As he watched this tall, dark, and fierce man blankly hug Noah’s frail body, Fynn felt an overwhelming sense of defeat.
Astar Levi might not be qualified to pursue Cordia Aris. But he, Fynn, wasn’t qualified either – his own feelings couldn’t even compare to the ones of an “unqualified” person. What face did he have to continue his pursuit?
How could he convince Noah that he was the better choice, when even he, himself, didn’t believe it?
Astar Levi might be all kinds of mad and shameless; he might be a villain to every single person in this world. To everyone but Noah… this one person.
His single-minded obsession might wrong everyone, but it would never wrong Noah.
Fynn had no desire to compete with a man like Astar Levi. They just weren’t on the same level. He, Fynn, didn’t have the determination to stake his everything on this one gamble.
His like was just the regular kind. He liked this one person and wanted to be with them. But he didn’t live and breathe for this one person.
With Trey, he could compete. With Case, he could also compete.
But with Astar Levi…
Hah, that was a lost cause from the very start.
Fynn bitterly moved his eyes from Levi to Noah, who was sitting next to him. The little one nearly died earlier today, yet as Fynn looked at his eyes, he saw no pain, no fear, no anxiety. Just warm tranquility.
He had been the one who nearly died, yet he was also the one least impacted by his own near-death.
While everyone else carried a shadow in their hearts, only his eyes were pure and dazzling, carrying only the gentle warmth of spring.
At that moment, Fynn thought he could understand Levi’s obsession. Cordia Aris was truly a blindingly bright gem that one couldn’t help but covet. Once your eyes took even a single glimpse, everything else would suddenly lose its charm.
It was like looking at the sun. After your eyes took in the blinding radiance, who would be able to see the myriad of stars around it?
Once the sun rose, on the clear blue skies, there was no longer a single star.
What else could you do then, but reach for the sun with everything you had?
There was no alternative, no backup plan, no reservations. It was all or nothing.
Perhaps fate wasn’t nonsensical after all.
When reaching for the sun, only those with the firm resolution to succeed or die trying were worthy enough to grab it. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Thinking about it from this perspective, his loss wasn’t unjustified.
Fynn gave Noah one last look, saying a silent goodbye to his own romantic feelings.
Yet he couldn’t even give a proper farewell before he felt Levi’s sharp stare stab into him, ‘Where are you staring so intently?! To dare defile my precious baby with your pig-eyes like this, be careful I don’t dig them out!!’
A vein on Fynn’s neck bulged out, and he felt like smashing the pot he was holding on Levi’s annoying head.
‘This retarded pot of vinegar!! Can you not shoot people indiscriminately?!? Are you blind!? Can you not tell I gave way already?!?’
(ノ꒪Д꒪)ノ︵ ┻━┻
“Are… are you alright?” Noah’s gentle voice tingled with worry broke the awkward silence.
Fynn could only force a smile, “I’m…” with difficulty, he squeezed out, “Fine.”
Noah’s concerned look didn’t ease in the slightest, ‘How could you be alright? Your face is turning green!’
(っ °Д °;)っ
Levi’s face scrunched up further as if he had eaten something sour, ‘You dare make my baby worry?!’
Fynn… just wanted to turn on his heel and return from where he came from. He couldn’t handle this bullshit right now.
Blackie: ‘Congratulations! Now you know how I feel. Every. Day.’
ಥ‿ಥ
“Um… I’m so sorry about the wet floor, I’ll get it cleaned up asap!” Noah glanced at the butler who had just entered to set up the table, and the other nodded with understanding.
Noah returned his attention back to Fynn, feeling very apologetic. Fynn didn’t come over often, yet he ended up being such a bad host the one time Fynn paid a proper visit! The man had barely entered the door and already ran into an accident!
Fynn waved his hand dismissively and carefully stepped over the wet patch to arrive next to the table.
“You two…” Fynn began but didn’t know how to continue.
Noah misinterpreted his meaning and responded, “Oh, don’t worry, we are alright.”
‘No… what I wanted to ask was…’ Fynn counted the days remaining until the marriage and thought ‘…if I start looking now, will I manage to procure a good wedding gift? It shouldn’t be too late?’
〒▽〒
“Sit down,” Noah patted the seat on the other side of him, “Have you had dinner yet? How about you sit down and take a bite? Let’s not waste my mom’s efforts.”
