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Chapter 3
He wanted to marry Garnet. It was not mistaken.
This feeling was nourished more and more during the half a year that he had lived there.
"Dagger."
Zidane uttered. Garnet was sitting across the table, writing a letter.
"Yes?"
"It's to Eiko, right? That letter."
"Yes."
Garnet, looking up and leered at Zidane.
"I'll bring it to her tomorrow."
"Eh?"
Zidane chuckled at her astonished expression.
"I have stuff to do over there."
"Oh, is that so."
Garnet was not skeptic about anything. Her eyes were like regarding him like she was watching him leave the town for fun.
And that look made Zidane feel distant.
He was going there in order to propose to her and yet he could not even tell her anything...!
"I'm going to Regent Cid's tomorrow."
"Uncle Cid? For a Tantalus business?"
"No."
Zidane stood up from the bed and walked towards Garnet.
The impulse to tell her was too strong. Those words rushed up to his throat. It could not be held back.
Perhaps because his movements were stiff due to nervousness, Garnet was surprised. She merely stared at Zidane in confusion.
"I'm going to get permission to marry you."
"Eh?"
The obesidian eyes bulged out of its frames. Garnet lost the ability to speak.
"I want you to, marry, me."
"Z-zidane?"
"I want you to be by my side. Forever."
Then, Zidane shut his eyes tight.
What kind of proposal is this?! This is so pathetic!!
Garnet stood up from the stool. Even after one minute, she did not say anything.
Anxiety began to spread. Zidane opened his eyes.
Could it be? Could it be that she..?!
However
It was not"could it be that she".
Garnet was crying. The tears flooded out one after another. When Zidane furrowed in confusion, Garnet wrapped her arms around him and hugged him.
"Ah, Zidane! Is it true?"
"Dagger...!"
Unable to bear it anymore, Zidane embraced her back.
"You really want to marry me?"
"Of course! Who else can I marry?"
"But...!"
Garnet smiled with sparkling liquid in her eyes.
"It's not a dream?"
"I'm serious. I already decided."
"I'm so happy...!!"
He never thought that she would be so ecstatic. So straight-forwardly.
She loved him too much that he was not expecting it. It was Zidane who felt like he was in a trance.
* * *
The next morning, the formal Lindblum Lieutenant uniform from Tot was delivered to the castle.
.........Come to think of it, the clothes was not clean.
Although Zidane retorted "I didn't ask him to do that!", but in the end he wore that to Lindblum.
Because Garnet laughed and said :"Hey, you look good in those."
"What..is with that attire?"
That was the first thing Cid said when he saw Zidane.
Even though Zidane wore formal clothing for important work sometimes, normally he would dress casual.
Zidane could not answer him. Because he was thinking "what is with that attire" as well.
"Wait, if you're dressed like that. Then that means..."
Remarked Cid thoughtfully while stroking his beard.
"You are saying that you want to marry Princess Garnet."
"......"
All his lines were taken by Cid. So Zidane became silent.
"Hm, is that so....What to do, then...?"
"Don't tease me, old man."
"If I don't tease you now when can I tease you? This is very interesting indeed."
Damn, like he was talking about something else...! Zidane clenched his fists.
"Oh, are you refusing it?"
Helda inquired, laughing.
"Huh....."
"Darling, what are you going to do?"
"H----m...."
Helda could not help but laugh.
Even though he knew that those two were only taunting him, Zidane looked at them, tensed.
"I will not, refuse it."
"......Heh?"
Zidane's eyes largened. This wasn't what I expected!
He was so troubled by imminent the duel, and now Cid was already agreeing?
"But, i have a condition."
Oh here it is.
"Alberta, get me that thing."
"Yes."
It was a sword, definetely a sword.
Zidane took out his daggers. He was waiting for this.
Nonetheless, Alberta did not have any sword.
"So he is still in time?"
"Yes, the new school year in September is going to start soon."
"You have good timings, Zidane."
Cid showed him a piece of white document.
"This is your application to Lindblum University."
"...What?"
"My condition is that I want you to get the diploma for Lindblum University. It's your choice."
"U-University?!?!"
It was true. The document clearly printed in fine ink "Matriculation of the recommended student by Regent Cid."
"I knew you would come to me for marraige sometime, so i prepared this a long time ago."
"But, but I never officially went to school or anything..."
As Zidane closed and opened his mouth several times, Alberta pushed it harder:
"No worries. I have arranged a tutor before the new school year."
Zidane went stiff without realizing it.
"The husband of the princess must have a level of education and manner. If you cannot accept this, you might as well give up this marriage."
Saying this up until this point, Zidane had no choice.
"And I'll say this first."
Cid dusted another pinch of salt on his wounds.
"You are considered as training in these 2 years until graduation. Therefore you are prohibited to see the princess."
-------It was not a mystery that the most miserable lament in the entire world was just heard above the Lindblum Castle.
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