My father, having completely shut Yuna down with just a few words, took another sip of cold water to settle himself before speaking.
“I thought you were living like a damn fool, but it seems you’re finally doing something decent.”
“I’ve always been doing my best.”
“You whined every time you called.”
He scoffed.
Oddly enough, talking face-to-face like this felt… nice. Maybe I had missed my family more than I realized.
“Come to think of it, where’s Mom and Chris? Didn’t they come with you?”
“They should be at the inn by now unpacking. That’s why I came ahead. Didn’t want to keep you waiting too long. Figured you might start worrying.”
“I see. But I’m surprised you even managed to find a place to stay.”
“Ah, that was thanks to a lucky connection. Turns out fate isn’t entirely cruel.”
“Why does that sound so ominous?”
“It was a good connection, so why are you the one getting anxious, son?”
“I’ll reserve judgment until I hear the whole story. What kind of connection was it?”
At a time like this, any new encounter felt suspicious.
Then again, considering the long journey they’d made, it wasn’t that strange to have met someone along the way. Maybe I was the weird one for feeling uneasy. Or maybe I should be cursing the bastards who made me this paranoid in the first place.
“We helped out a merchant caravan that was being attacked by bandits. That led to them helping us find an inn.”
“Was it the Andvaranaut merchant guild?”
“Oh? You know them?”
“Yeah, well…”
See? I knew it. It was something to worry about.
It had stuck out to me from the start….like some kind of ominous foreshadowing waiting to pay off.
Honestly, if you were going to bump into anyone these days, chances were high they’d be with Andvaranaut.
Even now, it was obvious that Andvaranaut was desperate to snatch up the prime Imperial lands left vacant in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks.
Running into one of their caravans on the road from the countryside or the coast was far from unlikely.
“Did you happen to meet the guild master?”
I asked, just in case.
It was partly a question to see just how thoroughly screwed I was.
If the guild master of Andvaranaut was involved too, then there’d be no other way to explain it. I was completely out of luck.
“Well? I didn’t ask that much, so I’m not sure. But she looked like a fairly young lady, so I doubt she was the guild master.”
If she was a young lady, then she probably was the guild master.
After all, the head of Andvaranaut was the daughter of a noble house that was wiped out thanks to the Emperor’s whims.
She was not quite my age, but I remember her as a woman with a kind of luxurious charm.
“If you think you know her, want to go check later?”
“No, thank you.”
“Then I’ll plan to meet with your mother and Chris tomorrow…”
My father took a sip of cold water, then let out a deep sigh.
“Why don’t you want to get married?”
“Please take a look at this.”
“You went so far as to prepare something like this?”
I was always serious. If I didn’t at least do this much, I’d die.
“Hmm…”
With his eyes occasionally widening or his brow furrowing, my father skimmed through the documents I handed him.
“It’s definitely dangerous.”
“So you understand?”
Ariel… no, getting involved with the Ether Duchy was dangerous.
Not just for me, but for the entire family. Normally, no one would spare a glance at the lowly Damus County out in the provinces.
But if we’re linked to the Ether Duchy, we’d be more than enough of a target for every terrorist out there.
It’s not like our family has the kind of defenses that the Ether duchy does, either.
“I get where you’re coming from, but it’s clear that refusing them would be even more dangerous.”
“Tch.”
“My son, if it were you in my place. Would you choose putting just yourself at risk, or the whole family?”
“…If it were me, I’d try to protect the heir who is the future of the family.”
“Really? I wouldn’t.”
My father shrugged off my words.
I didn’t expect him to be this firm.
Is the Duchy really that terrifying to him?
Well, I’m scared too, but still…
“Son.”
“Yes?”
“Don’t you think you’ve left out the most important part?”
“Huh? What did I leave out?”
“The reason the Ether Duchy proposed this political marriage to you.”
“That is…”
Ariel ended up liking me.
That’s the simple truth, if I had to sum it up.
But when I tried to say it out loud, the words wouldn’t come.
