Reborn as an Extra

Chapter 899: Home and Beyond... Part-3.

Mel couldn’t understand that Rio needed to mend his heart properly and regain his emotions back before he could move forward, but she knew that Lia would have agreed to the marriage regardless of his situation.

Still, it was not hard for her to see how carefully Rio treated the girl, as if she was something delicate that would break if he rushed.

’Well, at least the two of them finally solidified their relationship... I won’t have to worry about Lia in the future...’

Mel considered Lia as a younger sister or even her daughter to an extent, so she was always concerned about her well-being, and despite showing a poker face all day long, she cared a lot about whether Lia was happy or sad.

Over the years she had braided Lia’s hair, scolded her for skipping meals, and stayed up beside her bed on the nights when darkness took hold of her.

Seeing Lia giggle and cry all for Rio in a matter of a few seconds, Mel knew that there was no need to worry anymore.

Lia and Rio had become pillars of support for each other, and they didn’t need anyone else to interfere in their lives anymore.

Whenever one of them stumbled, the other was always there to catch them, and that was something that no maid or guard could ever replace.

’Sigh... to think that young lady who used to seclude herself in an empty training ground all alone for days and had lost all thoughts about befriending anyone would make so much progress...’

’Life really is strange... and love really is powerful...’

Mel quietly turned away and blinked a few times, then smoothed down her apron as though nothing had happened and returned to her duties with the same flat expression as always.

...

The proposal that Rio did was too hurried, and even the background was not up to par with the mood, but he couldn’t stop himself from laying his feelings bare in front of Lia after suppressing them for far too long.

Thus, once inside the silver mansion, Rio and Lia both felt a bit embarrassed and awkward thinking about how passionate they were right in front of all the guards and maids watching them.

Their cheeks were still warm, and neither of them dared to look at the other for too long, so they both pretended to be genuinely interested in the patterns on the carpet.

’Urgh... I feel like I would be laughed at in the future when my children would ask me about my lousy marriage proposal...’

Shaking his head in embarrassment, Rio stroked and stretched Lia’s smooth and cute cheeks while speaking to James.

"Father-in-law, I have already bought a house and a big garden, I have enough money saved up in my account, and I can fully take care of Lia and her future expenses."

"So be sensible and just promise me the hand of your daughter obediently, or I will have no choice but to abduct her and take her away directly!"

He crossed his arms and lifted his chin proudly, trying very hard to look like a ruthless villain from a bad stage play.

At Rio’s words, James almost burst out laughing.

’My grandpa, you are literally a god now!! Do you think a puny S-ranker like me dares to object!?’

Controlling his laughter, James played along with Rio’s prank and spoke out in a fake angry voice.

"Over my dead body! I will never give my daughter to a hooligan like you!!"

"Who in this entire city doesn’t know that you are an illegitimate child of the Demon King!? I will never let my grandchildren be little demons!!"

James pointed an accusing finger at Rio and stomped his foot against the floor with so much drama that even the potted plants in the hall seemed to tremble.

Hearing those fake furious words, Rio’s face almost cramped up.

He could feel his eyebrows twitch wildly on his forehead while Lia hid her face behind her sleeve, shaking with silent laughter.

’F*ck! I am not an illegitimate child, you old man! I am the literal Demon King myself!!’

Just when the father-in-law and son-in-law were messing around with each other, James’s butler, who was standing nearby, coughed lightly and spoke.

"Cough... master, the papers you wanted are here."

Seeing the serious butler give Rio and James a stern look as if he was looking at two weirdos, Lia giggled to herself and poked Rio’s face with her finger to take revenge against Rio’s mischievous hands that were missing with her face!

"Ahem, good. You can go."

The butler gave a brief bow and walked away with perfectly straight steps, though the faint twitch at the corner of his mouth said he was also struggling to stay serious.

James coughed lightly, returned to his normal calm state, and signed the papers after skimming through them for a while before saying,

"It’s good that you two are deciding to move out, but as you two know, I have no other children to inherit my life’s work..."

"The guild I have created and managed for years... I wish to leave it in Lia’s hands now that you two are adult and mature enough to take care of each other."

His voice grew softer and a little heavy, as if each word carried the weight of all the years he had spent building the guild with his own hands.

James looked at Lia, who was being a lazy cat and snuggling in Rio’s arms, completely unconcerned about the huge sum of money James was giving her, and spoke while shaking his head.

"Although the money, wealth, and fame of this guild are negligible to you two, I hope that you will take care of it for me in the future..."

"I have lived a life of violence and combat for far too long... I wish to retire and hand over the responsibilities to the new generation now."

For a brief moment the usually cheerful old man looked tired, and the lines on his face seemed deeper than before, yet his eyes were calm and content.

Rio and Lia only needed to show their faces in the guild every once in a while; everything else would be taken care of by the original staff, so there was no need to worry about a burden.

In truth, the guild already ran smoothly like a well-oiled machine, and James had trained its staff with great care for exactly this day.

The only reason James wanted to pass it all off his shoulders was because he wanted to retire and live the rest of his life in peace while focusing on his hobbies to pass time.

He had spent so many years chasing after strength and responsibility that he had hardly ever had the chance to enjoy a calm and ordinary morning.