Chapter 95
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 93
Chapter Title: 31. Political Marriage
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Rumble, rumble.
The rough vibrations of the unpaved dirt road—unlike the smooth avenues of the academy—shook the carriage interior, filling the silence.
Even long after the academy's grand front gates had vanished from sight.
The atmosphere inside the carriage showed no signs of easing.
"…"
Well, it was hardly surprising.
The fallout from Elisicia's bombshell declaration—calling him her fiancé in front of that Loran guy or whatever—was still clinging to the air like sticky humidity.
'Fiancé, huh.'
Of all people, Elisicia had let that slip.
I knew it had been unavoidable.
For both her and me.
But knowing the weight of that word kept us both silent, staring out the window.
As I swallowed a sigh while watching the indifferent scenery roll by, the edge of my vision caught Elisicia.
“…”
Her face flushed red, her gaze fixed outside, the tips of her ears trembling faintly.
She was only now realizing just how outrageous her own words had been.
Gone was her usual bright demeanor; now she fidgeted tensely with her fingers, looking every bit like a child who'd messed up.
Pitiful, even.
Crunch!
At that moment, the aggressive crunching of potato chips jolted me back to awareness. I turned instinctively.
Imir—who looked anything but okay to anyone with eyes—sat with arms crossed and leg bouncing, glaring daggers at Elisicia's profile.
Her eyes held a faint murderous intent, sharp enough to pierce right through. I debated what to say.
At least Elisicia hadn't noticed, thankfully.
[My liege. Your popularity seems to be growing by the day?]
Tundra whispered from the shadows, chuckling.
“Shut it.”
I was tempted to snap him back to his senses after so long, but.
True to his sharp instincts, Tundra clammed up without a peep.
The problem was, with my words, Imir's target seemed to shift. Her irritated glare now fixed on me instead of Elisicia.
“So? When did you and that wench make such a promise, Master?”
Imir growled in a low voice, her mood visibly foul to anyone watching.
Part of me wanted to tell her to wipe the potato chip crumbs from her mouth first.
But saying that outright might have her grabbing the greatsword beside her and charging, so I barely held back.
Should've come alone if I'd known it'd be like this.
Forcing down another sigh threatening to escape, I slowly opened my mouth toward her.
“Don't misunderstand. It was just a spur-of-the-moment improv because the situation was urgent.”
“Hah. Looked plenty sincere to me.”
Snorting derisively as if it was ridiculous, she reached back into the potato chip bag.
As I pondered slapping her upside the head.
Elisicia's voice came from beside me.
“...I'm sorry. Loran is so stubborn; he wouldn't have backed down unless I said something like that.”
She must have snapped out of it from our conversation.
Cautiously turning her head, Elisicia apologized to me.
There was no real need for apologies.
We'd already coordinated our story to some extent beforehand.
“No need. It cut down on the pointless bickering, at least.”
I replied flatly.
In truth, considering the blatant disgust that knight Loran had shown, the "fiancé" shield had proven quite effective.
Of course, the stares I'd have to endure as a result would be far heavier.
'But she's the one I worry about more.'
She'd wanted this, and I'd come along, but what Elisicia was doing now could go against her family.
It meant defying the political marriage her parents had arranged. It wouldn't be easy.
“A-anyway... Evan. There's something I want to confirm once more.”
As I was lost in thought, Elisicia cleared her throat lightly and leaned slightly toward me from her seat beside mine.
Her expression was serious, a stark contrast to her earlier flushed, relaxed look. I straightened up too.
The mood suggested this was the real main topic.
“Go ahead.”
“...When we arrive at the duchy, it'll be not just my parents, but the family elders too.”
"The elders?"
"Yes... And, well. They're especially prejudiced against humans.”
Elf elders, huh.
Stroking my chin at her words, I sank into thought.
Every society had its conservative old folks, but these were elves who lived several times longer than humans.
Their stubbornness, biases, and prejudices—mixed with that elderly crankiness—were obvious without seeing them.
'This really won't be easy.'
As I seriously wondered if coming had been a mistake.
“...”
