After hugging My Parents for a good amount of time, I calmed myself and proceeded to talk to My Love.... Wait! John! He'll think I'm a creepy, heavy girl if I call him a Pet Name at our first real meeting!

  " Girl, you already are one! You take after me after all!"

  " Mother, you're still in my head!?"

  " Yes, I can tell just from that thought, you're going to need assistance for this. Major assistance."

  " Mother, your daughter is grateful!"

  Maybe I do, maybe I don't! Either way, I can use any kind of help I can get! My heart already feels like it's in my throat just from seeing him sitting on the floor...

  " As you should be, Sarah! For my first trick, be amazed as I pull a homemade Mana Potion from nowhere at all!"

  My Mother waves her hand at me as she opened her Mana Storage and pulled out a glass bottle filled with a blue liquid. But the way she announced it...

  " Mother, you don't have to use your Magician act for this. I'm not 8 years old anymore..."

  " BOO! You're no fun anymore! I'll have you know your Cousins Todd and Eric love My Magician Act!"

  " They're 5 and 6 respectively, Mother."

  " Actually they're 6 and 7 now... Anyways! Take this and feed it to him! I used this trick a bunch of times to imprint your Father with the image of me being his personal place of rest and respite."

  I was amazed by the Wisdom already on display to me!

  " You're quite the tactician, Mother! My Respect for you has grown!"

  " It should! If I wasn't so smart, your Father would have been distracted by some pest! HMPH!"

  " Ah! So that's where I get it from."

  " What!?"

  " Nothing!"

  After gaining understanding and a strategy I head to My Lo... Um... John. I headed to go see John!

  " Good Job, Honey!"

  And My Mother cheered for me in the background. He was still sitting on the ground from Mana Exhaustion... He had really run himself ragged for me. I just want to push him down now!

  " HOLD IT IN!"

  " I WILL, MOTHER! BUT IT'S SO HARD!"

  " Control yourself this instant, Sarah Beth! Satiate yourself by touching his back. Use helping him drink as an excuse! This is an Ancient Technique passed down from Mother to Daughter in the Nova Duke's Family! My Mother was Wise when she revealed it to me and I'm doing the same for you!"

  " YOU'RE A GENIUS!"

  / thump./

  Getting down on my knees, I tried my best to calm myself... First thing's first... I began by properly introducing myself and what I was about to do. An unforeseen benefit is the dropping of formal speech via his own request. I LOVE HIM! I LOVE HIM! No! Calm yourself, Sarah! Calm yourself... And enjoy the simple pleasures... Like holding him from his back and feeding him. He's so adorable! He speaks, but I'm more concerned about his back. I mean it's so... so.

  "Yes, it's so compact and feels so strong."

  " SARAH BETH!"

  " !"

  My Mother yelled at me in my head and John was confused.

  " What?"

  I was frozen, then My Mother delivered a great out!

  " Quick! Complement my Potion by saying its stronger than an average one!"

  " YOU'RE A GENIUS!"

  I proceeded to misdirect like my love life depended on it. Because it probably did!

  " Yes! The Potions My Mother makes are stronger than the average mana potion on the market! They also taste much better!"

  He seems to be satisfied with my answer. Thank the Gods!

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  " That was all me!"

  My Mother is very animated tonight... After a minute, to allow the potion to take effect. My Father began to speak to John about what to do now. As they were about to discuss some important things, My Love's stomach began to rumble. It sounded so cute!

  " Dear God... You're hopeless!"

  I decided to ignore that one. My Mother then began to speak to my mind again.

  " I'll get your Father to agree to a meeting about the Marriage tonight, so for now, DO NOT SCREW UP!"

  " I feel like you don't need to put such emphasis on that."

  " Says the one who can't even control her desires in front of her own Parents!"

  I had no reply to that, so I simply waited for everyone to leave, so I could bathe and dress properly for dinner. This was my room after all... Though if he could've stayed... Perhaps I'll take a little bit longer in the bath than usual?

  / Step. Step. Step./

  " Welcome! Oh... She's up and walking, Babe!"

  " She really is!"

  When I arrived at the table, My Parents were there, they greeted me and seemed ready to burst into tears from my being able to walk and well... Ability to be awake... With some wiping of tears, we were able to settle down... That's when I noticed that My Father was looking at me with a complicated expression on his face. I proceeded to talk to My Mother in my mind.

  " What's going on, Mom?"

  " He's trying to decide if your Love is worth a Marquess Status or a Duke Status."

  " Which is a better position for Marrying a Princess?"

  " A Marquess Rank."

  " But isn't a Duke's Ranking the Highest Non-Royalty Noble Ranking?"

