Read Novel Full Chapter 417: Will You Marry Me?
Chapter 417: Chapter 417: Will You Marry Me?
Chapter 417 – Will You Marry Me?
[CASSIUS!] Ananke bellowed, the sound like the roar of a horrific monster deep inside the dark sea, snapping Cassius back into reality.
He jolted up in surprise, body quivering as if an electric shock had touched him, eyes blinking repeatedly before his face began to wince. The loud voice of Ananke was still echoing deep inside his skull.
’What was that for?’ Cassius grumbled, holding his head with one hand at the sudden headache, ’you didn’t need to shout that loudly, Queen.’
[I didn’t need to?] Ananke said, her voice obviously irritated, [Your mind was going somewhere dangerous, Cassius. How many times do I have to tell you to not be hasty when you do things that can affect you this profoundly?]
’I was not hasty. And I was just thinking about it.’ He defended himself, sitting more comfortably in his bed, ’and just take the time to ponder about it, Ananke, and you too, Tysche. If I could make that Lie a Truth...then all of this would no longer be necessary. I will be free to do what I please. I will be free to just travel the world without all of this.’
[I don’t know sister, maybe it was only us who have read the ’Curse’ part right?] Tysche said with a sarcastic tone, [Maybe he is a fool. I think he is certainly a fool!]
’I have read that part. But I can deal with a curse.’
[Because you don’t know the type of Curse you are playing with.] Tysche replied, rebuking him.
[And do you really think, Cassius, that the System will give you something that will make all your problems disappear?] Ananke said wearily, [Think, Cassius. You are smarter than this. The Game Must Go On, that’s what it said. What do you think will happen if you use this Ticket to make your current problem disappear?]
Ananke didn’t wait for an answer.
[A Bigger one will appear, and that would be infinitely worse.]
Cassius listened to his goddesses rebuking him for thinking of that possibility, and he sighed, passing wearily his hand down his face.
’Nothing is easy in this damned world, is it?’
[This life was never meant to be easy anyway, darling.] Tysche said, [Everyone’s life has some difficulties in it. Even us, the gods, and other unique entities. No one is spared by this fate, even the Goddess of Fate herself is not.]
’Then what do you advise me for this Ticket?’ He asked, his long hair falling over his face, annoying him. He swiftly tied it down with a tie made of blood.
[For now, you don’t need it.] Ananke replied, [There is not a Lie you could make without consequences at this moment. So keep it. No, you know what, give it to me, I will keep it for you.]
Cassius’s lips twitched, ’You don’t trust me, do you? And I am not a child with no self control. I can control—!’
[Cassius, give it to me.]
The voice was dead cold.
[Well, mommy is angry.] Tysche chimed in, chuckling.
The Last Born also knew that his Queen was not in a good mood. So he obeyed like a good child and gave the Ticket to Ananke, to keep it for him.
All while Tysche kept mocking him, calling him impatient and foolish. And that goddess dared to want to be his mother?
Hell no!
After accepting that it was not the time to use the Ticket, Cassius moved on.
’Well, let’s see the last one before going.’ He thought, summoning the last rewards, hoping this time the System was not going to play some bullshit with him.
He was getting more and more the urge to find who was behind the System and punch the bloody motherfucker.
[Sealed Artifact of Mother Demoness of Pestilence (Special Item): This Second Generation Goddess truly has a soft spot for you, hasn’t she, Last Born?
We don’t even know why, but somehow, many things about her kept drifting your way in some strange pattern.
This Sealed Artifact holds a fraction of the Sealed Power of Plague of Mother Demoness. Unleashing the power inside could plunge a City the size of Storm City, for example, into a wave of plague that could destroy it all.
This Artifact could only be used by you, Last Born. And it came with a message from Mother Demoness herself.
Listen well:
<If you receive this Artifact, it means you have come back, little snake. Your Last, you told me last time. Well, why, your last, then it is. You will find me this time, you said, didn’t you? You will free me from my shackles too, you said, didn’t you?
