I rolled up the blanket, but Gizel doesnāt seem to be sticking up close to me.
It seems she went to the dining table first.
Normally, sheād cling to me when she wakes up before me, but thatās 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 nightās conversation with my father, I couldnāt fall asleep, so I just focused myself on my work instead butā¦
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 Gizelās wedding starting today.
Iāve got to prevent it somehow.
First, I wonder if Gizel knows about the marriage.
Itās true, because of the values I had in my previous life, my common sense often doesnāt 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 didnāt know, itās safe to assume that Gizel didnāt know either.
Gizel wouldnāt want to marry her brother.
First I need to let Gizel know about this and bring her into my side.
If we want, Iāll 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 weāre going to kill each other, we wonāt 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, Noswellās parents.
It may not be a bad idea to visit the Karlco family once.
Shibi even knows that I donāt have that intention so he keeps approaching Gizel.
If itās a tradition that will always be followed, they wonāt do that.
Thereās got to be an opening.
Iām going to get there at all costs and stop this marriage.
āAlright.ā
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, āPray to the spirits of our Marren ancestors,ā and cut a cross in the air with his left hand.
Iām firmly in this habit, though.
I changed my clothes from my pajamas and headed to the dinner table.
Gizel gasped, her cheeks flushed, and gently looked away.
āGood, good morning brotherā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā
I have a bad feeling about this.
Donāt 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.
āWell, Iām going to go see the Chief, then.ā
My father got up quickly and started to leave the house.
āHey, hey! Please wait, Father!ā
āIām sorry, but Iām busy. Youāll have to wait until after I get back. We need to make sure that the Berek familyās rights to the incense leaves are tightly packedā¦ā
āFather! Father!ā
Ignoring my call, my father ran away.
I thought about going after him, but I didnāt 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.
Iām worried if heās being irritating to the Chief. Iāll apologize next time.
Since I made a big deal out of it after I finished my coming of age ceremony, I donāt think itās anything for my father to poke his nose into.
Isnāt this going to be the second Karlco family route?
Itās not as if heās going to interfere with my magical life anymore, but itās also a little sad because I think my father was more lively when he went hunting every day.
No, well, thatās 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.
āGizel, what did you hear from father?ā
āU-,ummā¦n-noā¦no-nothing⦠Thatās not important. Letās hurry and get to the woods. Yes, thatās right! Iād like to see the Ortem Trolley in action! Thereforeā¦ā
Iāve never seen her so blatantly shaken before.
āI see, so Gizel has started hiding things tooā¦ā¦ Itās a little lonely.ā
āNo! Itās not true! Father had only told me to not tell brotherā¦ā
Yes, easy.
āSo, what is it you weāre talking about?ā
āBut Father said it would be more pleasing to brother if I told you at the last minuteā¦ā
Gizel says as she hunches over and hides her face with her sleeve.
From the top of her sleeve, Gizelās eyes flickered to my expression.
I gave her a blatantly sad look.
āAs a matter of fact, three days from now, brother and I will⦠Um, perform the weddingā¦ā
Alright, easy⦠eh, in three days?
Other houses will be invited too. Isnāt it too hasty?
He must be really scared of me going out of my way.
Gizel isnāt 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, didnāt she?
Now that Iāve been told about the ceremony again, it even looks like Iām just a little embarrassed.
⦠Somehow, I feel like the wind direction has become worse.
N-no, it canāt be that way.
āAh, ah, three days laterā¦ā¦Yeah, so Iāve been working on a few things to stop that from happening. While thinking about this, I studied the history of this villageā¦ā
āI was shown by mother my wedding outfit, and it was so, so beautifulā¦! Would something so beautiful and glamorous look good on me? No, no! I shouldnāt feel like this! I, Iām going to be a fine bride who canāt be outdone by big brother!ā
āHmm?ā
Just now, I feel like we arenāt talking about the same topic.
āIām-, Iām sorry! I thought it was a little further down the road, and I wasnāt mentally prepared for it either, so I somehow became strangely aware of it! I would say nervous, I would say excitedā¦no, I donāt mean in that weird way. Butā¦wellā¦umā¦when you get married, youāre going to⦠do perverted stuffā¦ā¦ā
Oh, this is a bad one.
āBut as expected of brother. I canāt believe youāre so at ease with this sudden question.ā
āAh, ah, no, father was acting strangely, so I thought it was something like that⦠So, you know, thereās something I need to tell youā¦ā
āSomething you want to tell me? What is it?ā
āuh, umā¦ā¦ about the marriage ceremonyā¦ā¦ā
Gizel blinks her big eyes and looks at me intently.
Gizelās fingertips were moving restlessly. They must be filled with anticipation for the future and anxiety about the sudden change of circumstances.
āpreventā¦ā¦ umā¦ā¦ā
I canāt.
Thereās no way I can say that.
āBrother? Is, is something the matter?ā
āI, I might not be feeling well today, Iāll confine myself in my room and fall asleep. Shibi might come, but tell him that and turn him away.ā
āBrother? Are you okay? In that case, Iāll sleep with youā¦ā¦ā
āIām sorry, but I need to be alone for a minute. I canāt help but hear peopleās voices echoing in my head. Uhā¦wellā¦you knowā¦a dayās sleep should fix it.ā
āā¦ā¦ Brother?ā
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.
Letās just calm down.
Letās calm down and think about whatās to come.
Liked it? Take a second to support Novels on Patreon!