Chapter 67: Mavir Port City

Dhein simply observed his sister in silence. He didn’t know that was how things seemed from Zarria’s standpoint all this time.

Deafening silence filled the carriage for a few seconds.

Then all of a sudden, the princess let out a laugh. A soft and melodic sound that instantly lifted the heavy air inside the carriage.

“What’s so funny?!” Zarria exclaimed, furious.

Shina put her hands in front of her while shaking her head. Her words were being blocked by her own laughter. Unless she stopped laughing, she wouldn’t be able to speak!

“N—Nothing, it’s just—”

Her laughter continued for a few seconds and then she eventually sighed it off.

“Oh, Zarria. I didn’t expect you to be such a bro-con!”

Hearing that, Dhein couldn’t help but let out a chuckle as well. Indeed, a term from Hirazan novels referring to a sister who was overly attached to her brother perfectly described Zarria.

“Sh—Shut up!” the girl yelled.

Shina wiped the single tear from the corner of her eye and then spoke.

“You must really love your brother. I relate to that. But Zarria, you’re wrong.”

The dark-haired girl responded with silence, waiting for an elaboration.

“I’m not taking Dheinyrus away from you. Whatever happens, nothing is going to change between you and your brother, I assure you that.”

“Lies!” Zarria retorted.

“I know you’re going to demand all of his attention. You’re going to slowly separate us and I’ll be all alone!”

Zarria’s eyes widened when Shina suddenly held her hands and then spoke.

“What?! Why would I do that?”

She leaned closer, her eyes full of enthusiasm.

“You know, I thought there was some deep reason to why you were so against our marriage. I started to fear that you might actually hate me.”

“I’m definitely starting to,” Zarria remarked.

“Listen, Zarria. Just because Dheinyrus is entering a new relationship doesn’t mean he’s going to abandon the existing ones. The attention and love he gives you does not have to diminish. In fact…”

Shina got off from her seat and then waddled towards Zarria.

“It’s about it be doubled!”

The princess suddenly hugged the girl, their soft cheeks squeezing against each other. Embarrassed, Zarria tried to retaliate but to no avail.

“H—Hey! Have you lost your mind?!” Zarria yelled.

Undeterred, Shina hugged her even tighter.

“I’ve been wanting to have a little sister!!! You have no idea how lonely growing up as an only child is, but now, I’ll be having you!” she happily chirped.

“W—Who says I’ll be your little sister? I’m Dhein’s little sister, not yours!”

“Not in two days!” Shina yelled back.

They continued like that, as though a princess was trying to tame a wild beast until Zarria eventually softened.

After the hug broke, Zarria was left pouting and looking away.

“You will not be abandoned, Zarria. I will only be joining your family, that’s all. I’ll do my best to be a good sister to you, so I hope you’ll accept me.”

Dhein anticipated with a fragile hope in his eyes. And then after a few seconds, Zarria let out a sigh.

“Alright, alright. Damn it, you sure do know how to talk your way out of things.”

Shina’s eyes gleamed.

“Thank you! I will not let you down.

The princess then looked at Dhein who immediately smiled back at her.

He turned to Zarria before speaking.

“That’s right. No matter what happens, you’ll always be my most beloved sister, Zarria. Nothing will ever change that.”

She nodded with a bit of shame.

“Mhm. I’m sorry about the rude things I said.”

Dhein was finally able to relax. It felt like a suffocating air had just been chased out of the carriage and everything appeared brighter and more colorful now. He let out a sigh of relief.

“And there’s one more thing,” he said, making the two girls look at him with curiosity.

“I’m not marrying Shina out of responsibility.”

Hearing those words, both of their eyes widened.

“What… do you mean by that?” the princess asked.

He looked at her, and after a short moment, he answered.

“There’s a difference between being tied to duty and fulfilling one’s duty. While it’s true that we are being married because it’s in line with our empire’s interest, I do look forward to becoming your husband.”

Slowly, a faint red tinge appeared on Shina’s cheeks. She smiled and didn’t reply.

With that, one conundrum have been solved.

A couple more hours passed by with the three having idle chat. Dhein listened as Zarria and Shina were gradually becoming more comfortable with each other.

Though he was really worried, he knew Zarria had the emotional capacity to understand things. They just had to explain it well. She had to understand, because after all, she too, will one day go through this path.

Soon, they were traversing the end of the eastern forests. The sun had begun to hide behind the mountain peaks, painting the evening sky a myriad of pink to yellow hue.

Over the distance, a silhouette of a gigantic tree could be seen. Its branches and leaves occupied hectares of space in the sky, its peak almost reached the foggy clouds. The massive tree trunk was around a hundred feet in diameter and several miles in height. Everything around it looked miniature and tiny, the humans who had turned this natural marvel into a luxurious hotel seemed like puny ants roaming around the staircases and houses hanging on its branches.

Beyond the horizon, the white sands and big sea also became visible. Something about the beautiful sight ignited an excitement inside Dhein even though he had seen a lot of places before.

As they got closer, they began hearing local music playing. Guitars, drums and flutes all played in harmony a relaxing and welcoming tune.

Beach torches were placed around the path, dimly illuminating the tranquil but lively town. The locals in the area also welcomed them warmly.

Dhein began to smell the breeze from the sea and hear the splash of waves. It calmed his soul knowing he was here to enjoy and take a short vacation aside from being married.

’This place really is beautiful.’

Then, after a few more minutes, the grand form of the ancient tree was laid completely bare before them. It was located far away to the west from the entrance, but its branches up in the clouds almost covered the entire venue.

Entering the arc to the Mavir Port City, they had finally reached their destination.

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