Well, why, I am waiting. You already know where I am. Already know why I am here. Or maybe not?
But I am waiting.
"> I didn’t know living as a human made it easier for a god to go mad. Well, why, have I actually gone mad?>
Congratulations, Last Born, for obtaining another Mother Demoness’s Possession. At this rate, her faithful believers will take you for her Blessed.
You are so dead.
The Game Must Go On!]
’At this point, I do not know what to think anymore.’ Cassius said after reading the message, ’It seems that Mother Demoness knew of me. And she said...this is the last?’
[Interesting.] Tysche said, intrigued, [How did you know her?]
’Are you really asking me this question? As if I knew?’ He said outrageously, ’you are more likely to know than I! Are you playing the fool?’
[We have our duties and we had done them.] Lady Luck said, [There are so many things we don’t know, darling, and we are learning them with you.]
[We were only concerned about your reincarnation from Earth to here as Noah.] Ananke added, [Anything else...we are as clueless as you.]
’Well, welcome to the damn club.’ Cassius said dryly, ’and I have learned by now to not tire myself of things I cannot know at this time.’
He tilted his head.
’But what she said about gods going mad easier after choosing to live as a human is interesting. Have you heard of any gods who have done this?’
[No gods would do this and tell the whole Divine World.] Tysche scoffed, [But there are sometimes gods who are known for that. Either because they got stronger or...have gone mad.]
’So there is benefit and downside?’
[As all things in life.]
Cassius fell into pondering silence.
He was even more curious about the Journal of Mother Eve now. However, he truly didn’t have the time to go through some ailment at that point.
His grandma could come back at any moment for them to go to Deathless Prison.
So after taking in the dreadful power of the Artifact, and thinking of the many uses he could have for it, Cassius jumped off the bed, walking towards the bathroom to shower fast and get ready.
And as he did, he took out his phone, entering Meadow’s contact. He didn’t call her, and simply sent her a message:
<Hello, Meadow! Good or good? I just wanted to know where is the Pen I so generously gave you last time?
Hope you didn’t lose it. If you did, slap yourself hard. Joke aside (it’s not a joke), we might need to have a serious discussion about how soft and efficient that pen is.
Also, why not invite our dear friend Sarah into it? We have so many things to talk about at this point.
Don’t worry I won’t take back the pen from you (only because I can’t, by the way. You lucky.)
"> See you.>
After sending the message, he threw his phone away, stepped inside the bathroom. However, as he stripped down his clothes, Cassius suddenly thought something:
’I completely forgot...I didn’t say anything yet to Meadow about her brother, Sea, who commissioned the Fangs to steal the Artifact.’
Cassius didn’t know what that meant, but it was better if Meadow knew about it.
’I will tell her—!’
"ANGEL! YOU ARE NOT DONE YET?"
The Last Born instantly began to hurry, "IN FIVE SECONDS!"
Then he jumped inside the bathtub filled with water, causing water to splash all around the bathroom.
[Cassius, this is not what I taught you about manners.]
’To hell with manners! I am late!’
...
"Who took the Artifact? You knew the group?" Theophane asked with a sweet voice, standing behind Sea Wealth who was sitting on his chair, supposedly working.
The two were inside the office room of Sea Wealth, a gentle blue light softly illuminating the whole space.
Sea was leaning his elbows on his blue desk made of the bones of a sea beast. At the right side of the table was a picture of Meadow, a young one, around 8-9 years old with a missing front tooth, smiling joyfully.
Many other objects were left sprawled on the table, but all in complete order.
Theophane was caressing Sea’s body gently, sensually even, feeling the compact muscles underneath the black suit of Sea.
"I don’t know." Sea said, voice steady, his hair in locs just like his sister, Meadow, and pulled into a ponytail showing his handsome features, "All I know is that Fangs has failed. But I have a more important question, Theophane."
