The dining hall of the Luminous estate carried a different kind of silence than the rest of the mansion.
Not empty.
Not distant.
But full.
Golden chandeliers cast a warm, steady glow across the long ivory table, their light reflecting off polished silverware and crystal glasses like fragments of floating luminants. The windows stood open just enough to let the ocean breeze slip in—cool, rhythmic, carrying the quiet breath of waves far below the cliffs.
Servants moved like shadows—silent, precise, practiced. Plates were set. Wine was poured. Courses arrived in seamless succession.
And at the center of it—
A family of three.
For the first time in a long time.
Whole.
For a moment, it felt like one of those peaceful anime scenes right before a major revelation.
"My daughter," Siegfried began, barely containing his eagerness as he picked up his utensils. "Now then—let's hear about your mysterious boyfriend."
Cecilia, seated gracefully beside him, rested her cheek lightly against her hand, her light blue eyes sparkling with unmistakable mischief.
"Yes, my sweetheart," she added, her voice soft but dangerously curious. "Tell us… who is this future son-in-law of mine?"
Sora choked. A sharp cough broke her mannerisms as she nearly inhaled her food, almost dropping her spoon in the process. She reached for her glass with uncharacteristic haste, taking a hurried sip of water.
Then, she glared intensely. "Mother!!" Her cheeks were burning.
Cecilia blinked innocently. "What? Am I wrong?"
"N-no, you're n-not, b-but—" Sora's voice completely betrayed her, stumbling over itself as her composure collapsed under the weight of her own embarrassment.
Cecilia's smile deepened, thoroughly pleased by Sora's reaction.
"Ah… ara, ara." She leaned back slightly, clearly relishing the moment. "My sweetheart, I'm relieved. You are still my pure-hearted girl who gets flustered by the slightest inappropriate remarks."
"Mother, you—!" Sora froze mid-retort, left entirely speechless by her mother's antics.
From the edges of the hall, a few of the trusted servants failed to suppress quiet laughter. Even the ever-composed head maid, Miss Zelni, allowed the faintest curl at the corner of her lips.
"Alright, Cecilia. That's enough picking on my baby girl."
Siegfried stepped in—though the broad grin on his face made it very clear he was entirely complicit.
"Sora," he leaned forward, "come on. Let's hear about my future son-in-law."
Sora turned to stare at him flatly. "...Father."
"Ahem." He straightened immediately. "That was a slip. I got caught up in your mother's script."
"Let me rephrase." He clasped his hands together, his posture shifting into something more genuinely fatherly.
"Sora," he said, "tell me about this mysterious boyfriend of yours… the one who managed to put a smile back on my daughter's face."
"Ugh." Sora exhaled a soft, defeated sigh. She knew there was no escape.
She began, "His name is Null. Father, I'm sure you've heard of him. He is one of the two otherworlders summoned during the Atlantis Imperial Family's Mortal Hero Summoning Ritual."
Siegfried's brows furrowed.
"What? That boy?" His eyes widened slightly in recognition.. "And here I thought it was someone from the academy."
"Sieg," Cecilia glanced at him, "who is this boy? You informed me before about the Imperial Family's prophesied attempt at summoning an otherworldly mortal hero of the same caliber as their First Emperor, Atlantis—the very ritual our daughter oversaw as this generation's Saintess. But you never mentioned the individuals themselves."
Hearing his wife's puzzled tone, Siegfried gave a brief explanation of what he knew—the ritual, the unexpected outcome, the two who were summoned, and the glaring irregularity.
"I see…" Cecilia murmured, absorbing the information. "So the Imperial Family did manage to summon an individual comparable to their First Emperor." She paused, her light blue eyes squinting thoughtfully. "But Sora… if I understand correctly… the boy named Null should be the one with the 'unblessed status.'"
Sora's fingers tightened slightly around her utensils.
"Yes, Mother." She nodded nervously. "My master took custody of him under the guise of observation. Currently, he is residing within the Divine Sanctum."
"Under the guise of observation, Huh?" Cecilia furrowed her brows. "Seraphel must have seen something mystical in that boy. Otherwise, she isn't the type to interfere in secular matters without a compelling reason."
"Mother. Father." Sora hesitated, her tone careful. "Are you… dissatisfied?"
"Ehhh?" (Cecilia and Siegfried)
"Silly daughter, why would you think that?" Both of them firmly denied her notion.
Sora fidgeted, "Well… Null is currently regarded as an anomalous otherworlder. And I—" Her voice faltered. A deep flush crept up her cheeks as embarrassment made it impossible to continue.
