'Engaged… me? I'm only sixteen! How can Dad just spring this on me without warning?!'
Celestina's mind was in complete disarray. She hadn't even registered Ragnar or Azriel's parents leaving—nor the click of the door closing behind them.
The very idea of having a boyfriend, let alone getting engaged, had never once crossed her mind.
To her, such things were foolish. Unnecessary distractions.
She had only ever had one goal.
To become a hero.
But not just to save humanity.
No.
Her desire to become a hero had always been fueled by something far simpler—far darker.
Revenge.
For seven years, that singular obsession had burned quietly within her.
She wanted revenge for the death of her grandparents.
Even now, she could still recall that day with terrifying clarity—the day that marked one of the Frost Clan's greatest losses.
Celestina had never been close to many people. Her family was her entire world. Especially her grandparents.
But the skinwalkers who had murdered them were already dead—her father had made sure of that.
And yet… the hatred remained. Festering, unanswered.
So she redirected it.
To the void realm.
To the source of her family's grief and her own helplessness.
She would show no mercy to the void realm. She would destroy it, void creature by void creature.
But to do that, she needed to become stronger. To become a hero. To not disappoint her family.
Love? Relationships? Romance?
They were the last things on her mind.
'Ugh… what am I supposed to do now?!'
Everything felt like it was spinning.
And yet, she understood why her father hadn't told her sooner.
Because she absolutely would have refused.
The engagement between her and Azriel might look like a political move on the surface—a strategic alliance between two of the Four Great Clans, reassuring the public that unity remained strong.
But Celestina couldn't care less about public perception.
She hadn't expected something this absurd. Her father and Azriel's father had made this promise like a pair of overeager teenagers.
'Wait… does Mom know about this?'
She suddenly remembered the mysterious smile her mother had given her before she left the estate.
Her mother hadn't joined them today—she was pregnant and preferred to rest at home.
'She knew… She definitely knew! Argh! Is she selling me off now that she's having another child?!'
Celestina grit her teeth.
All the affection she had felt for her unborn little brother or sister vanished in an instant.
"Celestina…?"
"H-huh?"
She snapped her head to the side, startled to find Azriel watching her.
His expression was blank, as always—but there was something in the way his crimson eyes held hers.
"Ah! Sorry, I was just… lost in thought."
She blurted out the words, flustered, that he had caught her zoning out.
'Great. There goes my perfect image...'
To her horror, Azriel chuckled.
"It's fine," he said.
"But…"
He pointed toward the clock on the wall.
"It's been twenty minutes."
'Eh? Twenty…? Wait. Did he just sit there in silence watching me zone out for twenty whole minutes?!'
"…."
She took a deep breath. Then another. And another.
When she finally turned back to him, Azriel was still waiting calmly.
She appreciated that.
"Azriel… What do you think about all of this?"
She wanted to reject the engagement.
But it wasn't that simple.
More importantly, she was… curious.
She didn't know much about Azriel, despite hearing about him through her father—and watching him fight tonight had left an impression.
So she wanted to know.
'What does he think about this engagement?'
Azriel looked forward, showing her the sharp, clean line of his jaw.
He wasn't smiling. Just thinking.
'He really is...'
Celestina quickly shook her head.
'No. Focus.'
If she were an ordinary girl, maybe she would've agreed to this engagement on the spot.
But she wasn't ordinary.
She was a princess.
Conveniently, she ignored the fact that Azriel also came from one of the Four Great Clans.
"If I had to be honest…" Azriel finally said, scratching his cheek.
"I'm not a big fan of this kind of thing."
Celestina's eyes narrowed.
"Instead," he continued, "I think people should only get engaged if they really love each other."
His voice was quiet. A little embarrassed.
Celestina smiled.
She felt the same way.
She had never spoken this much with Azriel before. This was the longest conversation they'd ever had.
"Does that mean you object to the engagement?" she asked.
Azriel shook his head.
That surprised her.
"Huh?"
She wasn't annoyed—just curious.
"At first, yeah. I was going to refuse," he admitted. "But…"
Their eyes met.
"I changed my mind."
"Why? I know you don't have a crush on me—unless you're just that good at hiding it."
A small smile tugged at his lips.
"You'd be surprised how good I am at hiding things. But no, it's not because I'm secretly in love with you."
"Then why?"
He hesitated.
A long silence stretched between them.
"…I don't know," he finally said.
"Eh?"
Celestina blinked.
'He doesn't know? Then why the hell agree to this?'
She stared at him, dumbfounded.
But as she looked closer, her irritation faded.
Azriel suddenly looked… lost.
Like a child unsure how to ask for help.
Azriel broke eye contact, gaze falling to the floor.
He sighed.
"This might sound selfish, but... I think I'm trying to find something. A reason, maybe. And for some reason, this engagement felt like it could be that."
Celestina stayed quiet, letting him speak.
It wasn't easy for him—she could see that now.
"I don't have a clear goal like most people," he said. "Nothing solid that keeps me moving forward. I guess that's one of my flaws—constantly searching for meaning without knowing what I actually want."
She tilted her head.
"…What about the academy? Don't you want to become a hero?"
Azriel shook his head.
"I never said anything about wanting to be a hero. I'm going to the academy to get stronger. That's it. To protect my family."
"That sounds like a reason to me."
"Temporarily, maybe. But even that doesn't feel like enough sometimes. I think I still want something… more."
Celestina didn't quite understand what he meant.
But she could see he didn't either.
'Still… not wanting to be a hero, huh…'
"I still don't see how being engaged to me will help you find that answer."
Azriel chuckled.
"Me neither. That's why I said it's selfish."
She laughed too.
"I think I understand what you're trying to say," she said softly.
"But…"
Azriel straightened, hearing the change in her tone.
"I don't think I can accept this engagement."
"…Is that so."