Chapter 15: The Family Heirloom and an Awkward Confession

This was a shortsword a bit longer than a man’s forearm, sharply pointed, with smooth, rounded lines. It was double-edged, the spine a matte gray, fitted with a black D-shaped guard and a dark silver spherical pommel.

This was no ordinary shortsword.

It was Balian’s family heirloom.

Balian was an abandoned orphan, found by Marquis Ed and entrusted to a blacksmith’s family for care.

When he found Balian, Ed could find no information about his identity, only a bloodstained shortsword with no markings at all, proving that his parents were no ordinary folk.

Balian had always carried this sword.

And now, he drew it.

Aurora felt as if she had just swallowed a bowl of flies.

This affection was too sincere and too heavy; she couldn’t bear it.

In Aurora’s worldview, though both were forms of gravity, gay men and lesbians had a fundamental difference.

One was: “Hmph hmph hmph, HAAAAHH!”

The other: “Onegai! Watashi!”

Aurora considered her psychological gender to be male, so in her eyes, Balian’s behavior was exactly like a stereotypical man prancing around flirtatiously.

And then shouting: “Bro! Bro!”

Sorry, bro, I can’t handle this.

It’s an eyesore.

If it were any random stranger acting like this toward her, Aurora could sternly refuse and have the guards throw them out.

But not Balian. They were too familiar, too close. If she mishandled this, she might cause him emotional trauma.

A dark turn, a backstab.

That was how her future self had been killed.

Sigh.

Such a hassle!

Better try to refuse for now.

Get it over with.

“Balian, this is the sword your parents left you. You want to enchant it and give it to me? No way? That’s not right.”

Balian clearly took her words as politeness.

He replied sincerely: “What’s not right? Miss, thanks to you and Marquis Ed, I am who I am today. Everything I have belongs to you.”

Whoa, bro, stop.

She wanted to say: “We have no relationship right now, and I don’t intend to have one in the future, so let’s not get so deeply involved.”

But that would anger him to death, so obviously not.

“This is the only clue to your parents. Don’t you want to know who they are?”

“Compared to my parents, you are more important, Miss.”

What the hell? I’m going to throw up!

“Stop, stop! Ah, you… fine. Consider this sword a loan to me. I’ll return it when I have another weapon. You know I don’t like owing people.”

“This is a gift to you, Miss. It’s not a loan.”

Gift for gun, I get it, I get it.

If I don’t sleep with you, I’m a heartless b*tch, right?

Pure emotional blackmail!

I really don’t want to be your wife!

So off-putting!

“Consider it a loan. Don’t waste time. I have things to do.”

Aurora clenched her fist, her face dark, commanding in a coaxing tone.

“As you wish, Miss.”

Balian answered.

The blacksmith, seeing the fuss end, coughed and haggled with Balian.

“Twenty livres is too low. I want thirty.”

“Just twenty. At most twenty-two. I don’t have more.”

“Twenty-two won’t cut it. Charcoal isn’t cheap, and I need to hire two apprentices!”

Goodluck’s eyes kept darting toward Aurora, clearly hoping to fleece her.

But Aurora was no sheltered lady who couldn’t tell wheat from chaff. In a few words, she shut him down.

“I’ll only give you twenty livres. You don’t need to hire apprentices; I’ll send you two.”

“No! At least twenty-five!”

“I suggest you don’t try to cheat the Olivia family.”

Aurora threatened: “Look at this dump. If I don’t give you orders, you won’t be able to pay taxes, and you’ll lose your house. You’ll end up working for us for free or starve.”

“Or, you take twenty livres, do a good job, and I’ll even throw in a cook to make your meals. And I’ll send this great mage Vapgis to help you with the magic. Later, you might get more work from me.”

“Huh? Me?”

Vapgis was shocked. Since when did she have a job?

Aurora quickly stepped on her foot, signaling her to shut up.

The blacksmith had no choice but to concede.

“Fine, fine… twenty it is. Come pick it up in two weeks.”

By the time they left the smithy, it was ten in the morning.

The autumn sun was uncharacteristically gentle. Crowds poured into the Right Bank Market from all directions, vendors hawking their wares.

— The perfect place for a stroll.

And so, the three of them walked and shopped, ambling toward the bridge.

The Right Bank Market was the largest bazaar in Francia, stretching from the riverbank to the city walls, selling everything imaginable.

Apart from some interesting sculptures and crafts, Aurora bought almost nothing.

This was a commoner’s market. Having experienced modern material life, Aurora couldn’t care less about these trinkets with little magic.

Here, her material desires were incredibly low.

The one spending big was Vapgis.

As soon as the elven magelet entered the alchemy materials section, she was like a wolf that had been starved for three days entering a sheep pen. Her blue eyes lit up, grabbing a handful of silver powder in her left hand, a piece of blue crystal in her right, muttering, “This is so cheap,” “This is three times more expensive at school.”

Aurora watched beside her, making no move to stop her.

She even offered to pay.

“Take whatever you want. Put it on my tab.”

“Really???”

“Really.”

“Then I won’t hold back!”

Vapgis picked up a large bundle of silver thread for enchanting, along with several bottles of lizard oil and a whole packet of ground moonstone powder.

Pointing at the growing pile of materials, Aurora said to Vapgis: “You carry these yourself.”

“Huh?”

“You think they’re free? You’ll use them to help the blacksmith. And you’re in charge of carrying.”

Vapgis looked at the pile of materials that nearly buried her, then at the smiling Aurora, and for a moment couldn’t tell if she had gained or lost.

Balian walked behind them, acting as a qualified bag-carrier and bodyguard.

His eyes didn’t stray; he had no interest in the flashy female vendors in the market. His heart and eyes were fixed on Aurora’s back.

They continued shopping and walking toward the Left Bank. When they passed a small alley selling fabrics and ready-made clothes, Balian suddenly stopped.

He stared at one stall for a long moment.

“Balian? Let’s go.”

Aurora turned to urge him.

“Wait a moment, Miss.”

Balian walked to the stall, pulled out two silver coins—the leftover change—and exchanged a few words with the vendor before receiving a small paper packet.

Seeing what the shop sold, Aurora had a sinking feeling.

Sure enough.

Balian returned, holding the packet in both hands, and presented it to Aurora with a devotion that rivaled a sacrificial offering.

“For you, Miss.”

Aurora opened the packet.

It was a pair of white thigh-high silk stockings, adorned with delicate black lace at the cuffs.

The material was fine, with a lustrous sheen, embroidered with subtle patterns that shimmered like pearls in the sunlight.

The black lace was exquisite, with intricate designs and slightly curled edges, exuding an indescribable allure.

Aurora rolled her eyes.

A huge eye roll.

She glared at Balian with a look of disgust, as if at a pervert.

“…I’ll wear them when I get back.”

She stuffed the packet into her bag, her tone as cold as if she had said, “I’ll throw them away when I get back.”

But she did say “wear.”

A genuine smile bloomed on Balian’s face.

He let out a long breath and murmured, “I’m so happy today.”

“Huh?”

“Miss accepted my invitation and agreed to accept my gift… I feel very happy right now.”

His voice was low but clear enough for Vapgis, who was carrying a pile of materials nearby, to hear.

Vapgis made a face of disgust.

Such a lovey-dovey couple, and they’re my roommate? How embarrassing.

Aurora’s expression was even more mixed.

In Balian’s eyes, his lady was overjoyed by his sincere words.

Actually, joy wasn’t wrong.

Aurora was indeed holding back laughter.

Thinking about what I’m about to do later, I just have to laugh.

Hehe.

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