Translated by d6y (ko-fi)

Edited by Emmi

Chapter 8

As I stared at my parents through cloudy eyes, I heard Lancer’s voice from behind me.

“Then, Skyla, you're going to marry me right?”

“Can you please stop proposing sneakily to me?"

“Ah, 318 rejections!”

Lancer clicked his tongue  earnestly.

“Who the hell do you like if it's not Lancer?”

“What does Lancer lack?”

Common sense.

I answered inwardly and looked at the three people sitting at the table with my arms folded.

“Listen carefully, I'm going to marry someone I love.”

“Who the hell is that going to be if it's not Lancer…”

“Father!”

I impatiently interrupted my father.

“This world is vast, filled with countless individuals I have yet to encounter, just like the stars in the sky. So there's no point in pressing me to marry right now.”

“Yes, as you said, the world is abundant with people, much like the countless stars in the sky. However, finding your life partner among so many is like stargazing.”

My mother began to speak in a calm voice.

“Skyla, love isn't something you fall into, it's something you make. Most people want a love that's meant to be, but unfortunately, that doesn't exist. If you don't try to love, you'll never find someone you'll love.”

“Oh, my beautiful wife! What a wise remark!”

My father, moved by my mother’s words, held her hand tightly.

“Duchess, I haven't forgotten about love for a single day ever since I met you.”

“I feel the same way, my dear duke! Alas, as expected, you are the wingless angel that God specially created for me!”

“Sweetheart…”

“Honey…”

My parents embraced each other.

At the same time, the gap between their lips began to close.

They got closer as if they were made to touch each other since birth.

“Aaargh!”

Unable to watch my parents' saliva exchange in real time, I grabbed Lancer's hand and ran out of the drawing room.

* * *

I collapsed in the middle of the garden after barely escaping from the crazy show in the drawing room.

‘This is terrible…’

Despite the sharpness of the vibrant green grass pricking my ears and grazing my neck, I remained unfazed.

“Skyla, are you alright?”

Lancer crouched beside me and asked hastily.

“No.”

It's not going to be okay.

My heart felt heavy.

To be honest, it was very upsetting.

I'm still their daughter… so I thought they'd be a little considerate of me.

But my parents didn't seem to care much about who I will marry.

Rather, they seemed eager for me to get married quickly so I could inherit the duchy.

“I… maybe I'm not their daughter after all…”

Thinking it like that made me feel much better about this.

“...”

I turned away from Lancer and tightly shut my eyes. As if that weren't enough, I covered my eyes with the back of my hand.

I wasn't in the mood to play with him right now.

“What's wrong, Skyla? What's got you down?”

Through the darkened vision, I could hear Lancer’s soothing voice.

“...it's nothing.”

“Why are you in a bad mood if it's nothing then? Tell me, what's wrong?”

If I don't answer now, he’ll continue to question me persistently.

So I made up a lie in moderation.

"It's just...... I'm a little upset that my parents started making out in front of me."

“I see..”

I thought Lancer was satisfied with my answer, but it was an illusion of complacency on my part.

“Then shall I make the Duke and Duchess not get along?”

“...What?”

“The duke and Duchess were making out in front of you and it made you feel down. So, if I separated them from one another, won't you feel better?”

“No, no!”

Stop it! My parents have nothing left except for each other! Don't take away the sole source of happiness in their lives!

“But… how else am I supposed to make you feel better then?”

I sighed at Lancer’s question.

“I'm not offended, just a little frustrated.”

“You're frustrated?”

“Yes.”

“What does that mean?”

Lancer asked innocently.

Stop asking me things! Don't bother me! I wanted to shout at him but then I realized.

Has Lancer ever felt ‘frustration’ in his life?

Lancer comes from a lineage of dukes, with his father being the emperor's trusted minister of state, while his mother serves as the Empress's librarian.

Not only that, he's an archmage who can have anything he wants with a mere flick of his finger.

Of course, he has no idea of what it's like to be frustrated.

The realization suddenly made me envious of Lancer.

“It's how I feel right now… I just want to turn into grains of sand and be carried away by the wind.”

I said that with hopes of Lancer understanding how I'm feeling.

