Sandra's natural arrogance seemed to forsake her for a moment. She removed her gaze from mine and muttered, "Fine, I will tell you."
Everybody became calm, and silence fell into the grave hall, causing it to return to its natural state. But the serene atmosphere soon got polluted with Sandra's voice.
"I was wondering, what if I have to call off our engagement?" Sandra asked, turning to meet my direct gaze. Unlike her, her demeanor was drenched in somewhat emotional regret.
'Is she serious about this question? Or, is this connected to her father?' I thought.
"Why the sudden question?" I asked, confusion spreading across my face. "I mean, what could be your reasons for wanting to call it off?"
For the first time, a tear dropped from Sandra's eyes, landing with a gentle plop on the floor.
I thought I was the only one to have been perplexed until I turned back and saw that Muna had released the hands she had initially clenched across her chest, looking so concernedly at me.
Returning my gaze, I doubted that she was even feeling the moment. Since she was staring at me, she could be wondering why I wasted time letting Sandra go. Or is she staring at me for Sandra's case?
'Nah, I don't think.'
'Little Lord, don't be deceived by her tears. That's real pretense,' Linda called out from my shadow, but I ignored her.
I knew the character I had crafted in my novel. Sandra was naturally cold, even though beautiful. The first time her nature changed was when she fell in love with Mobix. But that was when their engagement was strengthened.
Is she pretending?
As if she was gathering courage to speak up, Sandra finally declared. "The Emperor has made up his mind to call off the betrothal."
"Why address him as the Emperor? Is he not your father?" I found myself asking.
Anyway, this was going to be a major disadvantage to me if her father truly called it off.
In my novel, I had clearly made everything about my engagement with Sandra go so smoothly. My reason had been to ensure that Sandra remained my first wife, and since she was the heiress to the throne, it could have also served as my breakthrough to immediate authority.
'The plot has really changed.'
However, as if the turning tide was a good thing, Muna came forward and stopped right behind me. Then, she made sure Sandra noticed her presence and asked.
"If the engagement will be called off, then Lord Milton would be withdrawn, right?"
Muna was hell-bent on making sure I reclaim that Leader position of Seafrost. After my father, Mark Seafrost, disappeared, the royal empire appointed Milton Von Quadraxis to become the acting leader of our Duchedom so that order could be maintained.
None of Mark's children, Muna and I, could do anything at that time. Muna couldn't act against my wish, and I was still that powerless Mobix with a locked core.
Nevertheless, Lord Milton doesn't seem to be a bad person. Since he became the acting Leader, he never acted rashly in the Duchedom, still respected our beliefs and principles, and generally cared.
But why has Muna hated him from the start?
"Mhm," Muna hummed in a way of reminding Sandra that she was yet to give a reply to her question.
However, Sandra gave no particular answer to that question.
"I am only revealing a worthy secret beforehand," she murmured and turned carelessly to leave.
My throat ached. 'A worthy secret? Did she want me to do anything?'
I rushed and held her hand, preventing her from leaving, and turned her to face me.
With my hand still holding onto hers, I asked, "At least, tell me why your father wants to call it off since I have already awakened."
Releasing my hand, I made a three-step pace around her, appearing behind her, then I added. "I mean, the only valid reason could be to prevent a Weakling from being the spouse to a future Empress. But now I have awakened, does he still believe I can't become any stronger?"
Muna called out to me and tried to convince me to let it go. According to her reason, it was for our own good.
"You know, I have been wondering what the agreement between father and the Emperor could be about," she said. "If you understand this situation better, father had gone into an agreement with the Emperor about your engagement, then suddenly disappeared, prompting the Emperor to hand out Lord Milton."
"…"
"Don't you think this whole situation is suspicious? Are you not thinking the Emperor had a motive behind all these? I mean, you are older, so you should understand," Muna blotted angrily.
"And that is why I will annul your claims if I were to consider, Muna," I yelled back at her.
"What do you mean?" Muna asked as a matter of fact, slightly shaking her head in disappointment.
"If ever we should be suspicious of the Emperor, his decision to call off the engagement should be our main deal," I stated and faced Muna directly. "Are you even blind enough to see through the current situation? Or, is your mind clouded with your retention against the Quadraxis?"
Muna heaved a sigh of… I think disgust, and left the grave hall.
'Little Lord, why has your engagement with the royal family finally become something very important?' Linda asked from my shadow. 'The last I can remember, you planned to call off this engagement once you've awakened.'
Lies. That was not me they were talking about. I had clearly planned the engagement to go smoothly in my novel.
'Well, that Mobix has changed for good,' I replied to Linda, and returned to Sandra.
"Sandra? Tell me, why?"
Having witnessed the little conflict between Muna and me, the emotional eyes Sandra had gazed with vanished. Her composure returned to her normal self, and after clearing her throat, she said with a low, calm voice.
"Don't you think only by that way, eliminating a huge Threat would be easier?"
'Easier? Or could it have been easier the other way round?'
Logically, becoming my wife would make me closer to the Emperor, hence faster to be apprehended. Or is the Emperor afraid of hurting his daughter's feelings in the future? Or, is he afraid that matters pertaining to me being a threat won't be hidden from me?
I swallowed bitterly, a hollow weight sinking into my chest as the words travelled through my ear. For a fleeting second, hope still clung stubbornly, but it crumbled quickly, leaving a bitter taste of emptiness.
I felt that Linda could be pitying my condition. No, this time, she won't feel anything since she had tried to warn me. If Muna were here, she would probably stare the devil out of my soul.
Still standing before me was Sandra, her cold gaze unwavering.
My lips parted as if to argue, at least to lay out some claims, but no sound followed except a tightening in my throat, which proved how disappointed I had become.
The anticipation that once lit my eyes dimmed, replaced by a quiet ache, the kind that lingers not in anger, but in the slow sting of unmet expectation.
'I was indeed a threat.'
Having met the conditions Sandra expected of my facial expression, she turned and exploded into a hail of laughter as she left the hall, suddenly forgetting that we were in a cemetery.
Of course, I didn't dare to hold her back again. I wouldn't fall prey again. Maybe Linda was right when she called her a drama queen.
As if to argue against my doubt, the system chimed with its screen in front of me.
«↓ H.S.A for Sandra: 40% → 5% ↑»
She indeed had feelings for me. And seeing that her HSA had not totally reduced to zero percent, it meant I still had a chance.
Before stepping her last foot out of the hall, Sandra turned to me and sarcastically bid me goodbye. "Mobix, see you again during the Academy Tests."
Those were her last words before she left, paving the way for Muna to return inside.
However, if the tide had really changed, depending on Sandra for an immediate rise in power could be useless. Maybe there is an equivalent out there.
'I will just find another way, while I build my trust with Sandra.'
I almost dismissed the screen showing only Sandra's Harem Sharing Ability when a second one displaced it, showing exclusive information than the former.
«↓ H.S.A for Sandra: 40% → 5% ↑»
« ...Status... »
>> You greatly disappointed her.
"But how? I mean, who should be disappointed?"
Muna only stared confusedly at me.
Linda couldn't hold back when she whispered. 'Little Lord, who exactly are you talking to?'