue."
James turned to face Cindy.
"I think it's a good idea, but what do you think, Cindy?"
"The venue is too amazing, and our relatives might not be able to come. And I, the bride, might be overwhelmed by the castle."
Cindy replied anxiously.
"The hall is located near the castle walls, so why not make it a garden party afterwards? Even if we get a little carried away, no one will complain. Of course, it's perfectly fine to decide after seeing the venue for yourselves."
"You're really enthusiastic, Mother."
"Ms. Sara, I can understand the feeling of being waited for."
"After all, you've been waiting for over 10 years, Mother."
It seems that Rebecca, who has a different way of waiting, strongly wishes for Cindy's happiness. And since Robert is also aware of making her wait, he will probably silently follow what Rebecca says.
"I think it's better to settle the matter with Father and Mother's proposal for today. After all, there are still many things to prepare for your wedding ceremony."
Then Cindy made a counter-proposal.
"By the way, does the hall have stained glass windows?"
"Umm... I think it's just ordinary window glass."
"Why don't we install stained glass windows? My father is skilled at making stained glass, but lately, there haven't been many orders."
'I see. So it's about the technique of making colored glass.'
"That's wonderful. Maybe I can use it when I get married someday too?"
"Sara, you're not going to get married, are you?!"
"Father, are you planning to leave me all alone?!"
"Rob... that's not like you. Sorry about that, he is a bit of a handful."
Then Cindy also smiled with narrow eyes.
"No, my father is the same way too like Sir Robert."
"That's tough for Mr. James too. Is it like Rob's constant nagging?"
James let out a sigh and replied.
"The day I first visited for a greeting, he was waiting for me with a hammer. 'Cindy is a skilled craftswoman, but can she really become a bureaucrat's wife?' he said."
"What was your response to that, Mr. James?"
"I'm ashamed to say this, but as a professional, I love Cindy, so even if we get married, I won't make her do household chores. I'll hire a maid."
At that moment, something ran down Sara's spine.
'That's right... household chores. The biggest obstacle to women's social advancement in this world.'
The household situation in Sarasa's time is vastly different from this world. Since there are no convenient household appliances like before, people have to spend a lot of time on laundry and cleaning. Moreover, the burden of household chores falls heavily on women.
Having children makes the situation even more severe. There are no daycare centers or kindergartens like before, and there aren't even elementary schools. That's why women in the community have to work together to raise children. Otherwise, it's impossible.
It may sound good to say that women protect their households, but many women are forced to spend most of their day on household chores and childcare. The reason there are few places where women can work outside the home is that there are few women who can work outside the home in the first place.
For women in the territory, being a maid in the castle is a coveted occupation, but even then, most women quit their jobs after getting married. It's strange that for men, it's said, "Get married, settle down, and then you're a full-fledged adult."
The tragedy that occurs when the working husband dies is something Sara's parents have proven. For a widow, the only places to work are as a farmhand, a household manager, or a store clerk. Some women may work at taverns or brōtḥels, but it's difficult if they become widows at an old age.
There are women who take care of children, but the main occupation of mothers who leave their children with others is often prostitution, which raises eyebrows. "What are you doing, not taking care of your own child? Are you doing something indecent?" Some people think that way, and it's a ridiculous story indeed.
It's true that children can earn money by gathering medicinal herbs like Amelia the Pharmacy Girl. However, it's difficult for housewives to leave their homes and gather herbs. If they're skilled at sewing, they can take on part-time work, but there are limited requests, and many women want to take on jobs, which makes the pay low. Adelia, Sara's mother, was terrible at sewing, so she didn't even consider part-time work.
Thinking about it, James' statement was a shocking declaration as a man in this world, and it's also an act of creating new employment opportunities.
'Creating employment opportunities for women and reducing household burdens... If we solve this problem, we might be able to resolve the labor shortage... But we need to reform our way of thinking as well, or it won't mean anything...'
Sara felt like she was about to sink into a sea of thought, but she managed to hold herself back.
'This isn't a problem that can be solved immediately. Let's think about it slowly later. But I won't forget, absolutely. Marriage isn't the goal of life. There's a much longer reality waiting ahead.'
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