Clenching her fists, Xavia turned to look at Matthew as she asked, “…Is that true, Dr. Rudner…?” It took him a while, but Matthew eventually sighed as he replied, “…Though I’d love for that to be the case, I’m afraid that the poison is way too ancient for us to realistically find an antidote this quickly-” Before he could even complete his sentence, Mark had already slapped the doctor’s cheek! Grabbing him by the collar, Mark growled, “You’re a promising doctor for heaven’s sake…! How could you say that without even trying first?! Listen here, Xavia isn’t going to die…!” Startled by his reaction, Xavia quickly pulled Mark away from him while saying, “This isn’t his fault, so let go…!” Snapping out of it, Mark took a moment to breathe before taking Xavia’s hand as he replied, “…Let’s meet Zivon and your father. I’m sure they’ll have a way to fix this!” Before Mark could even open the door, however, Xavia yelled, “Stop! I… I don’t want them to know!” Naturally, this startled
Looking at Jenna’s monotone photo on her tombstone, Xavia couldn’t help but feel simultaneously saddened and ridiculed… “Looks like you get to hurt me even now, huh…? I guess this is just my fate… Look, I don’t hate you anymore… but please, if there really is a next life, let’s stop being sisters… It just hurts too much…” As Xavia turned to leave, she was understandably unaware that the urn within the tomb was empty! Instead, there was a voice transmitter inside! Far off in the Sacred Temple of Indigarr, her words were relayed through what appeared to be a radio… and the listener was none other than Jenna…! She was still alive! With her hair cut to shoulder length, the woman wearing a plain white dress instantly widened her eyes when she heard Xavia’s voice. Someone was finally willing to visit her grave! That aside, judging from her words, it seemed that her poison had started acting up again! …No, this wouldn’t do. She wouldn’t allow Xavia to die…! Moving back to Xavia, she
Now utterly confused, the anxious woman quickly sat up in bed as she called out, “D-Dolly…? Bianca?” Barely a few seconds later, Dolly, Bianca, and Yasmin ran in while exclaiming, “Oh, thank God you’re finally up…! We would’ve cried if you woke up a bit later…!” Accompanying the trio was a makeup artist and stylist, and with how eager everyone looked, the dumbfounded woman muttered, “…Why didn’t any of you wake me up, then? I thought that the wedding had been called off for some reason!” “Basically, Young Master Burton called us this morning, saying that he didn’t want you to get up too early since you went to bed late last night. He even said that he’d only leave his place at nine, nine, which means that he’ll need at least half an hour more before he arrives. Really, though, he knows you all too well! Anyway, hurry up and get out of bed! The makeup artist can probably get you all dolled up moments before he gets here!” …That man’s consideration never failed to catch her off g
Either way, since Xavia never needed makeup to look beautiful, the makeup artists didn’t need to do too much… In fact, all they needed was twenty minutes for Xavia to look like a literal angel! “My lord… An actual angel had descended upon us!” “Angel? She’s a literal goddess!” “You’re lucky I’m not into women, otherwise I would’ve already swept you off your feet!” Upon hearing such praises, Xavia couldn’t help but chuckle as she replied, “Don’t you think you’re overdoing the praises…?” “Nonsense! I guarantee that you’re truly that beautiful, and that Young Master Burton will fall for you all over again the second he sees you!” As the embarrassed Xavia fell silent, the others in the room burst out laughing. Why were those closest to her teasing her so much…! The laughter was ultimately broken when someone yelled, “He’s here!” Shortly after, the kids ran into the room while exclaiming, “Mommy! Daddy’s here! He’s finally here to marry you!” Maison had a tiny suit on, whe
Standing domineeringly beneath the chandelier, the three noblemen simply smirked. As if they’d go easy on him when this was most probably going to be their final shot at making things hard for him! The person who was marrying their precious sister! Shaking their heads, they were quick to reply, “It’s only natural for us to challenge the person who’s about to marry our beloved sister!” “Indeed! Besides, all this adds to the wedding’s festiveness, wouldn’t you say, brother-in-law?!” Upon hearing that title, Zivon couldn’t help but smirk. He liked that title, and after fixing his tie, he calmly replied, “Right… sixty-six flights of stairs, which means a total of a hundred and thirty-two balloons… Very well! Open all of them, Nathan!” Naturally, this stunned everyone, and they were quick to exclaim, “H-how bold…!” “I love it! He’s probably the bravest groom I’ve ever met!” Though Chace was usually calm and collected, he was now frowning a little as he said, “Zivon. Sixty-six ta
After taking a step forward, Zivon declared, “Marriage is both bitter and sweet… So to reduce any potential bitterness, watch as I chug down all this bitter gourd juice!” In record speed, he drank down the three glasses, and almost immediately after, he pushed Chace to the floor and began doing single-hand push-ups above him while repeatedly declaring that he loved him! In barely a minute, Zivon had already completed three tasks! In fact, he barely even broke a sweat from the push-ups! “H-holy crap, he’s fast!” “Good job, Young Master Burton! You can do it!” As the crowd cheered on, Chace was left utterly flabbergasted on the floor. Did that man have nerves of steel…?! Either way, all that rowdiness made Xavia and the others upstairs peek down the stairs… and as expected, they were all thoroughly impressed. “Hey, your brothers are really good at coming up with tasks, Xavia…” muttered Bianca. “That’s what you choose to say? Why aren’t you mentioning how he isn’t even break
