NoveLight ™
Chapter 20
"They didn’t really go off to hunt a dragon… did they?"
The memory of his son’s words—“I want to see a dragon”—echoed in Monain’s mind when he’d announced the engagement.
He also remembered Iola asking, “Could you slay a dragon for me?” His son’s natural science thesis topic was on dragons.
Surely, it was impossible. No one would be insane enough to go dragon hunting with someone they’d just met at their engagement ceremony.
Even if they did share the same wild enthusiasm, it was an unrealistic endeavor. Iola had to know that much.
The boy was clever, one of the sharpest minds out there. Of course, he knew better than—
"...no, he doesn’t!"
Monain knew his son well.
He could almost see Iola’s bright face in his mind, earnestly insisting, "Trust is a precious asset, and believing in others is a virtue."
Where had he gone wrong? He’d raised his son to be a respectable man who loved and trusted his neighbors, but somehow, he’d become someone entirely unanticipated.
Who knew that a "trustworthy person who loved his neighbors" would turn out like this?
As a result, Monain was now in a situation that made him wish he could unsheathe a sword here, as he could on a battlefield. But Cadellen, who refused to cancel the engagement despite the absence of the engaged couple, left him utterly exasperated.
"No chance of swordplay in the engagement hall..."
"Why aren’t my sister and future brother-in-law here yet?" came a youthful voice near Monain. It was Dylan, the Medleridge heir, who had just been speaking quietly with his father, now shaking his head in horror.
"They went to hunt what? And you just let them?"
"We didn’t just let them, but you know Viretta well enough. She gave everyone the slip and jumped over the estate walls."
"That’s why I suggested installing barbed wire!"
"We did, but Viretta cut through it."
"Then the walls should’ve been twice as high!"
"We already tried that five years ago."
Dylan Medleridge, dressed in his finest, fumed. At least Monain took comfort in knowing he wasn’t the only one caught off guard.
The exchange between father and son grated on him, however. Their description of his potential daughter-in-law’s escapades was surprisingly audacious.
"Just think what people will say about this. It’s enough to get the engagement annulled. How am I supposed to face my brother-in-law?"
"That’s not a problem. She ran off with her fiancé, after all."
"How is that fine?!"
Dylan abandoned all respect for familial hierarchy and tossed his hat onto the ground in frustration.
Stomping off, he instructed one of the servants to bring out a large blackboard, and while the servant prepared it, Dylan approached Monain, bowing deeply.
"I apologize. This mess is entirely my sister’s fault. I’m truly sorry."
"No need to apologize. My son disappeared right alongside her."
Despite both children being missing, Dylan firmly held Viretta accountable, showing no mercy toward his sister.
Both take after their fathers, Monain thought, scrutinizing the pair of them.
"I disagree. He must have only gone along to humor her. No one in their right mind would believe her wild and absurd boast about hunting a dragon without any preparation."
"...."
Monain was at a loss for words since that was precisely the kind of person his son was.
"Since you’re not intending to break the engagement, we’ll handle this."
"How?"
There was no Viretta or Iola, and Monain hadn’t heard of any plans to bring in substitutes.
He was desperate enough to consider the ludicrous idea of using stand-ins, though.
As Monain was caught up in these thoughts, Dylan moved to the center of the gathered guests with the blackboard. Over a hundred guests shifted their attention to him.
"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining us today to celebrate the engagement of my younger sister, Viretta Medleridge, and the esteemed Iola Jin, son of the renowned mercenary leader from Najin."
"When does the ceremony start?"
"When will we see Viretta?"
"What does her fiancé look like?"
As the questions poured in, Monain and his companions exchanged troubled glances.
"I regret to inform you of some unfortunate news," Dylan announced, his voice booming. "My sister Viretta and her fiancé are not currently with us. While their engagement remains official, they will not be joining us here today."
As murmurs rippled through the crowd, disbelief spread like wildfire.
"What? They didn’t come to their own engagement?"
"What are they thinking?"
For a couple to miss their own engagement was a scandal of the highest degree, a blatant breach of etiquette, and an embarrassment to the family name.
Just as Monain felt his anger simmering, Dylan hit the blackboard with a flourish.
"So, where might Viretta and Iola be right now? You can place bets starting at one silver coin, with a minimum payout of 1.5 times!"
