Chapter 21: The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far from the Tree 【Part 3】

【Eksu PoV】

I stood frozen in the hallway.

The door creaked open.

Two figures entered.

They were Elizabeth’s parents.

Reginald-sama Blackwood smiled widely.

“Hello, Eksu!”

I swallowed hard.

Reginald-sama stepped forward.

He extended his hand.

“Welcome to the family!”

I could only stare.

I mustered a weak nod.

Genevieve-sama Blackwood stepped beside him.

“Ah, Eksu, we’ve heard so much about you.”

I took a step back.

My mind raced with disbelief.

I glanced at Elizabeth.

She stood close with a warm smile.

Her eyes shone with mischief and affection.

I knew I was in for trouble.

Reginald-sama clapped his hands with excitement.

“You are the one our Elizabeth has been dreaming of!”

I blinked.

I tried to form words, but nothing came out.

Genevieve-sama giggled softly.

“Elizabeth writes about you every day.”

My heart sank further.

Every word made the situation more surreal.

Reginald-sama leaned in.

“Your parents have been corresponding with us for years.”

I felt the weight of betrayal.

My own family had plotted behind my back.

Genevieve-sama continued.

“We already consider you a part of our clan.”

I looked down at my hands.

I could not hide my anxiety.

Elizabeth stepped closer.

“Don’t worry, Eksu.”

Her voice was gentle and reassuring.

She squeezed my hand lightly.

A small, uncertain smile crept onto my face.

Reginald-sama’s eyes sparkled.

“Now then, tradition calls for a trial by combat.”

My heart pounded.

“Trial by combat?”

I thought frantically.

Reginald-sama raised his voice.

“A duel!”

I felt as if the floor had vanished beneath me.

A duel to prove my worth.

Genevieve-sama clapped her hands.

“Oh, how romantic!”

I wondered if she was serious.

Everything felt absurd.

Reginald-sama grinned broadly.

“Every man who wishes to join our family must duel me!”

I stared in disbelief.

A duel against my future father-in-law?

It was the last thing I ever expected.

I tried to speak.

“But—I only have a defensive skill!”

My words hung in the air.

Reginald-sama laughed heartily.

“Your 【Absolute Defense】 is legendary!”

I trembled.

He seemed to find my predicament amusing.

Genevieve-sama smiled warmly.

“Your defense is the talk of our family. It shows great promise.”

I felt a mix of pride and despair.

Pride for my skill, despair for the challenge ahead.

Elizabeth beamed at me.

“I believe in you, Eksu.”

Her confidence did little to calm my racing heart.

I could not imagine fighting someone so full of life.

Reginald-sama’s eyes narrowed playfully.

“But tradition is tradition.”

He banged his fist on a nearby table.

“I must see if you are worthy of our family!”

I took a deep breath.

I knew there was no escape.

I looked desperately at Elizabeth.

“Can we discuss this? Perhaps we could settle it with words?”

Reginald-sama frowned.

“Words do not decide honor in our family!”

I felt the futility of my plea.

Genevieve-sama interjected softly.

“Peaceful discussions never led to true understanding.”

I could only shake my head.

Logic had no place here.

Reginald-sama leaned closer.

“You will duel me at dawn.”

My stomach twisted in knots.

Dawn was too soon.

He continued with unwavering enthusiasm.

“At dawn, you will prove your strength and earn your place in our hearts and our home.”

I felt trapped.

There was no alternative.

I glanced at the clock on the wall.

The hours until dawn were few.

My pulse quickened at the thought of the inevitable fight.

Elizabeth stepped forward again.

“You are strong, Eksu.”

Her words were soft but firm.

“I trust that your 【Absolute Defense】 will shine.”

I could only nod in silent resignation.

Reginald-sama’s smile grew wider.

“Excellent!”

He patted my shoulder with surprising force.

The impact reminded me of my vulnerability.

Genevieve-sama clapped once more.

