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
It was clear that his words came from the heart, and her past experiences with him were proof of that. Marrying this man was going to make her remaining days worthwhile, and after revealing a subtle smile, she tugged Dolly’s sleeve while saying, “…I think that’s enough.” “Fine, fine, we’ll stop here! Congratulations to the groom on his perfect pass! You may now claim your bride!” declared Dolly as she gently pushed Xavia to the front. Looking at how flustered his beautiful woman was, Zivon couldn’t help but feel his heart thump. Even though he had already seen her countless times, today felt… special. So special, in fact, that he couldn’t help but say, “…You look absolutely stunning today, Xav…” Though this wasn’t the first time someone had said that to her, the way Zivon said it swept her off her feet! Before she was even able to reply, Dolly asked, “That shocked by Xavia’s beauty, huh? I bet you wished that it was already nighttime, don’t you, Young Master Burton? Xavia didn’t
Chuckling in response, Zivon replied, “Not at all. After all, now that you have the grandest wedding on the planet, you won’t ever have to be jealous of other women…” His tone was confident, and he deserved to be. After all, aside from everything he had done today, she hadn’t forgotten the city-wide firework display last night! Which man could even come close to comparing to his capabilities?! Though she was proud to say that he was now truly hers, she couldn’t help but mutter, “…Even so, you may have been a tad too wasteful…” Chuckling in response, Zivon replied, “You’re already watching over my wallet, huh? Don’t worry, though I’m already in my thirties, I’m nowhere near my retirement age. You’ll always have extra cash to spare, and besides, if I don’t spend my money on my wife, what good would my money be?” Hugging his arm, it took Xavia a moment to mutter, “…Thank you for giving me such a grand wedding, Von…” Even if she were to die in three months, she was now sure that
The more she thought about it, the more nervous she got… and in the end, she shook her head and took a deep breath before replying, “I… U-um… I saw our room in your video from last night, and I would prefer to do it there…! B-besides, you’ve spent so much time beautifying the place, so it would be more meaningful if we proceeded there… Just wait till tonight, alright…?” Her words were reasonable, and it wasn’t like he was going to force her if she really disliked the idea anyway… With that, he sighed before letting go of her and saying, “Very well, then…” With that said, he opened the car window to let some fresh air in… and as the cool air dissipated the heat from before, Xavia, who was worried that he was unhappy, held his hand while muttering, “U-um… I… studied up…” “…Hmm? On what?” asked Zivon in a gentle tone. Realizing that he didn’t get what she was trying to say, the blushing woman muttered, “…R-remember that bet I made with Dolly…?” Finally realizing what she was goi
Looking at the array of flowers that were all over the place, Xavia couldn’t help but feel like she was some kind of elven princess… As it turned out, such happy experiences weren’t exclusive to characters in fantasy settings… As she was carried into the dressing room, she was greeted by the sight of wall-wide mirrors all over the place, and there were even flowers hanging all over them… With how beautiful the place was, Xavia couldn’t help but mutter, “…I didn’t even know that such a wonderful place could exist in Darlsbury…” Upon hearing that, Nathan, who had been following them this entire time, was prompted to reply, “Young Master Burton made sure to overlook the entire design process. What’s more, all the flowers you see here aren’t native, yet they won’t wilt anytime soon since Young Master Burton made sure to only pick evergreen flowers.” “You should also know that at least nine thousand florists were hired to trim all these plants, and that everything was only completed a
Either way, the wedding officially began at eleven, eleven, an auspicious time that represented eternity. Though the distance from the dressing room to the venue was only about nine hundred meters, everyone was left shocked when they saw a carriage car slowly driving up to them! The vehicle’s main body was made out of crystal, and it was also decorated with all sorts of flowers and golden heart-shaped balloons. Even so, none of those glittering things could outshine the beauty of the bride within…! Out stepped the dazzling woman, and with a thin veil now covering her face, she looked even more like a goddess than before! By this point, almost everyone had already lost their voices after screaming so much, so all they could do was stare enviously and with awe at the incredible beauty… Though she didn’t show it, Xavia was honestly just as flabbergasted by all this! What a wonderful car carriage! Was this the surprise that Nathan had earlier been talking about?! Just as she was wond
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