Marked as the Tyrant's Daughter-in-Law - Chapter 17

***

“Wow. It’s a Chasmoberry! Where did you find this blooming?”

I asked with wide eyes as I looked at the flower pushed towards me.

It didn’t have great medicinal properties, but it was a wildflower I liked for its pretty swaying in the breeze.

Mas pointed his finger at the mountain behind my house. Then he turned around and nodded. As if to say, let’s go together.

“Alright. Let’s watch the sunset together.”

I took Mas’s hand and climbed the mountain behind my house in Galnem.

To the place where we often climbed together to watch the stars.

“Wow, it’s beautiful!”

The season had changed without me noticing, and the Chasmoberries were in full bloom.

They were creating a beautiful scenery, swaying in the wind.

We sat side by side in the flower field, looking at the peaceful village scenery as the sun was setting.

“I’m glad we came up. To be able to see such a beautiful view!”

Even without delicious food or comfortable bedrooms, Galnem was a place that put my mind at ease.

I loved the smell of the soil. I also loved the scent of wildflowers, and the bird songs were endlessly comforting.

“…Hey, Mas, you won’t leave me like the others, right?”

Suddenly remembering Uncle Zimmer’s face and the villagers, I turned to look at Mas.

Thinking he would be looking at the beautiful village too.

But the moment I saw Mas, I froze in shock.

“…?!”

Instead of Mas, Crown Prince Briton was holding my hand.

His beautiful face, and his blue eyes were shimmering coldly.

His silver hair fluttered in the breeze.

His lips moved slowly.

Even without hearing the sound, I could tell.

‘My lady.’

With those words, Galnem began to burn.

The sight of Galnem burning in front of the sunset was strange yet beautiful.

My heart starts beating fast, thump, thump.

And at that moment, I woke up with a start, bolting upright in bed.

“Ugh!”

Sunlight was streaming in through the window.

It was morning. Here, I couldn’t hear the sound of birds.

After sitting dazed for a moment, I raised my hand to my cheek and slapped it. Ouch!

I did have a weird dream, right?

***

“I heard that the bishop has announced the young lady’s engagement. Congratulations. You must have a lot to talk about when you meet His Majesty.”

“What did you say? Cough, cough……”

As I was having breakfast with a fork, recalling last night’s dream, Adam delivered the news that I had forgotten.

“Young lady, please drink some water.”

“Yes. Thank you……”

Gulp, gulp.

I quickly drank water, holding the cup tightly with both hands.

Come to think of it, Parmes had sent my marriage contract signature…… no, my scribble to the bishop.

The announcement of a royal engagement or marriage is made by the bishop, who is the religious leader, and the bishop resides in the temple in the Quinel Mountains, called the Holy Mountain.

It’s also the place I would have to go if I were to have a wedding ceremony with Briton.

“The documents His Majesty sent for this engagement will be permanently displayed in the Quinel Temple. In fact, it’s the first joyous occasion since His Majesty’s ascension to the throne. I think many people will go to see it.”

“……”

“By the way, have you lost your appetite? You’re hardly eating anything.”

Adam asked me in a tone that seemed worried.

“Your face seems a bit flushed too. Are you feeling unwell?”

The thought of countless people seeing the paper with my scribbled bad handwriting fills me with shame!

‘This is why you should always be careful when signing your name……’

Even so, I never imagined that the paper I wrote when I was eight years old would be used like this.

“No, it’s nothing. I just suddenly had a sad thought….. Sigh.”

I wonder if I’ll really end up marrying Briton later?

We’re about the age of upper elementary school students in modern terms, and kids keep changing as they grow up, so there’s no way Briton, everyone’s prince, would remain single-hearted.

I’ll just cheer him on and break off the engagement when Briton finds a suitable girlfriend later.

Considering my age, I decided not to worry about it too seriously yet.

I lifted the water glass and took another sip.

“Young lady, what is your schedule for today?”

Adam, who had been watching my water-filled meal, asked.

I thought for a moment before speaking.

“I’ll be reading in the study until Mrs. Alens visits. Adam… could you go to the Viscount Borden’s house?”

