My Childhood Friend Is An Archmage Chapter 124
Translated by d6y (ko-fi)
Chapter 124
"...I'll ask Skyla's opinion first, Your Highness." My mother, the only sane one between my parents, turns to me, frowning slightly, as if expecting an explanation.
‘Skyla, what the hell is going on here? Why are you rushing to get engaged? Is there a competition on who gets engaged the fastest?’ Her questions barrage in like a rapid fire.
‘Of course. The engagement is between me and Skyla. We took both of our wishes into account. And of course, Skyla made a deal with me. She won't be able to back out now.’
The Crown Prince is already scripting how this conversation will play out in his mind. He turns to me, expecting an answer.
"...I will do as His Highness the Crown Prince wishes." I feel like the Mont Blanc I have just eaten is about to be vomited out.
Because in that brief moment, I remembered Lancer.
The words he told me yesterday echoes in my head.
“I don't want you to marry the Crown Prince!”
I know, Lancer. I don't want to marry the Crown Prince either.
Though, I don't think he's thinking about marrying me either…. If the Crown Prince and I were to become formally engaged, how much would it hurt Lancer?
I'm worried, not about Lancer going on a rampage, but just that…
I don't want to put him through this ordeal.
We're already in love with each other. The more we liked each other, the more our trust grew. Therefore, he would trust me and wait for me, even if I were to be betrothed to the Crown Prince.
"It seems that Princess Skyla feels the same as I do." The Crown Prince announces to my parents in a confident voice.
My mother is still not convinced of his insistence on consummating the engagement within the next few weeks. "I understand Your Highness and my daughter's wishes, but in my opinion, you're doing this too soon…."
"You're only saying that because of the engagement ceremony, don't worry." He smirks at her words filled with concern. "I personally prefer to keep the ceremony to only the most important guests, rather than making it unnecessarily grandiose. Similar to the birthday party we had for my sister, Princess Julia."
Ah, yes. The engagement ceremony…. All show and no go?
After that, there's a lot of dialogue between the Crown Prince and my parents.
Although the engagement was between me and the Crown Prince, the actual rights to the marriage still belonged to my parents, the current Duke and Duchess of Kaerun.
Even if I agreed to the betrothal, nothing could proceed without the permission of my father, the head of the family. Which is why the Crown Prince had taken the time to visit my parents.
More words are exchanged across the table.
As the minutes passed, my father's expression grew more sombre.
"I am overwhelmed that His Highness has taken such care for our daughter."
‘My Skyla is going to be the Crown Princess!’
At this point, both of my parents are on the verge of giving their consent to the engagement.
It wouldn't make sense for them to turn it down, after all. No matter how hastily the time the Crown Prince proposed, he was royalty. And he was the next emperor. What parent would turn down the chance to be his relative?
Sigh…. Where did it all go wrong? I just wanted to inherit the Duchy in peace.
I don't like… whatever this is. I feel like I'm contradicting myself. I don't want Lancer to wait for years. No matter if it's fake, seeing your beloved promise a future with someone else is….
It must feel like torture. More uncomfortable than when I saw Lancer with Artberry in the theatre.
Letting out a sigh, I shake my head discreetly, so that the Crown Prince wouldn't notice. I glance at my mother.
It's not like I can stop them from agreeing. No matter how much Lancer and I love each other, the contract between me and the Crown Prince is still in force.
And of course, my parents aren't yet aware that I'm dating Lancer. If they are, they wouldn't have arranged this meeting in the first place. In the end, they can only assume something between me and Lancer. Not only that, they don't know a thing about the contract me and the Crown Prince have.
So if he insists now that the engagement take place in the winter, I will have no choice but to agree.
It was a mutually agreed contract between me and the Crown Prince. I'm an honourable movie who must never go back on my word.
Dang it. How did my life get so twisted?! I feel like an animal that fell into an obvious trap! A self-inflicted wound! A life of sh*t! I'm a spider caught in my own web, stuck and unable to do anything.
It's all because of that shitty law that says you can't inherit a title unless you're engaged or married!
