Rattle. Rattle.
The creaking sound of wheels echoed through the cold northern passage as a luxurious black carriage with the Valtor crest made its way toward the Arcain territory.
It was a week’s journey, so Janet had a lot of ti to converse with her daughter.
Convincing her to change her mind was a lot better than going to enemy territory to argue with them.
"Sit upright, Alia."
Alia, hearing her mother’s words, flinched, raising her chest up.
"Good," her mother muttered, covering her lower face with a fan. "How have you been?"
Alia struggled to smile. "Fine, Mother. I actually got a..."
Alia’s words caught in her throat as Janet glared at her. "What did I teach you, Alia?"
f.(r)eewe/bnov\ll
Alia stamred. "A lady should only do two things: greet and answer questions."
Her mother lingered for a mont. "So why are you doing otherwise?" She stared at her daughter as if peering into her soul. "It is because of that demonic dragon, right?"
Alia wanted to say sothing else. Counter her mother, maybe, or have a proper conversation like Arthur had told her. But she ended up nodding.
"Yes, Mother."
Janet scoffed. "I knew that monster was a bad influence on you."
"I always thought you were the sensible one, Alia, so why didn’t you rember my teachings? Why did you get caught up in the mont? Didn’t I tell you only whores do that?"
She glared at Alia as cold sweat ford on the young girl’s forehead.
Janet sighed. "Why exactly did you fall for that beast? You know you are ant to be with the Chosen One. What? Do you believe Arthur will be better than the Chosen One? Do you think you will be his only woman?"
"I—I know I won’t be the only wife to either of them, but..."
"Then what is there to think about, Alia? The correct choice is right in front of you. What did I teach you about making the right decisions? Answer , Alia."
Alia lowered her gaze as Janet’s voice entered one ear and ca out the other. "Stop it..." she muttered desperately.
The voices of her mother through the years continued ringing in her head.
She could see the image of Ha-Joon, whom she had snuck out to et a year ago. The horrific acts he committed, and the grueling fact that he was no different, no, he was far worse than her mother.
"Stop it, Mother..." her voice was barely above a whisper.
"Are you listening to , Alia? A lady should not slouch!" Janet yelled.
However—
That was the breaking point.
A single voice rang in her head almost imdiately.
The soft, almost feminine voice of Arthur, the small promise he made to her and his outstretched arm, pleading with her to grab onto it.
For others, it might have felt like a simple conversation.
But to her, it was different.
The twin eyes of the Saintess.
In every two generations, two people are born with this special eye.
One of them is able to see a person’s true nature and is automatically granted the Authority that corresponds with space.
The other allows the user to see another person’s inner thoughts, the aning behind words, and a person’s inner world. It also gives her the ability to absorb mana from the atmosphere.
So while others might have seen her encounter with Arthur as a simple conversation...
She saw it differently.
He was surrounded by innocent, bright light.
The mont he stretched out his hand, it wasn’t just a promise, he was pleading for her to take it.
Like he wanted to save her from a future only he knew. Like she was so much more to him than she could imagine.
Yes, there was still greed there, but it wasn’t the type she was used to seeing.
An innocent greed—maybe a white greed, even.
He was the bright light that shone in her dying, colorless world.
At that mont, only one thought rang in her head:
If I don’t take his hand... will my world go back to the way it was?
Will I end up with the Chosen One, whose world is darker than most nobles?
No. I could never end up like that.
If he was her only ticket out of that colorless world, then she was going to take it.
What she had told him wasn’t just to save her from her household, but to preserve his color forever, and to make herself able to shine with such radiant light.
"Alia!"
Alia raised her gaze. "Can you stop it, Mother?"
"What!?"
She shook her head. "You can talk bad about , but not about my husband."
Janet’s eyes widened. "Are you planning on—"
Alia suddenly shot out, "Mother!! Please! I beg of you, don’t act like I am in any relationship with Ha-Joon. The one I shall marry is Arthur Arcain, and I am Alia Roderick Arcain!"
Janet’s jaw slackened. ’What did she just say?’
Alia knew it too—no matter how cold her mother was, she genuinely cared about her and didn’t want her to end up like herself.
A girl who fell for one man and was later handed off to another for politics.
She knew her mother was only doing this to prevent her from falling for Arthur.
But she was a tad too late.
Alia gripped her chest, her face beaming more brightly than Janet had ever seen. "Mother, I love Arthur. Unlike Ha-Joon, Arthur has a light that makes feel warm. So please..." She bowed. "Let marry Arthur."
Janet smiled. ’Honey,’ she said telepathically.
Reynold, who was in the opposite carriage, answered, ’Yes, I heard everything.’
Janet’s voice trembled. ’Doesn’t it remind you of us, when you fought the Duke of the East to marry ?’
Reynold chuckled. ’I can’t believe it’s been twenty-five years since then...’
Janet smiled at Alia, moved closer, then patted her on the head. "I’m happy."
"Mother..."
Janet’s smile softened, her red hair and blue eyes shimring under the northern sun. "I hope he makes you happy."
Alia clenched her fists, stifling the urge to cry. Then, like a dam breaking, the tears flowed. "Mom... I love you too."
Janet hugged her daughter. "Dear, dear... Mom is sorry for being an all these years."
Alia nodded.
’I love you too, babe,’ Reynold muttered, as if feeling left out.
’It’s our baby girl’s happy mont, don’t spoil it, Reynold,’ Janet warned.
’But babe, I also want to be loved.’
Janet ignored her husband and looked into Alia’s eyes.
’Ah... it’s the first ti I’m really looking into your eyes, right, my baby,’ Janet thought.
"Your erald eyes are really beautiful. I can’t believe I’m seeing soone more beautiful than myself grow."
"Huh?" Alia tilted her head after hearing her mother’s words.
Janet shook her head. "Enough about that. Why don’t you tell what you like about Arthur and his little world?"
Alia nodded, her face brightening further like she had been given the chance to play her favorite ga.
"He’s really innocent. And he seems to be obsessed with having a kiss."
Janet covered her mouth with her hand. "That does sound interesting. Tell more."
The mother and daughter continued conversing—from topics about Arthur, who was apparently all Alia could talk about, to her mother teaching her about other things.
Janet now understood that the relationship between Alia and Arthur wasn’t simple.
However, that didn’t an she was planning on accepting an incompetent son-in-law.
She wasn’t going to just test his strength—but his heart and soul too.
She too also had one of the two Saintess Eyes.
"Just wait, little son-in-law," she said, rubbing Alia’s hair as the girl lay on her lap. "I’ll give you a real beating in a week."
─── ✦ End of Chapter ✦ ───
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