Deadline Is Raining in the Status Window - Chapter 278

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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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#Not Some King, Just Seian Crowell

I had been wrestling with philosophical questions during this time—the sort of existential musings that plague everyone during adolescence: what is the meaning of my existence?
I was once a transparent Crown Prince. Now I’m a transparent Imperial Brother. And I’m human. I attend Law School, and if my performance at the Training Institute is strong, I’ll be fast-tracked to become a prosecutor or judge, but my immediate goal is to become a lawyer for Evan Laef.
Looking at my circumstances piece by piece, I’m undeniably accomplished. My appearance is equally favored. Yet the moment I stand beside Evan Laef, I’m overwhelmed by an inexplicable sense of inferiority.
Evan Laef was the Demon Race King. She possessed strength befitting that station and beauty that rivaled my own appearance. She was the ruler of Ilam and might soon become the queen of a duchy independent from the Empire. Some might envy a man who married such a woman and became her husband, but I felt only stress and inadequacy.
It was already unbearable to feel inferior to Evan Laef, yet this woman had two other men in her pocket besides me.
Gerth, who married before me, was the king of all Demi-humans and possessed such tremendous strength that he could fight Evan Laef as an equal, or so they said. By any measure, they were a perfectly matched pair.
That bastard Cha Cha was the Underworld King, and apparently he was deeply beloved by the Mother Goddess. Those accustomed to receiving love excel at it, and before Evan Laef, he was insufferably ingratiating and whiny, extracting only the sweetest rewards before departing.
Compared to them, I possessed nothing. I held no power, was no king of anything, had no wealth, and while I took some confidence in my appearance, the Serpent King and Underworld King weren’t so far beneath me in that regard. They each possessed their own charm. They were sufficiently handsome.
So I tormented myself with the question: was it truly acceptable for me to remain as I was?
Was Evan Laef’s affection for me merely a passing whim? Might she grow bored before long? And if she did? Did I possess any means to win back her heart? Of course not. Even if I fought with all my might, I couldn’t leave so much as a scratch upon her. In that regard, I envied Gerth. Evan Laef and Gerth were equals.
“I… well, I go when told to go. I come when told to come.”
Summoned by Cecilia, I muttered to myself as I entered the Imperial Palace. I roughly understood why the Emperor had called for me today. It was an order to consummate my marriage with Evan Laef, now that an auspicious date had been selected.
Honestly, what Cecilia was doing was insane. Imperial Palace protocol or whatever—who conducts a wedding night in front of everyone? I still couldn’t grasp the reality that I’d married Evan Laef, and if I were subjected to such madness, I’d lose my mind entirely.
“But…”
Refusing felt equally unbearable. If I rejected this proposal, I had no idea how to secure a moment alone with Evan Laef, and I despised watching Gerth strut about with such composure, boasting that he’d gone first.
It infuriated me. He acted so smug about having been with Evan Laef first, and the other day he’d even called me aside to advise me on what she enjoyed, instructing me to focus my efforts there. The frustration, the injustice, the jealousy—it all kindled my resolve to be with Evan Laef, yet…
“But publicly… that’s…”
I still lacked the audacity for a public consummation spectacle. Today too, I’d be swept along by these strong-willed people and the consummation date would be postponed indefinitely. I watched the debate unfold in a state of half-resignation.
“No, that’s exactly why! Why do you all have to watch, you lunatics!”
“It’s Imperial Palace protocol.”
“She talks nonsense all the time, so fine! But Gerth, why are you suddenly—!”
“The human Emperor said that as a related party, I must attend.”
“Bullshit!”
When Evan Laef slammed her hand on the table, it split cleanly in two. Her strength was always formidable. If Evan Laef so desired, she could reduce my body to five pieces without breaking a sweat. My spine tingled with dread, and I trembled.
“Don’t make your younger sibling do things he dislikes! Cecilia, you’re supposed to be his older sister!”
“My beloved Seian Crowell, do you dislike my proposal?”
“Uh, yes…?”
In an instant, everyone at the table fixed their attention upon me. They all waited for me to speak. Unaccustomed to such pressure, I fumbled for words to deflect, but something shifted in my mind, and I uttered words of affirmation instead.
“I-I’ll do it. What’s the harm?”
“What?”
“Let’s do it! There’s nothing stopping us!”
“Then it’s decided.”
Cecilia’s lips curved into a satisfied smile. The auspicious date she’d selected was tonight, and all preparations were complete. With attendants, Cecilia, and Gerth as witnesses, Seian Crowell and Evan Laef would successfully consummate their marriage.
Incidentally, Sera Crowell received an invitation to the consummation spectacle and tore it to shreds right there, declaring that the Emperor had lost his mind. In this vast Imperial Palace, Sera Crowell was the only person with any sense.
“Seian. Have you truly made up your mind?”
“Yes! I’ve decided! Why are you asking! I said I’d do it!”
Watching the long-haired ferret-like creature squeaking indignantly about going through with it, Evan wore an expression of profound doubt. No matter how she looked at it, he seemed to be acting out of sheer spite.
“If you find it unbearable, do tell me at any point during the process.”
Evan departed with a servant’s guidance to undergo ritual purification and bathing. Seian was likewise led away by attendants, bathed thoroughly, had his hair washed with fragrant oils, and received a massage to relax his body.
Though his body felt refreshed, he couldn’t shake the nagging sensation that something was going terribly wrong.
Upon entering the prepared chamber, Evan stood beside the bed, while Gerth and Cecilia were elegantly slicing sautéed cod as though preparing for a late evening meal.
“Quite the impressive lineup.”
Evan examined the medicinal preparations and instruments the servants had brought, holding each one up in turn. Seian climbed onto the bed with an awkward, creaking gait and lay down flat on his back.
“Come on then, whenever you’re ready!”
Seian Crowell declared this with bold confidence.

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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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