Deadline Is Raining in the Status Window - Chapter 186

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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#Since things have come to this, I’m heading to the wedding venue.

Upon arriving home, Evan Laef immediately summoned the Wedding Planner, followed by Ronell from Ronel’s Clothing Shop. With money flying like confetti and demands for everything to be prepared at once, both the Wedding Planner and Ronell protested at the sudden urgency. But when Evan struck them with a bag of cash, neither wanted to be hit with something heavier, so they promised their best efforts and rushed into action.
“Now, what is this, what is this, what on earth is this?”
Apet, who had run out of astonishment entirely and could only repeat herself, paced in circles through the elegant reception room of the Neftis Townhouse, clutching her head. She was utterly, completely bewildered. She’d only come to stop the Sung King’s child from harming others, yet somehow she was about to marry someone a hundred years younger.
“You’re joking, right? You’re not actually getting married, are you? You’re just pretending, yes?”
“I don’t joke about such things.”
“Please, just joke a little!”
Apet, who had always lectured that one must never lose humor no matter how difficult life becomes, slapped her own head repeatedly and rolled across the sofa, muttering that this wasn’t what she meant.
Ronell, who had been measuring the groom’s tuxedo, snapped at him to stand still. She had grown to the point where she could get angry at anyone except Mitchell Neftis.
“Why are you getting angry!”
“I’m dying from lack of time, so how am I not supposed to get angry?! If I die at the hands of the young lady of House Neftis, will you take responsibility?!”
“No, that’s not it, but still, let’s not get upset with each other, shall we?”
“If you don’t like me raising my voice, then stand up straight, groom!”
“U-yes…”
The twelve-year-old groom did everything she asked out of fear of the clothing shop owner. When told to raise his arms, he raised them; when told to remove something, he removed it. Watching Apet sniffling and fumbling with her shirt buttons, Evan drank her peach juice with great interest.
“Miss, could you step aside for a moment?”
“Why?”
“Well, I need to change clothes, don’t I?”
“You’ll see everything anyway on the honeymoon, won’t you?”
“How many times do I have to say this—you’re not actually getting married, are you? Tell me you’re not.”
“I’m marrying you.”
“No, you’re not.”
Apet felt as though her mind was slipping away. She couldn’t even comprehend how she was removing her shirt and lowering her trousers. Taking advantage of this moment, Ronell quickly took measurements and even asked if she should prepare platform shoes to adjust for the height difference, but Apet had no capacity to respond.
“There’s no need to match heights. I’m going to brag about marrying such a ridiculously young man!”
“I’ll prepare it as you’ve instructed!”
“I’ll have the sugar figurines on the cake made to show the height difference as well!”
Every woman in this room had lost her mind. Apet desperately wished for someone to take her side, and just then, word came that Duke Neftis had arrived home. Judging by the late hour, it seemed he had walked rather than taken the Zibenstein carriage. Half-dressed, Apet rushed to the Duke and poured out her grievances.
“Listen here, listen! Won’t you stop your daughter! Your daughter is trying to marry this old man!”
“Eh?”
Duke Neftis, who had just arrived after a long walk and was about to rest, heard the shocking news and looked at Mitchell. She picked up her peach juice glass and smiled wickedly, saying that’s how it turned out.
My smiling daughter is so beautiful. The way she holds that crystal glass is like a photograph itself. I should capture this precious moment on film.
The thought of photography suddenly struck Duke Neftis, and he shouted to his servants.
“A wedding! For a wedding, we must have photographs! Summon all the finest photographers!”
“Is the Duke mad! Your precious child is marrying an old man like me?! Surely you should stop this!”
“My daughter can marry an old pretty boy if she wants! Why are you interfering! How absurd!”
The Duke, growling that he would slaughter anyone who dared interfere with his beautiful daughter’s affairs, let his imagination run wild. While Seian Crowell and Mitchell Neftis’s union would produce predictable offspring combinations, I couldn’t fathom what result might emerge from this fair-haired beautiful youth and Mitchell.
There was something delightful about the unpredictable. The combination of the golden-haired beautiful youth and Mitchell Neftis was also quite excellent. With his spirits thoroughly elevated, Duke Neftis inquired about the wedding date and instructed his staff to order the finest wines. Today had been a good day.
“These people are all insane!”
And so it came to pass. Apet had no choice but to adapt to these lunatics.

◇ ◆ ◇

Several days had passed since Seian Crowell staggered out of the Conference Hall. He noticed the steady patter of rain outside and forced himself to rise, closing the window with effort.
If things continued this way, I would have to surrender my body to the Sung King. I should have listened to Evan’s words. But this was the only way I could have any voice at all within the Imperial Palace. Unable to do this, unable to do that, trembling in fear of when the Sung King might come calling, I’d spent nights drowning in alcohol until I lost track of how many days had passed.
“Ugh…!”
My head throbbed. It was from days of heavy drinking. I was suffering terribly, yet Evan was nowhere to be found.
I had resolved to rebuff her if she came chasing after me, and sworn not to meet her if she found me in my bedroom, but cruelly, Evan never sought me out at all.
Perhaps she’d lost interest because I was about to become someone else’s.
Whenever such thoughts crossed my mind, my heart would plummet and tears would trickle down. She’d said she liked me so much—how could she do this to me? It made no sense. Evan was truly a bastard.
“Damn it, you wretched thing.”
Not even a single letter asking how I was doing. I reached for alcohol again in my wounded pride. And I subtly asked my attendant whether the Duke’s daughter had perhaps come looking for me. There had been no word for days, so it was unlikely today would be any different, yet I still harbored hope.
“The Duke has sent a letter.”
“Bring it here!”
Though the letter was from Duke Neftis, her father, rather than Evan, I urged my attendant to fetch it at once. She must have felt awkward writing her own name and borrowed her father’s instead.
Was it meant to console me? Or had she found a way to break off negotiations with the Sung King? If neither worked, I’d rather Evan just abduct me. With such hopes, I opened the envelope.
Inside was an invitation to a wedding being held at the Neftis Townhouse.
“?”
The groom was someone named Apet, a name I’d never heard before, and the bride was Evan Laef. I wondered if this was perhaps some sort of cipher and held the invitation upside down to read it. No matter how I read it, the letters made no sense.
Come to think of it, there were encrypted letters where the real text would appear when held over flame. I brought a candle and held the invitation over it. No hidden letters emerged.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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