"How delightful to meet you. I'd like to have a good look at you," the old man said, stepping back and scrutinizing Sera from head to toe. The way he stood, hands on his hips, lips pressed into a thin line—it was as if he was judging the finest dish in a culinary competition.
In that moment, Sera felt her entire world crumble around her. This was not a prince or even a respectable man; it was an incredibly aged man standing before her.
Does her father not love her enough to subject her to marrying this man?
"U-Uh... Sure, Mr. Genghis," she stammered.
The man's eyes wandered over her body. Starting from her hair, then down to her face and lower body. She recoiled at the sight of an old man's gaze fixed on her form.
"Well, she'll surely bear children in the future. Good job, Valerian. You'll soon be a grandfather, and the lineage of the village shall endure!" His voice remained steady and masculine.
Despite being at least twice her age, he openly expressed his approval of her before everyone. It was an absurd statement, yet the villagers responded positively.
"Hurrah for our new couple!"
"It's really happening!"
"Cheers, everybody!"
"Our town will prosper!"
"The family name is preserved!"
The crowd's comments were overwhelmingly positive, to the point where she felt she had no other choice or alternative. She looked around and saw nothing but jubilant faces.
Her gaze turned toward her father, but his eyes were already fixed on her. They were filled with tears. Amidst the clamor of the surrounding people's joyous shouts, she couldn't discern whether those tears were of happiness or sadness.
She knew that her father had made this decision for the sake of the village, but something didn't feel right.
Doing as she had been trained, she forced a smile and glanced around.
*Clank Clank Clank*
All eyes turned to the man raising his glass in the air. It was Genghis. His eyes were filled with joy, and he wore a wide smile. But for Sera, who wanted nothing of this, it only made things creepier.
"To make this occasion more memorable, I have brought a piece of jewelry that will seal our arrangement. I'm not one for grand gestures, but for the beautiful... Sera, I will make an exception. Here, please extend your hand," Genghis said, locking his gaze onto Sera.
Sera's eyes dropped to his hand, which held a ring adorned with an emerald. The piece of jewelry looked exquisite. However, she knew that once she accepted it, there would be no easy way out. That terrified her the most.
Reluctantly, she took a step forward, her breath catching in her throat.
"Breathe," a soft voice came from behind her. It was Kara. Her eyes pleaded with Sera not to go through with it, but they both knew they had no other option.
Sera took a deep breath, the veins on her forehead becoming visible as she locked eyes with the man she was about to marry.
"Go ahead, my dear," her father's voice chimed in.
She nodded and took another step forward. Genghis wasted no time in grasping her hand and placing the jewelry on her finger. He slid it into place and placed his hairy hand on top of hers.
'How could this be any worse than the future Sera would have had with Lucian? How?' she thought to herself, forcing a fake smile for the cheering crowd. It felt as though they had all won the grandest prize of the year.
The celebration eventually came to an end, and most people left, leaving only Sera's family behind. She couldn't help but gaze at the crystal glass in front of her.
"Why do you look so worried, sister?" Em emerged from somewhere and questioned her, her innocent eyes filled with concern.
Sera's heart clenched once again at the sight of those pure eyes. She felt an overwhelming urge to protect her sister at all costs.
"I'm not worried, little one. Come here, I want you to make a promise to me," Sera said, pulling Em onto her lap.
Their eyes met.
The others on the lawn went about their own business, completely disregarding the two sisters as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"What is it, sister?" Em asked once more.
"Promise me that you will be strong even in your weakest moments. Promise me that if there is anything... anything that you do not wish to do, you won't do it. Promise me that you will take care of yourself... and Kara," Sera pleaded in a soft tone.
"I p-promise... But what do they m-mean?" Em asked again, stuttering her words and looking up at her sister.
Sera smiled and gently patted her head.
"They're words that you must always remember, no matter what. Because this life you have... It's very precious, little one. You should not, and must not, live it for someone else," Sera explained, sighing at her own words. Perhaps this was what it felt like to not practice what you preached. "One day, you'll understand. Hopefully, I'll still be there with you on that day, smiling and proud of you."
Sera ended with a smile, finding solace in her own words.
-
The night arrived sooner than she had expected.
She lay on her bed, her eyes gazing at the stars visible through her window. She observed them with a pensive heart.
She had been caught in the pages of a book, and now she was about to marry an old man. How had her life come to this? Her thoughts wandered through the kingdom, dwelling on past events and the fate of Veridonia.
Was her mother safe? What could have happened to the kingdom? How dire would things become without her?
Her mind was consumed with one thought after another.
But no matter how hard she tried, sleep eluded her.
"When will this night be over?" she whispered to herself, fiddling with the jewelry in her hand.
It was new, but she couldn't say she liked this new addition. Although she typically admired new things in her life, this was the first new thing she wished she hadn't received.
She rose from her bed, taking the wax candle she found on her desk, and stepped outside. With the flickering light, she ventured away from her house, step by step. Lost in her thoughts, she didn't realize she had returned to the same forest she had visited before, this time on foot and not on Midnight.
She walked among the trees, feeling lighter outside the confines of her home.
It had only been three days since she arrived in this world, yet she couldn't help but feel trapped by responsibilities she didn't even know existed.
So she walked and walked until she reached the beautiful lake she had seen before. The small candle flame flickered weakly against the gusts of wind.
With a sigh, she sat down and found peace in watching the water flow smoothly, disregarding the rocks and barriers in its path.
The wind brushed against her face, blowing her hair in the opposite direction.
"I wish I could stay here all night," she thought to herself, entranced by the water's gentle movements. The waves were small, as it was a lake, but the continuous motion brought her internal joy.
Suddenly, a strong gust of wind extinguished the flickering flame.
"Huh," she gasped, her eyes fixated on the trail of smoke dissipating from the extinguished candle. She followed the gray line with her gaze.
With a sigh, she lay back on the rocky ground.
The only source of light that had brought her here was no longer present. She sighed once more as darkness swallowed her surroundings.
"Keep sighing, and you'll exhaust yourself, princess."
The nickname sent a jolt through her heart. She quickly sat up, scanning her surroundings. No one was in sight. She furrowed her brow and squinted, trying to discern any signs of movement.
"D-Damian?" her voice trembled as she called out.
She hadn't expected to be discovered, especially not by a darkling who could end her life in an instant.
"Sera," her name echoed from his lips again. The voice seemed to come from right in front of her, obscured by the tall trees.
Had she subconsciously hoped for his presence? Was that it? This couldn't be a dream, could it? Was she hallucinating?
"C-come out. I can't see y-you," she whispered, her voice barely audible. She could hardly believe it was her own voice speaking. It used to carry such strength.
"Oh, I will," the voice replied, this time accompanied by his hand resting on her shoulder, causing her knees to weaken.
He was behind her.