“This will be such an exciting event for our family!”

I felt as if the world were closing in around me.

I attempted to muster a response.

“I… I will do my best.”

My voice was barely audible.

I felt lost in a sea of familial madness.

Reginald-sama chuckled deeply.

“Your best is all we expect from our future son-in-law!”

I shivered.

His words echoed like a decree I could not ignore.

I looked at Elizabeth again.

Her smile was warm and encouraging.

Yet I knew her happiness was bound to this bizarre ritual.

A heavy silence filled the room.

Every eye was on me.

The pressure of generations of tradition weighed down on my shoulders.

Reginald-sama spoke again, his tone both jovial and commanding.

“Tomorrow at dawn, we meet in the courtyard.”

I closed my eyes for a moment.

I pictured the cold stone, the rising sun, and the duel that would seal my fate.

I tried to imagine a peaceful future.

But peace was a distant memory now.

Genevieve-sama’s voice broke through my thoughts.

“You will see, Eksu, that our ways are filled with honor and love.”

I could only nod silently.

There was no room for protest.

Reginald-sama’s tone grew more challenging.

“Prepare yourself, for at dawn, you will face me in combat!”

A surge of dread ran through me.

I did not want to fight.

Yet I had no choice.

A moment of silence followed his declaration.

My heart pounded in my chest.

I was caught between love and a duel I never wanted.

Elizabeth’s eyes sparkled with mischief.

“You know you can do it, Eksu.”

Her gentle encouragement clashed with the absurdity of the situation.

I looked around the room.

Their expressions were sincere yet unyielding.

This was the way of their family.

I took one last, shaky breath.

The duel was inevitable.

There was no escape from this twisted fate.

My mind raced with thoughts of my 【Absolute Defense】.

I wondered if it could somehow turn offensive.

But deep down, I knew it was not meant for that.

I felt utterly powerless.

The duel was set, and my future was sealed.

Reginald-sama’s booming voice filled the room once more.

“Let it be known: at dawn, our family will welcome you as one of our own!”

I could only stand there, speechless.

The absurdity of it all struck me.

Here I was, facing a duel with a man who treated combat as a family tradition.

A tradition as unyielding as the love and madness in their veins.

I clenched my fists, trying to summon even a hint of bravery.

But the truth was clear.

I was trapped in a family whose insanity was both hilarious and terrifying.

The finality of their decision pressed down on me.

I had no choice but to accept the duel.

I was now part of their twisted tradition.

My heart sank as I realized what awaited me at dawn.

A duel with a man who embodied the wild spirit of his lineage.

A duel that would forever change my fate.

I closed my eyes and whispered, barely audible:

“I will duel.”

That was all I could do.

The challenge had been made.

There was no turning back now.

They smiled at me, as if my acceptance were the most natural thing in the world.

Reginald-sama bellowed happily, “Excellent! We shall meet in the courtyard at dawn!”

Genevieve-sama clapped her hands in delight.

Elizabeth’s smile radiated pure joy.

In that moment, I knew my life had taken a turn into the utterly absurd.

I was now bound by family tradition.

I was to duel a man who saw combat as a celebration of love.

There was no room for negotiation.

My fate was sealed.

I took one final look at the faces around me.

Each expression was filled with excitement and expectation.

I felt the crushing weight of their dreams and madness.

In Elizabeth’s family, sanity was optional.

And now, so was my freedom.

I sighed deeply.

The duel at dawn was not just a challenge—it was the only way to secure my place among them.

I could only hope that my 【Absolute Defense】 would carry me through this inevitable battle.

As the room slowly emptied, I stood alone with my thoughts.

Tomorrow, I would face a duel that defied logic and reason.

I was a reluctant hero caught in a farcical family drama.

There was no escaping it.

I had become part of a family where tradition was sacred.

A family where love and madness went hand in hand.

I braced myself for the coming dawn.

For now, all I could do was prepare for a battle that would forever mark my destiny.

God help me.