"I bet five silvers that they went off to duel each other!"
"Ten silvers says they went to commission a sculpture for the ceremony!"
"I’ll bet five that she didn’t like her engagement outfit!"
"Keep the bets coming! You can also wager on when they’ll return!"
"Two silvers for four days from now!"
"Seven for two weeks!"
"Fifteen silvers that it’ll be half a month!"
Normally, the absence of the engaged couple at their own ceremony would be a huge affront, but with Viretta Medleridge involved, the situation had somehow morphed into a lively betting game.
"Give us a hint! What does the fiancé look like?"
"He’s said to be a good-natured man with a calm and fresh appearance!"
"Alright, I’ll put ten silvers on the idea that they went to find a gift for the fiancé!"
"Melissa, who correctly guessed the last time, has wagered on them shopping for a gift! Will she be right again?"
A round of laughter and applause erupted.
The guests, being familiar with Viretta’s reputation, turned the engagement into a spirited celebration rather than a scandal.
"Alright, then! For a quick interlude, here’s a simple quiz: what special item did Viretta want at her engagement?"
"The Young Master Iola has sent a message, sir!" a subordinate shouted as he rushed into the hall, cutting off the quiz right at its peak.
"Bring it here."
All eyes turned to Monain, who gestured calmly.
"Now we have an answer coming in! Let’s all give a warm round of applause!"
"“Woooooo!!”"
With Dylan’s exuberant encouragement, the crowd’s energy rose to the level of a festival.
"...What is this?"
"This is the engagement gift from Young Master Iola and Lady Viretta."
The subordinate handed over the "gift" from Iola, looking rather uncomfortable.
"No, I’m asking, what is this supposed to be?"
"Ha! Looks like you’re not familiar with it, dear in-law. It’s the head of a horned beast," Cadellen said cheerfully, gesturing to the huge head on the cart.
The enormous head of the horned beast had been sent, neatly packaged, to the engagement hall.
Sending such a thing to an engagement could mean several things:
I’ll kill you just like this.
Here’s your future.
Let’s celebrate with a blood fest!
Haha! Enjoy this!
"This is outrageous! Sending a blood-soaked beast’s head as an engagement gift? This is a clear declaration of war..."
"It’s their first collaborative effort. It looks like they’re getting along well."
Cadellen confidently proposed this new interpretation.
"What? How is that possible? Look at the reality here."
"I am looking. At engagement and wedding ceremonies, the couple usually cuts a cake together with a sword. In some countries, they ring a bell together. Our children, instead of a cake, cut a horned beast. How brave they are."
Cadellen’s eyes were as lifeless as a fish left in the sun.
"They’re truly brave! I’m trembling with… pride at their courage, yes."
"You’re not trembling with anger?"
"Not at all. My daughter even wrote me a letter."
Cadellen held up a letter.
Dear Father, to add splendor to our engagement, Iola and I send you the fruit of our labors. Please wait for us patiently.
Seeing "the fruit of our labors = blood-soaked horned beast’s head," Monain’s expression darkened.
"That feels awfully close to a death threat."
"Ha ha, my daughter’s way of speaking is unique, and it often leads to misunderstandings. But look, she wrote ‘Iola and I.’ Using ‘we’ implies they’re already prepared for marriage."
Cadellen’s eyes remained as vacant as those of a fish lying out in the summer sun. His determined optimism almost swayed Monain.
"Is… that so? You’re right, in-law. There’s no stronger bond than a shared hunt for one’s first joint endeavor."
Moreover, Monain didn’t want to end the engagement so easily.
"Yes. And see, she’s asking us to wait patiently. It’s a sign of respect for her elderly father’s well-being. You’ve raised a fine son."
"Th-thank you very much."
Even though Cadellen looked half out of his mind, he refused to back down, his voice as bright as ever. Monain was now sure that Viretta had inherited this particular trait from her father.
"My dear in-law, I believe our children will do well together."
"As do I."
If reality continued to ignore them this much, he intended to kill it himself.
Nearby, Dylan watched and turned to shout at the guests.
"The answer is: they went to get something to decorate the engagement hall! Congratulations to Railey and Aaron for guessing correctly!"
The crowd burst into cheers and applause.
Thus, the engagement ceremony without the couple concluded with great success.