Fantasies are Not Reality (1)

"The Roselia and Nuelle families are close these days," Delia pointed out their collaboration together.

The cave that I had helped Luke purchase from Ben's family had raked trillions of profits on both sides. There were many precious plants, jewels and water from the years Marion slept, absorbing all her mana. Meanwhile, the Nuelle family used these routes as transportation for trade, saving costs from using teleportation gates like I had suggested. They never thought of working together until Luke and I entered their fraction, making us on the same side.

"We're also spending time with Ben during summer vacation," I recalled.

Since we already fulfilled our volunteer hours last year, I thought I could go back to the third district for the week. However, everything seemed to be already arranged without me knowing. I still felt annoyed from when I figured out a few days ago.

"I'm going back home!" I happily started to pack my stuff in advance.

I was almost skipping inside my room, about to call for the self-driving car next to drive me home. I was waiting for this day for months. For the past few nights, I haven't been sleeping, planning out my days without Luke. There were so many places I wanted to go during the break from the competition, but I couldn't fit everything within a day.

Luke knocked on my door before coming inside. I quickly tried to hide all the stuff laid down on the bed just in case I would earn another lecture from him. But he opened the door while I was still kicking my stuff under the bed, out of sight.

"Is there anything you need?" I pretended nothing was wrong.

"I was going to let you know about the plans I made for both of us during vacation," Luke noticed the stuff I tried to hide.

"You mean your plans? I don't need to know. I'm going to the third district to visit my parents," I brightly smiled.

I was going to the library to read more comic books. The sweets shop was also another place I planned to go after going to the amusement park. Maybe I would even attend an idol concert later if I had the time. With the grand amount of money piled up in my savings account that I barely used since I was in the first district, I could do almost anything.

"Travel between the third district is closed during that time for an investigation since there was an issue with an unknown person using the gates and routes," Luke explained.

"Then I can always stay with Shelly, Ellen or Sienna," I quickly changed my plans.

The ban on travel between districts couldn't possibly last for that long when so much trade depended on it. Plus, I could visit some normal places with my friends while staying in their mansions in the meantime. In fact, Sienna and Delia were spending time together, enjoying their time at a resort. I had declined their offer a few days ago, saying I would go to the third district.

"You can't impose on other households like this," Luke sighed.

"Sienna and Delia are going on a trip together," I crossed my arms.

"The Roselia family is different," Luke argued.

"The expectations for us are different and you know this," he continued when I was silent.

With his countless lectures, I knew he was talking about how the top five most powerful and prestigious had an extra set of restrictions on them. It was the exchange they had for amassing all the wealth and influence in the districts. He was basically telling me since their families weren't as part of it, they didn't have the same expectations.

"How about Shelly? Isn't Shelly family?" I wondered since she was engaged to his cousin.

"Anyways, we will be spending time near that cave with Ben. Michelle is not part of the Monete family yet," Luke didn't consider her as family.

"But isn't she engaged to Alex?" I became confused.

All of Luke's family, including his cousins considered me to be part of the Roselia family. I wondered why the same didn't apply to Shelly. It couldn't be because of my appearance, resembling some of their family features. Mana was what determined a little part of your physical appearance since it was the essence running through your veins.

The colour of your hair was the first to change. My hair used to be crimson red while my eyes shined with cherry red when my body overflowed with mana. Red was the colour of my mana. Meanwhile, precious silvers were the colour of Luke's mana he had inherited from his family. However, all the potions and healing made my appearance change in addition to the overseer taking away my identity.

"You know how there are stages to the engagement. We are permanently bound to each other that marriage is only a formality while they are not," he reminded me.

I sighed as this was the reason Luke had given me the contract from his parents for me to sign. If that cave wasn't valuable as I thought it was back then, I would have already signed the contract. At least we were too busy studying in school that he never brought it up again. This was part of my reason I didn't want to spend summer vacation with him.

"What is your name?" he tried to point out.