Chapter 70: Dreams and Declarations- A Hero’s Dilemma

I dreamed. A somewhat strange dream.

It was such a realistic dream that at first, I didn’t even realize it was a dream.

However, there were occasional parts that diverged from my memory, and that’s when I realized—ah, this is a dream.

Just like reality, in the dream, I was still in the body of a woman. I met friends, encountered new things, and spent my time joyfully.

Was Celian’s somewhat pure and innocent demeanor one of the things that made her seem even cuter?

But above all, there was one major difference between the dream and reality.

In that dream, I was still Number Three.

***

“Here, try this too.”

Inside the carriage heading to Celian’s estate, Celian was her usual bright self.

We’d have plenty of time for serious conversations once we reached the estate, so maintaining a light-hearted atmosphere for now didn’t seem like a bad idea.

“Mmph!”

But I wished she’d stop trying to stuff more food into my mouth when it was already full.

It almost made me recall some slightly terrifying memories.

“Welcome!”

When we arrived at Celian’s estate, her father, Lucas, greeted us in person.

Beside Lucas stood a man who bore a striking resemblance to him.

When our eyes met, he slightly bowed his head in greeting, and I responded with a nod.

He was probably Celian’s older brother, whom I hadn’t had the chance to meet last time.

“My apologies for summoning you like this, honored guest. Please, come in.”

The atmosphere felt even more welcoming than during my last visit.

Of course, they had warmly received me during my summer vacation visit as well, but now their behavior seemed almost excessive.

“Your room during your stay has been prepared in the same place as last time. Feel free to use it as you wish. If you’d prefer another room, just let us know.”

Their hospitality was so overwhelming that even I, the guest, felt a little flustered.

The only thing that had changed since last time was that I had become a hero.

But wouldn’t that make it more logical for Lucas to dislike me?

The Deretia family took immense pride in being a family of heroes.

While their own strength was considerable, their lineage as heroes made them shine even brighter.

Naturally, they had placed high hopes on Celian to become the hero of this generation.

But amidst all those expectations, I had unintentionally taken that position from her.

Could it be that they were outwardly hospitable while secretly harboring resentment?

I carefully observed Lucas’s words and actions for any hidden intentions.

Yet, as far as I could tell, Lucas seemed genuinely welcoming.

This left me more perplexed as I made my way to the room I had stayed in previously.

***

Knock knock.

While organizing my relatively lighter luggage compared to last time, I heard a knock at the door.

Thinking it was Celian, I opened the door to find the man who had stood next to Lucas earlier.

“Good evening, Miss Elysia Frentz.”

“Ah… yes. Good evening.”

It was a bit bewildering since, apart from our brief encounter when I got off the carriage, I didn’t know him at all.

He too seemed awkward, scratching his neck lightly with his index finger before speaking.

“You saw me earlier, right? I’m Luke Deretia. I came to let you know that it’s almost time for dinner.”

“I see. You didn’t have to come all the way here yourself; you could have sent someone instead.”

“Haha… My father instructed me to personally make sure not to neglect Miss Frentz in any way. Anyway, you must be tired from just arriving. Take your time getting ready and come down whenever you’re comfortable.”

“Alright. I’ll head down soon. I’ll see you in the dining room.”

“Then, I’ll see you shortly.”

After conveying his message, Luke left, and I returned to my room.

Lucas’s overly attentive attitude still seemed a bit suspicious.

While I couldn’t sense any malice, that only made it all the more unsettling. However, worrying about it on my own wouldn’t change anything, so I shook my head to clear my thoughts.

Knock knock.

Before long, there was another knock at the door.

“Did you forget to mention something…?”

Since Luke had just left, I assumed he had forgotten something. But standing outside the door wasn’t Luke—it was Celie.

“Oh, Celie.”

“I ran into my brother in the hallway just now… Did he stop by El’s room?”

“Ah… He came to let me know it’s almost time for dinner.”

“My brother, personally…?”

“Don’t just stand there; come in first.”

