<h4>Chapter 77: Viin Simtor, Ch 77</h4>
"I..."
Lucas was just about to speak when the door suddenly flew open with a loud "bang." A middle-aged man walked in, his face expressionless.
"Father?" Lucas was slightly startled. The man who entered was none other than his father, Schubert.
"Uncle, I..." E began to exin, but Schubert shook his head and said, "There''s no need to say anything."
Schubert ced the key he was holding back into his pocket and said calmly, "This decision is mine. E, this farce between you two has gone on long enough."
"About this farce between you two," Schubert said coolly, "I''ve always known. Young people tend to do reckless things, and I''ve tolerated it for long enough. But now, it''s time for it to end."
"This isn''t a farce," E said firmly, her gaze unwavering. "Lucas and I love each other deeply. No matter what, I won''t give him up."
"Sigh..." Schubert let out a soft sigh, but a wry smile appeared on his face. "I never liked ying the viin who breaks up lovebirds."
"Then why are you opposing us?" E asked, clearly puzzled.
"Because, for him, there are more important things to focus on right now," Schubert replied. "I''ll make a deal with you. Five years. No matter what happens, in five years, Lucas will end this marriage. Whatever happens between the two of you after that is your own business."
Lucas was unexpectedly moved by his father''s words. He had never imagined his normally stern father could show such a gentle side.
"E, please believe me," Lucas nodded. "I swear on the five-year promise, I will not fail you."
"At this point, if I keep pushing, it would only make me seem immature." Despite her words, E shot Lucas a disapproving look. "I just hope whatever you''re doing is worth the five-year wait."
---
[Entering text mode...]
[Age 22: Your political marriage to the Gunnhildr family proceeded smoothly, which only deepened your suspicions. It seemed as if the Gunnhildrs were trying to avoid suspicion by agreeing so easily.]
[You had no expectations for this marriage. Whether your bride was in or beautiful, you knew you had no choice but to ept.]
[The wedding wasn''t particrly grand, though both families invited a fair number of prominent figures. You were certain that E would never attend such an event. But to your surprise, you spotted her at the wedding.]
[She didn''t seem affected at all. Moving gracefully between guests of both families, she looked like just another attendee.]
[The only exnation you could think of was that she hade to witness your humiliation. After all, E''s beauty was renowned throughout Mondstadt. No matter how attractive your bride might be, she would surely pale inparison to E.]
[Finally, as the wedding music began, youid eyes on your bride for the first time. To your shock, it was none other than Jean Gunnhildr!]
[Yes, the very same Jean who had been the WindBlume Festival princess you met as a child.]
[Her beauty rivaled E''s, though shecked the same level of fame due to her family''s position. You had never expected the Gunnhildr family would offer their eldest daughter to you.]
[Dressed in her wedding gown, Jean naturally took your arm and, gazing into your eyes, whispered, "I told you we''d meet again, little one."]
[Compared to your childhood encounter, Jean had matured both in appearance and figure. The wedding gown entuated her perfectly, and not even E''s presence overshadowed her.]
[Jean seemedpletely at ease. As the main figures of the wedding, you both had to make the rounds. You thought E would seek you out, but before that could happen, Jean led you right to her.]
["You must be E," Jean said, raising her ss with sincerity. "My husband has told me how much you''ve taken care of him. Let me offer this toast to you. May you bless our marriage."]
Offering a toast to your "ex" at your wedding.
Could there be anything more awkward?
Even though it was text mode, Lucas felt an intense secondhand embarrassment, like he could dig a hole with his toes and crawl into it.
["Of course," E replied gracefully, taking a sip of her wine with a smile. "I wish you both a long and happy life together. May you have many children."]
[Though E smiled, you clearly saw small cracks forming in the ss she was holding.]
[As you and Jean prepared to move on, E suddenly called out to you: "Brother Lucas, we were so close as kids. Don''t you want to share a few more drinks with your sister?"]
[Without waiting for a response, E poured three more sses of wine and downed them in one go. Though conflicted, you stayed and shared three drinks with her.]
[Thanks to your Never Drunk skill, even three hundred drinks wouldn''t affect you. But watching E force a smile as she drank tore at your heart.]
[Perhaps trying to drown her sorrows, E drank a lot that night. Though you stayed close to Jean, your gaze never strayed far from E.]
[As the wedding was winding down, a tipsy E staggered over to you and Jean once more, slurring slightly. "Brother... can you help me to the restroom?"]
[Faced with her request, your options are...]
