Chapter 2
‘No… even if it’s true, it doesn’t matter. I’m absolutely against it.’
My family is always so soft and kind to me. If I cry and beg, maybe they’ll cancel the engagement.
Serina buried herself in Nereus’s arms and secretly used magic to create fake tears.
“Brother… can’t you not get engaged? Dad, you said we don’t have to worry about things like this. Was that a lie?”
Tears rolled down as Serina looked at her family. Seeing her like that, Nereus and Lakus became flustered.
Unlike them, Aura noticed Serina’s acting and shook her head.
“Serina, I know you’re not really crying.”
Tch. As expected, I can’t fool Mom.
Serina pouted like a duck.
“…Tch. I’m against the engagement. We don’t need to be connected to the imperial family!”
“No. Everything has its reasons. Just because you oppose it doesn’t mean it can be undone easily. Try to understand.”
Aura’s golden eyes shone sharply like a beast. But in contrast, her hand gently held Serina’s pouting lips.
‘Even if Mom refuses, I just need to persuade Brother!’
Anyway, I didn’t expect much from Mom. The most important opinion is Brother’s!
And Brother is really weak when it comes to me. He always listens to my requests!
Serina shook her head strongly to escape Aura’s hand and gestured to be put down.
As Nereus lowered himself, Serina jumped down.
“No! The important thing is Brother’s opinion! If he doesn’t say it himself, I won’t accept it!”
She ran to Lakus and grabbed his hand.
“Brother, do you really want to get engaged to Princess Helia? You don’t, right? Right? You promised we’d live together forever.”
She tilted her head and used her ultimate cute attack—sparkling eyes shining in the sunlight.
‘Of course he’ll say no. He’s the weakest to my cuteness!’
Confident, Serina smiled.
Lakus gently patted her round head.
“Serina, this engagement… I agreed to it too.”
“Right? You don’t want to—… huh?”
What? Did I hear that wrong?
The words from Lakus were clearly the opposite. Serina blinked.
“You’re upset because we didn’t talk to you about it, right? And you heard it from someone else… I’m sorry.”
My cuteness didn’t work…? Even on Brother?
Lakus tried to comfort her, but Serina, in shock, couldn’t hear anything.
He fixed her messy clothes and spoke again.
“Even if I get engaged, it doesn’t mean we can’t live together. So you don’t have to worry.”
Which part of that means I don’t have to worry?!
The problem is the fiancée, you clueless brother!
Serina roughly shook off his hand.
“Idiot! That’s not it! You don’t understand me at all! I hate you! I really hate you!”
She sometimes called him “idiot” playfully, but she had never once said “I hate you.”
And now she even added “really” and “so much.”
Lakus froze in shock.
Nereus and Aura also looked surprised as they watched Serina run away.
“How can this happen?”
Serina threw herself onto the bed and buried her face in the pillow, then started hitting the soft mattress.
“Am I the weird one? Why am I the only one who cares? Did they all plan this together to trick me?”
In a way, it was natural for Serina to hate the engagement.
Lakus, who was much older, treated her like a precious treasure—like fragile glass.
Naturally, Serina loved him just as much.
Also, her family—the Duke Eustine household—was one of the most powerful in the south. Even the imperial family and the north avoided conflict with them.
They reached this position thanks to Nereus, a master of water magic.
A man like the deep sea—you can’t see what’s inside.
Unlike the warm and free south, Nereus was so cold he could be mistaken for someone from the north.
Of course, there was one exception—his family. He was endlessly soft and gentle with them, even if he wasn’t good at expressing it.
Serina didn’t like the idea of Helia—who had a bad reputation—joining the family her father built so carefully.
Especially as the fiancée of the brother she loved dearly.
She didn’t care that Helia was illegitimate.
But she hated that Helia was known as the “Little Villainess.”
“That’s it. At this rate, the engagement will go through. I’ll protest if I have to!”
Serina got up, took out her diary and a sky-blue feather pen, and lay on the floor to write.
<Plan to Stop Brother’s Engagement>
- Act cute (already failed)
- Whine (maybe they’ll give in out of annoyance?)
- Disturb their work (they’ll have to pay attention)
- Go on a hunger strike (they always say I must eat while growing)
- Throw things in the house (last resort! Prepare to get scolded!)
“Done! Perfect! If I do this much, they’ll listen to me, right?”
Smiling with satisfaction, Serina lifted her diary.
“Alright! Starting tomorrow!”
The next day—
As birds chirped to signal the morning, Serina opened her eyes wide.
Normally, she would sleep until afternoon, but today she forced herself awake for her plan.
Before sleeping, she had repeated to herself over and over: “I have to wake up early tomorrow.”
“Ugh… I need to wake up properly. Today is important!”
She washed her face with prepared water to shake off sleep.
After getting dressed, she quietly opened the door and checked outside.
Seeing no one, she stepped out softly.
Soon, she arrived safely at Nereus’s office and pressed her ear against the door.
Inside, she could hear Nereus and Aura talking.
“Good. They’re both here today. I can start my plan.”
First plan: follow them around and keep whining until they cancel the engagement.
I’m not a baby anymore… but I have no choice this time!
‘I can do this!’
She clenched her fists and then—
Bang!
She pushed the door open.
“Oh my, Serina, you’re already awake?”
Aura looked surprised, while Nereus looked proud.
Ignoring them, Serina placed her hands on her hips and cleared her throat.
“Cancel Brother’s engagement!”
She looked like a proud little hamster.
Aura held back her laughter and spoke firmly.
“Serina. I told you yesterday, didn’t I? No. If that’s why you came, go back to your room.”
“No! I’ll stay here until you say you’ll cancel it!”
“Sigh… fine. Do whatever you want. We won’t pay attention.”
Knowing Serina’s stubbornness, Aura gave in slightly.
“Hmph! If I stay here, you’ll have to pay attention!”
Serina declared proudly, then began whining cutely.
“Mom, Dad, please cancel Brother’s engagement. Please? Won’t you really do it? Really?”
Time passed… and passed.
Eventually, Serina stopped talking.
‘Huh? This isn’t working. I’m the only one getting tired.’
Her throat was getting dry, and her parents continued working as if nothing was happening.
‘If the first plan doesn’t work… I’ll move to the second!’
Perfect timing—they’re working!
Agent Serina, starting the next operation!
With determined eyes, she dragged a chair next to the desk and sat down, repeating quickly like a machine—
“I’m absolutely against the engagement! Cancel it! Cancel it!”
“Serina. We’re working. Stop now.”
“I’ll stop if you promise to cancel it!”
Aura ignored her again and continued working.
‘Tch! I didn’t want to do this yet!’
Serina stepped onto the chair and blocked the documents with her whole body.
“…Sigh. This won’t do. Nereus, please take Serina back to her room.”
‘Ah! No!’
Sensing danger, Serina quickly jumped down and flopped onto the floor.
“I’m not going! I’ll stay here! I won’t leave until you listen to me!”
She flailed her arms and rolled around to avoid being caught.
But it was useless.
Nereus easily picked her up.
“No! Dad, put me down! I won’t go back! I have to stay until you listen to me!”
Serina struggled in his arms.
But Nereus remained completely calm and carried her out of the office without any trouble.
