For Mirna, who didn't know anything, there should be no reason for me to hesitate.
"Why can't you speak the truth? Why hesitate? Surely, Theo Gospel, you don't have any ridiculous thoughts like choosing Lady Lioness over me, do you!?"
Mirna sprang up from her seat.
Then she lightly touched my forehead with her hand, seemingly checking if I had a fever and couldn't think clearly.
"You don't have a fever… Then why did you hesitate to answer? Don't tell me you were weighing the pros and cons between me and Lady Lioness!?"
Mirna looked anxious.
After all, this was more than just a matter of love, but a 300,000 gold bet and a long-time blood feud between two superpower families.
Given that I had the power to make the choice, it was inevitable for Mirna to feel nervous. It was possible that various scenarios were playing out in her mind — imagining me choosing Elga instead of herself.
"Think about it, Theo Gospel. Lady Lioness was the one who enslaved you. She's the one responsible for that dreadful scar in your eye!"
Mirna's words made the scar on my right eye suddenly throb. It usually didn't bother me, but when I became conscious of it, the scar would inexplicably sting.
Simultaneously, I could sense some slight trembling in the closet. For Elga, this scar represented a symbol of guilt.
However, oblivious to all this, Mirna continued speaking.
"Imagine marrying Lady Lioness, who has no affection for you. Your marriage will come to an end. You'll live a life of persecution!"
Mirna was like a seasoned salesperson disparaging a competitor's product. In fact, the role she was playing felt no different from that.
She was trying to undermine the competition and elevate herself.
And it was working quite effectively.
Because in my mind, I could see myself as a tormented husband, dominated by Elga. That thought started to bother me.
Something made a loud noise in the closet.
Mirna, who was about to say something, suddenly stopped.
"What was that sound?"
"Ah, that? Well that's…."
I hurriedly turned my head. Then I saw a small glass container placed on a table near the closet. Keongkeong was running on the wheel.
"It's Keongkeong, my pet squirrel! Our voices seem to have woken it up."
"A squirrel? Come to think of it, I remember you mentioned having a pet. Can you show it to me?"
I showed Mirna Keongkeong inside the glass enclosure, diligently running on the wheel and unaffected by anyone watching.
"It's adorable. This is my first time seeing a live squirrel up close. I've heard that they are not very fond of staying around humans."
Mirna's words reminded me of the time I had a conversation with Aira. She also mentioned something about dog squirrels being not so friendly with humans. Ɽ𝙖ℕŎβΕs̈
I was not entirely sure how I was taking care of this little fellow.
When I gave it food, Keongkeong would take as much as it pleased. Sometimes, it would even go out of the glass enclosure and also come back on its own.
After a small bark, Keongkeong stretched out its front paws and hind legs, and loudly yawned.
Usually, it was easy to mistake that they were nocturnal, but dog squirrels moved during the day and slept at night.
The little guy scooped up some sawdust on the floor, dug a hole and curled itself asleep. Seeing this, Mirna said.
"Making noise would not be polite to this little one. So, Theo Gospel, this competition comes with a catch of 300,000 gold. And I hope you will carefully consider which choice is right."
With that, my conversation with Mirna came to an end.
After she left the room and enough time had passed for her presence not to be sensed anymore, the closet creaked open.
Elga slightly poked her head out and asked.
I quickly glanced at Elga's expression. I wasn't sure how she would react after overhearing our conversation from inside the closet.
However, she looked rather calm, neither happy nor angry.
Then she let out a big yawn, with her sharp fangs reflecting the dim light, making me shudder.
"I'm going to go to sleep now. It looks like I will be busy from tomorrow."
Elga left my room without saying anything else.
The room, now empty of all the girls, felt like a small boat that had unloaded its heavy cargo. It was unusually quiet, as the weight of the conversation still lingered in the air.
Today was very eventful.
But one thing was certain, starting tomorrow, many things would enter a new phase.
Both Elga and Mirna would likely do whatever it took to win me over and gain my favor.
Since things had turned out this way, I had no choice but to make the most of the situation.
That was simply how it rolled.
I decided to lie down on the bed for now.
It would be Sunday tomorrow.
I had a lot to do with Aira then…
[T/N: sorry for the 4 day delay, fell ill and just slept most of the time. Expect another chapter tomorrow]