novelraw Chapter 66 : A Promise for the Future
Chapter 66 : A Promise for the Future
Elara’s POV
The courtyard was clearing, but I stayed behind. My eyes lingered on Seris Revingale as she retrieved her sword, sweat still dripping from her brow.
“Seris,” I called out.
She turned, wary. “What is it? You’ve already claimed victory.”
I walked toward her, blade at my side, my voice firm. “I never said what I’d take from you if I won.”
Her eyes narrowed. “…And what do you want?”
I took a breath. “I want you to become my brother Rooga’s fiancée.”
Her lips parted slightly, then curved into a slow, disbelieving smile. “Your brother…?”
“Yes,” I said firmly. “Rooga Valemont. He’s still a child now, but one day he’ll be grown. He deserves someone strong and honorable beside him. Someone I can trust.”
For a moment, Seris was silent. Then, with a faint laugh, she sheathed her sword.
“You’re serious,” she muttered. “Haa… fine. You won the duel, and I owe you my word. If your brother lives up to your trust, then I’ll consider it.”
But as she turned to leave, her tone shifted, sharp with honesty.
“…Still, let’s be clear, Elara. My first choice was always Edmond. The prince. If fate won’t grant me him, then your brother will be my second choice.”
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The words cut sharp, but I didn’t flinch.
“Second choice or not,” I said, meeting her eyes, “if you stand beside him, you’ll still be Valemont’s only choice.”
Seris gave me a strange look—half smirk, half something softer—before she walked away, her blade at her hip.
I exhaled, sheathing my own sword. It wasn’t victory that weighed on me now, but a strange new bond.
And with summer break approaching, the thought of returning home—to Rooga, to Father and Mother—felt more important than ever.
I folded my academy uniform neatly into my trunk, slipping the last clasp shut. Summer break had finally arrived, and my heart tugged toward home. Toward Mother. Father. And… Rooga.
A soft knock came at the door. “Elara?”
I looked up. Edmond stepped in, his posture awkward as always, but his eyes held a weight that seemed heavier than usual.
He hesitated, then bowed his head slightly. “I’m sorry.”
I frowned. “For what?”
His fists clenched. “For making you fight on my behalf. If I were stronger, if I were braver, you wouldn’t have needed to face Seris.”
I shook my head, rising to my feet. “Edmond, don’t apologize. That duel wasn’t just for you—it was for me too. For Valemont. And I would fight it a hundred times over.”
His eyes softened, but doubt still lingered. “…But are you truly certain about Seris? She’s a Revingale, Elara. Her father… he stole your father’s title. Doesn’t that sting?”
I looked at him steadily. “Yes. It does. But I see beyond that.”
Edmond blinked.
“I see more than titles. More than family histories carved in shame or pride. What matters isn’t what her father did, or what mine lost. What matters is what comes next—for me, for my brother, for our future.”
I placed my hand gently on his arm. “If Seris becomes Rooga’s fiancée, then she’ll be part of that future. And I’ll make sure it’s a future not chained to the past.”
For a moment, Edmond only stared at me, lips parted in awe. Then he gave a small, shaky laugh. “You always surprise me, Elara… I wonder if I’ll ever be strong enough to walk beside you.”
I smiled faintly. “You already are. You just don’t see it yet.”
Outside, the academy bells tolled, marking the start of summer recess. My heart beat faster.
Home. I’m going home.