Not because I was embarrassed.
Well, in a way, I guess it is something to be embarrassed about.
“Is it really right to reject someone’s feelings for a reason like that?”
“……”
“Or is it because you still can’t forget that girl?”
“That’s not it.”
“Then wouldn’t it be best to meet her face-to-face and resolve things properly?”
“……”
I had nothing to say.
He was right, from beginning to end.
But if I’m allowed a small excuse, it’s not that I never considered talking to her.
I just never had the chance to meet her.
Of course, even if I said that, it’d only sound like a poor excuse.
“Or is there some other reason you dislike Lady Ariel, aside from being scared of becoming a target?”
“……”
“Don’t tell me you’re some kind of beastkin-hating racist, you little bastard. Unless you want your name wiped off the family register, don’t even joke about that.”
“What do you even take me for…”
“Then tell me, what do you think of Lady Ariel?”
I decided to take a moment to really think about what he said.
What is Ariel to me? A friend? Or just an acquaintance?
“…I’m not really sure.”
Everything feels vague.
We were too entangled for me to call her just an acquaintance.
And something had changed between us during the process of making the medicine. Something that made it hard to call her just a friend, either.
Our bond ran deep.
“Then I guess the only option is to talk to her directly, right? Let’s end the conversation here.”
“……”
My father waved his hand dismissively, as if he couldn’t be bothered to talk anymore, then snatched the drink I’d been sipping and downed it in one go.
Ugh, seriously.
He’s right… He is right. But somehow it still feels like I’ve been tricked.
***
The next day, I met with my family.
My mother, with her sleepy-looking eyes, began asking if I was studying well these days, if I was taking care of my health, and so on.
Words full of concern for me.
But…
“Johan? You are working on the medicine to get rid of Chris’s side effects, right…?”
There was a hint of resentment in her voice.
Come on, even without that, isn’t it enough that Chris is healthy?
Sure, he wasn’t the same as before, and that was a bit sad. But he seemed to genuinely like who he was now.
“Kuhaha! Big brother! Don’t feel pressured! I’m happy as I am!”
“You look healthy, and that’s good to see. Chris, just don’t get too close. You’re a little much.”
“Yes, big brother!”
Chris who was now taller than me laughed heartily.
His forearms were thicker than my head, with veins writhing under the skin like something alive…
And his face…he didn’t even remotely resemble the pretty boy he used to be.
He looked like the kind of guy who, if he walked into a mercenary guild, would make everyone lower their voices and keep an eye on the atmosphere.
This was my little brother.
“Big brother” he says…but honestly, it feels more like I should be calling him that.
Anyone else would probably mistake him for some barbarian.
Thankfully, our Chris knows how to dress and lives a civilized life.
Anyway, it was nice to see them again after such a long time.
“Johan, but is that really what you’re wearing to the matchmaking meeting today?”
“A school uniform’s respectable enough, isn’t it?”
“You’re meeting someone from the Ether family.”
“Well, I doubt the Duchy cares that much about appearances.”
“Is that so? Hmm…”
My mother kept eyeing me with her half-closed skeptical eyes.
“So you’re well aware. No wonder the young lady…”
“That’s not what this is.”
“Really? Your father said you completely charmed the young lady. And not just her…”
“All of that started from a misunderstanding.”
“Even the part about Lady Ariel liking you…is that a misunderstanding too?”
“That might actually be true.”
“……?”
I couldn’t say it wasn’t.
Things had already gone too far to deny it now.
“Are you all set?”
That’s when my father showed up, dressed perfectly.
“If I say I’m not, can I go a bit later?”
“That’s fine. By then, the seal will probably already be stamped.”
“….…”
There was nothing more I could say. I just kept my mouth shut and climbed into the carriage.
“By the way, did our family always have a carriage like this?”
“It’s one we borrowed from the young lady we saved. Make sure you ride in it carefully.”
“….…”
Damn Andvaranaut.