  " Yes, but with that, there would come a lot of complications, most importantly, the Law that the prospective Husband or Wife must show Financial Records that indicate they could provide a life that a Princess or Prince would be accustomed to if they were to join the Family. Long story short, that Law was made because of a particularly spirited attempt from a Duke's Son attempting to Court a Princess even though all he had was his Father's Last Name. Marquesses usually know their place, which is why most Marquess Houses actually possess quite a bit of Royal Blood in their Family Trees... But I suppose that doesn't matter too much now, does it?"

  " True! But from what you've said, we already know what to do!"

  Despite the short story My Mother gave me, I kind of didn't listen as soon as I realized all that mattered was that a Marquess Status for John meant that I would Marry him. What else is there to say?

  " Indeed, let's just get through dinner for now. Sit next to me. I've missed My Daughter something terrible these last few months."

  " Yes, Mother! I missed you too!"

  It seems that My Mother agreed with me. After our agreement, we sat and talked as a Family for some time. Eventually, My Father noticed John behind Mother and me. After greeting him, I gestured for him to sit in front of me, the proper place for My Fiancé. Not Officially, but so I can look as much as I please. Though such eye candy in front of me... Perhaps I made this meal harder to get through?

  " Do be careful, I have to bring your Father around first. You know how he gets with you Children!"

  " You mean My Brothers still have no Fiancés?"

  " He used your sleep as an excuse to put it on the backburner. But don't be too concerned, I already have candidates for each of them!"

  " What about Cynthia?"

  " Too young for now!"

  " Fair enough!"

  We certainly are talkative today. After our talk, My Parents thanked John for helping Our Family. And after them, I also thanked him. And he even said, " I truly am glad that I was able to save you.". MY LOVE! SOON, YOU WILL BE MINE!

  " Settle down girl!"

  I fix my slackening face as My Mother asked me to. After an explanation on Jobs, My Father Bestowed John his 2nd Job. He awakened the Summoner Job. I hope he gain's Powerful Spirits. But only male ones! After explaining the Summoner Class to him, I was not prepared for the embarrassment to follow.

  " To think you Love him so much, it's comparable to multiple Demons. My Daughter, your Love is heavier than I believed it to be."

  Even though I was so embarrassed, I still tried to defend myself somewhat...

  " I can't help it! I literally saw his entire childhood and no matter the tragedy that befell him, he still was so warm, kind and giving! How could I not fall for him!? It's like he was tailor-made for me!"

  " Wait you followed him through life? Like how he saw the memory of you being Cursed from Peter? We have much to discuss, Sarah Beth!"

  Whoops.

  " What do you want to know about, Mom?"

  " Oh, you know like how his Family is. From his words, I believe he lost his Parents and was raised by another Family. But more importantly for us, I need to know of your rivals, Sarah. So we can plan accordingly."

  " So, you don't think it's strange I more or less stalked him and his most important moments in life?"

  " Oh, dear Sarah, you're just like your Mother. I did similar things with your Father."

  " I see. It seems we will have much to discuss..."

  After finishing with Mother, My Father continued explaining the current events of the world to John. And then My Father began describing Our Family in great detail... Except for me!

  " I told him to do that so you can speak to John!"

  " Nice assist!"

  After My Mother explained, I told John everything he wanted to know. Secretly I hoped for him to ask my three sizes, instead he asked about my Job. I was a little disappointed, but how could I deny him what he wanted to know?

  " Phew..."

  I exhaled in relief. I was able to talk to him normally... After explanations on the world, Father finally began to explain how he was Summoned here. It was quite shocking to say the least, my emotions were overflowing as I leapt into My Father's arms. Once I settled down, My Father dropped a bombshell. That pig was brought to Gaia. John's reaction was contained well, but I could tell he was angry. I went to his side and sat next to him, held his hand and told him that we would never be so weak and cowardly like those pests.

  * grip.*

  " It's ok, John, you're with us now. We won't ever betray you."

  As I was happy to be holding his warm hand as gently as I could, My Father dropped another bomb on us.

  " Continuing on, they also Summoned the 4 young women with the Hero. Most likely they'll be his Party Members"

  * GRIP! snap!*

  My entire sight went red. In anger I started speaking my true thoughts as I tensed my hands... I think I felt something snap as I stated what I intended to do... My Mother was the one who brought me back down to Gaia with a Calming Mind Spell and spoke to me.

  " You're breaking his hand, let go before he gains a bad impression of you!"

  Thinking of My Love walking away from me, his back growing smaller in the distance as he walked... It was an image too hard to bear, so I sunk into a deep sadness.

  My Mother, seeing how inconsolable I was, brought me to Father's Office, to wait for him to arrive to discuss the Fiancé Plan.