"Hahaha!" Siegfried laughed, his voice rich with warmth. "You think too much, Sora. Why would we care about his unblessed status? Since you chose him yourself, that alone is enough for our acceptance."
Cecilia smiled—gentle and unwavering. "I agree."
Sora's breath caught, bewildered by their absolute trust in her choices
"I-i'm grateful… truly,. Even so, you really… don't have any objections?... As my parents… shouldn't you at least—"
Cecilia and Siegfried exchanged a quiet, knowing glance. It was full of warmth and pride; they felt incredibly blessed to have such a considerate, introspective daughter.
"Of course not." Cecilia voice unwavering.
Siegfried nodded, leaning back in his chair. "If you were still immature and naive, we would have indeed raised objections—out of fear that you might be deceived." His gaze became honest. "But as it stands, we knew better; Our precious daughter is more than aware of the hypocritical nature of this world."
"And furthermore, she was perfectly capable of navigating its treacherous depths without losing herself. That is more than enough reassurance for us to not doubt your choices."
Cecilia nodded in agreement. "This is the least we can do as parents who understands our daughter well enough to have complete faith in her."
Sora lowered her head slightly. A tight, warm emotion swelled in her chest. Moved beyond words, She couldn't help but feel deeply, truly blessed to have such wonderful parents. "Thank you. Mother. Father."
"Nevertheless..." Cecilia's eyes narrowed with a flicker of rare fascination, "I can't believe that boy was able to win your heart in such a short amount of time."
Siegfried raised his eyebrows. "That is indeed concerning."
"How is that concerning!" Sora snapped—then catching implication, she stammered. "Well, about th-that—I—I—" Unable to find words, she dropped her head to hide her burning cheeks. Immediately, she refocused on her dinner, eager to steer clear of sharing her awkward romantic drama.
Seeing this, Cecilia sighed helplessly. "As expected of my shy daughter…"
Just at that moment, a sudden thought occurred to Cecilia. She instantly fixed her pleading blue eyes on Sora. "My sweetheart. At least show us a photo of my soon-to-be son-in-law. Pleaseeee."
"..." Sora was at an utter loss. She looked at her father, only to find him giving her the exact same pleading, puppy-dog gaze. Two pairs of eyes, eagerly stared at her, unrelenting and expectant.
Unable to bear for long, she let out an exasperated sigh. "Fine."
She reached into her belongings and retrieved her arcane communication sphere. With a small flicker of mana, its surface shimmered, the light gathering into a crystal-clear image.
Null.
Cecilia leaned forward first. Then, her eyes widened.
"Oh my!!!" Cecilia exclaimed, genuinely astonished. "What an unbelievably beautiful boy."
Siegfried leaned closer. Then froze. Then leaned even closer.
"How?" He blinked. Once. Twice.
A duke. A man who had seen emperors, monsters, and miracles. Yet, his current expression shifted into something between utter disbelief and existential bewilderment.
"Until now, I always held the notion that the Unfairly Beautiful trait was only something my baby girl and that golden girl possessed. Yet how can this boy…" He frowned, his tone highly suspicious. "Sora… are you sure this boy is from the Devoid Plane?"
Sora gave an awkward laugh. "Well… I don't know what to say, father. But Null was indeed a Void Human prior to being summoned."
Despite their sceptical eyes, Sora couldn't help but feel a quiet sense of gratification. Her parents were praising her boyfriend, after all.
"Hehe. Sweetheart, ignore your father. You know him—he has always been proud and boastful of having been blessed with such an impossibly exceptional daughter like you. That's why he's having difficulty accepting that there is actually someone who can equal your impossible plus point. Just like he did when he learned of that golden girl."
"Ahem!" Siegfried flopped indignantly. "My dear, how could you say such words about your beloved husband? You are damaging my dignity here."
He crossed his arms. "Sure, I may have gone overboard in the past when boasting about my baby girl to our acquaintances. But as the most blessed father in existence, it is my duty to brag about having the cutest daughter in the world."
Neither Cecilia nor Sora believed him.
"…Anyway," Cecilia continued, her eyes still fixed on the image. "Now that I have seen the boy's picture. I can say with certainty that he is indeed worthy of you."
Her gaze shifted—subtle, but profound. "Moreover… I can also faintly feel an extremely mystical destiny tying you two together." Her voice softened. "No wonder you fell in love with him."
"Mother, you—" Sora's eyelashes fluttered.
"Heh heh." Cecilia chuckled. "My sweetheart. Don't you know what kind of being your mother is?"
At that, Sora paused. Then, she nodded slowly in understanding.
Of course she did. Her mother was revered by all as the 'Fatebound Oracle'.
The woman who had ascended and incarnated into the fabled {Diviness of Fate and Destiny}
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