He turned his head enough to look at the white eyes of Theophane, at her fascinating beauty, and felt his heart speed up. But he still continued his words, gathering enough self control:
"Why did you tell me to share this information with my sister, Meadow?" He asked, narrowing his eyes dangerously, "Did you know that she would take that mission?"
"I didn’t know."
"Don’t lie to me, Theophane." He growled, "I know your power. You are a Seer. And I know what Seer could do. So let me ask you again, why did you tell me to tell my sister about it? Do you wish her death or did you have another goal?"
The last words were spoken with a faint but weak killing intent directed at Theophane. Yet the woman didn’t flinch.
She only smiled and caressed Sea’s face with her soft hand,
"I didn’t know." She repeated, her face unmoved, unreadable, "I only know that your sister likes MasterofPaths and would love to know that. I wanted to show you that I care about your family."
"You think I would believe you?"
"Will you not believe a woman who gives you what you want without asking for anything in return?" Theophane smiled. "How many women follow you only for your wealth, Sea Wealth?"
"That’s exactly why I don’t trust you," he retorted. "A woman who wants my wealth, I understand. I don’t even mind it. I will die one day and leave all of this behind. It’s no use to me then. But a woman like you?"
He scowled. Theophane only smiled.
"What?" she asked. "Do I challenge the esteemed Prince?"
"What is your goal with me, Theophane?"
"What else?" She moved closer, her lips hovering near his. "I want to be with you. I want to marry you, Sea."
"Everyone wants that. Nothing new."
"The difference is that you want to marry me too." She said it with such confidence that Sea found himself unable to answer, because it was the truth. "So stop all this pretense. Look me in the eyes, ask me to marry you, and you will find me agreeing without a single hesitation."
She stared deeply into his eyes, her own so impossibly white that Sea found himself, once again, wondering how such beauty could exist.
"Why?" Theophane continued, taking his face between her hands. "Are you ashamed of me? Ashamed to show your glorious mother that you love a woman like me?"
"What is a woman like you?"
"An orphan with nothing to her name except her beauty and her body."
"We both know you are more than that. Don’t try to fool me, Theophane. I am my mother’s son."
"Then answer my demand, Sea."
He stared at her. "Do you really want to marry me?"
"You really don’t believe me?"
"I don’t."
"Then try me."
Theophane kissed him, tugging tenderly at his lower lip before whispering against it.
"Ask me, Sea Wealth. Ask me to be your wife. I need nothing from you. Not your money. Not your fame. I only want you to be my husband." Her white eyes remained fixed upon his. "And then I will guide you to glory with these eyes."
Sea Wealth found himself suddenly lost within the soft lilt of Theophane’s voice, within the fire that was Theophane herself.
Her hands traveled over him before wrapping around his body, holding him as though he were the most precious thing in the world.
Their kiss stopped for a moment, and their eyes locked. Once again, Sea realized just how much he loved this woman despite himself.
And once again, he found himself grateful for that day when he had met her, shortly before the Academy began, when he had given her a place to stay before she participated in the Scholarship Exam.
He hadn’t known why he helped her then, except that he could, and that she was beautiful.
But now...now he was foolishly in love with her.
And worse, he could feel the danger behind that love.
Yet Sea embraced that danger in the same way he embraced her at that moment, lifting her onto the table as his hands began to pull at her clothes.
Theophane stared at him, her face flushed red, her tongue passing slowly across her lips.
"Will you marry me?" She asked.
Her legs parted wider as she reached aside and lowered the portrait of the young Meadow, as though sparing the portrait the sight could somehow make Sea’s decision easier.
"If you touch me again, wanting to sleep with me, I’ll take that as a yes."
Sea looked at her for a long moment.
There were a hundred reasons in his eyes not to do it.
Perhaps a thousand, even.
Yet, slowly and deliberately, he reached for her in the same way a hero might reach into a fire that could save his people.
Except Sea Wealth was reaching for a fire that might one day burn him to ashes.
He knew that.
He reached anyway.
And he touched the White Witch.
—End of Chapter 417—