Chapter 47 Arranged Marriage Talk
After finishing dinner, right away. As I leisurely enjoyed an after-dinner tea in front of me, a portrait was presented. Although it was a portrait, with dark brown hair and most of the eyes hidden, the facial features were unclear. Perhaps due to the posture not being very good, it gave off a gloomy impression. The age seemed to be slightly older than me, more like a young man.
As I looked up at my mother who handed me the portrait, she smiled awkwardly and said,
"Hey, Laura... do you have any intention of trying an arranged marriage?"
She dropped a bombshell.
"Wha- an arranged marriage!?"
I almost spit out the tea I had in my mouth, quickly covering my mouth with my hand. I managed to swallow it somehow and muttered, "What are you talking about..."
Arranged marriage? Why bring that up out of the blue? It's true that Julia from the same village seems to be getting married, but she's two years older than me. Even if it's common for early marriages in a small village, being set up for marriage at 15 seems too early.
My mother, noticing my stunned muttering, gently opened her mouth with a look of apology, furrowing her brows.
"Well, you see... before that, do you remember Uncle Yonni from our relatives?"
Uncle Yonni. It sounds like a cheerful name, but honestly, I have no idea who that is.
When I tilted my head in confusion, my mother chuckled and continued.
"You probably don't remember, you were only three at the time. He's your father's older brother, and it seems Uncle Yonni has an 18-year-old son now."
Father's older brother. So, he's my uncle.
It seems like I've met him once in the past based on my mother's words, but even if I consciously try to recall, I can't remember at all. Not only about him, but I hardly remember anything from when I was three years old.
Anyway, it seems I have an uncle named Yonni. And he has a son who will turn 18 this year.
"That child... seems very shy. Your uncle is getting anxious because at this rate, he won't be able to find a wife."
Seems shy. From that information, I glance at the portrait just handed to me. Could this boy be the son of that Uncle Yonni? With his long bangs covering his face, he looks "kind of like him."
Honestly, I have a bad feeling. No, I already knew what my mother was hinting at. After asking if I would consider an arranged marriage, being introduced to this boy is what she meant.
"So, since there's a girl close to me... Laura, there's talk of an arranged marriage—"
"You want me to marry that person!?"
Most likely, my mother going to bring up the idea of an arranged marriage with this boy!
I slammed my hand on the table and stood up.
I absolutely refuse to consider an arranged marriage. It's definitely not my thing. Especially with a boy nearly four years older whom I've never even met. I'll ignore the calm tsukkomi saying that's just how arranged marriages work.
Anyway, I raised my eyebrows sharply, determined not to agree at all. In response, my mother frantically waved her hands in front of her face.
"Right!? Of course, I refused such a proposal, but they kept insisting that at least I should talk to you... It's so annoying, right?"
Her expression was filled with relief. From that expression and words, it was clear that even for my mother, this arranged marriage was not a desired topic, and she regained some composure.
After taking a breath, I sat back down and placed my hand on her chest, taking a deep breath as if relieved.
"I'm glad you clearly showed your dislike for the arranged marriage, Laura. More than your mother, surely your father who was eavesdropping there must be..."
"Umm..."
The door pointed to by my mother - the door leading to my father's private room - slowly opened. There stood my father with a forced smile. It seemed he had been eavesdropping behind the door.
Knowing that I wouldn't be forced into marriage, I also breathed a sigh of relief. It's not that I have a physical aversion to this portrait of a boy, but it's still unpleasant to have something related to my life decided without my consent.
My father cast a glance around awkwardly before taking a seat in front of me. His expression, with his eyebrows furrowed deeply, honestly looked quite pitiful.
"Sorry, Laura. I rely on my brother for a lot of things, so I find it hard to stand up to him... But if you don't like it, I'll make sure to refuse properly."
"I was almost in tears thinking about what would happen when Laura gets married. I just can't let go of my child."
With a smile from my father and my mother looking awkwardly down, it seemed like my answer was the best one from my parents' actions and words. It seemed like everything was settled, or so I'd like to say.
Talks about Julia's marriage, chatting about Petra, and discussions about arranged marriages.
"Do Mother and Father want me to get married soon?"
The smiles disappeared from my parents' faces at my question.
Father seemed short of breath. He appeared to be quite agitated. Despite feeling guilty for disrupting the calm atmosphere with his own words, I couldn't help but think that now was the only time to raise the questions that had been on my mind for a while.
