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Our conversation ended there.

He seemed to have something he wanted to ask me, but just then, Count Kraus invited us to dinner, so we had to move to the dining room. This was good for me. He must be assuming I’ll choose to break off our engagement, and since I haven’t, he’s bound to be puzzled as to why I made such a choice.

He needs to think. And figure it out.

From the very premise of what he knows, he’s got it all wrong. From Elena Edelweiss to Damian Kraus, everything about this world is twisted compared to what he thinks it is.

Telling him that he can change his fate is pointless. The path to transcendence isn’t set by someone else; it’s a journey toward self-realization, marked by the beliefs one comes to understand. No matter how I say it, it’ll only skew the milestones set before him and won’t help at all.

So let’s not think about that right now.

It’s not the time yet.

What’s important for me now is how to bridge the distance between us. Even if he smiles at me with such a heart-fluttering grin, he’s clearly wary of me inside, and that’s what I need to tackle first.

But for now, there wasn’t anything particularly noteworthy. Even while escorting me to the dining room, he looked deep in thought, his face clouded with worries, making it seem difficult to engage in a conversation.

Though I had a sense of what worries might be brewing in his mind, I chose not to speak. It was rather fascinating that despite his mental turmoil, he didn’t make a single mistake while escorting me.

As we neared the dining hall, he appeared to have stopped his brooding. True to form, he valued family.

Before Damian opened the dining hall door, he spoke.

“Um, Elena? You can just ignore anything our father might say.”

“What?”

“It’s better for your mental health. Ah, and about that engagement earlier…”

“Let’s go inside.”

I cut Damian off and pushed open the door he was holding. What greeted us was a pair of empty seats prepared for us, with Count Kraus seated at the head of the table, and his younger brother Alphonse already in place.

As soon as Damian and I sat down, a servant brought in the pre-prepared dishes.

However, the meal didn’t commence. Count Kraus, who was seated at the head, hadn’t touched his dish. He turned to gaze intently at the side where Damian and I were seated.

Arthur Kraus.

The ruler of the South and one of the five Sword Masters, a transcendental being.

He was a middle-aged man, probably over forty, and perhaps due to his transcendent achievements, just like my past self, his body still remembered the youth of his prime. He looked practically ageless, comparable to someone around sixteen. Anyone unaware of his identity would never guess that he was Count Kraus, the Sword Master, given his playful, youthful appearance.

In reality, he was a laid-back person who didn’t overly concern himself with formalities. Unlike other head families with strong authoritarian tendencies, he was a kind father who loved to joke with the children.

Yet, he was also someone who knew right from wrong, having been harsher on Damian than anyone in his first life.

With black hair and golden eyes, it was easy to see who Damian resembled. When Damian matured, he’d look so much like Count Kraus that calling them twins wouldn’t be an exaggeration. Upon noticing my face, he smiled warmly and said,

“Elena. It’s been a while. I don’t know if you remember, but we met once when you were little. Back then, you were a cute little lady, but you’ve grown into a beautiful young woman, resembling your mother.”

“You still look the same as I remembered from my childhood, Count. Thanks to that, it was easy to recall. My father complains every day about getting more wrinkles, you know.”

This was indeed the truth. Occasionally, when my father returned from the Magic Tower, he’d grumble about it while staring at himself in the mirror. I hadn’t realized it when I was younger, but thinking back on Count Kraus’s relationship with my father made this connection quite obvious.

Count Kraus knew the reason behind it too, as he burst into hearty laughter while sharing a story about my father.

“Hahaha!!! Is he still not able to get over that wall? That guy, every day, he only complains to me using his crystal ball about his grievances, and when he actually sees my face, he gets angrier, then whines even more once home? Thanks, Elena, you’ve just provided me with another thing to poke fun at him!”

“Don’t mention it.”

Honestly, I could understand my father’s complaints to some extent because Count Kraus was considered a genius even among geniuses.

Who else, just entering their forties, would even reach the level of transcendence? Sure, there are one or two updating records next to me, but until they appeared, Count Kraus was the youngest man to achieve transcendence.

Anyway, Count Kraus—no, my father-in-law—is currently my most dependable ally.

Even with the title of Count and the position of a Sword Master in my first life, he never buried the incident regarding Damian but chose to discuss it openly with both me and my father. He was also someone who deeply regretted my decision to break the engagement in my second life.

