'Engaged... me? I'm only 16! How can Dad just say something without warning!?'
Celestina's mind was such a mess that she didn't even notice Ragnar and Azriel's parents leaving or the door shutting behind them.
The mere thought of having a boyfriend or getting engaged had never crossed her mind.
To her, such notions were foolish and unnecessary.
She only had one goal.
But not a hero to save humanity.
Her desire to be a hero stemmed from a simple, yet powerful obsession she had harbored for the past seven years.
She wanted revenge for her grandparents' deaths.
Even now, she could vividly recall that dreadful day.
The day that marked one of the greatest losses the Frost Clan had ever suffered.
Celestina wasn't close to many people, except her family.
Especially her grandparents.
She yearned for revenge against the skinwalkers who had killed them, but they were already dead.
Her father had already avenged them.
Now, she was left with a hatred she couldn't let go of.
So, she directed that hatred towards another enemy.
The source of her parents' tears that day.
Celestina would annihilate all the void creatures, showing them no mercy.
But to do that, she needed to become a hero and not disappoint her family.
Because of all this, she never thought about love like other girls her age.
'Ugh... what am I supposed to do!?'
All of this was way too sudden for her.
But she understood why her father hadn't told her beforehand.
It was because she would surely have rejected it.
Even though an engagement between her and Azriel, who are part of two of the four great clans, would seem like a strategic alliance to the public and make them believe that the four great clans were always working together, thereby reassuring them.
She didn't really care about that.
And this engagement wasn't for such a purpose either.
She had never expected her father and Azriel's father to make such an idiotic promise.
'Wait... does Mom know about this?'
Suddenly, she recalled the mysterious smile of her mother before she left the Frost estate.
Her mother didn't join them since she was pregnant and preferred to stay back home.
'She knew... she totally knew about this! Argh! Is she selling me off now that she'll have another child!?'
Celestina gritted her teeth.
All the goodwill she had for her unborn little sister or brother vanished into thin air.
She snapped her head to her left, seeing Azriel looking at her with a blank face, but she noticed the little worry in his red eyes.
"A-ah! I'm sorry, I was lost in thought!"
Celestina spoke hurriedly, embarrassed that she had zoned out in front of him and made him worry.
'My perfect image is ruined...!'
Azriel chuckled, making her want to run away even more.
Suddenly, he pointed his finger towards the clock on the wall.
"Twenty minutes have already passed."
'Eh? He's right... Wait, did he really watch me silently for the past twenty minutes!?'
Taking a few deep breaths, she calmed down.
Facing Azriel again, who was still looking at her calmly.
She was grateful that he waited for her.
"Azriel... what do you think about all of this?"
Even though she wanted to deny this engagement, it wouldn't be so simple.
Not now that it had come to this point.
And more importantly...
She was curious about Azriel.
Celestina was curious about many things related to Azriel, but right now, the most pressing was what he thought about this engagement.
"What I think about this engagement, huh..."
Azriel looked forward, giving her a view of his side profile.
'He really is handsome...'
Celestina shook her head, dispelling the thoughts she was having.
Certainly, if she were just a normal girl, she would have instantly agreed to get engaged to Azriel.
No fool would object to such a thing.
Unfortunately, Celestina was far from normal.
'Yes, he should be the one rejoicing about getting offered an engagement with me!'
Celestina nodded to herself, conveniently forgetting that Azriel was also a child of one of the four great clans.
"If I had to be honest... I am not really a fan of these types of things. Instead..."
Azriel smiled shyly and scratched his cheek, seemingly embarrassed.
"I believe we should only get engaged if we truly love each other."
Celestina smiled, hearing his words.
She also believed that such a thing should happen when they loved each other.
She was glad that Azriel thought the same way.
'It's cute how he's embarrassed for saying something like that...'
This was perhaps the first time they had actually had such a long conversation together.
"Does that mean you object to this engagement?"
Azriel shook his head, surprising Celestina.
Instead of being mad, she was curious.
"At first, when they told us, I was about to refuse, but..."
Azriel looked back at her, their eyes locking.
"Why? I can tell you don't love me... unless you are just that good at hiding your feelings."
A small smile appeared on Azriel's face.
"You'd be surprised at how good I am, but... no, it's not because I fell in love with you or something."
Azriel's face became complex, as if he were thinking deeply about his answer.
Celestina looked at him, confused.
'He doesn't know? Then why the hell would he want to get engaged with me...'
She was suddenly speechless as she looked at Azriel.
Right now, he looked no different than a child who seemed to be lost and didn't know how to approach anyone.
'So this is why Jasmine is always so overprotective of him...'
She felt like she had solved one of the greatest mysteries on earth.
Azriel looked down, breaking his gaze with her. A sigh escaped his lips.
"This might sound selfish to you, but... I guess I'm trying to find something, a reason perhaps, if I get engaged with you."
Celestina didn't speak and merely listened intently to his words.
Even though it didn't look like it, he was struggling to find the right words.
"I don't really have a fixed goal like the rest, something that keeps me going. I guess that's one of my biggest flaws—always trying to find a reason to keep moving forward without having an actual dream."
"...What about the academy? Don't you want to become a hero?"
Surprisingly to her, Azriel shook his head.
"I never said anything about wanting to become a hero... My reason for going is simply to get stronger to protect my family."
"Then isn't that a reason to keep moving forward in itself? To get stronger for your family?"
"Temporarily, sure, but in the end... I still seek something more, I guess."
If she was honest with herself, Celestina didn't understand what Azriel meant.
But she could see he was struggling with it too, and it made her feel sympathy for him.
'Still... not wanting to be a hero...'
She smiled softly, remembering the similarities with the old Azriel.
'I guess some things never change.'
"I still don't see how getting engaged with me will give you the answer..."
Azriel chuckled in response.
"Me neither, but that's why it's selfish of me."
Celestina laughed as well. Talking to him felt strangely refreshing, like she didn't have to put on an act in front of him, making her feel more at ease.
'Wait, what am I doing!? I'm getting too comfortable!'
Scolding herself, Celestina stopped smiling.
"I think I understand where you are coming from, but..."
Hearing her voice turn serious, he became serious too.
"I don't think I can accept this engagement."