Deadline Is Raining in the Status Window - Chapter 188

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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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Once Apet fell into Evan Laef’s hands, no amount of military force would make a difference. I laughed high and bright in the central hall of the Neftis Townhouse, which was transforming into a wedding venue. Reina Letem watched me like I was entertainment, contentedly tearing into dried squid.
“You really do look like a villain.”
“House Neftis has always specialized in abduction and confinement.”
“Ah, I heard about your grandmother from my mother too.”
“I’m putting Grandmother’s legacy to good use.”
The underground confinement chamber that Grandfather had built was now being used by Apet. It was quite spacious and comfortable, though unfortunately sunlight never reached it. Because of that, I took Apet for walks once a day to synthesize vitamin D.
“Are you really going to get married?”
“I am.”
I’d already selected the officiant and the person to sing the congratulatory song, sent out all the invitations, and planned to bring my parents. Why would you doubt it after seeing all this? When I asked in bewilderment, Reina spoke the truth frankly.
“The transparent Crown Prince is one thing, but I don’t think Gerth will just sit still.”
“Ah.”
I suddenly remembered someone I’d completely forgotten until now.
“But Gerth is….”
He would need a lot of time to think. He seemed quite shocked when I said I’d eat both the lemon pie and the strawberry cake. He’d need time alone, so it was right not to send him an invitation.
When I spouted this ridiculous logic, Reina smacked her forehead repeatedly.
“Hey, what about Kanna? Did you send Kanna an invitation?”
“Kanna is busy. I can’t disturb her work.”
“You lunatic!”
Even if Gerth could be managed somehow, not informing Kanna Sabah about the wedding was truly asking for disaster. No matter how many more weddings I could have, the first wedding held great significance even among the Nobility.
Not inviting an assassin with that strange love that could easily twist into obsession to the wedding made it seem like I was hastening my own demise.
“Do you want to become Aurora the princess?!”
“A melodrama?”
“What are you talking about! The sleeping one!”
Ah, that fairy tale where a witch wasn’t invited to some birthday or other and cast a sleeping curse? I barely grasped what Reina meant, but I couldn’t understand how that connected to the wedding invitation matter.
Reina smacked the back of the pretty-faced blockhead and shoved me roughly, shouting.
“Send a telegram right now! Tell her you’re getting married tomorrow!”
“Why should I do that?”
“Just do it!”
“Well…, understood.”
Watching the pretty-faced blockhead trudge away, Reina beat her chest in frustration. You owe me a life, remember that. With that thought, Reina continued her patrol. Since Sung King had attacked in the dead of night recently, it seemed she’d come again at dawn to catch us off guard.

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Kanna Sabah, the temporary leader of the Hashashin who had just returned after handling accumulated requests from abroad, collapsed onto the living room carpet thinking she could finally sleep, but soon received a telegram and rushed out like the wind. Evan Laef was getting married tomorrow, it said.

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After the lemon pie and strawberry cake incident, Gerth had secluded himself in his chamber at the Serpent King’s Tower for an extended meditation.
Human nature, the cycle of life and death, and the projected lifespan of Evan Laef, who was expected to grow exponentially stronger as a mana user.
Gerth had genuinely tried to understand Evan Laef from every angle. First, there was the matter of human nature. Laws differed by nation—some practiced monogamy while others permitted polygamy. But this was merely legal constraint; human nature itself did not vary by nation.
So what was human nature truly? Upon reflection, wealthy women often had multiple husbands. Evan Laef possessed wealth, status, beauty, strength, and virtue—she had everything one could desire. It was only natural that she would wish to have multiple husbands. Considering this, wanting only two was rather modest.
Evan Laef had everything, yet she knew how to seek simple happiness. She was a true human being. Gerth felt a warm sense of satisfaction.
Next came the matter of lifespan. Evan Laef was human, but now that she wielded mana, she would live far longer. Demi-humans surpassed humans in strength and longevity precisely because they were a mana-wielding race.
Human males typically lived sixty to seventy years. If Evan Laef’s lifespan reached a maximum of three hundred, that was less than a third. From a long-term perspective, the lemon pie would die and disappear midway. If Gerth shared Evan Laef with the lemon pie for merely fifty years, the remaining two hundred and thirty years would be his alone. Long life was a blessing.
All that mattered was not increasing the number of husbands further. He could even overlook bringing in more humans, but if she brought in a long-lived species, even Gerth would not be able to endure it.
So it was only the lemon pie. Only the lemon pie and strawberry cake. Overindulgence caused problems. Having reached this conclusion, Gerth ended his meditation and left the chamber. With the worry about the lemon pie lifted, he felt considerably relieved.
“Father! Disaster has struck! Disaster has struck! Father! Father, something terrible has happened!”
It had been a long time since he’d seen Hubert in such a flustered state. When he had first heard about the lemon pie and strawberry cake from Evan Laef, he too had been equally confused. Recalling that worry, which was now a thing of the past, Gerth smiled slightly and asked his son what the matter was.
Hubert brought forth a telegram that Makina had received by wireless transmission and raised his voice.
“Mother has gotten married!”
“Is it to the lemon pie?”
“What are you saying! Not food—a person! It’s Apet! Apet!”
Apet? Where had he heard that name before? Gerth fell into thought. Now that he thought about it, he had once met privately with a priestess who claimed to have received Mother’s voice, and that priestess’s name had been Apet. That was before Hubert was born, and because both that priestess and Mother had strongly approved, he had been able to make the decision to have a child.
Despite being human, that person possessed a truly remarkable constitution. When using healing skills on others, her own body would return to its healthiest state. So she had apparently been living as a twelve-year-old for all this time.
“….”
If the Apet that Hubert was speaking of was indeed that Apet, then she would remain in a twelve-year-old body indefinitely unless her head was severed. It was not merely a long-lived species—it was the realm of immortality. Gerth would have no time to monopolize Evan Laef.
“This is indeed a disaster.”
“Yes! It is a disaster!”
Hubert was relieved that his father also considered it a serious matter. When the telegram arrived, he had immediately told his maternal grandmother that Evan Laef’s mother was getting married, but Eleanor had only been startled at first before asking if the man was handsome.
“Where is the ceremony?”
“At the Neftis Townhouse in Crownpolis! The wedding is tomorrow!”
I must hurry. Gerth nodded, preparing himself mentally. He bore some responsibility for this situation. Had he finished his deliberation quickly and told Evan Laef beforehand to have only the lemon pie, she would not have reached for the delicacy.
「Wait, wait! You’re going to that bastard’s wedding, right? I want to go too!」
A small mechanical being powered by clockwork settled upon Gerth’s shoulder. Having received the entire telegram, it seemed Ilyong would be presiding as officiant, and Samryong appeared to be attending as well. The Machine King proposed that they gather the family together for once.
“It hardly qualifies as a family gathering when Iyong is absent.”
「But Iyong is going too? Master has quite the connections.」
“Evan Laef is truly remarkable.”
「Indeed, that one is something else.」
What kind of life must one live to become acquainted with the first dragon, the Serpent King, and the Machine King? The Machine King chattered away, gripping Gerth’s shoulder firmly.
The journey to the Capital would not be dull. With that thought, Gerth entrusted the Tower to his son and set out.

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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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