Although it was technically Celie’s house, the room was mine for the time being, so I invited her in.

She seemed deep in thought as she entered the room, while I finished tidying up my luggage.

“Alright, all done. Shall we head down now?”

“Huh?”

Celie, lost in her thoughts, made a startled sound at my words.

“Didn’t you come to take me down to the dining room?”

“Oh, right. Let’s go.”

Finally remembering why she had come to my room, Celie snapped out of her thoughts, and we headed to the dining room together.

“Before we eat, I’d like to introduce my son. You must have met him earlier.”

Even though we had already been introduced, I didn’t point it out.

It wasn’t my place to comment, and there was nothing strange about making a formal introduction.

“This is my son, Luke Deretia.”

“Greetings, Lady Elysia. I’m Luke Deretia.”

He greeted me with the same formality as if it were our first meeting.

“I’m Elysia Frentz. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lord Luke.”

I returned his courtesy with equal politeness, but Lucas seemed inexplicably pleased, chuckling heartily.

I hadn’t noticed it before, but he was truly a high-spirited man.

“Come, come. You must be hungry. Let’s start eating. We invited you on short notice, so there’s not much prepared, but please enjoy.”

…If this is “not much,” then what would a feast look like?

It was just Celie’s family and me at the table, but the variety and amount of food spread before us were almost overwhelming.

Even during my previous visit to Celie’s estate, the scale wasn’t this grand.

The meal continued in silence, with only the clinking sounds of utensils breaking the stillness. There wasn’t much conversation at the table.

As the meal was nearing its end, Lucas broke the silence.

“So, Lady Elysia, how was the meal? Did it suit your taste?”

“Yes, it was wonderful. In fact, I’m worried I might have overeaten and upset my stomach.”

“Haha, well, that just means you enjoyed it.”

Lucas put down his fork and knife, preparing to continue the conversation.

“By the way, Lady Elysia…”

“Yes?”

“I heard you became a Hero?”

Here it comes.

Fortunately, judging by Lucas’s demeanor so far, there didn’t seem to be any hostility toward me for becoming a Hero. If anything, he appeared to regard me more favorably than before.

“…Yes. It happened by chance, really.”

I glanced at Celie to gauge her reaction, but she didn’t seem to have been told about this by Lucas. She simply observed our exchange in silence.

“Hahaha. That’s all thanks to your devotion and abilities, Lady Elysia. No need for modesty.”

…Devotion? If we’re counting, I could barely recall visiting the temple a handful of times. In fact, when I first held the sacred sword, I distinctly remember cursing the goddess Serena.

Honestly, it wouldn’t be surprising if divine retribution struck me now.

“Thank you for saying so kindly.”

“But, Lady Elysia…”

Lucas’s tone dropped, signaling a shift to a more serious conversation.

Noticing this change, both Celie and Luke stopped their movements at the table.

“Are you the sole survivor of the Frentz family?”

“Father!”

Celie, who rarely raised her voice, abruptly stood and shouted at her father, startling him.

Even Lucas seemed taken aback by her reaction, turning to look at her. Meanwhile, I nudged Celie’s leg lightly, trying to calm her down.

“Yes, but it’s an old matter now. There’s no need to dwell on it.”

“Hm, hm… I spoke carelessly. My apologies.”

“It’s truly fine. Please, go on.”

With my reassurance, Celie reluctantly sat back down, though her expression still showed clear displeasure.

“The reason I brought it up is that I have a proposal for you, Lady Elysia.”

“A proposal, you say?”

“Would you consider marrying into our family? You and Luke are only five years apart, which isn’t much. If you agree, we’ll spare no effort in supporting the restoration of the Frentz family. Of course, you’d have to take on the Deretia name, but that could be resolved through your descendants later on.”

Uh… what…?

Marriage to a man? The thought had never crossed my mind, leaving me utterly speechless.

Looking around, it seemed Luke had already heard the story from Lucas, as his expression remained unchanged.

Celie, however, appeared as if hearing this for the first time. Her eyes were wide open, and her jaw dropped in shock, frozen in place.

