“I really can’t understand why my sister likes you so much.” Firiya sized Xia Li up and let out a long sigh.
“Well, this face isn’t exactly ugly,” Xia Li shrugged with a smile.
“That’s true… but no, my sister isn’t that shallow.”
“Maybe she just takes after her sister.”
The moment she said that, Xia Li caught Firiya’s gaze locking onto her like a knife ready to peel her alive.
“Are you insulting me, you rogue?”
“That’s a bit harsh,” Xia Li leaned closer to Firiya, lowering her voice. “You’re technically my ‘fi—ancé.’”
Although she wasn’t quite sure why Firiya had agreed to her clearly teasing “proposal,” the deal was sealed.
And how could she pass up a freebie like that?
Wait, it wasn’t really free.
This had cost her a significant favor from the Kafus family!
All the more reason to take full advantage of it!
“…Yeah, that’s right,” Firiya said through gritted teeth as she grabbed Xia Li’s outstretched hand. “Dear, love, mine.”
Her grip slowly tightened.
But as a mage, even though her hand trembled from effort, it was barely a bother to Xia Li.
Seeing this, Xia Li pushed further and grabbed Firiya’s hand back, intertwining their fingers.
“We’ve only known each other for less than half a day, and you’ve already accepted my proposal. Isn’t this love at first sight because of my good looks?”
Having just returned from her advanced training with Lucifiel’s “high-level challenge,” teasing Firiya was like a beginner’s game.
The only difference was that Lucifiel’s favor towards the Demon Lord was basically maxed out by default.
But Firiya was at the extreme negative end of the spectrum.
Now, Firiya responded with a magical chant.
“No matter what I do to you now, it’ll just count as a family dispute,” Firiya said, her body bristling as shining spears materialized behind her.
“Why don’t you just tell me what scheme you’re plotting? Then I’ll stop teasing you.”
“…Because I need a lover right now.”
“You’re more repressed than I thought!”
“What are you thinking! I need an excuse to get out of the arranged marriage my family set up for me.” Firiya painstakingly pried Xia Li’s fingers apart.
Arranged marriage? Xia Li thought. That wasn’t a part of the game’s storyline.
The “Saintess Firiya” plotline had clearly gone off the rails somewhere.
She was getting used to this kind of thing.
“What kind of person is your family trying to marry you off to?” Xia Li asked, curious.
Firiya was a genius mage from the Kafus family, already a high-level mage and adventurer at a young age.
She was likely to become a transcendent mage, possibly even touching the forbidden spell tier.
That would be equivalent to a saint in the Englian Empire!
For such a prodigy to be given away in an arranged marriage by her family, the price must be enormous.
“I don’t know,” Firiya hesitated. “I only know their surname is Stein.”
“Oh, Stein… did you say Stein? From Steinburg?!” Xia Li shouted.
“That’s right, them.”
The Stein family was one of the Four Great Noble Houses, just like Kafus. Their head was the Grand Commander of the Empire’s Knights.
In a border city like Steinburg, the Stein family’s prestige and power far outshone Kafus — evident even by the city bearing their name.
If her match was from the Stein family, it was indeed a match of equals.
Xia Li immediately realized something more important.
“So you made me your fiancée to act as a shield for you?”
“Yeah, that was my original plan,” Firiya nodded. “Having you appear as my lover would not only help me dodge the arranged marriage but also shift my family’s pressure onto you.”
A chill ran down Xia Li’s spine.
This woman was downright ruthless!
If either the Stein or Kafus family found out that their arranged marriage was sabotaged by a country girl…
She’d probably be thrown in jail by morning for “stepping foot in the Adventurer’s Guild too early.”
Or even exiled to the demon realm to fend for herself!
“But judging by what you’re saying, you gave up on that idea?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“My problem shouldn’t drag innocent people into it. Pulling you into danger over personal feelings is too much.”
“Heh… so you do realize that.”
“Besides, I think you’re more troublesome than both noble families,” Firiya sighed. “If anything happened to you, Enis would be upset.”
“…What about the vow I made?” Xia Li felt like she’d just been played by Firiya.
“Just pretend it never happened. Come up with a more reasonable one,” Firiya brushed past her and headed down the stairs.
“Where are you going?”
“To the kitchen… Didn’t you say you were hungry?”
“Talking to you made me forget…” Xia Li rubbed her stomach and glanced toward Enis’s room. “Want to have some midnight snacks together?”
The door gave a soft “click,” then a heavy “bang.”
The evening breeze pushed the already ajar door wide open.
Startled, Enis bumped into a shelf, holding her head and giving an awkward laugh. “Xia Li, you actually caught me…”
“Don’t underestimate my senses,” Xia Li chuckled.
She’d sacrificed magic to hone them.
“Enis?!” Firiya’s footsteps froze. “Since when have you been eavesdropping?”
“That doesn’t matter!” Enis interrupted quickly. “Sis, why didn’t you tell me you had an arranged marriage with someone else?”
“The family’s arrangements have nothing to do with you,” Firiya said, walking straight into the kitchen.
“Grr!” Enis stomped angrily downstairs.
Just as she tried to question Firiya further, Firiya shoved a piece of white bread into her mouth. “If you want a midnight snack, I’ll get you one. If not, go back to bed.”
“Mmph!” Enis pulled the bread out and handed it to Xia Li. “I’m not going to let Sis marry some stranger. If I have to choose, I’d rather she picked Xia Li!”
“So in your eyes, I’m just a ‘second best’ option,” Xia Li said, playing along as she munched on the bread, enjoying the show.
“Putting aside how much I dislike her, I would never choose her,” Firiya said as she used magic to control the stove and pots in the kitchen.
“Why not?”
“Because of class. As a member of the Kafus family, my fiancé can’t be a commoner.” Firiya took a deep breath. “Besides, just ten minutes ago, my family met my demands for the arranged marriage.”
“What demands?”
“They allowed us to live in the Holy City.”
Getting a capital city household registration after marriage? Hmm, that sounds reasonable… Xia Li thought to herself.