“Let’s see… basically, I once had so little interest in love that I grew to hate soft-hearted people… Naturally, all that changed when I finally met Xav. Slowly, I learned that my earlier pessimism had only existed because I had yet to find the love of my life… And honestly, the fact that I had been so rigid at the start is extremely laughable, don’t you all think?” concluded Zivon, leaving everyone speechless. Those… were supposed to be funny? If anything, those were extremely touching! Xavia herself couldn’t help but recall the night when Maison had tried to dissuade her from being with Stefan… The fact that he had used the boy even way back then showed just how unwilling he was to be truthful with his feelings back then… It was sweet, honestly. Her train of thought was cut short when she heard Zivon add, “I’ve braved the snowiest mountains and the muddiest swamps just to marry Xav… and with that said, I swear right now that I will never let her down again. If I fail, then I al
Everyone would’ve surely remained awestruck by her had Ian not asked, “Hey, what are you doing out here? We won’t be able to continue our games like this, you know?” It was then that everyone realized that he was right! Watching as everyone stared quizzically at her, the embarrassed Xavia clenched her fists before replying, “I-I think he’s already proved himself enough to skip any further games…” Upon hearing that, everyone was quick to grin as they began saying things like, “So… she was only worried for him, huh?” “Hah! She’s just saying that! I’m sure she just can’t wait to be in his arms, right?” “No need to be shy about that! If my husband was as great as Young Master Burton was, even I would be eager to skip straight to our wedding night!” Though it was common for people to tease the bride and groom, Xavia’s cheeks still ended up getting extremely red! Had she known that this was the outcome of her stepping out, she would’ve chosen not to leave the room…! Zivon himse
Staring in shock at the kneeling man, Yulia mustered her remaining sanity as she replied, “B-but you’re younger-” “Even if that’s the case, doesn’t that mean that I’m much more ‘capable’ than your older pursuers…?” …Why were his words so suggestive all of a sudden?! Forcing herself to calm down, she took a deep breath before saying, “…Elliot, I’m not sure what spurred this decision, but… I’m not the one for you. Please find someone your age. I’m sorry.” After saying that, she strode straight for the car… but before she could start the engine, she couldn’t help but notice how desolate he looked standing under the pouring rain… Clenching her fists, it took her a while to finally sigh and walk back to him… “…Are you really sure about this?” asked Yulia, much to Elliot’s delight. “I am! Please! Give me a chance! You won’t regret it!” …When he put it that way, all Yulia could do was help him up before finally deciding to return his kiss… Sure, things had taken a sudden, unex
She stared in horror as he removed his shirt right there and then! “W-what are you doing?!” yelped the startled woman as she quickly looked the other way. “…Huh? I mean, I’m drenched, so…” “E-even so, you shouldn’t change right in front of me!” “…Yulia, we bathed together as children… It’s not like you haven’t seen everything already…” “Y-you can’t compare that to this situation…!” “Fine, fine, I… Um… Go cook, I guess… I’ll go get a change upstairs first…” muttered Elliot as he headed upstairs. Yulia herself had to try her best to calm down! After all, Elliot had been plaguing her mind in the past few days, and… she even had dreams where he had… …No! She couldn’t be thinking about such things! She needed to cook! Maybe that would help get her mind out of the gutter! Once that was done, she’d leave and finally start devising a plan to get rid of him…! As Yulia scurried off, Elliot himself was currently staring at an old photo that showed him eating some candy in Yulia’
Just as she had arrived at her car, the president of the Halls Group suddenly walked up to her, a bouquet in hand! The Halls Group had collaborated several times with the Burtons before, and because of that, she was well acquainted with the man. Sadly, he had also proposed to her on multiple occasions… and though she kept rejecting him, he never seemed to get the hint! “There you are, Miss Burton… Since you’re off work, I was wondering if you’d join me for dinner tonight…” asked the charming man. Feeling awkward, she was just about to come up with an excuse when Elliot suddenly grabbed her by the waist and said, “Oh? Another one of your admirers, Yulia…? Sorry, but she already has a boyfriend, my man. If that doesn’t deter you enough, then you should know that she prefers her partners younger. Now please leave.” Startled to hear that, the man glanced at Yulia, his eyes begging for an explanation… Yulia herself was eager to just escape this embarrassing situation, but before s
