"You really take after, your mother, Anabelle. Did she teach you this habit too?"
My father seemed shaken beyond belief—but in a good way. He probably never expected me to pull off such a card in front of everyone.
"To confess your love, though... that took a lot of guts, I have to say."
The Helmsworths approached us at this point.
Their faces still maintained the stoic expression that Maria usually had, and the way their eyes glimmered as they drew closer gave me mixed feelings.
Maria's parents both had polished appearances, and their black and silver outfits were in tasteful contrast to my father's white and gold outfit.
To each family their own, I suppose.
Duke Franklin Helmsworth suddenly placed his hand on mine, giving me a gentle gaze—though his face was still stone-cold.
I could sense a soft sincerity in his eyes; so, even though it felt a little overwhelming, I knew everything was alright.
"I truly can not wait till you come of age and go through the due process. I'd be happy to give my pride and joy away, then."
"F-father!" Maria's voice sharply rang out in protest.
Her face was flushed pink, and she appeared even more bashful than I had ever remembered her looking
To be honest, she was so cute!
"Father? Maria....father?" I heard Duke Franklin's voice quiver with emotion, though his face was as steely as I could describe.
Still, the way his eyes watered, and the tone of his voice, showed that he was displaying a certain kind of emotion.
"I-I'm sorry..." Maria's eyes looked at me for a split-second, before finally turning away.
"... Daddy."
'Whhaaaaaaaaaa!!!' It took all of my willpower to control my facial expression.
How did the Helmsworths manage to do this stuff for such a long period? It was crazy!
'Maria just called her father 'daddy' in front of all of us!' I really did my best to hide every single emotion within me.
Still, I had to say...
... It was sooooo CUTEEE!!!
"That's much better." Her father patted her head, causing my face to turn red due to holding in my laughter for so long.
Seeing Maria look so shy and uncomfortable while experiencing these things just made me want to jump with joy.
"What about me? Won't my daughter refer to me as mummy as well?"
"F-fine... mummy..."
Her mother also jumped with excitement—well, her body did. Her face remained stoic, but she also lovingly stroked her daughter's hair.
After this very awkward display of familial affection, both parents hugged their daughter.
My father and I glanced at this and we both had the same expression. We were both trying our hardest to remain dignified.
I noticed how my father's reddened face was about to explode with laughter, and suddenly an idea popped into my mind.
"How have you been... Daddy?"
"Pffffffffffttttttttttttttttt!!!"
It worked like a charm!
*
*
*
"Please take care of our daughter during your one week of training." The Helmsworths told me after hugging and cuddling their 'baby girl' to death.
"I'll be sure to inform your mother about everything... son." My father broke into a grin.
Something told me he was going to have his revenge for what I just pulled off, making me all the more nervous.
Still, I couldn't show any weakness. I had to stand strong!
"Indeed. I'll also tell her about drawer four in your office."
My father's face froze and his eyes widened, as his lips mouthed the words;
'You know about drawer four?'
I nodded and winked at him, causing his face to pale instantly. He was almost at the point of looking like a Helmsworth himself.
"We'll see you all later. Thanks for having us." I smiled, preparing to teleport away from the Capital.
Elrich Lendertwale was going to join us later in the day, after delegating his responsibilities to his subordinates and completing whatever work he had left.
As for Maria and I, it was time to reunite with the rest of the team.
>VWUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUSSSSSSSSHHHHHHH<
***********
An awkward silence was left behind after Jared and Maria teleported away.
Well, it was mostly awkward for one person—namely Damien Leonard Alphonse Sereth.
After what seemed like an eternity of silence between the three nobles—with the couple constantly staring at the lone man with curious eyes—someone finally broke the silence.
It was Franklin.
"Damien... what's in drawer four?"
The blond-haired man knew this question would arrive, thus he knew he only had one option at this point.
>VWUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUSSSSSSSSHHHHHHH<
... He utilized one of the Spell Cards his son gave him and conveniently made his escape.
With only the Helmsworth couple left behind, still donning doll-like faces, they shrugged and decided to return to their homes.
After all, they had confirmed that Jared was indeed serious about Maria. And if that were to be the case, a family interview would be in order.
Whether Damien Leonard wanted to or not, he would have to divulge that information to them.
Thus, the couple nodded to themselves and spoke in unison.
"Curiosity is the way of the Helmsworths, after all."
************
>VWUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUSSSSSSSSHHHHHHH<
We easily returned to the base, Maria and I, and we found the team readily waiting for us.
Beruel and Ana were present—everyone was there.
'Looks like Neron did well to assemble them before I arrived.' I smiled to myself, nodding in his direction.
He gave a nonchalant shrug, and I decided to fulfil my role as leader.
Maria was welcomed grandly. The girls, and even Serah were so happy to see her again. Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said about me.
Well, they hadn't seen her in a while, so it was understandable. With that thought as an excuse, I decided to move on to more important things.
'It's a bit monotonous, but I'll explain everything in the plan to them.'
The atmosphere was still awkward, and the gazes of certain individuals—like Lemi—threw me off a little.
Still, I was determined.
Of everyone here, only about half would be following us to the headquarters itself. I imagined some would be disappointed by this, while others would be ecstatic.
However, it was the only optimal solution I could think of.
'Alright, Jared. Let's spill the plan.'
*
*
*
[A/N]
Is it just me, or are the Helmsworths really weird?
