STM 97

The bomb had exploded. Rick could only describe this moment as a massive explosion. The problem was that while Adeye Lu had thrown the bomb, it was the Grand Duke he served who detonated it.

The White Branch meeting was brief, but its aftermath will likely be so profound that it will be talked about forever. The attendees were already filled with laughter and ridicule.

‘Adeye Lu, who knows nothing but to fuck with men, is coming forward as Salvation, hahaha!’

Outside the conference building, crouching in a corner, Rick could vividly hear the gasps of astonishment from those passing by.

If everything had gone as planned, the biggest topic of the day would have been the appearance of Salvation. The fact that it was Ma Hoiga would have shocked the world.

However, news of Adeye Lu had overshadowed Ma Hoiga’s identity, to the point where no one cared.

‘Adeye Lu being weird is one thing, but what’s wrong with the Grand Duke?’

‘He recognized him as Salvation and even accept the marriage proposal?’

Rick wanted to run out and join the conversation.

Exactly! That’s what I’m saying!

He could concede that Adeye Lu’s strange powers could somehow make him Salvation, but how could that explain accepting his proposal? At this rate, all of Tubain would soon know the Grand Duke had lost his mind.

“Haa…”

“Cousin, stop.”

Rick turned to his cousin, who was speaking nonchalantly beside him. Haas, who had accompanied him, was surprised by the situation, but he just accepted it. It wasn’t like him to act like this. That made Rick even more angry.

“How can I not sigh? Why would the Grand Duke make such a crazy decision all of a sudden? It’s not like he’s under some kind of dark magic… dark magic?!”

“No.”

Haas firmly denied it, but Rick, clutching his head, couldn’t dismiss the possibility.

“Is there any dark magic that can bewitch people?”

“No.”

“Hey, what do you know about magic? There must be if we look hard enough.”

Rick snapped at the world-renowned genius mage. Immediately, irritation flashed across Haas’s eyes.

“Get a grip, cousin. How wise is the Grand Duke? He must have had a reason to accept Adeye Lu.”

“What reason? Does he really believe that Adeye Lu is Salvation?”

“Well, maybe that’s possible. I told you. Adeye Lu has a killer club.”

“You’ve said it a hundred times.”

“Even after destroying the first black magic stone, he smashed through all the dark magic shields. That club was amazing!”

That damned club praise began again. This time, Rick’s eyes were filled with irritation. He knew his cousin would only delve into something once he got his mind set on it, but he never dreamed that with just a simple club, he’d be defeated by Adeye Lu.

No, right now, his cousin’s pathetic behavior didn’t matter. So now Adeye Lu would be the Grand Duchess… … . Rick let out another groan-like sigh.

“Oh, everyone who hears the news of the Grand Duke’s marriage will shed tears.”

No one in Tubain could possibly be happy about this news!

***

‘Hahahahahahaha! Hahahahahahaha!’

In front of an elegant wooden door typical of noble houses, the head butler of the Adeye family and numerous healers stood anxiously waiting.

They couldn’t believe the sounds coming from inside. The matriarch of the house, Adeye Lantuya, was famous in Tubain for two things: wealth and her bizarre appetite for strange foods.

But those who observed her closely noted another characteristic: she never laughed out loud.

The head butler, who had attended her for years, had always wondered about that.

Why does she never laugh?

She did smile often. But it wasn’t a joyful smile; it was just a formal expression of communication, like a greeting.

She seemed incapable of joy. She was obsessed with making money and building up her power. Even when she collapsed and took medication every day, the moment she could open her eyes, she would check the merchant guild’s documents as if it were her homework.

As time passed, the butler’s heart grew pitying.

What unspoken hardships could that young woman have? Why, despite her ever-growing wealth and success, she showed no joy.

People believed that she, the richest woman in Tubain, would be the happiest person in the world, but the opposite was true.

The butler wondered if she might be the unhappiest person in Tubain. Sometimes, it felt like she was deliberately pushing away happiness. Her life was so devoid of joy.

There was one thing she cared about, though: food that suited her peculiar appetite, which was often mocked and labeled a “bizarre palate.” So, the butler spent a long time devoting herself to preparing a dish that would suit her taste.

But now, Adeye Lantuya, who never seemed to find happiness in anything, was laughing hysterically.

What on earth was going on?

‘Hahaha! That rascal Lu, I knew he could do it!!! Hahaha!’

“Didn’t you say Master Lu was attending the White Branch meeting today? I guess something good has happened to him.”

The butler looked at the door seriously at someone’s cautious remark.

“That’s not important right now. If the matriarch laughs so hard and overdoes it, something bad might happen to her…”

‘Hahahaha, Plan X succeeded… … Ah!’

The butler’s prediction came true.

Ding, Ding.

As soon as the emergency bell rang, they opened the door and rushed in.

“Madam!”

“Hurry, get the breathing apparatus!”

“Ah! She’s still laughing even as she faints!”

“Matriarch, please, you must stop laughing!”

Despite the protests of those around her, Adeye Lantuya couldn’t stop grinning, baring her teeth, until she lost consciousness.

Years later, the butler testified through tears: “It was the first time in ten years that I’d seen her happy.”

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When I was little, there was one time I caused real trouble during vacation. Looking back now, it wasn’t much, I just skipped my lessons and went somewhere I shouldn’t have.

But somehow, I was late, and although I managed to catch the last train, it was past midnight when I arrived in town. Only one thought came to mind:

If I go now, I’ll be beaten to death, right?

I felt like I’d be kicked out of the house, not just scolded. So I did something even worse: I didn’t go home.

I spent the night at the park and the next day, I was hiding at a friend’s house when my grandmother came looking for me. I expected a severe scolding, but she just took me to a nearby fast food restaurant.

Even as I ate my hamburger, I was so worried I’d get scolded at any moment that I couldn’t even relax. After I finished, she finally spoke.

“Go wash up, put your clothes in the laundry, and do your homework. Don’t just play games.”

She spoke in her usual tone. She didn’t scold me, so I stood there, fidgeting and feeling anxious. My grandmother waved me off.

“Next time, tell me in advance and get permission.”

That was all she said about my mistake. When I got home, I did as she said, washed up, and diligently did my homework.

But then I got sick. I remember rolling around, clutching my stomach, vomiting, as if the hamburger had been stuck in my throat. I was in quite a bit of pain that night.

After that day, I realized I couldn’t handle it even if I didn’t get scolded if I did something wrong. I’m a grown man now, and the situation is different, but for some reason, I still felt as anxious as I did that day.

That was it, after a major accident and the belated return of reason. I wanted to run away like I did as a child.

Because the carriage I was in wasn’t heading home. After the White Branch meeting, I’d tried to slip away, but the Grand Duke ordered,

“Follow me.”

So we were now headed to Grand Duke Kun’s residence in the capital.

Clunk, clunk.

I felt like tearing my hair out as I belatedly realized the situation in the carriage.

Shit, so I have to get married now? And am I the wife?

Unlike me, who was feeling suffocated, Solongo in front of me was thrilled.

“We should definitely include the Onali Plains in the list of items, right? Hmm, they’ll definitely like that. When they returned gifts last time, they seemed reluctant to part with it.”

Solongo snorted and scribbled on a piece of paper, then thought again.

“But what Kun would most desire and be most happy about is the Acorn Forest… The problem is, if they find out it belongs to Adeye, they’ll not only be in an uproar, but they might even start a war…”

That’s right. She was currently drafting the dowry list.