(Author POV)
Maria pressed her lips together, clearly trying not to laugh, her shoulders shaking slightly as she struggled to keep a straight face, while Elira looked at her with a confused expression that clearly said, What the hell happened?
Cain noticed Maria's struggle and finally stepped in, taking a deep breath to explain, though the grin on his face made it obvious he was barely holding it together.
"Just imagine this," he began, lifting a finger dramatically. "When they first met, they were like ice and fire."
He straightened slightly, his tone turning theatrical. "On one side, the Dragon Prince—your father, Kral. Bold, playful, fearless. Acts first, thinks later."
Then he lifted his other hand, mirroring the first. "And on the other side, the Mermaid Princess—your mother, Charlotte. Completely opposite. Sharp, controlled, intelligent, strategic, disciplined… calm—but deadly."
The moment he finished, Cain burst out laughing again, covering his face as if the memory alone was enough to break him, while Elira blinked, already forming an image in her mind.
Chaos versus control.
A perfect enemies-to-lovers trope.
But still… why were they laughing this hard?
She shifted her gaze between them, clearly confused, waiting for an explanation that actually justified this level of reaction.
Maria finally managed to calm herself down, taking a deep breath before speaking, though a smile still lingered on her face. "The thing is, your mother was always calm—no matter the situation, no matter the pressure," she said, her tone softer now. "And as royal children, she and Kral met often. That's where everything started."
A small, nostalgic smile appeared on her lips. "Kral, being Kral, couldn't stand the fact that she showed no emotions. It annoyed him. So he started provoking her… just to make her lose her composure."
She shook her head slightly, clearly amused by the memory. "And surprisingly—it always worked."
Cain snorted, trying to hold back another laugh. "Always," he repeated.
"Every time they were near each other," Maria continued, "they would end up arguing. Loudly. Publicly. To the point that people just gave up trying to separate them."
She laughed softly. "Eventually, people started calling them a married couple."
Elira blinked. "Already?"
"Oh, yes," Cain said, grinning. "Way before anything actually happened."
Maria nodded. "And Charlotte? She would get so irritated by that. You could literally see her patience snapping little by little every time someone said it."
Cain crossed his arms, smirking. "Meanwhile, Kral…"
"That idiot loved it," Maria cut in immediately. "He got one more reason to tease her."
"Reason?" Cain echoed, raising a brow.
Maria scoffed lightly. "No. I'm telling you, he had already fallen for her. He just used teasing as an excuse to stay close."
Cain chuckled, nodding in agreement. "Yeah… I swear, somewhere between all that provoking and arguing, Kral fell hard for her."
Elira tilted her head slightly, listening more intently now, her curiosity growing with every detail.
"But what made their story legendary," Maria continued, her tone shifting slightly, "wasn't just that. It was the fact that—even during duels, battles, and full-scale wars—they would still argue."
Elira blinked again. "…You're joking."
"I wish," Cain said immediately.
Maria laughed. "They would be fighting enemies one second… and bickering with each other the next. Like the battlefield was just another place for their arguments."
"And somehow," Cain added, raising both hands slightly, "despite all that chaos… their teamwork was flawless. Perfect coordination. Perfect timing. They always won."
Maria nodded, her smile filled with pride this time. "That's why people started calling them The Chaos Couple."
She let the name settle in the air for a moment before continuing, "There was even a saying—'If the Chaos Couple is on the battlefield… the war is already over.'"
Elira exhaled slowly, trying to process everything, her mind piecing together the image of two people constantly clashing… yet perfectly in sync.
"But Charlotte always denied everything," Maria added, a hint of amusement returning. "No matter what anyone said."
Cain smirked. "Though if there was one thing they truly had in common…"
Maria glanced at him, and together they said at the same time,
"Stubbornness."
A brief silence followed, filled with unspoken understanding and shared memories.
Then suddenly, Cain stepped forward again, raising his hand dramatically like he was about to reveal the greatest secret in existence. "But the most important part…" he said, his eyes sparkling with excitement, "you won't believe how they confessed."
Elira leaned forward slightly without realizing it, curiosity lighting up her face. "How?"
Cain gestured for her to come closer. She hesitated for a second, then stepped in, narrowing her eyes suspiciously but still curious.
Lowering his voice like it was some grand, forbidden secret, he said, "Your mom confessed first."
"What?!"
Elira's reaction was instant, her shock completely justified as she stared at him like he had just said something impossible.
Maria burst out laughing again, unable to hold it in, while Cain tried—and failed—to stay serious.
"Well," Cain continued, still grinning, "one day, Martha—your mom's best friend—finally knocked some sense into her. And apparently… that worked a little too well."
He chuckled. "Charlotte decided she was going to confess."
"But before she could," Maria added, stepping in again, "there was a sudden attack by rogue demons at the Auroraea border. So, of course, she went there first."
Elira folded her arms slightly. "Of course she did."
Cain picked up from there, barely containing his laughter now. "While she was fighting, Kral showed up with us to help."
He paused for dramatic effect, clearly enjoying this way too much.
"And the moment Charlotte saw him…"
Elira narrowed her eyes. "What did she do?"
Cain suddenly raised his voice, reenacting it with full energy—
"She literally shouted: 'I LOVE YOU, KRAL!'"
He lost it again, laughing uncontrollably, while Maria covered her mouth, trying—and failing—to stay composed.
Elira blinked slowly.
Yeah… she can see it.
Cain raised a finger mid-laughter. "You should've seen your father's reaction! He was mid-attack—just threw an S-rank demon aside like it was nothing—and rushed straight to her."
Maria nodded, still smiling. "He asked her what she said… and she repeated it. No hesitation. No embarrassment. Just said it again."
Elira's lips twitched slightly. "…Bold."
"And then," Maria continued, shaking her head in disbelief even now, "right there—in the middle of the battlefield…"
Cain finished with a wide grin,
"They started kissing."
Elira froze.
"…They what?"
"Exactly," Cain said, pointing at her like she just proved his point.
"Everyone in Auroraea just stopped fighting," Maria added, laughing. "Allies, enemies—everyone just stood there staring at them like the war didn't even exist anymore."
Cain nodded. "Even the demons were confused."
At this point, both Cain and Maria were laughing so hard they could barely stand, completely lost in the memory.
As for Elira—
Her eyes were wide, her brain trying to process everything she had just heard, the image playing over and over in her head until finally—
She slowly shook her head.
"…Yeah," she muttered under her breath.
Those are definitely my parents.