Chapter 97: Fiancé
{TL: By Creed}
"Engaged..."
"To... whom...?"
Licorice and I were left dumbfounded.
"Engaged?"
Aisha tilted her head in confusion, not understanding the meaning.
"..."
Sofia having a fiancé? That made sense.
Sofia is a sword saint. Not only that, she's incredibly beautiful with a goddess-like personality. Men wouldn't leave her alone.
But... engaged?
"Wh-what?!"
Finally, I managed to grasp the reality and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise. Aisha flinched, but I couldn't do anything about it.
"Wait, no, what? Sofia, you're getting married?"
"N-no! No, that's not it at all! Fate, stop jumping to conclusions!"
"But, the letter says..."
"This is something my father decided on his own. I haven't agreed to this ridiculous proposal, and in fact, I just found out about it myself!!!"
Sofia said, flustered. Judging by how frantic she was, her words must have been true.
She even looked like she was about to cry.
And the reason for that... is me, right? Because I doubted her, she got hurt...
Alright, I've calmed down. Actually, I started feeling really sorry for her.
"I'm sorry, Sofia... I got surprised and doubted you."
"No... as long as you understand."
Let's sort things out.
Sofia's father had decided on Sofia's engagement without her knowledge. As the arrangements progressed, he told her to come back home.
Apparently, Sofia hadn't told him about us yet...
Actually, it hasn't been long since we met, so she didn't have the opportunity to tell her parents about us. That's why things proceeded without her input.
"Come to think of it..."
I have a faint memory. Sofia's father was quite forceful. He believed that certain things were good for her education and imposed various things on her. Her learning to wield a sword was also due to her father's influence.
Given his personality, it's not surprising this happened.
"Now I understand. Sofia's dad is really stubborn, isn't he?"
"Yes, that's about right."
"Mom's dad... Grandpa?"
"Yes, he would be your grandfather. However..."
Sofia made a very bitter face. She was probably thinking about what to do next.
"Yes... right. There's no need to go along with my father's whims. He knows where I am now, but not for long. If we move to another town, it'll be hard for him to track us. It would be troublesome if someone were sent after us, so let's leave this town immediately..."
"I don't think that's the best idea."
"Fate?"
Sofia looked puzzled, wondering why I was objecting.
I'm not trying to be mean. It's not that I'm okay with being separated from Sofia.
It's just...
"If you do that, Sofia, you'll never be able to see your father and mother again, won't you?"
"That is..."
"You don't actually hate them, do you? If it weren't for this incident, you would still plan on visiting home occasionally, right?"
"Yes, but..."
"Then, you need to talk things out properly. I can't agree with distancing yourself without even trying to communicate."
After saying that, I glanced at Aisha. Sofia seemed to understand my intention and bit her lip.
Aisha doesn't have any family anymore. No matter how much she wants to see them, she never can.
Given that, it would be wrong to cut ties just because of some unreasonable demands. As Aisha’s adoptive parents, we can't make such a choice.
"...I'm sorry. I was wrong."
"No, it's okay. I'm just saying that distancing yourself isn't the right approach. If you decide to talk it out, we'll help however we can."
"Huh? When did I become part of this team?"
"You won't help us?"
"Well, I guess I will."
Licorice was as carefree as ever.
"Mom."
Aisha looked intently at Sofia.
"I'll try my best, too. So, Mom, you should try your best as well."
"Oh, Aisha-chan...!"
"Fugu."
Overcome with emotion, Sofia hugged Aisha tightly. She stroked her head repeatedly.
"Oh, how adorable! And how kind! Aisha-chan, you're an angel! A goddess!"
"A-ahh..."
"Um... Sofia? Aisha looks uncomfortable, so maybe ease up a bit?"
Sofia wasn’t hugging her too tightly, but Aisha looked utterly confused and didn't know how to react.
"Oh... s-sorry, Aisha-chan."
"No, it's okay. I was happy to be hugged by Mom."
"Ah..."
Sofia, struck by Aisha's innocent smile, clutched her chest.
She seemed on the verge of collapsing but managed to hold herself together and returned to the topic at hand.
"A-anyway... the plan to disappear by moving to another town is off the table."
"Yes, I think that's for the best."
"So... I'll speak directly to my father and have him cancel this arrangement."
"Directly? Does that mean we're going to your hometown? By the way, where is it, Sofia?"
Licorice tilted her head. Aisha mimicked her, tilting her head as well.
"My hometown is in the south of the central continent, beyond the mountains, in Leafland."
The town of grass and flowers, Leafland. That's where Sofia's hometown is.
TL Note: So our next adventure is in Leafland.
Comments
Post a Comment