Why did I keep getting tangled up with her? Then again, considering she had a tight grip on the business district, it wasn’t that strange to keep running into her…
At this rate, it felt like I’d soon be facing some inevitable confrontation.
***
And so, we headed to the villa prepared by the Ether Duchy.
To be honest, I was nervous.
Even from a distance, the mansion was on a completely different scale from our house.
Compared to the Ether family’s villa, our home might as well have been a doghouse.
“Ah…!”
As we got closer to the villa, a beautiful lake came into view nearby.
And far in the distance, I saw Ariel smiling brightly as she looked my way.
She definitely looked pretty in her dress instead of her usual school uniform and witch’s hat.
Still, it seemed she couldn’t let go of that damn short-lifespan hairstyle. Her neatly braided hair flowed over one shoulder.
At the very least, it was clear that her outfit today was different from usual.
So much so that it was easy to tell she was looking forward to this engagement.
“Oh my.”
Next to me, my mother nodded as she saw Ariel’s beaming, flower-like smile.
“She’s a lovely girl, Johan. What’s there to complain about? Is it her personality?”
“Her personality’s not bad. It’s just… her environment that’s the problem.”
“All the more reason to embrace her. A marriage is about leaning on each other, you know. You should do the same.”
“If Lady Ariel leans on our family, we’ll sink. The gap between our families is just too big.”
“Don’t ruin your mother’s fantasies with such serious talk.”
We chatted briefly like that.
Then Ariel approached with a shy smile.
“Ah, hello. Sir Johan. And members of the Damus family. It’s an honor to meet you all today. I’m Ariel Ether.”
“Oh my…”
Ariel held the edge of her skirt and offered a graceful bow.
Having only ever seen her being curt and snappy before, this was a completely new side of her to me.
My mother practically danced with excitement at Ariel’s display.
“Thank you for the warm welcome, Lady Ariel. I am Samuel Damus.”
On our side, my father stepped forward to greet her on our behalf.
Judging by the brief look on his face, it seemed Ariel had made a good impression on him too.
Well… it’s not like I disliked her either.
While the two were chatting for a moment,
Two people appeared through the door of the villa.
“Oh! You’ve arrived? Haha!”
The man who burst into a friendly-looking laugh was none other than Rascal Ether—
He was the one who had arranged this marriage.
And the green-haired man standing beside him was surely…
“……”
Tronius Ether.
I never imagined we’d come face-to-face like this.
He was someone I’d rather avoid if possible.
The most powerful mage of our time, a monster known as the Emperor’s left hand.
At the same time, the great spellcaster who redefined incantation magic, which had previously lacked even a single standard formula.
He was surveying us with an expressionless face.
“Ah, ahaha! This is Duke Tronius Ether. He doesn’t talk much by nature, so please don’t misunderstand.”
“……A pleasure to meet you.”
Prodded by Rascal Ether’s look, Tronius Ether reluctantly offered a greeting.
Could it be that he didn’t like us? Maybe that’s a good sign?
“Oh, so you’ve finally arrived. Johan Damus. Was your journey smooth?”
“I greet Her Highness, the Third Princess.”
As greetings were being exchanged between the families, even Lobelia stepped out of the mansion.
It seemed she had arrived ahead of us.
Given that we had made a contract, she had come to involve herself in the engagement matter.
“I-I greet Your Highness, the Princess!”
And my father, who didn’t know about this situation, belatedly bowed his head.
While bowing, he glanced sideways at me with a sharp look.
It was funny, really.
He was the one who told me not to speak any further on this topic.
“Your Highness.”
Before saying anything more, I stepped closer to Lobelia and whispered quietly in her ear.
“I think this place is about to be attacked.”
“Huh…?”
My instincts were telling me so.
The symbol that had been appearing frequently lately, the merchant group our family had stumbled upon by chance—
The borrowed carriage.
“There’s been a leak on our side.”
“You didn’t, by any chance, take a radical approach just to sabotage this marriage, did you?”
“I did not.”
“……”
No. I really didn’t.
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