GUILTY HERO

06. Liberio at Night

Had Reiner known that the first person he'd cross on his way to your house was your mother, he would have taken a detour. He meant to backtrack at her sight but, unlike the day prior, could not successfully elude her. She had already seen him and was soon merrily calling out his name.

He stood awkwardly as she approached him, smiling broadly. "I'm glad to see you, Reiner. I didn't get a chance to thank you for your work yesterday."

"It was nothing, ma'am."

"Oh, but I have to! Because you seem to have fixed my daughter's attitude as well," she laughed, almost giving him a coughing fit. "She has been in such a foul mood lately but was in a much better place yesterday after you left."

Reiner wasn't certain whether she was overly brazen or simply too oblivious but, disregarding the warmth the statement spread across his chest, expressed as coolly as he could how happy he was to know that you were in a better headspace. Your mother then implored him to walk her the short distance to the main street, and he obliged.

"There is something else I wanted to talk to you about, actually," she began. "I know I might come off as impertinent, but you'll have to excuse me and understand where I'm coming from."

Reiner couldn't quite see what she was alluding to but still apprehensively nodded.

"What are your intentions with my daughter exactly?"

"I'm sorry?"

"I know being a Warrior and all, you haven't had time to entertain these thoughts, but you surely have something in mind, don't you?" she asked, hopeful.

"I— I'm not sure I follow."

"The two of you are no longer the kids you once were. And even you must've realized that. You have both grown and have eyes on you now. Being so close and seen together all the time brings about whispers and rumors and... expectations. And as a mother, I think it perfectly reasonable for me to look out for my daughter."

Reiner remained silent.

"I'm not going to pretend to know your feelings; though, they're quite obvious," she whispered the last part, "but I know my daughter's. When you left the first time, you had only known each other as kids. And yet, she has spent the following nine years in grief. I'll let you imagine how long it may take her to move on now that your relationship has... well, developed. If she manages to do that at all, that is."

The blend of emotion on Reiner's face gave away his internal disarray, and she took it as her cue to add, "I'd hoped that, this time around, you would be considerate enough to leave her with more than just a broken heart."

"What? You're not seriously suggesting—" he trailed off, wide-eyed. "You do realize I only have two years left?"

"That is more than enough."

"I— I might not even spend them here. We could be deployed somewhere else at any moment."

"Which is exactly why we shouldn't be wasting any more time. Karina would be delighted, too. I believe an engagement should—"

"No," Reiner interrupted sternly. "I'm sorry, but this is absurd. I cannot agree to this. Your daughter wouldn't either."

"Why do you think I have come to you first? She never agrees to what's good for her."

Reiner was too stunned and repulsed to speak for a moment. You had told him about your mother, and how her only motive was to marry you off, but he did not think her so inconsiderate and indifferent to your happiness. To think that she thought so lowly of you made his blood boil.