Thousand-Year Promise

Faustin hurriedly bowed. "Greetings, Divine Lord."

"Whose little one is this?" Soren Lann asked. "Looks lively enough."

"She's Faustin, the young master of the Sigil Sect," Lucy Luan introduced. "Just now, Divine Marquis Lann Yin already agreed to let Claire marry him!"

"Claire? Our beautiful Claire got snatched away by you, kid?" Soren Lann laughed.

"I didn't trick her! I'm asking for her hand with all my heart!" Faustin protested.

"How sincere are you?" Soren Lann raised an eyebrow.

"Heaven and earth bear witness, sun and moon can testify!" Faustin raised his hand and swore.

Soren Lann said to Claire, "He’s got a slick tongue—you’d better keep a close eye on him! If he ever does anything to let you down, just come to me. I’ll make sure to give him a good beating for you!"

Claire shot Faustin a smug look. "Did you hear that? My backer is Divine Lord Soren Lann!"

Faustin refused to back down and pointed at Lucy Luan. "My backer is Divine Lady Lucia!"

"Wow! Really?" Soren Lann exaggerated his expression, then apologized to Claire: "Sorry, but his backer is way more powerful than yours! So you two should just get along and play nice, okay? If you start fighting, even I won't be able to help you!"

"Hahaha! So even Divine Lord gets henpecked?" Claire burst out laughing.

Soren Lann just smiled faintly without replying.

What do you mean, 'henpecked'?!

"Claire, stop stirring things up! Anyway, we should head back now! I’m going to say goodbye to Divine Marquis." Lucy Luan said, trying to move things along.

She turned and ran off.

Ryan Lu and Luna Lian wanted to follow, but Soren Lann gestured for them to stay behind and chased after her himself.

"Senior Sister!" Soren Lann called out.

Lucy Luan stopped and looked back at him.

"Do you dislike me that much? Why do you always run away when you see me?" Soren Lann looked genuinely aggrieved.

"It's not that I dislike you..." Lucy Luan said awkwardly, "It's just... it just feels a bit strange..."

"What's so strange about it? Didn't I tell you before? Even if you don't agree to marry me, I'm still your junior brother! You wouldn't abandon me, would you?" Soren Lann reassured her.

"No..." Lucy Luan bit her lip and decided to be honest: "Divine Lord, I've thought it over. If I really married you, both our families would be happy! Everyone would live together as before, and it would be wonderful."

"So?" Soren Lann said. "From your expression, it doesn't look like you're about to say yes."

Lucy Luan gave a slightly awkward smile. "But... I don't have romantic feelings for Divine Lord. I've always considered you my brother. I truly can't—"

"Don’t tell me that now," Soren Lann interrupted her.

"Huh?"

"Wait until you’re a thousand years old!" Soren Lann said. "Give me your final answer then."

"...A hundred years from now?"

"Yes." Soren Lann said. "Since I confessed, you’ve been in Drake Abyss. I haven’t even had a chance to use my eighteen great techniques! Yet you rejected me! I’m really not willing to give up!"

"No... I really—"

"People change!" Soren Lann said. "Let’s make a promise, okay? Tell me on your thousandth birthday! If you still don’t want to, then we’ll be siblings for life—supporting and protecting each other, the closest kind! Okay?"

His expression was earnest and full of hope.

Lucy Luan looked at him and nodded. "Alright! I’ll give you my answer on my thousandth birthday."

Soren Lann smiled and ruffled her hair. "Let’s go! There’s a surprise waiting for you at home!"

"What surprise?" Lucy Luan asked, curious.

"I can’t tell you now. If I did, it wouldn’t be a surprise." Soren Lann grinned.

The four of them walked back toward the Lumina Realm under the glow of the setting sun...