Fynn caught Levi’s warning look in his peripheral vision and chose to sit on the seat opposite of Noah instead, “I suppose eating a bit wouldn’t hurt.” Especially since he really hadn’t eaten much today.
Noah didn’t take it the wrong way; he even thought that having Fynn sit opposite of them would make it more convenient to talk.
Levi, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes. This Fynn usually completely ignored his warnings. How come he was so obedient today?
Did the incident make him realize that an S-ranked Enforcer was not to be messed with?
Well, whatever. This was pretty good. Sitting in such an arrangement, Levi felt as if he and his baby were a married couple hosting a guest in their home. ❤
“Did you manage to catch the sniper?” Noah got straight to the point.
Fynn shook his head, “He is getting more cautious. After shooting the dart, he didn’t even wait to see the effects, he immediately fled.”
“What about following his scent?”
“We followed it to Venture Plaza, where he had blended into the crowd. You know how packed it is around lunchtime. There are too many scents mixing together to follow a specific one.”
Noah pursed his lips and looked towards Levi, whose paw was still stroking Noah’s head, then back to Fynn, “Dart?”
Fynn nodded, “The incident took us all by surprise, but I could swear I saw something small and dark embed itself in your brother-in-law’s neck–”
“It was indeed a dart,” Levi interjected. “I have good motion vision. I saw it clearly. It was black, needle-shaped, and around 5 cm in length.”
“If it was a drug administered through a dart, it would make perfect sense why a Shooter had been at the scene every time. His power was needed to shoot the dart.” Fynn filled his plate with meat, “However, after the paramedics arrived, I had them check your neck and draw your blood. Neither of which managed to find anything. No dart and not even a foreign substance in your blood. If it weren’t for the high resolution of dr. Shaw’s scan, we wouldn’t even be able to find the puncture wound.”
Fynn paused to take a bite out of a chicken drumstick, “Later on, we searched the entire scene for hours but found no trace of the dart.”
“How is that possible? How could it…” Noah abruptly paused, his wide eyes locking with Fynn’s, “Unless…!”
Fynn nodded, “My first thought was that your brother-in-law’s pressure had destroyed it, but then I started to think. If the Fluxer and the Blazer had also been hit with a dart, why is it that we were unable to find the dart?” “Right before the Fluxer went berserk,” Levi opened his golden mouth, “he had slapped his neck as if he had been bitten by a mosquito.” Noah nodded, “Right! He must have felt the dart prick him, and instinctively slapped his neck!” After chewing off the majority of the chicken drumstick, Fynn took a bite of a buffalo wing, “The Fluxer is taking longer to regain consciousness than the Blazer, so I still couldn’t get his statement. However, I went back to talk to the Blazer.” Fynn stopped to chew and swallow, “After mentioning a prick, he suddenly remembered. He said that he did feel a prick before the power rampage, but he didn’t think much of it at the time, so he had completely forgotten about it.” Noah’s amber eyes nar
Noah’s tense posture relaxed, and he leaned back in his chair, “You are saying that the Shooter isn’t a member of the terrorists but hired help?”Fynn nodded, “It would also explain why not getting caught was more important to him than ensuring the power rampages went as planned. In the last power rampage incident, after starting the power rampage, if he shot another bullet to incapacitate or kill you…”Noah felt Levi’s hand in his hair stiffen unnaturally at the words “kill you”. He promptly shot Levi a comforting look and gently patted his thigh. For some reason, that action made Levi stiffen even more, and even Fynn choked on the water he was drinking, starting to cough violently.Noah attempted to get up to pat his back, but Fynn’s teary eyes widened, and he started to wave his hands as if to say ‘No need! You! Remain sitting!! Don’t come over!!’Seeing how insistent
After Fynn left to execute his part in the plan, Noah and Levi remained sitting alone in the dining room. “Why are you looking at me like that?” Noah side-eyed Levi. Noah might be misinterpreting most of Levi’s reactions, but it didn’t mean he couldn’t see them clearly. Over the last couple of hours, the more he spoke, the fierier Levi’s gaze became. At first, Noah had ignored it, but later on, he couldn’t help but seek solace from his black-hearted system, “Blackie… is it just me or brother-in-law's gaze seems a bit… too fervent?” “What’s wrong with admiring your wit? Your plan is really well-thought-out! Even I, this AI system which has seen many things, can’t help but feel admiration and respect for the level of your scheming,” Blackie very cheerfully praised his host, which, considering that he was usually a total jerk, should have been suspicious in itself, but Noah, whose attention had been preoccupied with Levi, missed it. “Is-is that s
