Surprise!

"You're getting married."

"Haa...?!"

During one of the rare meals when lady Raspberry was feeling well enough to eat in the dining room, she just went ahead and said that to her daughter.

Of course, Cranberry wasn't happy, at first she got so shocked by the revelation that she crushed the silver goblet she was drinking from into a mush.

"Mother, could... could you please repeat that...?"

Cranberry asked putting the useless clump of silver away.

"Does the constant running around like a commoner caused you to lose hearing? I said that you are getting married."

Lady Raspberry looked at her daughter coldly and took a sip from her goblet.

"Your husband is from the branch of the Greed family and has quite interesting magic that might turn beneficial for my health. You will test it. Even if it won't be the case, a connection with a branch of the Greedss family will turn beneficial for us in the long run."

The woman smirked and leaned back on her seat.

"Like hell it will! I'm not marrying anyone! Dad, tell her something!"

Cranberry shouted and stood up so fast that her chair fell over.

"Cranberry, don't talk like that to your mother."

Lord Blackberry frowned and scolded her coldly.

"She only wants the best for the family."

"What family?! She literally said that it's for her own benefit!"

Cranberry pointed her finger at her mother with accusation.

"Where are your manners, you stupid girl. I am the avatar of pride, my wellbeing is the wellbeing of the Pride family."

Lady Raspberry declared proudly.

"Bullshit! You just married into the family! You don't have an ounce of real pride in you!"

The red-haired girl shouted.

"Cranberry! How dare you speak like that to your own mother?!"

Lord Blackberry was utterly shocked.

"But it's true! And you are even worse than her dad! You were the true avatar of pride! If you didn't renounce it and transfer it to mother to keep her alive...!"

Cranberry's face twisted into a fierce expression.

"If not for that she would be long dead! As she should! Instead, you shamed our whole bloodline for her, and now the title gets wasted on an outsider!"

"Shut your ungrateful mouth! You are MY daughter!"

Lady Raspberry shouted.

"I am the daughter of the Pride family!"

Furious Cranberry shouted back.

In response, lady Raspberry flicked her hand and spilled her drink on Cranberry's face.

"Maybe that will cool you down. If you're that invested in the family, so be it. Let's have it your way."

She said and her eyes started glowing.

"Cranberry, this is a direct command from the avatar of pride. You will meet with Durian Greed and learn whether or not his magic will help me, is that clear?"

Lady Raspberry ordered and Cranberry started trembling.

She clenched her fists so hard that her knuckles turned white and she gritted her teeth, but the power that the avatar of sin had over their family members was too powerful even for her.

"Cranberry, sir Durian possess a unique attribute just like you. He can grant people under his command enormous benefits like an increased experience gain, easier skill acquisition, and so on. It is extremely useful, although it comes with the cost for the subordinate."

Lord Blackberry started explaining the groom's to be strength.

"Slave crest, that's his magic's name."

Lady Raspberry said in a relaxed manner.

"Usually it would be unthinkable for one of the Pride's to ever lower themselves to become someone's slave and listen to their every command. But you will gladly do that for your beloved mother, won't you, Cranberry?"

She said in a sweet voice and lord Blackberry nodded vigorously, clearly showing that he fully supports his wife's decision.

"I... I will do as you wish... mother...!"

In the end, Cranberry growled through her teeth.

"Very well. Oh, and as a sign of my goodwill, I'll allow you to take Zombie with you this time. But after the marriage ceremony, you will no longer need him, so he'll be staying with me."

Lady Raspberry smiled.

"N-no...!"

Cranberry trembled and shook her head.

"That's not a question, it's another order!"

The woman's eyes shone again.

Cranberry hunched over, no matter what she didn't want to agree, the pressure of her mother's skill was weighing down on her so much she thought she would collapse, she clenched her fists so hard that her fingernails pierced the skin and dug into her palms causing blood to gush out and stain the floor.

/Proficiency level reached

Master's title upgrade

Child of Pride »»» The beloved child of Pride\

/Master receives a skill

Iron will (level 1)\

/Charm sub-type skill detected

Iron will activate\

/Calculating...\

/Master's MDF and LUC are higher than the opponent's MAT and LUC

Iron activated successfully\

The pressure lightened but Cranberry didn't show it.

"If that is your wish... mother...!"

She groaned as if she finally broke and her mother's eyes stopped glowing.

"I really don't want to use this skill on my own daughter, but you are forcing my hand. I'm doing it out of love."

Lady Raspberry relaxed and smiled gently at the young girl.

"...I understand..."

Cranberry lowered her head, dodging the eye-contact.

She knew that no matter what she can't show her mother that the control skill hadn't worked properly.

"Good. You can return to your room, you already ate enough..."

Lady Raspberry frowned looking at Cranberry's chest.

"Go, and ask one of the maids to fetch you a healing potion, we can't have you go to your husband with such ugly hands, can we?"

She added with a hint of mockery glancing at her daughter's fingers dripping with blood.

"Yes, mother. Thank you."

Cranberry bowed and left the dining room.

"Haa... Well, this sucks..."

Cranberry breathed out outside the door and wiped the bloody hands against the crimson dress her mother made her wear, possibly ruining it for good.

"Maybe I shouldn't have asked Zombie to stay in his room, it would be fun to watch him blow mother's head off with a kick..."

The corners of her lips lifted forming a pretty smile.

"Iron will, huh..."

She raised her hands and started staring at the open wounds.

"The meeting with my husband could turn out to be quite fun~"

She hummed happily and went to her room with an unusual pep in her step.