Reading my expression, perhaps, Elisicia anxiously gripped my hand tight. A faint tremble passed through her slender fingers.
“So, Evan... I wanted to ask you ahead of time. No matter how rude they get... could you endure it? Just a little. A tiny bit?”
“I'll try.”
I smiled faintly and gently squeezed her trembling hand.
Honestly, I couldn't promise full confidence.
But for a day or two, at most.
I could probably tough it out.
“That said, if they cross the line, even I have my limits as a person. I hope you understand.”
“...Yes. I'm prepared for that much.”
Still, I vaguely assumed it wouldn't come to that.
Even if they saw me as just some human, I was visiting as Elisicia's guest. They wouldn't dare touch me rashly.
Verbal jabs at worst, probably.
'...That much is whatever.'
I could endure it just fine.
Compared to the cold glares I'd eaten at House Dreadnote day after day, it wouldn't even be hard.
"Thank you, Evan... I'll definitely repay this favor."
Thud.
With a sigh of relief, she seemed to relax a bit.
Leaning against me, she rested her head on my shoulder.
“...I don't like it.”
I glanced sidelong at the two seated beside me.
More precisely, at Elisicia clutching his hand so preciously, glaring daggers.
That wench's gaze, looking at him like a girl in love.
And his nonchalant acceptance, not pushing her away.
'I don't like it.'
Not a single thing sat right with her, from one to ten.
Just days ago, he'd refused to step foot outside the dorm, glued to his bed.
Yet here he was, agreeing to accompany her on a mere whim of hers. It grated on her nerves viciously.
'When I suggested going out, he whined about how bothersome it was.'
Watching them cling together only made a corner of her chest burn hotter.
'...I wish you'd only look at me.'
Imir roughly crunched and swallowed her innocent potato chips.
A scorching jealousy twisted her gut.
All she wanted was to be the only one by his side.
But for some reason, other women always stuck to that damn man.
'Annoying.'
+ +
How long had they been traveling like that?
Rumble.
The smoothly rolling carriage gradually slowed, then came to a complete stop.
'No way we've arrived already?'
The distance from the capital to Arden Duchy wasn't short.
No matter how good the carriage, they couldn't have crossed the border in mere dozens of minutes.
Peering out the window curiously.
As expected, the view was just the middle of a typical forest near the capital.
“Why are we stopping? We've still got a long way to go.”
It wasn't like a car needing a tire cool-down.
Maybe some schedule I didn't know about.
“Oh dear, I forgot to mention. Traveling by carriage takes too long, so we're using spatial transfer magic.”
“...Spatial transfer magic?”
Her unexpected answer left me stunned, blurting it back.
'Even for a ducal house, teleporting the whole carriage that far?'
A quintessentially elven idea, specialized in magic as they were among the other races.
In human society, you'd only see this with royal-level transport at best.
“Preparations are complete, Young Lady.”
Loran's voice came from outside the carriage.
His tone had a thorny edge, but he followed orders faithfully enough.
“...Shall we go, then? Evan?”
Elisicia gripped my hand tightly.
Her eyes reflected both anticipation and tension.
At that moment.
Vrrr.
A heavy vibration rose from the ground.
The air around the carriage warped strangely, the outside scenery blurring like ink in water.
“...Master. This feels bad.”
Imir set down her potato chips, hunching instinctively.
Sensing danger on instinct, but I lightly pressed her shoulder.
“Stay still. It'll be over soon.”
Flash!
A ear-splitting ring passed, and a floating sensation enveloped my body, as if suspended in air.
My heart dropped.
But in that brief instant, weight settled back on my soles.
Rumble.
The carriage settled smoothly on the ground.
“...We're here.”
At Elisicia's soft voice, I slowly opened my eyes.
The scenery beyond the window was utterly transformed from mere seconds ago.
Towering world trees pierced the sky, blanketing the forest like a roof.
Sunlight filtering through shattered like gemstone dust.
Not just that—the air tickling my nose shimmered faintly, infused with mana, drifting lazily.
Its scent deeper than any academy perfume.
“Welcome. This is my hometown, Arden Duchy.”