Due to the Cleanser’s thorough cleansing of both their bodies and clothes earlier today, the two men only washed their teeth and left the shower for the morning after. Noah had found an extra toothbrush in his cupboard, and graciously offered it to Levi. Levi eyed the two toothbrushes standing side by side within the same cup and couldn’t help but feel extremely pleased by the image. Afterward, Noah, as usual, wore an oversized t-shirt to bed, and Levi… Noah averted his eyes from his brother-in-law’s naked torso, “Brother… I have several t-shirts here that should fit you–” “No need,” Levi interrupted, “It’s fine; I usually sleep like this.” Noah swallowed down the rest of his words. There… there was nothing strange with men only sleeping in their boxers… In his previous life on Cradle, he totally knew a lot of guys who slept only in their boxers… It’s just… it’s just… how come when his brother-in-law did it, he got a strange feeling? Like it wasn’t quite prop
Noah couldn’t help but once again remember the memories Blackie shared with him, and his two amber eyes moistened.Before he could register what he was doing, he grabbed Levi’s chin and made the other face him. “I won’t die,” Noah proclaimed solemnly. ‘I really won’t die. I have Blackie.’Blackie: (눈_눈) ‘Oh? Now you remember how useful this system is? Then how come I remember you constantly doubting this lord’s abilities and even asking for a mute button?’Noah didn’t have the chance to continue his pledge because as soon as he made the first move, it was as if all hell broke loose.As if a tight string had snapped within Levi, his previously motionless form abruptly enveloped Noah within his arms. His left arm wrapped around Noah’s waist and lower back, his hand stealthily gliding over Noah’s round bottom to rest on his hip. Meanwhile, his right arm slid
“Surv-surviving three… three times…” As Noah attempted to recover his train of thought, his voice came out shaky and broke in several places. Only after clearing his throat several times did he finally manage to piece together a relatively fluent sentence. “Surviving three times might… might look like a coincidence, but–but if my instincts told me I would die… would… would I not change my actions until I found a way to live?”Noah shrunk his pink neck, lowered his head, and stared at his own feet as if they were the most interesting of species. “From an outsider's perspective, these–these might look like… like close brushes with death. But from mine, they… they are just a multiple-choice question to which I already know the wrong answers.”Levi’s eyes had not once left his alluring baby. Letting go of him had already taken every drop of Levi’s will power; how wo
When Cordia daddy received the report from the butler, he nearly choked on his spit.This son-in-law is treating his little son’s room as his own!! Has he no shame?? So many rooms in the manor, including his fiancée’s place, yet he chooses to settle in his son’s bedroom?!?For goodness sake! His son’s room didn’t even have a sofa! There is only that one bed!!It took Concordia city lord a long while to finally manage to swallow down his indignation.Very well! Every problem has its solution. (ꐦ ◠‿◠)And thus, he passed down his orders – tomorrow, when the two boys left the bedroom, move another bed inside.Not enough room for another bed? Make room! Even if you have to replace the large bed with a smaller one, you shall do it!Can’t get that huge bed out of the room? Don’t care how you do it! Even if the only solution is to split the huge bed into two with a bloody laser cutter, y
No, it wasn’t the matter of his baby’s suitors! He, the dignified and the magnanimous ruler of Astarea, and his darling’s one and only future husband didn’t need to worry about some peasants stealing the goddess–ahem, the god of his heart!(︶^︶)ノAlright, fine! The actual truth was that he hadn’t gotten his hands on that list just yet… (≖ ‸ ≖)Apparently, getting a list of his love rivals involved a lot of research; getting accurate information within such a short time frame was unrealistic. Or at least that’s what his people had claimed with tears in their eyes.Hmph, since he had more pressing matters to attend to right now, he would let them off the hook this once.As for the mentioned pressing matters, they were naturally related to getting married to his baby. Back when he had decided to switch the bride of the arranged marriage to his baby, Levi had lamented how much easier it would all be if h