I Will Not Fall For the Villain’s Flirtations - Chapter 81
“I didn’t expect to see you again like this, Commander.”
It was the first time I heard Mom speak in such a gentle voice. I looked at her with a puzzled expression at her unfamiliar tone and voice, while Peidos bowed his head deeply in response.
“I feel sorry for visiting so suddenly. I was greedy because I didn’t want to lose your daughter.”
Cough, cough.
The sound of a frivolous cough that echoed my feelings came not from me but from Con. It seemed he had choked on his water, as he was on the verge of shedding tears and mucus.
I understood his feelings, since I was just as flustered. But his recovery was too slow. As I subtly glared at him clutching his throat, Con finally managed to calm down and put down his glass.
“Commander, you are quite… yes.”
Unable to think of the right word, his excuse ended there. But I could roughly guess what he was trying to say without hearing it to the end.
Was he always such a romantic person?
I then smiled inwardly. Well, he is the male lead of a romance novel, so of course, he would be.
I turned my eyes to look at Peidos, who was sitting upright. He always maintained a straight posture, but today, he was even more upright than usual. Following his example, I straightened my back and blinked slowly.
…It’s uncomfortable.
I fidgeted with my hands on the table where no food had been served yet. My heart felt heavy, as if a large stone had settled there.
Even though I was in the house where I had lived all my life, with my family with whom I could share everything, I felt endlessly uncomfortable just because he was in the same space.
Was it because his behavior was so different from mine? Or because we still didn’t know each other well enough?
If it hadn’t been for the unexpected surprise proposal, I would have gotten engaged after a few dates with someone I met at a social gathering. I would have done so having seen and known them even less than Peidos Carmel. By the standards of my past life, it might seem excessively fast, but here, it was the natural course of events.
Duna Carmel. How well will I adapt to that name in the future?
“When I heard she was injured by monsters in Luticia, I was so shocked. I was really grateful that the Commander personally stepped in at that time.”
“Such an incident should never have occurred in the first place. I am ashamed.”
“What are you saying? You even called your family mage. Thanks to that, we were reassured.”
Despite my mind being consumed by various concerns, the atmosphere in the dining room was harmonious. Since they had met him before, it was easy to extend the conversation topics.
Mom, who was good at socializing, led the conversation, and occasionally Dad chimed in. Peidos also seemed to gradually relax. Whenever the conversation seemed to run out, Con would appropriately ask questions about the knight order, preventing any awkward silences.
Even Keene, who I worried might interrupt, was quietly listening for once. Except for Dad occasionally opening and closing his mouth as if he had something to say, the current conversation was flawless.
But for some reason, Dad, who looked uncomfortable, kept catching my attention.
“That…”
“Huh? Dad, did you want to say something?”
“…No.”
I tilted my head in confusion as I saw him seemingly give up on saying something again. What was he trying to say that made him hesitate so much?
At that moment, Keene, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up.
“Commander Peidos, I have a question.”
“……”
I looked at Keene, who suddenly started asking questions, with unease. Why was he acting like this out of nowhere?
And my unease was spot on. The most ominous word came out of his mouth.
“I’ve heard that black lakes are being discovered one after another. Is that true?”
At the mention of ‘black lakes,’ not only Peidos but everyone sitting around the table froze.
For me, who knew the original story and had personally purified a black lake during the Liche expedition, it wasn’t new. But for my family, it was shocking news. A black lake, which might appear once or twice in a century, was practically a harbinger of doom as mentioned in the scriptures.
Especially for my soft-hearted Dad, who couldn’t keep his mouth shut. If he knew I had fallen into one, he might even shed tears here and now.
“Don’t worry too much. The purification priests are purifying them as soon as they’re discovered. It’s nothing serious.”
To reassure my family, I stepped in first and tried to lighten the mood as much as possible, but the damn mage ruined it again.
“The end might be approaching, and I wonder if His Holiness will approve of your marriage.”
“……”
Unlike ordinary priests, Stellas are allowed to marry, so there’s no legal issue. However, the prejudice still existed.
The people of the Holy Kingdom believed there was a correlation between strong holy power and devout faith. Perhaps because of this belief, many high-ranking priests insisted on remaining single.
In peaceful times, most people would bless the news of the Holy Kingdom’s shield starting a family, but it was uncertain if they would do so when signs of doom were appearing. Peidos’ marriage might cause anxiety among the people of the Holy Kingdom.
I had never thought about it before, but unfortunately, it was a fairly plausible question. Had Peidos thought about this enough?
I turned to check on Peidos, who was glaring coldly at Keene. After a moment of silence, he opened his lips and spoke calmly.
“Marriage is a sacred institution established by God. His Holiness would not oppose it.”
But Keene smirked and immediately retorted.
“So, you have no preparations.”
“……”
“It’s quite an impulsive decision. Unlike you, Sir.”
An awkward silence settled over the dining table due to the subtle confrontation. My parents, like me, didn’t know what to say. While my family quietly stared at Peidos, I turned my gaze to Keene.
What the hell are you doing?
Keene, who met my eyes, subtly curled his lips. But just as I was about to snap at him, the arrival of new dishes diverted my attention.
Suppressing the emotions that had surged momentarily, I watched as the servants placed the plates of food on the table. I kept my eyes fixed on the table while calmly organizing conversation topics in my head.
I had to find a topic on which he couldn’t intrude, to prevent him from saying anything unnecessary. Maybe I could talk about camping out in Luticia. If he showed signs of interrupting, I would have to openly rebuke him.
But even with such plans, the situation did not go as I intended. He took the initiative.
“Sir Peidos, if I may, I have a few more questions.”
Ignoring Peidos’ response, the shameless man immediately began bombarding him with interrogative questions.
“You’ve lived in the temple for a long time since leaving your family. What are your plans for your newlywed home?”
“Well, I plan to use the official residence in the temple…”
“Official residences are not inherited. Since you’re a priest, you won’t inherit your family’s estate. Have you considered what would happen if you were to die in battle?”
“……”
Why is he asking such things?
Moreover, as if to fulfill his mention of ‘a few more,’ his sharp questions didn’t end there.
“As the next Guardian, you’ll soon undergo the connection ceremony with the Great Saint and spend all day together with her.”
His piercing gaze moved from me to Peidos.
“The connection ceremony links not only your holy power but also partially shares emotions. Can you assure there won’t be any inappropriate incidents if the Great Saint is another female priest?”
“I can swear on my life that there won’t be.”
But even such a firm answer did not stop his additional questions.
“But the citizens of the Holy Kingdom support the union of the Great Saint and the Guardian. Since the first Great Saint did so, it is considered auspicious and visually pleasing.”
“……”
“In fact, there are very few cases where the Great Saint and the Guardian did not marry. In times of national crisis, the pressure will be intense. Can you protect your fiancée through that process?”
Translator
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i will be in a very long break so i posted everything. will probably be back some time next year. all novels will be NOT be dropped, but i'll have another translator continue a few titles. thank you everyone and have a nice day~
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