To be honest, right now I can't see any prospects for marriage or romance. It's not even on my radar, it might be more accurate to say. Personally, I hadn't really thought much about it, but from my parents' perspective, they probably felt more at ease if I brought someone nice home sooner rather than later.
In fact, there have been subtle inquiries about my relationship with Lukas. Although those have mostly disappeared recently since becoming a Royal Alchemist trainee, deep down, I couldn't help but wonder what my parents truly thought.
"...Yes, that might be lovely too."
I was prepared for my mother's words, but my heart raced with a start.
Despite bringing up the topic myself, I felt awkward and looked down in that moment.
"But, it's also wonderful that you're saving many lives in the royal capital, Laura is."
My mother's gentle voice dropped.
I reflexively raised my head. Our eyes met, and I saw my mother's face filled with love.
"There are different ways to live. Marriage might bring happiness to some, while pursuing dreams might bring happiness to others. Whichever path you choose, if you're happy, that would make me, as your mother, the happiest."
My parents had always shown understanding towards my dreams and supported me to do what I liked. However, at the same time, they didn't seem too pleased with the story of the monster attack and seemed to be silently pleading with their eyes for me to come back. So, I don't know if it's okay to continue, but I never expected them to answer my earlier question in this way.
There are different ways of living. It's obvious, but in this world, and in this village, because it's a way of living that is not easily accepted, my mother's words hit home.
After a moment of silence, my mother continued.
"...Of course, aside from that, I hope you try to avoid getting involved in dangerous things as much as possible."
Those words hit hard.
As I forced a smile to lighten the mood, my father spoke up this time.
"In this village, there's always talk about getting married early and having children. It's not necessarily a bad thing... Laura, you don't have to worry about those things."
My father grinned, showing his teeth. It seemed like my father also shared the same opinion as my mother.
It's really heartwarming when both parents support a slightly different way of life for oneself. However, there seems to have been some change since the last visit home — last time, I remember being told that I could come back anytime if I wanted to return. During this blank period, I wonder if there was some trigger for a change of heart, and that part concerns me.
"To be honest, until very recently, I really wanted Laura to get married as soon as possible. But when the topic of an arranged marriage came up, both mother and father were surprised... It seems the correct thing was not 'I want you to get married,' but 'I want you to be in a safe place and not encounter any danger."
As she repeatedly squeezed my hand, my mother blushed shyly.
I see, she was thinking of achieving the goal of wanting her daughter to be in a safe place through the means of her daughter's marriage. And that too, unconsciously.
"The feeling still remains the same, but you know, the other day, I received a very polite letter from someone named Kasper-san."
It was unexpected.
I knew that Kasper-san seemed to regret sending me to Platonovena. I didn't hear it directly from him, but I could tell from his attitude. But I never expected him to write such a letter to my parents.
Kasper-san, you could have at least said a word.
"This time, it was an apology for involving you in danger, and a story about how hard you usually work and how people are saved by your efforts."
My chest tightened as if squeezed. I managed to hold back the tears that were about to well up in my eyes.
Kasper-san is a really good boss. Even though he must be busy, he regularly checks on me newcomer and even shows consideration for my family. It's said that's what a boss should do, and it's true. But from the way my mother's eyes lit up happily, it was clear that the letters from Kasper-san were not just formalities, but something that conveyed genuine emotions.
I wonder what kind of letters Kasper-san sent to my parents. It's a bit embarrassing to ask directly, though.
"I've wondered more than once if it's okay for you to stay in the royal capital like this... but being an alchemist is such a wonderful job, isn't it, Laura?"
――My parents always said they supported my dreams. They hugged me, proud of me for achieving my goals. However, they never specifically mentioned the profession of being an alchemist.
However, being an alchemist is not a common profession for the people living in Emme Village. Since the field I am studying is specialized, I understood that my parents, who do not have knowledge in this area, have not talked much about the profession of alchemist. I accepted that. However—
I am aware that I am causing them a lot of worry. But being an alchemist is not a dangerous job. It is true that healing potions are mainly used on the battlefield. While it is true that alchemists may go to the battlefield, it seemed like only the dangerous aspect of it was being emphasized by my parents, which was frustrating.
So...
"Yeah, that's right. It's a very rewarding job."
It's a wonderful job.
Those words made me happier than any encouragement I had received before.
While I initially started studying as a stepping stone to leave this village, I now realize that I have truly come to like the profession of alchemist itself.
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