Chapter 272: Marek Von Roselle? [Bonus]
"Nice to meet you, Mr Roselle. I'm your daughter's girlfriend."
Lillian stepped to Marionette's side before holding a hand out to the robot. She had a firm and confident expression, but inside, she was panicking.
She was meeting Marionette's father.
Wasn't this a tad bit too soon!?
In the game, there weren't many chances you could meet the man, Marek Von Roselle, due to him always being on missions. And if you were to meet him while he was on a mission, it was most likely he would "Silence" you.
But...
Lillian awkwardly gulped.
The robot wouldn't do that here, right? Right in front of his daughter... Right?
Marionette, watching as Lillian reached her hand out towards her father for a handshake, shook slightly, her eyes trembling at her actions.
She felt glad that Lillian decided to introduce their relationship to one another. But a part of her was also scared of what her father might say to that.
She glanced towards the face of her father, finding him turning his head down in a creaking manner as the mechanical parts in his neck creaked and squealed.
Marek, the family head of the Roselles, stared silently at the hand stretched out to him. After a moment of staring, he raised his head back up, looking into Lillian's eyes.
And...
Under their bewildered gazes...
He stretched out his hand and met Lillian's, slowly and gently shaking it up and down in a gentleman-like manner. His voice, once cold, had now become warmer and more punctual.
"I-... it's a pleasure to meet the lover of my daughter. I wasn't aware s-... she was into woman. H-... How has she been treating you?"
"Extremely well! And I love her dearly for that." Lillian let out a small chuckle, nudging Marionette's side with her elbow. The woman was still bent over in a bow, still slightly afraid.
The robot nodded slowly, satisfied with her response. He then turned to Marionette and muttered:
"Y-... you didn't mention anything about a lover in your letters..."
This caused the woman to stiffen, her face sweating subtly from his words. As she was about to promptly respond, the robot drew his gaze away from the woman, letting her sigh in small relief.
Marek turned his gaze to Lillian, disengaging from their handshake, and asked:
"H-... how long have you known my daughter?"
"Since the start of this year, sir."
"I-... is that so?"
His voice then slowly became quieter, as though his consciousness had suddenly left the mechanical body. This caused a rather awkward and tense silence to form around the three.
Lillian, raising an eyebrow briefly at this, turned her attention back to her girlfriend before nudging the side of the woman's arm with her elbow.
"Soo... Are you going to straighten your back? It'll become sore soon, Mari."
"..."
Marionette kept quiet. Lillian tilted her head at this but then smiled as she felt the woman's hand snaked into her own, wrapping her fingers around it.
Marionette kept a tight grip on Lillian's hand, still afraid of her father's presence. This left the girl to softly squeeze the woman's hand in an attempt to comfort her.
Just as she was about to say something, Marek's voice appeared once again, still glitchy.
"Y-... your performance in the tournament was impressive, Miss Arius..."
Lillian smiled bashfully, rubbing the back of her head at the robot's compliment.
"Hehe... It was nothing. A bit disappointing that I died, though... But, oh well." She chuckled with clear disappointment. She did want to beat all three of them at the same time, after all.
Marek nodded slowly at her words, becoming awfully silent once more. Lillian then watched as the robot's hand slowly rose from underneath his cloak.
A second later, she heard his voice, which, while still robotic and clunky, had suddenly changed tones.
"M-... May I ask if you are planning on marrying my daughter in the future?"
"E-excuse me?" Lillian widened her eyes, stuttering a bit at the robot's sudden question. What was with people asking her about marriage lately?
She took a swift glance at Marionette, finding her to have stopped shaking and even began looking towards her with a keen focus.
Lillian's lips stretched into a wry smile. She sighed, rubbing the back of her head.
"I... Would like to..."
"... Hm..." He gave a low hum before adding with a low and... disappointed tone?
"Y-... Your defeat in your match truly was... Disappointing."
He moved his hand.
And before she even knew it—
"U-ugh!"
—Marek had shot his hand towards her throat, grabbing it in a tight clutch and holding her up in the air in a chokehold.
This left both Lillian and Marionette shocked.
Why had the Roselle family's Head suddenly attacked her? Hadn't it been going well?! What was the reason for this?
Marionette instantly straightened herself before muttering in a flabbergasted and emotional voice:
"F-father! What's the meaning of—"
But was then immediately interrupted.
"It's L-... Lord Roselle to you, my daughter..."
Marek slowly tightened his hold around the girl's throat as though warning her not to get close.
Once seeing that Marionette had taken a step back, he turned his gaze back towards Lillian, still gripping her neck, and muttered in a glitched voice:
"Y-... You're still weak. Unfit for my daughter's hand."
Lillian, who was gripping the arm, circulated her mana into hers, intending to try and snap it apart. However... She was still too weak, like he said. She can't hope to completely bend metal yet.
Seeing this, he snorted:
"Pathetic."
He tossed her aside in a rough manner, causing the side of her body to crash into the ground. Lillian let out a pained moan before raising her head towards the robot, finding him to be approaching Marionette.
Marionette slowly backed away and narrowed her eyes before raising her arms, intending to defend herself.
Marek, seeing this, raised his arms as well.
The two then moved into a stance similar to each other.
After a moment of staring into each other's eyes, Marionette made the first move.