Chapter 42 - Sixteen Years Old (3)
I wake up in the morning.
I rolled up the blanket, but Gizel doesn’t seem to be sticking up close to me.
It seems she went to the dining table first.
Normally, she’d cling to me when she wakes up before me, but that’s unusual.
Last night, It was already late when I fell asleep.
I was busy trying to put together a plan to improve the Ortem Trolley.
Thinking back on last night’s conversation with my father, I couldn’t fall asleep, so I just focused myself on my work instead but…
Anyway, what should I do today.
Talking about father who is overly noisy due to the traditions of the village.
They must really be trying to get ready for me and Gizel’s wedding starting today.
I’ve got to prevent it somehow.
First, I wonder if Gizel knows about the marriage.
It’s true, because of the values I had in my previous life, my common sense often doesn’t come easily to me.
Even in this village, where the customs are different from those of my previous life, I have lived for sixteen years, concentrating only on magic, without knowing the common sense of the people around me.
If it was the wisdom of ordinary life, it would be of no consequence without asking, so it might have been even more so.
Even so, basically, the amount of information about the Marren customs and common sense that I and Gizel have received from our parents should not make much difference.
So since I didn’t know, it’s safe to assume that Gizel didn’t know either.
Gizel wouldn’t want to marry her brother.
First I need to let Gizel know about this and bring her into my side.
If we want, I’ll ask her to act out a play and try to make the people around us feel a little uncomfortable.
If we can give them the impression that we’re going to kill each other, we won’t have to worry about getting married.
I also need to look into the history of the Marren in the past and find out the enforcement of the brother-sister marriage customs.
I already know of one instance where the tradition of brother and sister marriage was not observed.
Yes, Noswell’s parents.
It may not be a bad idea to visit the Karlco family once.
Shibi even knows that I don’t have that intention so he keeps approaching Gizel.
If it’s a tradition that will always be followed, they won’t do that.
There’s got to be an opening.
I’m going to get there at all costs and stop this marriage.
“Alright.”
I get off the bed and make my way to the window of my room.
The morning sun sinks into my eyes.
Closing his eyes, he said, “Pray to the spirits of our Marren ancestors,” and cut a cross in the air with his left hand.
I’m firmly in this habit, though.
I changed my clothes from my pajamas and headed to the dinner table.
”Good morning, Father, Mother. Gizel, today first……”
I turn my attention to Gizel.
Gizel gasped, her cheeks flushed, and gently looked away.
”Good, good morning brother…………”
I have a bad feeling about this.
Don’t tell me they told Gizel about it while I was late getting up.
I quickly turn my attention back to my father.
My father turned his head away from me too.
“Well, I’m going to go see the Chief, then.”
My father got up quickly and started to leave the house.
“Hey, hey! Please wait, Father!”
“I’m sorry, but I’m busy. You’ll have to wait until after I get back. We need to make sure that the Berek family’s rights to the incense leaves are tightly packed…”
“Father! Father!”
Ignoring my call, my father ran away.
I thought about going after him, but I didn’t feel like going after him.
He got away.
… However, about incense leaf again.
I believe that if we leave the matter to the Chief, they will be able to work it out for the good of the village, but my father seems to be a bit picky about it.
I’m worried if he’s being irritating to the Chief. I’ll apologize next time.
Since I made a big deal out of it after I finished my coming of age ceremony, I don’t think it’s anything for my father to poke his nose into.
Isn’t this going to be the second Karlco family route?
It’s not as if he’s going to interfere with my magical life anymore, but it’s also a little sad because I think my father was more lively when he went hunting every day.
No, well, that’s not the point right now.
After my father left, I had a quick breakfast and took Gizel with me to the garden where the Ortem Trolley was located.
Once out in the yard, I looked around to make sure there were no people in sight.
“Gizel, what did you hear from father?”
“U-,umm…n-no…no-nothing… That’s not important. Let’s hurry and get to the woods. Yes, that’s right! I’d like to see the Ortem Trolley in action! Therefore…”
I’ve never seen her so blatantly shaken before.
”I see, so Gizel has started hiding things too…… It’s a little lonely.”
“No! It’s not true! Father had only told me to not tell brother…”
Yes, easy.
“So, what is it you we’re talking about?”
“But Father said it would be more pleasing to brother if I told you at the last minute…”
Gizel says as she hunches over and hides her face with her sleeve.
From the top of her sleeve, Gizel’s eyes flickered to my expression.
I gave her a blatantly sad look.
“As a matter of fact, three days from now, brother and I will… Um, perform the wedding…”
Alright, easy… eh, in three days?
Other houses will be invited too. Isn’t it too hasty?
He must be really scared of me going out of my way.
Gizel isn’t that shaken either. I thought she would be even more panicked to hear that she would be forced to marry her brother all of a sudden.
After all, Gizel knew about the custom of incestuous marriages, didn’t she?
Now that I’ve been told about the ceremony again, it even looks like I’m just a little embarrassed.
… Somehow, I feel like the wind direction has become worse.
N-no, it can’t be that way.
”Ah, ah, three days later……Yeah, so I’ve been working on a few things to stop that from happening. While thinking about this, I studied the history of this village…”
“I was shown by mother my wedding outfit, and it was so, so beautiful…! Would something so beautiful and glamorous look good on me? No, no! I shouldn’t feel like this! I, I’m going to be a fine bride who can’t be outdone by big brother!”
“Hmm?”
Just now, I feel like we aren’t talking about the same topic.
“I’m-, I’m sorry! I thought it was a little further down the road, and I wasn’t mentally prepared for it either, so I somehow became strangely aware of it! I would say nervous, I would say excited…no, I don’t mean in that weird way. But…well…um…when you get married, you’re going to… do perverted stuff……”
Oh, this is a bad one.
”But as expected of brother. I can’t believe you’re so at ease with this sudden question.”
”Ah, ah, no, father was acting strangely, so I thought it was something like that… So, you know, there’s something I need to tell you…”
“Something you want to tell me? What is it?”
“uh, um…… about the marriage ceremony……”
Gizel blinks her big eyes and looks at me intently.
Gizel’s fingertips were moving restlessly. They must be filled with anticipation for the future and anxiety about the sudden change of circumstances.
“prevent…… um……”
I can’t.
There’s no way I can say that.
“Brother? Is, is something the matter?”
“I, I might not be feeling well today, I’ll confine myself in my room and fall asleep. Shibi might come, but tell him that and turn him away.”
“Brother? Are you okay? In that case, I’ll sleep with you……”
“I’m sorry, but I need to be alone for a minute. I can’t help but hear people’s voices echoing in my head. Uh…well…you know…a day’s sleep should fix it.”
“…… Brother?”
I quickly go back to the house and go into my room.
Then, I placed an Ortem and set up a barrier to prevent them from entering from the outside.
Let’s just calm down.
Let’s calm down and think about what’s to come.
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