"May I ask who? King Albion''s words echoed in my ears.


    ''Alright, Jared… are you sure you''re ready for this?'' I thought to myself, looking beside me to see even Maria staring at me.


    Her expression still looked nk, but her widened eyes showed that she was just as surprised as everyone else. Yes, even until a few moments ago, I was surprised as well.


    Surprised by the fully formed conviction within me.


    How long would I deny it? How long would I shove it aside? Was it really something I could ignore now? The answer, of course, was NO.


    "You wanted an answer, right?" I whispered to Maria, smiling as I stepped a little forward.


    I could tell that she was trying her best to maintain herposure, so I took her hand into mine as I advanced even further.


    This was the moment of truth. Honestly, I hadn''t nned on doing this here, but… it was a perfectly grand opportunity I wasn''t going to miss.


    Here I was, holding Maria''s hand while stepping forward in the presence of the king. My father was watching. Maria''s parents were watching. Every relevant person in the room was watching. At this point, I had reached the point of no return.


    ''No more running away!''


    With a confident smile on my face, I raised both mine and Maria''s hand above, making my official deration.


    "I am in love with Maria Helmsworth of the Helmsworth Household."


    My shocking confession, in front of so many strangers, caused even me to feel so embarrassed. I watched as my dad''s jaw dropped, and the Helmsworth Family looked at me with a somewhat neutral expression. I was getting mixed reactions from everyone, but the one they all shared inmon was most likely unfiltered surprise.


    ''Not yet… I''m not done yet!''


    "She has also professed her feelings for me, so it''s mutual. If Miss Maria still feels that way, then it is my desire for us to be wed." I sped her hand with mine, ncing at the stoic, but blushing face of the youngdy.


    Her beautiful eyes sparkled so much that I felt trapped in them even though I tried resisting with all my might. Maria''s reddened cheeks became tantly obvious as the pink hue contrasted with her pale skin. In essence, she was unable to hide it anymore.


    "There''s your answer." I whispered again, winking at Maria, the cutest girl in the world.


    "If it pleases Your Majesty, I would like to be wed to Miss Maria instead. Of course, even if it doesn''t… that doesn''t change anything."


    King Albion and I chuckled a little thanks to my little statement, and thanks to that, the tension in the atmosphere melted considerably.


    "Well, well, well. You made an interesting choice, but a wise one, nheless. It would seem the Helmsworth Family is the one who will be amodating Jared as their son-inw." He chuckled even more, ncing in the direction of both the father and mother of Maria.


    I also stared at them. While the father didn''t seem all too imposing, her mother''s wide eyes made me gulp a little. It seemed Maria''s stoic expression came from both of them. She also seemed to get a good deal of her physical traits from both of them.


    All in all, Maria''s parents seemed like the adult versions of her—though her father would be the male kind. However, thanks to this resemnce, it was just as difficult to read their expressions.


    ''What are they thinking?'' I thought to myself.


    It was scary how they werepletely unreadable.


    "Well… if the young boy is serious, then he shoulde to our Estate when he''s old enough. We''ll host the official meet then." Duke Helmsworth spoke.


    His tone was surprisingly warmer than I thought.


    "Words are cheap. We have had many who have proposed to be our inws. Unfortunately, none of them qualify." Maria''s mother said the very thing I dreaded to hear.


    The fact that her family could consider me inadequate.


    "Fear not, boy. You seem reliable enough. Besides, there''s no detriment in your union. Your family is equal to ours in official status—perhaps even more so in the actual holding of power." The Duke''s words soothed me once more.


    While he wasn''t smiling outwardly, his voice made it seem like he was.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Surely, you jest, Franklin. Your family is an elite unit of generational Mages. The very backbone of the Kingdom—alongside the Crimsons. I daresay you are superior to ours." My father swiftly interjected, chuckling in the process.


    Unfortunately, what was meant to be taken as a light humour quickly died due to the unamused expression of the Helmsworths.


    "We''ll leave this debate for another time, Damien."


    "Of course. Haha. So what do you say about my son?" It seemed my father and this ''Franklin'' Helmsworth were really hitting it off.


    Did he learn to read their emotions, even though they showed none? Was it like how I was currently learning to understand Maria and her stoic face?


    ''You''re a genius, father!''


    "I personally like you, Jared. However, as it has already been established… wait till you are of age. Should you still feel the same way, you may take the proper steps." Franklin Helmsworth addressed me, to which I bowed in response.


    "Indeed. If you two are to be joined as one, we''ll require that family meetup and discussion." The Duchess added.


    I understood things perfectly well.


    The good news was that the Helmsworth family favoured me. The fact that my father was also close to them was a good thing. Finally, the fact that Maria and I felt the same made allplexities vanish.


    Everything solely depended on my will.


    "Maria… what is your response to this? Do you feel for him as he feels for you?" The question came from none other than my father himself.


    He had a smile on his face, but I could tell that he meant every word with utmost seriousness. And he was justified in it.


    ''I know how she feels, but not everyone does. She is yet to say anything…''


    "Yes, Father. I love your son."


    ''WHAT?'' My eyes widened as she made such a bold statement.


    It shook the whole hall, and even Maria''s parents both widened their eyes at their daughter''s words. The King, the Nobles, everyone present was filled with surprise. And I? I was the most surprised of all!


    ''She called him… father…?''


    "Hahaha! d to see you''re so enthusiastic. I sincerely hope things turn out that way." My father''sugh felt genuine, and I was happy that he epted and even supported us.


    With everything clear and settled, it brought me joy and relief that I was finally able to muster the courage to stand by Maria and dere our desired union.


    I was able to see her smile, and she was able to see mine.


    ''Alright, then. Now that the most difficult part of this conversation has been dealt with, it''s time to focus on the easy part—taking down the Nether Cult.''


    *


    *


    *


    [A/N]


    I guess the JaredxMaria Ship has been solidified already... or has it?


    I hope you haven''t forgotten about certain... loose ends. Well, I can think of a particr Subus who''s one.


    What do you all think?