Clenching my teeth, I pick up the glass with my other hand, the one not covered by the Crown Prince's. As I gulp down the water to stifle my rising anger, my gaze locks with my mother's.
Seeing my not-so-bright expression, she must have sensed something. "Skyla's glass is empty. Can someone please refill it with more water?"
In the middle of the conversation with the Crown Prince, my mother orders the waiting maid. Behind her voice, I can hear her inner thoughts.
‘Skyla, dear, can you hear Mommy? What's wrong with your expression? Do you not want to be engaged to the Crown Prince after all?’
I immediately nod my head to signify I understand my mother's intentions. At this, her eyes widened.
"...While you're at it, fill my glass a little too," she says when she sees the maid about to retreat.
My mother's voice echoes back to me.
‘My dear, oh, my Skyla. If you don't want to be engaged, why did you agree with the Crown Prince? Were you blackmailed, or did he find a weakness in you?’
I just shrug my shoulders.
‘I should be able to tell your thoughts, Skyla, if you have a reason, fiddle with the teaspoon in front of you!'
In response, my fingers immediately crawl towards the teaspoon. When my mother sees my hand touching the teaspoon, her complexion turns pale. But the Crown Prince and my father are too engaged in a heated conversation to notice this change in my mother.
She pretends to speak to the maid so they wouldn't notice. "My dear, thank you for filling the water. The water tastes so good."
‘Perhaps we should postpone this engagement somehow. Do you think so, Skyla? If you agree, take one of the sugar cubes in front of you!’
I pick up one of the sugar cubes and pop it into my mouth. This behaviour is so not aristocratic.
Realising that this is by no means a coincidence, my mother jerks her head towards the Crown Prince and my father.
"Not in winter!"
"Hmm?"
"Huh?"
They blink, clearly taken aback by her unexpected interruption.
But my mother is unperturbed. "I beg your pardon, Your Highness, but you must take my word for it: you must not become engaged to my daughter Skyla in the winter!"
"Why do you say that, Duchess?" The Crown Prince asks, not able to understand her. He must be wondering why my mother, who was so compliant just a moment ago, is now changing her mind.
My heart races as I hold my breath, watching the conversation before me unfold. What words will my mother use to foil the Crown Prince's plans? Let's go, my mother, the socialite in her youth!
But…
"As a matter of fact," she says. "I met with a gemstone diviner the other day, and he advised me not to hold an engagement in winter, saying that the luck this year is terrible!"
There were no words.
Just shamanistic beliefs.
What a ridiculous excuse to come out of her mouth….
The Crown Prince is stunned. "Duchess, what did you just say…."
"The gemstone diviner… he definitely told me that!" My mother argues in an exaggerated tone.
"Don't you know what a gemstone diviner is? A gemstone diviner is someone who uses the power of gemstones imbued with mystical cosmic energy to predict the future!"
This is some kind of weird cult! I want to slap my forehead. Mother, surely you couldn't have come up with a better excuse!
Of course, my father is just as confused. "Honey, since when did you believe in gemstone— ouch!"
I stomp on his shoe. Ignoring his protests, my mother continues to proclaim. "Please listen carefully to my story, Your Highness, for the gemstone diviner says that a member of the Kaerun Duchy's family is harbouring bad luck in winter!"
She is desperate to prevent her daughter's unwanted engagement at all costs. It's heartwarming to see my mother, who cares about her reputation, proclaiming to be a follower of a cult for my sake.
Mother, I love and respect you… I really do. But, but….
All of this, unfortunately, is not lost on the Crown Prince. "Duchess, that is an absurd story."
'I can't believe that a lady from a family of such high standing as the Duchess Kaerun would believe in a stone religion.'
The Crown Prince's cold voice engulfs the table. The coldness is similar to a dead rat’s. His sharp impression today is making me involuntarily cringe.
A stone religion…. Would Rachel cry if she heard it?
"I don't think this nonsense is something worth listening to. I'm engaged to Skyla as it is. I'll start planning now to make sure it happens next week."
Damn it, the schedule moves closer!