“Ah, you mean the family of Miss Schiller whom you met at the tea party last time.”

I nodded.

“Yes. I’ve already contacted them. Seeing the article about Mrs. Alens’ new dessert in the newspaper, it seems she’s doing well too….. The plan is progressing step by step.”

Adam smiled, showing his healthy teeth, and then carefully began to speak.

“When I first met you, young lady, you were so small and cute… I only thought about protecting you.”

His eyes looking at me were always warm.

“Every time I see your abilities, I’m simply amazed. To think you’re so clever and intelligent….. So, if the Marquis……”

“He would have been so happy if he were alive, right?”

I continued with what Adam was likely to say.

He nodded. His eyes looked like they might tear up. He must have been quite devoted to Dad.

“Don’t cry, Adam.”

“Understood, sniff.”

It feels awkward for me, a child, to be comforting a grown adult.

I wonder what kind of person Dad was.

Whenever I see people around who knew Dad, I think he must have been a warm and good person.

Suddenly, realizing that I could no longer meet him, a feeling of regret washed over me.

“Then, I’ll gladly go.”

At that moment, I heard Adam’s reliable voice.

The Viscount Borden’s family had underground cellar technicians, as they were in the wine business, and also ran an underground cellar business for wine storage.

It would be good to dig an underground cellar beneath the mansion first.

To make and sell good products in the upcoming red sugar beet trend, that is.

But everything needs preparation, and since there’s time today… there was something I wanted to look into when I had free time.

***

“Sigh……”

I looked around the study with my hands on my hips.

Dad’s study was filled with numerous books on elementalism.

The sheer volume of books and the thick layer of dust had made me hesitant to use the study, but today was the day I had resolved to read about elementals.

Although I had never learned elemental magic, I was curious about Dad’s field of study as an Elementalist, and I also suddenly remembered a certain incident from the past.

About a year ago, when I was in Galnem village.

As usual, I had gone alone to the mountains to gather herbs when I slipped and fell into a pit, losing consciousness.

When I came to, it was raining, and water was filling up the pit. If Mas hadn’t saved me, I could have died.

To make matters worse, I started shivering, probably from hypothermia… that’s when ‘they’ appeared.

Those things, shaped like glowing butterflies, came close to me and landed on my shoulders, the back of my hands, and my head. Soon after, my whole body started to warm up.

That warmth that enveloped me, as if someone was casting a spell, is something I’ll never forget.

After I safely maintained my body temperature and climbed out of the pit holding Mas’s hand, they disappeared, and Mas embraced me.

I wonder if it was elementals that saved me then. It’s just a guess.

Thud-

I placed five incredibly thick books on elemental magic on the desk.

‘Ugh, they’re so heavy.’

[The Origin of Elementals], [The Four Attributes of Elementals], [Introduction to Elementalism], [Comprehensive Elementalism], [Elemental Theory]

…I wonder if I can read all of this.

Looking at the thickness of the books I had chosen, I suddenly felt overwhelmed with fear.

First, I opened “The Origin of Elementals” and turned the first page.

[The only four types of elementals that exist in the world are ‘Fire Elementals’, ‘Water Elementals’, ‘Wind Elementals’, and ‘Earth Elementals’.]

Hmm, it’s readable up to here?

[The talent for elementals is innate, but there are cases where someone who hadn’t shown any talent awakens their elemental power when faced with a dire situation.]

Nod, nod.

[The formulas for each elemental magic are as follows. In the case of water elementals, the hexagonal structural formula…]

“……”

…I closed it. It’s too difficult!!!

What are these huge chunks of formulas that keep going on and on!

All I can understand is that the white part is paper and the black part is letters.

“Let’s find something easier.”

I gave up on reading the difficult book and stood on my tiptoes again, reaching towards the bookshelf.

Flinch-

As I was running my hand over the books on the shelf, I stopped at one particular book.

The title of a book that looked notably older than the others was:

[Elementals and S*x]

My hand naturally pulled out that old book.

Certainly, a book with such a title cannot be passed over.