CHAPTER 3 - NOT A STRANGER AFTER ALL

It’s already eight in the evening. I’m silently enjoying my ride in the cab, looking at the colorful establishments Saltside City has to offer. It’s a thirty-minute ride from here to my village, so I still have a lot of time to think about what I should do to reject the arranged marriage.

The thought of marrying somebody you don’t even love is absurd. More so if I never met this certain someone whom I’ll be marrying with. They didn’t even tell me her name, or what she looks like!

“...She’s probably ugly anyways,” I muttered as I impatiently tapped my fingers on the cab window.

A few moments later, the cab finally stopped right in front of my house. I made a deep sigh as I opened the gate and then reached the doorknob of the front door.

Just before I could open the door, it was automatically opened from the other side. It was my mother, and she seemed to have heard me approaching.

“Oh, there’s the groom! Come on now, don’t keep them waiting any longer!” My mom said.

When the door was opened to the full extent, I saw the corporation president and my father talking in the living room, with a champagne bottle almost empty. Judging from both of their reddish faces, they have been drinking long before my mom called me.

Both my father and the president are wearing corporate attire without a coat. It’s like an after-work scene where stressed employees celebrate with dinner booze.

“Elzane! Come here! Hic!” My father yelled as he pointed to the couch near him.

“Oh is this your son! He doesn’t look like much, but he’s promising!” The corporation president said. That does sound like a forced compliment!

My eyes shifted to the left of the president, which is a beautiful teenage girl the same age as mine. She has long dark gray hair that reaches her waist, a snow-white complexion, and an adorable pinkish face. Her twinkling purple eyes gazed at mine.

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The girl bowed with elegance and politely spoke to me.

“I’m your betrothed. My name is Raynevere Treenity. Nice to meet you.”

At that very moment, I was frozen in shock. I felt like lightning just hit me, and all my brain cells exploded!

“W-Whaaat!?” I shouted out loud.

I’ll introduce my alleged betrothed first since she’s not someone who’s completely a stranger to me. Well, that’s the other way around because I may be a stranger to her eyes.

Raynevere Treenity is a well-known campus sweetheart of Saltside High School. Beautiful and has a very kind personality, she is the girl everyone would love to be with. She had won the last beauty pageant in our school, so it’s natural that all the boys on our campus, including myself, are longing for her.

I may be an introvert who only lives in my world, but that doesn’t stop the fact that I have a crush on her. I would turn tail and blush whenever I met her in the corridors.

“Mister Chaldeas?” Raynevere tilted her head curiously.

“Y-Yes!?” I immediately answered. I was defrosted from my mental freeze when she called my name.

“I-I’m sorry for shocking you about this news.” Raynevere put her hand on her chest with sincerity.

“N-No! It’s okay! B-But what’s happening here?” I cried and stuttered at the very same time.

Raynevere glanced at her father (the company president), but he looks too tipsy to talk. He’s just laughing and gargling his own words while talking to my father. Raynevere made an apologetic smile as she looked back at me.

“Um, our company and your family will form a business alliance. So this arranged marriage came up.” Raynevere said.

“Just like that? It’s so weird!” I cried.

“Yes, that’s right! Rayne’s father and your father go way back in high school! I remember that Rayne’s father used to copy your father’s examination papers and they almost got expelled! Ah, the memories~” My mother reminisced.

“Don’t do any flashbacks, mom!” I roared.

I immediately shifted my glance to the beautiful teenage girl in front of me. Her adorable smile combined with her blushing cheeks makes me fall in love with her even more!

“Miss Raynevere, are you okay with this!? I know it’s what our parents decided, but are you sure you’re okay with me being your husband?” I asked nervously.

“Instead of marrying some stranger of a noble family, I think I’ll be comfortable with you, a schoolmate.” Raynevere kindly replied.

“W-Wait, you know me?” I cried.

“Of course! We’ve been attending the same high school for three straight years, remember?” Raynevere smiled.

“Oh right! Wait, we shouldn’t rush these things!” I exclaimed.

“Mister Chaldeas…”

Raynevere held my hand and slightly pulled it closer to her chest.

“...Don’t you want to be engaged to me?”