Episode 2: Sharka, Calm Down
I was informed that the marriage proposal had fallen through, and I rushed to my father in a panic.
“Eh? W-what? H-how could this be?”
After having seen the portrait of the lovely young lady, all that remained was the frustration of letting a school of fish escape. What on earth was happening?
“It seems there were health issues on their end,” he said.
“H-health issues? …Didn’t something like this happen before? There was an incident where the coachman was suddenly knocked unconscious by intense magical power, a sort of ‘Intimidation’, on the way to the domain. In the end, the culprit wasn’t found, and the engagement was called off, right?”
About a year ago, there was an offer of marriage from a noble family with allied relations, but the other party was attacked by a mysterious Magical Power Wave on the road to Ortenatris for the face-to-face meeting. In the end, the identity of the perpetrator who used “Intimidation” was never discovered, and the engagement fell through.
“Ah, that’s right. This time, House Rosham seemed particularly enthusiastic, and it looked like things would go well, but just as I was about to discuss the matchmaking, a letter of refusal arrived out of the blue. The letter was full of apologies, saying they hadn’t fully understood the situation, and other incomprehensible words.”
“Hadn’t fully understood the situation?”
“Yes, it seems Lady Rokina felt she was not strong enough to stand beside you, Sharka, and was worried about it, according to the letter.”
So saying, my father showed me all the letters that had arrived from Lady Rokina. The letters had a lovely scent of Blue Nigella, a specialty of the northern Rosham region. She probably extracted the fragrance from the flowers and sprinkled it on the letters. Lady Rokina must be a modest and considerate young lady after all.
“…This is the kind of boilerplate used when turning down someone you don’t like.”
“Indeed.”
From the contents of the letter, it was clear that she was trying not to damage my reputation by using phrases like “with great trepidation.” Saying she had health issues was probably a fake. So, I’d been rejected, by Lady Rokina, whom I hadn’t even met yet…
(…No, I can’t give up here. Otherwise, I’ll be no different from my previous life.)
“Father, this must be some kind of mistake. Can’t we send another letter right now?”
“Even if you say that, it seems the other party is completely ready to withdraw.”
Something didn’t sit right with me. Did another noble interfere? If that were the case, they should be honest about it, since they’re nobles. No, their attitude clearly changed drastically. That wording, it’s as if someone spread false rumors, causing them to be afraid of me.
“Then, would you allow me to send a letter? And then meet once to talk…”
“Don’t be persistent, Sharka. As a noble, you should know when to withdraw.”
“…Yes.”
I guess not. Once nobles have made a decision, there’s nothing to be done. It’s truly regrettable, but I have no choice but to accept it as my destiny as a noble.
“Father, what about my marriage prospects?”
“Hmm, the situation is still uncertain.”
(Ka-hah…)
Overcome with despair, I knelt on the marble floor. The uncontrollable desires unique to adolescence have been growing stronger year by year, and I gently consulted my father about what to do about it two years ago. The last time I thought I had finally found a marriage prospect, it was called off just before the meeting due to an attack by someone. And this time, it seemed to be going well, but it was called off due to sudden health issues.
“Father, it’s not that I’m disliked, is it?”
“Hmm, Sharka, your ‘eccentric behavior’ in the city has spread throughout the castle, you know. I’ve tried to suppress it as much as possible, but there’s no guarantee it hasn’t leaked to the other party.”
“B-but, my inspections of the city were for the sake of Ortenos…”
“That’s why I told you, a noble shouldn’t associate with commoners…”
I knew that my frequent visits to the city had spread not-so-good rumors about me within the castle. But if that was affecting my marriage prospects, it was frustrating that I wasn’t being fairly evaluated.
Before I knew it, I was trembling with a tightly clenched fist, biting my lip…
—The air froze as if it were stretched taut.
The next moment, a high-pitched sound like tinnitus echoed through the room, as if the air were screaming. The Magic Lamp on my father’s desk began to flicker, and the liquid in the inkpot rippled. My father saw that the quill he was holding was faintly vibrating and realized what was happening. The look on his face as he turned to me was clearly one of alarm.
“N-no! Sharka! Calm down, don’t let your emotions run wild here! Your Magical Power is leaking!”
The moment the surrounding objects began to vibrate slightly, I was snapped back to reality by my father’s words.
“Ah! I-I apologize…!”
At my father’s words, I quickly regained my composure, and the vibrations around me subsided.
“Well, I couldn’t bear to be ‘Intimidated’ by your Magical Power. If a noble can’t control their emotions, they’ll be seen as immature and embarrassed in society. Besides, your Magical Power is already abnormal, so you really need to be careful.”
I was scolded by my father. As a noble born with immense Magical Power, I’ve always been told to control my emotions, but I still have a long way to go. If I show too much emotion like I did just now, I’ll unconsciously release Magical Power, exposing a clear weakness as both a noble and a magician.
“Yes, I’ll keep it in mind.”
“Hmm. It’s a shame about the marriage proposal. …By the way, Sharka, how about trying to attend the academy starting this fall?”
My father’s suggestion was truly sudden, and it had never occurred to me.