Chapter 111 - 111
Currently, my parents stand before me, lost for words in a daze. My father was the first to regain his composure. However, his eyes wavered, betraying his agitation despite his usual calm gaze.
"That was quite a surprise... I thought my daughter had returned from the Milicier territory for a long-awaited family gathering... I never expected to hear such a report."
"Um, I'm sor—"
"No, Rachel, you have nothing to apologize for. It's not that. I simply never imagined that a Spirit King... let alone the Dark Spirit King, actually existed, or that my daughter would receive his blessing. I was merely startled by the unexpected."
Father gave me a gentle look, then picked up his cup and took a sip of tea to calm himself, letting out a deep breath.
"Rachel, I am truly glad your mana has returned."
"Thank you, Mother. I'm sorry for causing you so much worry."
"It's alright. As long as you are healthy, I am happy."
My parents, sitting side-by-side on the sofa opposite me, had been speechless at first regarding the fact that I had received the Dark Spirit King's blessing. Gradually, as the reality sank in, the tension left their faces. Above all, it seemed they had been waiting up for my late-night return from the Milicier family yesterday; I was surprised to see them both standing at the entrance when I stepped off the carriage. Then again, the fact that I had returned unconscious last time was likely the reason for their concern.
"The problem is how His Majesty will react when he hears of this," Father said, the relaxed atmosphere turning sharp once more.
Yes, there is His Majesty.
Recalling the King's face brought back the memory of his cold gaze, sending a shiver down my spine.
"Knowing His Majesty, he will likely exploit the birth of a Saint blessed by both the Spirit Kings of Light and Darkness during his reign to the fullest."
"Dear, how could you... Rachel was told by His Majesty to break her engagement with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. And yet... to exploit her..."
"I know what you want to say. But that is the kind of man His Majesty is."
This news would reach the King's ears in the near future. Father surely understood that we couldn't keep it a secret. Even so, he was worried about me. He let out a deep sigh and turned a concerned gaze toward me.
"The only ones who know you received the Spirit King's blessing are His Highness, Viscount Frion, and us. Is that correct for now?"
"Yes. His Highness said we must move cautiously regarding this matter, so he told me to report it only to you and Mother."
"I see... His Highness truly puts you first, doesn't he?"
"Yes."
"That is a relief."
I could feel Father's trust in His Highness. Ever since the King ordered the engagement to be broken, Father's opinion of His Majesty had plummeted, so I was secretly relieved that he thought well of His Highness. Noticing my worried look, Father gave me a gentle smile.
"Perhaps the coming era requires a king like His Highness."
Father took another sip of tea and murmured as he looked out the large window.
"What do you mean by that?"
"His Highness has the charisma and decisiveness expected of someone with His Majesty's blood. However, unlike His Majesty, he possesses the flexibility of youth."
"Does age play a part?"
I agreed that His Majesty and His Highness shared similarities. Both possessed an overwhelming presence as kings, an aura that could silence a crowd with a single look. However, as I got to know His Highness better, I stopped thinking they were alike. It was likely because I knew the difference between His Highness's warm, sun-like gaze and His Majesty's icy stare, and the completely different atmospheres they carried.
Still, age... Even though I had returned to three years ago from the age of eighteen, the idea of how youth affected things didn't quite click. Seeing my unconvinced expression, Father gave me a knowing look.
"You wouldn't understand yet, Rachel. Unlike you young people, it becomes increasingly difficult to change once you reach my age. Of course, even adults can reflect and change, or find themselves in situations where they must. But I, too, had a youth like yours, and I am who I am today because of many encounters and partings. To deny that would be to deny my own life."
In other words, by the time one reached Father's age, they had built themselves up by overcoming various walls, repeating failures, and gaining diverse experiences. I was still under my parents' roof, protected, but once I left home, the things I would have to handle on my own would increase. I would likely fail many times, meet people who would help me, and have to deal with those I simply couldn't get along with. But perhaps those experiences were what shaped a person.
"That's why one might look for justifications after the fact to be satisfied with how things turned out, just to feel at ease. ...Of course, I feel this way because I married your mother, you were born, and I feel I've lived a good life."
"Father..."
"Lately, the thorniness His Highness used to hide behind his mask seems to have thinned considerably. He appears to have become excellent at listening to the opinions of others and deriving the best course of action from them."
So that is how Father sees His Highness...
As I thought this, Mother spoke up as if to chide him.
"My! Isn't that a bit... disrespectful toward the royal family?"
"Even as a vassal, I am a lord who protects his people. There are times when one must judge whether the person they serve is righteous."
Indeed, Father had his own responsibilities. To protect those he was meant to protect, he had to pay attention to many things.
"Besides, Rachel will become His Highness's consort. That means the power of the Marcel family will increase further. At the same time, those seeking to profit from that will also increase. So, Rachel..."
"Yes. I must be more steadfast than ever before."
This blessing from the Dark Spirit King was the same. His Highness had also shown his vigilance against the dangers that might befall me. But I didn't want to be someone who was merely protected. I wanted to protect my precious person as well. To do that, I couldn't just hold onto naive thoughts; I had to judge for myself whether someone posed a threat to me or His Highness.
"Rachel, your father and I know how hard you're working. But don't push yourself too hard. If anything happens, rely on us or His Highness."
"Yes, Mother. Thank you."
"So, you have plans to go out with His Highness the day after tomorrow, don't you?"
As if to clear the heavy air, Mother asked me with a cheerful smile.
"Yes. When I parted with His Highness at the Milicier territory, he invited me to a detached palace in the royal capital. It's said to have a beautiful garden and is known as the Palace of Flowers."
"My, the Palace of Flowers! It's one of the historic detached palaces said to have existed since the founding of the kingdom. His Highness is quite the romantic, isn't he?"
"A romantic?"
"No, no, just talking to myself. In that case, a spring-like dress would be lovely. Light blue... or perhaps that yellow floral pattern."
"Mother... Um, I can handle that myself..."
I spoke up to restrain Mother, who looked ready to leave the room and check my dresses immediately, but she shook her head with sparkling eyes.
"Oh, I'll only have a few more chances to choose my daughter's dresses, you know? Please let me pick one."
"Then perhaps I shall choose a hair ornament," Father added.
"Oh, don't be silly. If His Highness found out she was wearing a hair ornament her father chose for a date, he'd feel awkward. These things are for women to enjoy together. Right, Rachel?"
"...Sigh. Fine, fine."
Father let out an exaggerated sigh and shrugged his shoulders. Seeing my parents like this, a laugh escaped me. In response, both Father and Mother turned gentle, affectionate gazes toward me, and a peaceful atmosphere filled the room.
Thank you for the bookmarks, ratings, reviews, and typo reports.