"Pfft. I am just joking, Austin. Don't be so stiff."
It was fortunate that Elizabeth laughed off to clear the joke before it could have beco a misunderstanding.
Austin was so stunned by her words that he completely forgot about the barrier surrounding them.
Even the crimson-haired woman laughed off the topic; Austin felt it an opportunity to clear the matter since he found the chance.
"Mada Elizabeth, I know it would sound rude, but -"
"You can't marry my daughter since you love soone else. I know that already."
Austin nodded just in affirmation and thanked the fortune that, unlike her husband and daughter, Elizabeth was quite understanding and cool-headed.
"First of all, I would like to apologize for my husband's irrational decision, which forced you into this relationship."
Seeing Elizabeth bow in apology, Austin beca a little flustered since even though the engagent was non-consensual, being apologized by such a prominent figure was still over the top.
"Please raise your head Ma'am. I know under what state of mind Sir Charles took that decision, so I don't bla him. Also, Venessa and I already had a conversation about this relationship, so you don't have to feel burdened."
Austin spoke in a little hurry before Elizabeth finally looked toward her front with a warm smile adorning her charming face.
"You really are a nice person Austin, just like Nes told
about."
On just reflexes, Austin raised his brows toward Venessa before he muttered under his breath.
"She did? "
"Well, in the first four months of school, she told
that there's a perverted bastard she hates dearly, but in recent days, her statent has started to shift, Austin. "
Hearing her remark, which seed genuine for so reason, Austin beca a little surprised since Venessa might be the person from whom he had received the most Villain's Point until Luna didn't enter his life.
"Maybe my little warrior judged soone from their face value; that's why she ca to know your true self after you saved her. But what can we expect from soone in her teenage youth? Anyway, Austin, I have a request to make."
Her voice was warm and subtle from the start as she told what she felt in all honesty. Being a good judge of people is sothing that cos from experience. That's why her daughter couldn't see what kind of person Austin was before.
In the end, her voice grew deeper and desperate as Austin also frowned slightly before nodding for her to continue.
"Can you just, for this ceremony, act as Nes' fiancé?"
Austin's eyes went slightly wide since he wasn't expecting such a request when Elizabeth just apologized because of the sa thing.
But he wasn't impetuous to just outright reject her, so he chose to hear her out first.
"Can I know the reason?"
"I know this is nothing but just my utter selfishness, but I want to protect my husband's pride. I promise on my na, that once that idiot returns, I will make him cancel this engagent by taking full responsibility for this occurrence, but for just this social gathering, can you play the role of my future son-in-law?"
Austin, from start to end, heard each syllable and registered it accordingly. It wasn't tough for him to discern what she was protecting here.
To keep Charles' words which he declared in front of practically the whole Gram through the well-known figures of the empire, Elizabeth was asking Austin to act, which he never actually accepted.
If he would never have received the system or have t Luna in his life, he might have agreed to the request. But now...
"I understand what you just said. But I have to kindly decline your request since pretending to be your daughter's fiancé would make
feel like I am betraying the person I love. So sorry, mada Elizabeth, I won't be able to maintain this lie."
Elizabeth's expression visibly shifted, but instead of disappointnt, it was more than she just did sothing horrible.
With her head slightly leaning down, she understood what she wasn't able to before.
"I am incredibly shaful for pushing you to the edge, Austin. It seems to be with that muscle head, I also have lost so sense of reasoning. In blindness to save my husband's pride, I never realized what boundaries I have tried to breach."
Austin again thanked God for conversing with such a thoughtful person despite having the surna Charles.
"It's okay, Mada Elizabeth. Since I know what heights one goes to in love, I can fully understand how you feel."
Elizabeth didn't respond imdiately, but with a smile, she tapped on the table to dispel the barrier as she spoke sothing which she only was able to hear.
"I hope I can find soone like you for my daughter as well, Austin."
_______________________
At the sa ti, in a faraway place which was covered in the pitch white of snow, could be seen a figure of a teenage girl walking through the cold blizzard, but completely unbothered by the weather.
This person was none other than the one who was bestowed with the title of Humanity's hope and the famous Saintess of Gram, Luna Lastov, or currently Luna Eldritch.
Luna was presently in her birthland since her Grandma strangely called the eting place in Aurora.
Finally, after reaching a certain distance, Luna's eyes sparkled in a cyan radiance before she could figure out the illusionary barrier surrounding the vicinity.
With a smirk forming on her pale yet beautiful face, Luna chanted the Dispell before a gateway was created for her to breach inside.
If any other barrier had faced her Dispell, then it might have disintegrated without leaving a trace, but this barrier wasn't conjured by just any mage.
'Woah! '
Luna's eyes sparkled as the scenery inside the barrier was too good to be true.
Since she had seen only pitch white after entering the Northern Territory, and until the ti she found this place, the greenery inside the barrier made Luna gasp in admiration.
Not only that, even a lake was ford in the middle of the place, with so creatures roaming in and out of the forest while observing the intruder in their world.
The atmosphere was so calm and serene that the first thing that ca to her mind was...
'I must co here with Austin next ti. '
Her train of thought ca to an abrupt halt as she felt mortal danger approaching her with a furious pace before she elevated in the air and dodged whatever ca from her back.
When Luna's eyes fell on the thing which passed from the place where she was standing, she sighed in defeat.
"If thrown with the intent, even a leaf can beco a lethal danger."
The voice from her back made Luna enthralled since she very well was aware of whom it belonged.
Turning enthusiastically, Luna saw a woman in her early twenties standing in mid-air just three inches apart from her; even her voice sounded so distant just now.
But she wasn't surprised by it all, as the cold and indifferent Saintess jumped in her grandmother's embrace just like any other normal child does.
"Grandma!"
"Ah, I missed you so much, Luna."
_______________________________
A/N: - Sorry, for the short chapter. I will prolly compensate in the next one.
Drop a comnt if you liked the chapter;)
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