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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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It was a race against time.
While forgiveness might be easier to obtain than permission, he had underestimated the power of the press. In the actual Middle Ages, news traveled slowly, carried by pigeons or messengers.
This world, however, had magic, which made it difficult to draw direct comparisons to his past life. The technology might be medieval, but magic was a game-changer.
The key issue was the newspaper.
In this era, newspapers were the fastest way to disseminate information to the masses.
And he had overlooked that.
“Damn it. How did things get this bad?”
A curse slipped out reflexively.
He wanted to use polite language, he really did. But the curses came automatically.
Could a Korean go a day without saying “shibal” or “geunde”? He’d bet his life savings they couldn’t.
Anyway, he had to prevent his mother from learning about his impending marriage – to not one, but five women – through the newspaper.
It would be a disaster.
He had joked about throwing dirt on her grave if she opposed the marriage, but that was a different matter entirely.
“Let’s see, who’s left…?”
He hadn’t spoken to Sylphia, Eileen, or Elena about meeting his parents.
Elena, who had been holed up for days, was last on the list. Eileen was in the north, so he’d have to go to her or summon her. That left Sylphia.
He changed direction and headed for the laboratory in the Imperial annex.
Bang!
He threw open the door, startling Sylphia, who was leisurely flipping through a magic book.
Her eyes widened in surprise.
“Goodness, Rudrick! What’s the matter? What’s so urgent?”
“Sylphia, that’s not important right now.”
“Not important? What do you mean…?”
“We’re setting a date to meet my parents. Just so you know.”
“What? Meet your parents?”
Sylphia asked, bewildered.
He understood her reaction. It was normal to be flustered by such an abrupt announcement.
If he had more time, he would have explained the situation calmly, but…
Lassiel’s public display of affection had thrown a wrench in his plans.
Well, not exactly thrown a wrench. He just had less time than he’d anticipated.
“You know Elena’s been preparing for the wedding, right? She’s been locked in her room for days, working on the plans.”
“I know, but what does that have to do with… Oh.”
Sylphia’s eyes widened in realization.
Even in arranged marriages, it was customary for the families to meet beforehand. It was absurd to meet your future in-laws for the first time at the wedding itself.
“…You’re right. I haven’t even met your mother and father yet. It wouldn’t be right to have the wedding before meeting them.”
“Good. And there’s a slight problem.”
“A problem?”
“I went to see Lassiel yesterday to talk about this.”
“And?”
Sylphia tilted her head, waiting for him to continue.
“Lassiel… kissed me. In public.”
“…”
Silence.
Sylphia’s expression shifted from confusion to annoyance.
“There were a lot of people around.”
“Was Admiral Repert on duty?”
“I wouldn’t call lounging around and watching recruits train ‘work,’ but…”
“So it’s going to be in the newspapers.”
“Sigh…”
Sylphia sighed, as if she understood.
It wasn’t like they had committed a crime. There was no reason to hide it. Everyone would find out eventually.
The only problem was that his mother would learn about it through the newspaper, not from him.
“If it’s going to be in the newspapers, there’s no way to stop it. Especially with so many witnesses.”
“That’s why I came to tell you.”
“I understand. Is there anyone else you haven’t told?”
“Eileen and Elena.”
“Alright.”
Sylphia nodded, as if she understood completely.
“I’ll be ready. You go and tell the other two.”
“Okay.”
He was grateful for her quick understanding. A short conversation was all it took for her to grasp the situation.
Leaving Sylphia, he hurried back to his room and retrieved the communication artifact Eileen had given him.
He channeled his magic power into it, activating the communication spell. After a brief warm-up, the connection was established.
– Is that you? What is it at this hour?
“Eileen, are you busy?”
– No, not particularly. And I should always make time for you.
“Good. Could you come to the capital right now? We could talk through this artifact, but it’s something I’d rather discuss in person.”
– …I’ll be right there.
Eileen didn’t ask any questions. She simply agreed and arrived in the capital a short while later.
She must have rushed over immediately after his call. She was practically running down the hallway when she spotted him.
Her face lit up.
“I thought you were in your room. What are you doing here?”
“I realized I didn’t tell you where to meet.”
“It doesn’t matter. It’s not difficult to find you when you’re actively expanding your magical senses.”
She casually admitted to her stalking abilities, but he decided to let it slide. That wasn’t the important issue right now.
He turned serious, and Eileen’s expression followed suit.
“So, what is it? It must be important for you to summon me like this.”
“It’s about meeting my parents.”
“Hmm…”
Eileen’s expression changed instantly.
They all reacted the same way. Did they think his family estate was a demon lord’s castle, and his mother the demon lord herself?
Eileen hummed thoughtfully.
“…Indeed, it would be improper to hold the ceremony without first meeting your mother. It’s a matter of etiquette.”
“That’s not the problem.”
“What do you mean? I heard Elena is practically refusing to eat or drink, she’s so stressed about this.”
“This is going to be in the newspapers.”
A brief silence followed.
Eileen looked confused.
“Newspapers?”
“More specifically, the news that Lassiel and I are dating.”
“…”
Wow, that was a scary look.
He could practically feel the temperature drop.
He remembered Eileen didn’t like Lassiel very much.
Of course, they were rivals in love, so it was understandable. But there was also the matter of personality clashes.
Lassiel, with her carefree and somewhat delinquent attitude, was the complete opposite of Eileen, who appeared strict and dignified.
That was just their initial impression, of course. Lassiel was surprisingly thoughtful, and Eileen could be easily flustered, which was rather endearing.
“Why Admiral Repert, of all people?”
Eileen’s tone was accusatory.
“I went to see Lassiel to discuss meeting my parents.”
“And?”
“There were a lot of people around, and she… kissed me.”
Crack.
Eileen gritted her teeth.
He could practically hear the grinding sound.
Her voice was icy.
“…There must have been quite a crowd. You would have tried to stop her otherwise.”
“I didn’t think it was necessary to silence her… Anyway, a reporter asked me about it earlier.”
“About your relationship?”
“Yes.”
“Idiot.”
She looked like she wanted to curse, but she restrained herself. She settled for calling Lassiel an idiot.
Eileen quickly grasped the situation.
“So you’re trying to expedite things? We can’t let your mother find out about this through the newspaper.”
“Exactly.”
“We’ll visit tomorrow. I would have preferred more time to prepare, but… I never imagined meeting your mother under these circumstances…”
Eileen’s voice trailed off, and he could see a flicker of anxiety in her eyes.
Seriously, did they think his mother was some kind of monster?
Why were they acting like heroes embarking on a quest to slay a dragon?
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Ahhaha you need to be prepared to fight a final boss