Sera bolted for the door almost instinctively.
However, a figure was already standing there, blocking Sera's path.
Simon spoke up, "Where do you think you're going, Sera?"
Sera's expression changed. "I'm going to find Yorid! Father, don't stop me. I heard something happened to him!"
"Oh? Something happened to Yorid?" Simon looked somewhat surprised, clearly unaware of the situation. "Hmph, that works out perfectly then. You should take this opportunity to cut ties with him. That good-for-nothing isn't worthy of you."
"Father, we already have a child together!"
"Your child ran away from home; who knows how long it's been since he came back." At the mention of this, Simon couldn't help but get angry. "And that guy Yorid didn't even know to stop him! It's all his fault that my grandson, whom I've barely met, is still missing!"
Sera was left speechless; she couldn't refute that point.
"He was even the one who proposed the cooling-off period... What is so good about a man like that? I can't believe you're still siding with him." Simon snorted coldly. "When the cooling-off period is over, you will agree to his terms immediately and end this marriage. It's for your own good! You aren't getting any younger; you should have already found your next husband by now!"
"Bang—"
The door was slammed shut heavily.
Sera sat back down in her original spot, looking somewhat lost and dejected.
"Was it that Yorid fellow who proposed the cooling-off period? He really has no taste," Jerome took the opportunity to step forward and comfort her. "If it were me..."
"Stay away from me!" Sera grabbed the ashtray from the coffee table and hurled it at Jerome. It hit him square in the chest, leaving a large smear of ash on his expensive fitted formal suit.
"Tsk, what a troublesome woman." Jerome's face turned quite gloomy as he stood up and walked out the door.
...
"How is the situation?"
"What do you mean it failed? How could it fail? Aren't those guys assassins from the Blood Alliance?"
"An unexpected expert intervened? Hah, is making excuses all you know how to do? A bunch of trash!"
Jerome's expression became even uglier.
Naturally, he was the one who had paid the Blood Alliance to assassinate Yorid... As long as that guy died, his marriage alliance with Sera should proceed much more smoothly.
The Blood Alliance had a branch here in the Elven territories. Recently, there had been some internal turmoil within the Alliance; it seemed the Elven branch was trying to break away from the Human branch.
But what Jerome hadn't expected was that the assassination would actually fail.
Mission failure... did not mean a refund of the gold coins he had spent.
Yorid was not weak, and as a former captain of the Elven Guard, his status was somewhat sensitive. Jerome had paid a heavy price to deal with him... but now, it had all gone down the drain.
Hiring assassins was an illicit affair to begin with; Jerome couldn't exactly go complain to the Consumer Association. He had no choice but to swallow this bitter pill in silence.
"Damn it!"
Jerome punched the nearby wall with all his might... He wasn't a warrior, just an ordinary person. The wall was perfectly fine, but the impact left his hand stinging with pain.
"Mr. Jerome, is something the matter?" a maid passing by outside the room asked.
Jerome took a deep breath, forcing his expression to calm down. "It's nothing."
...
"Lord Simon..." The steward found Simon and whispered something in his ear.
"What? Are you sure this order came down from the Royal Palace?" Simon's expression turned odd as he looked at the steward suspiciously.
The steward was an elderly elf with a white beard and a stern face. He had served several generations of the Lais family heads, and no one knew his exact age.
"There is no mistake."
Simon nodded. The steward wouldn't joke about something like this.
It seemed... some incredibly important big shot from above was coming to visit their Lais family.
Although the Lais family ranked among the top of the Elven race, they weren't the most representative family... If one were to speak of the most prestigious, that would undoubtedly be the Sylvie family.
Ever since a collateral branch of the Sylvie family produced Liana, the legendary archer who followed the Hero to defeat the Demon King, their reputation had reached its peak.
Back then, Simon had only agreed to his daughter's marriage with Yorid because he had eyes on that specific connection.
So, no matter how one looked at it, this honor shouldn't have fallen to the Lais family.
"When will that Lord of the Blood Clan be arriving?" Simon asked the steward.
"Immediately... We have almost no time to prepare."
"Then summon all direct family members to prepare for the reception. Just show respect; for someone of that stature, they likely won't care too much about the details... extravagant wastefulness might even have the opposite effect." Simon waved his hand and ordered, "Call Sera out as well. Put her matchmaking aside for now, and don't let her throw a tantrum and ruin things."
"Yes, Master." The steward bowed slightly and slowly retreated.
Moments later, the members of the Lais family were waiting quietly in the spacious great hall.
Sera stood amidst the crowd, still looking slightly dazed, her thoughts unknown.
"I heard a big shot from above is descending?"
"I heard it's the Progenitor of the Blood Clan! The mage who followed the Hero in the party that defeated the Demon King! She was even a teammate of Lady Liana."
"Isn't that a legendary figure then? Why would such an existence visit our family when coming to the Elven race?"
"I don't know... but it should be a good thing, right?"
In the center of the hall, a blood-colored magic circle suddenly emerged.
Immediately after, three figures slowly stepped out from within it.
The first to emerge was a middle-aged man with an upright posture. After surveying the surroundings, he bowed slightly towards the magic circle with his arm bent across his chest.
Aina, wearing a blood-red robe with a shawl, walked slowly out of the formation. Xia Lun, dressed in a butler's uniform, followed closely on her right side.
"Dorian, thank you for your hard work. If you have matters to attend to, you may leave first," Aina said indifferently.
"As you command, Lady Aina. Your subordinate bids you farewell." Dorian stepped back into the magic circle, and his form dissipated.
Simon immediately stepped forward to welcome them. After bowing respectfully, he began to introduce the Lais family, appearing somewhat reserved.
"Is that the legendary mage? The Hero's wife?"
"She's so beautiful..."
The rest of the family members whispered amongst themselves.
Sera looked up and glanced at the distinguished guest.
Hmm? She looked somewhat familiar. The butler standing beside her did as well; it seemed she had seen them somewhere before.
Sera suddenly remembered; they had indeed met not long ago... Because Xia Lun and the others had changed into rather magnificent clothes, she hadn't recognized them immediately.
"Ah!" Sera let out an instinctive cry of surprise, pointing at Aina. "It's you!"
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
ng to die together with you." Lin Xuan is dead, his body thrown into the river by his scumbag lover and her accomplice. She, the president of the Su Group, is decisive, ruthless, and ice-cold. For three days and three nights, she had his body fished out of the river, and without hesitation, she kissed the bloated corpse of Lin Xuan. She laid down beside him in a cold coffin, their fingers intertwined, a smile lingering on her lips as she closed her eyes. The noble and cold-hearted woman, only bending for one man—Lin Xuan. Lin Xuan, with his golden finger, is reborn and returns to the day of his wedding to the treacherous woman. Su Qiang comes to steal the bride. Lin Xuan's eyes light up, eager to pledge his loyalty on the spot, but instead, her kiss transfers a glass of drugged wine into his mouth, causing him to pass out... 【Male Protagonist with Single Female Lead】【Yandere Tycoon】【Action-Packed】【True vs. Fake Heir】
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