I'm serious.

I just want to turn into sand, forget everything, and fly away.

Right now, I didn't want to think about inheriting the duchy, finding a marriage partner, or anything.

But Lancer seemed to not understand what I meant.

“Sand is heavy, so it can't fly in the wind.”

“...then think of it as powder instead of sand.”

I answered him with my eyes still closed.

“Powder? Like, gold powder?”

“Yeah.”

“Then I'll be a crow.”

Lancer settled down beside me on the grass.

“Why?”

“Because crows like shiny things.”

“...”

When I heard that, I lowered my hands and opened my eyes.

I saw Lancer lying sideways right next to me.

A soft smile hung around his face as he looked at me.

Then I realized.

Ah.

This guy just doesn't have any wrinkles on his brain. 

“Skyla.”

“What?”

“I like you.”

“It's hot out here.”

I stood from my place and ignored Lancer.

He scurried after me.

“Really?”

“Of course, it's summer. It hasn't rained for a few days. Aren't you hot?”

“I don't know, but it must be hot since you said so.”

After he said that, Lancer snapped his fingers.

And in a flash, something extraordinary occurred.

Whoosh, bang bang!

The once bright sky quickly transformed into shades of grey, as ink-like  clouds billowed and diffused across the horizon.

Tap tap-

Slowly, large water droplets descended with a gentle rhythm,, heralding the arrival of an intense downpour.

Streams of water began to flow down the ends of my hair due to the sudden rain.

I was dumbfounded.

“What, what?”

“Skyla, since you said it was hot, I made it rain. Because when it rains, it gets cooler.”

Lancer proudly exclaimed.

“...”

I couldn't open my mouth properly, it was as if I had my lips sealed with honey.

Oh my god.

Just because I said it was hot, you changed the weather in the empire?

“I did a good job, right?”

Lancer knelt before me as his eyes were shining.

It reminded me of a puppy waiting to be praised.

But I'm not gonna tell him, ‘Well done, good boy’.

“Lancer.”

“Yes.”

“Please go back to your house.”

And with that, Lancer was sent off.

* * *

After banishing Lancer from the duchy, I quickly dried my hair and changed my clothes.

Phoebe had offered to help me, but I told her to go rest.

I wanted to be alone.

I spent my time unattended in the office until the resonant chime of a dinner bell reached my ears.

‘It's already time to eat…’

I wasn't hungry but I went down to the dining room anyway.

Even though my parents were busy with each other, they always made sure to have dinner with me.

The three of us would often end the day by talking about what happened today after the meal.

As soon as I finished my caramel pudding, my father began to speak.

“Skyla.”

“Yes, father.”

When I looked up, I saw my parents sitting across from me.

They were looking at me with gentleness.

“Skyla, you know daddy cares about you very much, right?”

“I know.”

“It's not an empty word, Skyla. Daddy cares about you terribly. you don't know it, but you're our pride and our hope and our…”

“Skip the introduction and go straight to the main point.”

My parents hesitated and looked at each other.

—Madam, why don't you just say it?

—No, I think it'd be better for you to speak instead.

The discussion went back and forth between them, akin to startled cockroaches scurrying in a room illuminated by light. 

My father, pushed by my mother, carefully opened his mouth.

“Skyla, I have a wish, will you grant it?”

It's a wish.

I have a feeling I know what  he's about to say without hearing his inner thoughts.

I'm sure he's going to wish for me to get married soon and inherit Kaerun Duchy.

My face stiffened.

“I won't.”

“Uh… aren't you gonna listen first before refusing?”

“I turned it down in advance because I know I'll do it anyway. It's going to be the same in the end so let's not be inefficient.”

“But why don't you listen to your father first, my daughter? It's not like your ears are going to be worn out by listening to it?”

“I've already heard it using my ears.”

“Yes, you've heard it using your ears. Now, answer me slowly.”

My father spoke in a strong voice.

“So, when on earth are you going to get married?”

Then I could hear his thoughts.

‘Please get married quickly so I can be free, Skyla!’

See? I was right.

I put my cup down with a sigh.

As expected, my parents’ concern was my marital status.

Only if I get married will they be able to pass down the duchy to me.

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