Chapter 573: Unrequited
The more Sein listened to the elders’ conversation, the more something seemed off to him.
When had he and Natalya become “lovebirds”?
He thought Natalya was a quick-tempered woman, but she was extremely calm for some reason.
“Where's your fire? Where's your temper? Come on, show it!” Sein silently urged in his heart.
If Natalya were to speak up and call off this marriage, Sein would secretly be overjoyed.
Unfortunately, things seemed to be heading in a direction he had not anticipated.
Natalya, who had been bickering with Cleona, seemed to notice Sein’s gaze and suddenly lowered her voice.
Not only did she avoid his gaze, but her healthy, wheat-colored cheeks flushed a deep scarlet.
Shit! Why is she blushing?! Is this female knight a closet masochist?
Did my display of strength and dominance completely sway her?
Either scenario was deeply troubling for Sein.
He had no desire to marry a female knight for no reason, especially not one with the personality of a violent T-Rex.
What if she ended up destroying my laboratory?
And more importantly, how am I going to explain this to Leena?
“Ahem.” Sein suddenly cleared his throat.
At this, Julius’ lecture came to a halt. He could tell that Sein had something to say.
The attention of several others in the room shifted toward him.
As one of the main figures involved in this incident, everyone was eager to hear Sein’s opinions.
Facing the crowd’s expectant gazes, Sein remained composed—his face unflushed, his demeanor calm.
Natalya did not look at Sein directly, but she was watching him from the corner of her eye.
Sein was right—Natalya had indeed been impressed by his strength.
As a proud Rank Two female knight, she could not tolerate a partner who was weaker than herself, nor could she accept “old geezers” who were much older than her.
Hence, finding someone like Sein, who could match her, significantly changed her attitude and feelings toward him.
Moreover, being struck by Sein’s Radiant Heart beam and publicly spanked was a new and shocking experience for Natalya—one she had never encountered in her entire four hundred years of life.
Was this what it felt like to be overpowered?
This was the first time Natalya felt overwhelmed by a situation, and embarrassingly enough, she found herself somewhat inclined to experience it again.
As for the wound Sein had inflicted on her shoulder, it was merely a minor injury, given the robust constitution of knights.
She would recover in no more than six months, well in time for the next battle.
Growing up, Natalya had never met a man who made her heart flutter like this.
And it certainly didn’t hurt that he was also incredibly handsome!
Sein, who had unexpectedly stirred Natalya’s heart, did not say the words she hoped to hear.
Instead, his tone was icy as he clarified, “This is a misunderstanding. I’m not related to this knight named Natalya in any way. This marriage is arranged by my family’s elders without my consent, and I am opposed to it!”
Realizing his words might have been too harsh, Sein quickly added, “I believe Lady Natalya shares my sentiments. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have challenged me so fiercely.”
His declaration sent a chill through the atmosphere, causing Julius and Cleona to momentarily freeze.
Fortunately, Samson, the Reverse Winged Lion King, was not present. His notorious bluntness would have only worsened the situation.
Natalya was the first to recover from the shock.
She had not even realized that Sein’s words suggested she was also opposed to the arranged marriage.
In response to his cold statement, she pointed at Sein and asked, “So, you’re saying that I’m unworthy of you?”
Her question was charged with anger, frustration, embarrassment, and defiance, sharply contrasting with Sein’s suggestion of mutual disinterest in the marriage.
Beneath Sein’s composed exterior, he was secretly clenching his jaw and gritting his teeth; clearly, he and this woman lacked any mutual understanding and were not even speaking the same language!
Alphys, the Rank Three Sky Knight and the only outsider among them, finally snapped back to reality.
Clearing his throat, he announced, “This is a family matter, so I’ll leave you all to it.”
With that, he quickly fled the scene.
Now only four people remained in the room, staring at each other.
***
The negotiations over the arranged marriage to Natalya had reached a stalemate.
While House Ernst had approved the arrangement, Sein remained staunchly opposed.
The situation also turned out even more complicated than Sein had anticipated.
According to Julius, even Sein’s mentor, Lorianne, was aware of this arrangement.
Surprisingly, Lorianne did not oppose her apprentice’s arranged marriage with House Ernst and appeared to have tacitly approved it.
The involvement of a tower master in this matter was definitely not the doing of House Grantt, but rather the work of House Ernst, which significantly complicated matters.
Lorianne’s approval of the arrangement exposed Natalya’s ignorance, proving she was all brawn and no brains.
If a divine tower master had already agreed to the marriage, Natalya would have no means to avoid it, even if she were to beat Sein up.
House Ernst might even resort to extreme measures to ensure Natalya did not disrupt the ceremony on her wedding day.
Sein harbored little to no fondness for this fiery female knight, and Natalya was equally incensed with him.
After their confrontation, Natalya remained at the Thunder Marsh camp.
She was prepared to join other knights who were headed to the western part of the main battlefield in the Thunder Plains.
Sein was also destined for the same location, following a transfer order from the fortress command center for his next mission.
It was unclear whether this assignment was a mere coincidence or a deliberate decision by Alphys, the Rank Three Sky Knight at the fortress command center.
Both Sein and Natalya were to be transferred from the Thunder Marsh camp on the same day and assigned to the same combat zone on the main battlefield of the Thunder Plains.
The looming conflict in the Thunder Plains was set to be a major engagement.
The Order of the Steel Fist had amassed over thirty thousand knights, alongside nearly four hundred thousand enslaved creatures, to confront the native forces of the Thunderfall World, which numbered over one million.
This battle promised to be a conflict on a huge scale, involving millions.
Sein, having only recently been promoted and with limited experience in large-scale battles from his time in the Viridian Venom Flame World, had much to prepare before the imminent war.