Now he’s my most fervent supporter of this engagement and someone who will help further my relationship with Damian behind the scenes. Previously, he was the one who prolonged the time I spent with that guy, but now, he’s set to create opportunities for me to get closer to him more than anyone else.

Count Kraus shifted his focus onto Damian. To my surprise, the topic of conversation turned to my father, Joachim Edelweiss. Had he met my father? I didn’t recall any such visit from him to the South around this time.

“Speaking of which, Damian, do you remember meeting Joachim when you were little?”

“Yes! I remember him grabbing my head and saying, ‘If you make my daughter cry, I’ll throw you into the Pale Night Ice Prison.'”

My body shivered at that remark.

What on earth was my dad saying while out?!

It’s unlikely, but recalling Damian’s words earlier, I couldn’t help but wonder if Joachim might have done something to him, pushing him away.

Count Kraus chuckled and asked Damian,

“What? Hahaha!! How old were you back then?”

“I was… fourteen. It was surprising when an unfamiliar person suddenly approached and said such incomprehensible things, but I could feel he genuinely cared for his daughter with each word.”

“What?”

Since he had just mentioned throwing someone into the Pale Night Ice Prison, Elena expected even harsher words to follow. However, what came out next from Damian made Elena’s face flush.

“He acts cool on the outside, but is actually holding back. He had trouble saying he dislikes something or that he liked something. He was always telling me to take care of him and comfort him. Also, he really loved sweet things, so he said to give him candy first when we met. He thought that would help him lower his guard.”

Dad!!!!

Elena was well aware of Joachim’s foolishness, but she never expected him to share such personal tidbits with Damian directly. Knowing how much Joachim cherished her meant that he liked Damian deep down, which felt good, but—

That doesn’t change the embarrassment!

My face was rapidly heating up.

Glancing over at Damian’s amused expression, I noticed he was laughing. Specifically, he was laughing at my embarrassment.

In this situation, anyone might think he was mocking me.

However, after seeing him for several decades, my feelings were different.

‘Feeling embarrassed? Now you find me unlikable, huh?’

Those laughing eyes seemed to say that to me. For a moment, I was left dumbfounded. What should I say? Cute? Strangely, that’s how I felt. If I wanted to break off the engagement, I could just bark at him and behave rudely, yet I found myself slightly amused by his childish jabs. This thought made my embarrassment gradually ease.

At that moment, our strong ally joined in to support.

“Oh, oh! Is that so? I thought you were weird for asking for lots of sweets when you don’t even eat them! So that’s the reason. I see it now!”

Damian jolted at Count Kraus’s words, as did I. Seizing the opportunity, I feigned being touched as I turned to Damian.

“Really? I was told that you love sweet things.”

“What? That’s absurd! Damian Kraus? Are you kidding? I’ve never seen that punk with a single piece of candy! And now he suddenly loves sweets? Oh, Damian, you’re not serious…”

As Count Kraus looked at Damian with a sly grin, Damian quickly interrupted.

“I can eat sweets, Father! Please don’t spread false rumors!”

“The false rumor is what snuck out of your mouth. I’ve never seen you carrying a piece of caramel while I raised you.”

“I’ve never been seen with it? There was plenty! I used to carry a bunch of caramel in my pocket every day. And Maria raised me, not you. You just raise my toughness.”

“That was given to you by the servants! Is there anyone in the castle who doesn’t know you store them away instead of eating? And you’re right about one thing; today, I want to see that toughness of yours!”

The atmosphere suddenly felt like we were in the training grounds instead of the dining room. But before that could happen, Damian’s younger brother Alphonse delivered a lethal blow right after.

“Oh, right! The last time I opened a box in your room, there were beautifully wrapped caramels and candies! I wanted to eat them, but you told me I couldn’t… It was something precious…”

With that, Damian couldn’t retort any further.

‘Oh dear!’

His expression didn’t change, but sitting right next to him, I noticed his ears were turning red. I felt the urge to hug and pat that face immediately, but thinking about today’s victory helped me subdue my rising desires.

Then Count Kraus winked at me. Young Alphonse tilted his head, confused at his brother’s suddenly rigid demeanor and began to resume his meal.

I also picked up my utensils and started eating again. Even though the dish entering my mouth wasn’t sweet, it strangely tasted sweet.

This reincarnation seems to be a great success.

 

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