With that tale done, it was now time to return to Yulia’s story… Ever since she was a child, she had undergone countless hardships with her mother… and even after she was able to reunite with her father, things didn’t go much easier from there. To make matters worse, Fabiola ended up getting kidnapped for the longest time, resulting in Frank ending up the way he was today… Because of all that, it only made sense that she’d mature much sooner than others her age, and unlike the naïve girl she used to be, she was an extremely competent woman today. Alas, because of how used she became with working, she soon lost the urge to find herself a romantic interest… Things continued that way until… Well, that time that Elliot… …Wait, what was she thinking?! He was younger than her, for heaven’s sake! Quickly shaking her head, she attempted to force herself to concentrate on work again… But before long, a knock was heard on the door. After being allowed in, the department manager entered t
Knowing that there was no point in keeping things a secret anymore, Rea took a deep breath before saying, “…Alright, so… The truth is, I’ve always been highly competent, but… I’ve been pretending to be useless just so that you’d eventually marry me… The trip my parents are taking… That was my suggestion too…” Feeling speechless, it took Frank a long while to reply, “…So you weren’t really drunk when you did all that last night?” Pursing her lips, Rea awkwardly muttered, “…I wasn’t… Luna suggested it, and since it sounded like a good idea to accelerate things…” …Fucking hell, to think that he had fallen straight into her trap without even putting up a fight! Watching as he glowered at her, Rea gulped before adding, “A-anyway, now that we’re married and there’s potentially a baby in my belly, you won’t divorce me, right…?” “…Oh, believe me when I say that divorce is the easy way out! From today onward, I’m making you pay for your actions for the rest of your life!” Fast forwa
Fast forward to the next morning, Rea awoke with a yawn… What a nice sleep… Wait. Why was she naked? And why was Frank…?! Her following scream immediately woke the icy man up… and upon looking at her, he was immediately reminded of what had transpired last night! Essentially, Rea ended up clinging to him, and though he initially wanted to just carry her to bed to let her rest… Damn it! Had she really been that sensual?! How had he lost control so easily?! His train of thought was cut short when he realized that Rea was bawling her eyes out… and after rubbing his temples, he was prompted to say, “…Why are you crying when you’re the one who initiated this? I’ll have you know that I never forced you-” “I-I know, but…! I’ve just…! This is my first time…!” whimpered the quivering woman, prompting Frank to purse his lips. As if he wasn’t in the same situation… “…You’re not alone there.” “It’s not the same! Men are free to sleep with whoever they want but when it comes to women, I’l
“Say, wouldn’t you agree that the food smells delicious…? Why don’t I teach you how to grill, Rea…? Oh, but make sure to take your clothes off first before we start! Wouldn’t want them to get dirty…” With how drunk Rea was, she wasn’t able to fully register his words… and just as he was about to touch her clothes, an icy voice roared, “Stop right there…!” Instantly feeling a shiver run down his spine, the man turned around… and to his horror, it was Frank! Young Master Burton’s perpetually icy son…! Why the hell was he here?! Before the frightened intern could think of how to even react, Frank walked up to him and growled, “Leave now before I chop your hands off…! Don’t make me repeat myself!” Nodding in terror, the man frantically bolted off… and once he was out of sight, Frank glared at the tipsy Rea before adding, “This is what you meant by learning how to be more responsible…?!” “Huh…? But the food really did smell super good… I want to learn…” mumbled the drunk woman.
After leaving his office, he headed off to look for Rea. She had said that she wanted to use the bathroom, but… It had already been half an hour since she disappeared. What trouble had that idiot gotten herself into this time? Thankfully, it wasn’t long before he found her laughing along with some of his interns… When the interns saw him, they were quick to bow and say, “Good morning, Mr. Burton.” Barely even glancing at them, Frank looked at Rea and said, “It’s time to head home.” “I… Won’t be following you back…” “…And why is that? Are your parents back?” “No, it’s just… These are my good friends back from school, and they’ve been staying together to learn to be more independent… With that said… I think that staying with them will be a good start for me to learn more about how the world works. Thank you for taking care of me up till this point, Frank… I won’t bother you anymore.” Raising a slight brow, Frank then looked at the interns for a while before saying, “…Are you
Regardless, after leaving her in the room, Frank returned to the shower to cool himself off… but no matter what he did, he simply remained irked. It got to the point where he couldn’t relax at all, and after wrapping a towel around his waist, he grabbed his phone to send his father a text. ‘Was there really nobody else who could’ve taken care of Rea?’ ‘What? Can’t even care for a woman properly.’ ‘I’m a busy man.’ ‘I trust in your time management skills.’ …Though he really wanted to tell Zivon that he had misplaced his trust in him, he didn’t want to disappoint his father either. With that, all he could do was clench his fists before giving Rea’s parents a call… “Hello? Frank? Why are you calling at this time of night?” “…When are you and Uncle Saltman returning, Aunt?” asked Frank who wanted them to take back their idiot already! “…Huh? What was that? Sorry, the line isn’t very good… I hope Rea isn’t giving you too hard a time! Don’t worry, we’ll be back after about a