Honestly, where did her usual composure go? Even in situations like this, she should be more collected.

“Well… it’s a bit overwhelming to hear such a thing so suddenly.”

“Haha, forgive this old man for being impulsive. But my proposal is sincere, so could you at least consider it? There’s no rush for an answer.”

“…Yes, I understand.”

It was awkward to outright reject the offer in front of everyone, so I had no choice but to respond like that.

Now that I think about it, this might be the first time I’ve seen Celie lose her composure like that. Not even when I wielded the sacred sword did she react this flustered.

After finishing the meal, with only Lucas chuckling away, I returned to my room.

“So, El? You’re not seriously thinking about marrying my brother, are you?”

After the meal, Celie followed me into my room, her voice sharp and probing.

Seeing her act so differently today, I could understand her reaction. It must be overwhelming to hear her beloved brother suddenly being paired with her close friend.

“I only said that because rejecting him outright on the spot would have been difficult. I have no intention of marrying him.”

Lucas’s proposal was likely a strategic plan to bring me, a Hero, into the Deretia family and bolster their prestige.

However, there were too many flaws in his suggestion.

For one, I don’t need the Deretia family’s help to restore the Frentz family.

As a Hero, my fate is already sealed—I must fight the Demon Lord.

If I succeed in defeating the Demon Lord, the Emperor will honor his promise to help restore the Frentz family. I wouldn’t need the help of a Marquis when I could rely on the Emperor himself.

If I fail to defeat the Demon Lord? In that case, there wouldn’t be much to worry about since I’d probably be dead anyway.

Setting all that aside, could I even marry someone?

Though my body is female, my mind remains male. Marriage would inevitably involve certain… intimate actions, and just thinking about it makes me sick.

Marrying a woman instead?

Marriage between women exists only in fictional stories. It’s absurd in reality.

Sure, among commoners, there might be women who choose to live together because they care for each other. But as a noble trying to rebuild the Frentz family?

Even under the assumption that I manage to restore the Frentz family, I’d rather live alone and eventually adopt a suitable child to carry on the family name.

Despite my explanation, Celie seemed dissatisfied. She chewed her thumbnail nervously, muttering to herself.

“I guess I need to regain some strength, even if it’s tough…”

“Um, Celie?”

“Don’t worry about me, El. Just rest well. I’ll be going now.”

Hearing her mention “regaining strength” made me worry she might be injured, so I tried to stop her. However, she left the room quickly, leaving me behind.

Honestly, I have no intention of taking her brother away, so there’s no need for her to be this concerned. How can I make her believe me?

In the end, I stayed holed up in my room until the next day, avoiding everyone.

Waking up from a light sleep in the morning, I spent some time reading before a maid, unlike yesterday, came to inform me about breakfast.

When I went down to the dining hall, I seemed to have arrived a bit too early as no one else was there.

I hesitated near the spot where I sat yesterday, unsure if I should take a seat first. At that moment, I sensed someone approaching.

Turning my head, I saw Celie entering the dining hall.

Her steps and expression were much calmer compared to yesterday. However, her outfit seemed a bit extravagant for a simple breakfast.

“Ah, Celie. Good morning.”

“Good morning, El. Why don’t you sit down instead of standing there?”

“No, I just arrived as well.”

As Celie made her way to her seat, I waited behind a chair near hers, intending to sit beside her like yesterday.

However, Celie walked past me and even bypassed the spot she had occupied the day before. She continued walking toward another seat.

Eventually, Celie took a seat at the very end of the long table, in none other than the head seat where Lucas had sat yesterday.

“Celie…?”

“Oh, El, why don’t you sit here next to me?”

Celie pulled out a chair to her right and offered me the seat beside her.

“Father will be coming down shortly. Even if you’re hungry, please try to hold on for a little while longer.”

While I stood there, caught off guard, a butler approached her and whispered something. But what I overheard left me even more bewildered.

“Then I’ll make the arrangements immediately, Madam Head of the Family.”

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