Shin knew exactly what they were implying, but there was no way he could agree to this. If he did, he'd be dragging a mountain of endless trouble right to his doorstep.
He finally spoke up. "Your mother was really something else. But I find it hard to believe that no one ever managed to beat you when you were a kid. You've got to be joking with me, right?"
Lucy giggled softly before chiming in. "It's actually the truth. My sister reached S-Class magic power when she was only three years old. She's sixteen now, so it's been thirteen years."
"But I've never, ever heard of my sister losing a fight. You are genuinely the very first. Don't try to backpedal now."
"My sister already made it clear—she's devoted to you now. So you can't refuse. And since you're my sister's man, that basically makes you mine too."
"So, the mess our empire is in? That's on you to fix."
Shin knew this was exactly the kind of headache he was trying to avoid. That was the whole reason he hadn't agreed in the first place!
But the two sisters completely ignored his hesitation and pressed on. "Since that's settled, I understand that your sister has sworn an oath, correct?"
"If it's not me, she won't marry anyone else. Meaning, she'd rather die than break that vow, right?"
"Then I have one major question."
"You guys probably don't know this, but while I can stay in this world for a long time, I eventually have to leave."
"And when I do, there's no way you can come with me. Sure, I could probably force the issue and drag you along, but..."
Lucy looked utterly bewildered, but Alice's eyes widened in sheer shock.
"I can't believe you're actually from another world. I kind of suspected it, to be honest."
"Because I realized early on that your power doesn't originate from this world at all."
"My guess was that you came from somewhere else, and it looks like I hit the nail on the head."
"But you don't need to worry about that. When the time comes, I will absolutely leave this world with you. Even if the rules forbid it, I know one thing for certain."
"If you managed to enter this world, you've already shattered the rules. So ditching me isn't an option. I finally understand what Mother was talking about... If this was the scenario Mother foresaw, then by doing this, you are the only one who can save our kingdom."
Shin was speechless. He had laid it all out, and she still refused to let him go.
He turned to Lucy. "What about you?"
Lucy smiled brightly. "I was just moved by the moment, that's all. It's not like I'm actually in love with you. I'm your little sister! Of course I want to give you and Alice my blessing."
"So you really don't need to worry about me. As long as you two are happy, that's enough. And you really should accept her. My sister is an incredible person, even if I haven't seen her in years."
Shin looked back at Alice. "Is this the real reason you refuse to return to your father's castle?"
"Or is there some dark secret you're hiding? I'm actually pretty curious now... Of course, if you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to. I don't really need to know the gritty details."
Alice met his gaze and spoke slowly. "... I'm not even sure how to explain it to you. We all know the truth."
"This situation is nowhere near as simple as we thought."
"And because of all this... even though I forgave my father, I will never, ever forgive him for hiding my mother's illness from me. Even if I was at a crucial stage in my magic training, he still should have told me."
"I just... I honestly can't forgive him for that. My mother was an Elf. She shouldn't have died so young."
"I bet Father used her power for his own research just to gain more strength. That has to be it."
"It has to be. My sister was only three years old when it happened. How could she... how could she just leave us like that?"
"Leaving me all alone. Leaving the two of us. It's just too cruel. It's incredibly cruel."
"I really don't know what else to say."
At that moment, Shin finally grasped her deep-seated misunderstanding of her father. Honestly, her resentment wasn't entirely unjustified.
But men understand men. There are some agonizing choices that women simply can't make, which leaves the burden entirely on the man's shoulders. It was a choice born of absolute desperation.
Knowing the full truth, Shin understood the gravity of the situation, but he was at a loss for words.
He finally spoke up. "I understand that your conflict with him isn't really based on anything solid—it's just your perspective. So, as your sister's older brother... I'm going to do you a favor."
Alice finally stopped crying and looked at him, confused. "What do you mean, 'my sister's older brother'? Doesn't that just make you my brother? I never agreed to that."
"You're trying to take advantage of me! I... hehe... I... sob."
"..." Shin was completely baffled. What kind of new laughing-crying hybrid was this? One second she was giggling, the next she was bawling. It was actually kind of comical.
He sighed. "What exactly are you doing over there? I have something important to ask you."
"Is your mother's body still intact, Lucy?"
Lucy looked equally confused. "Why are you asking about my mother's body? My mother..."
Then, a sudden realization hit her.
"Wait, really? Are you serious? Can you actually do it? My mother... really?"
Alice was completely lost, watching the two of them exchange cryptic words. "What are you two doing? Why can't I understand a word of this?"
"Alice, we... we can see Mother again! He has a way. He really has a way!"
Then the pieces clicked for Alice too. "It's your resurrection power. Can you really bring Mother back?"
Shin nodded. For him, this wasn't exactly a monumental task.
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