[1. Agree]
[2. Refuse]
[3. Ask Jean to take E instead]
In this situation, refusing would be the polite choice. After all, it was his wedding, and walking off with another woman might look strange.
But E was like a sister. Refusing her might raise suspicion instead.
"I''ll agree."
As soon as Lucas made his choice, a system notification popped up—
[Forcing entry into immersive mode...]
Again?!
How much do you enjoy watching these awkward scenes y out?
Looking at E''s drunken, hazy eyes, Lucas could only sigh inwardly.
"Sister E, I''ll help you." Lucas gently supported her, turning to Jean. "I''ll be right back."
"Alright," Jean said with a kind smile. "Take good care of... our sister."
For some reason...
Lucas couldn''t shake the feeling that this version of Jean, in the simtion, had a slightly... mischievous undertone.
Of course, it might just be his imagination.
After all, her upbringing in the simtion differed from the real Jean, so her personality was bound to have some differences.
Lucas quickly brought E to the restroom. But as they approached, E leaned weakly against him, her voice soft. "I can''t walk anymore... help me inside."
Luckily, the restrooms were unisex single stalls. Though exasperated, Lucas still dragged E''s limp body to the door.
Just as he was about to close it behind her, E grabbed his wrist and pulled him into the stall with her.
With a loud bang, the door mmed shut.
By the time Lucas realized what was happening, he found himself pinned tightly against the stall wall by E''s hands.
"Huh?" Lucas was stunned, mumbling, "Sister E... what are you doing?"
"What do you think?" E looked down at him, her cheeks flushed with a rosy tint. "I had to watch my dear little brother be someone else''s ''dear little brother.''"
"You... you''re drunk," Lucas said helplessly. "I should leave."
If anyone discovered the groom locked in a bathroom with another woman on his wedding night, rumors would undoubtedly spread like wildfire.
"Are you kidding?" To Lucas''s surprise, the drunken haze on E''s face disappeared in an instant, the flush retreating as well. "You think I''d get drunk so easily? After years of family events, my tolerance is as strong as steel."
She was... pretending to be drunk?
Lucas felt a jolt of nervousness. "E, you know this was all just an act. It wasn''t real."
"Even if I know that, watching you get cozy with her makes me angry," E pressed a finger to Lucas''s lips, pouting. "Just the thought of you two doing ''this and that'' tonight makes me feel terrible!"
Indeed, the most awkward thing about a wedding is that every guest knows what happens on the wedding night.
"Damn, if only your bride were ugly or fat," E said with annoyance. "At least then, I''d feel a bit better about it."
"It doesn''t matter," Lucas shook his head. "In my eyes, Sister E is always the most beautiful woman."
"Save that sweet talk for your new bride," E finally calmed down a bit, though she was still irritated. "I''m not that petty. Even if this marriage is a sham, the duties thate with it still need to be done."
Lucas understood E''s feelings all too well.
After all, watching the man she loved for years be sent into another woman''s arms would make any woman feel emotional.
"But..." E''s tone suddenly shifted, her eyes locking onto Lucas with intensity. "If you dare put more effort into being with her than you ever did with me, you''re dead!"
"Why... why is this such a strangepetition?" Lucas groaned, feeling a headacheing on. "Do you realize I almost blew my cover earlier?"
"You''re upset over something like that?" E let out augh, her anger starting to fade. "Well then, as your sister, I should make it up to you."
"Wait... wait a second..." Lucas''s face flushed. "What... what are you nning, Sister?"
"What do you think?" E adjusted her position, a mischievous smile on her face. "That Gunnhildr woman has been provoking me all night. So, I''ll give her a groom who''s too exhausted to do anything on his wedding night!"
No way... not here!
Just as Lucas reached for the door handle, he suddenly heard footsteps outside.
Crap, I can''t leave now.
Panicking, Lucas lifted his feet off the ground, hoping the person outside wouldn''t notice the shadow of two pairs of shoes in the stall.
"Looks like I have no choice..."
Lucas felt his mind starting to melt.
Looks like he''ll just have to follow E''s lead...
...
Meanwhile, outside the restroom, a strange-looking girl with a purple pointed hat stood by the door, her face grim as she clutched her stomach.
"Damn it! I barely managed to sneak into this wedding under the pretense of being an astrologist, and now I''ve got a stomachache from overeating..." the girl muttered, biting her lip. "I can''t help it. I was starving for days, and the food here is just so good."
Gurgle gurgle...
Her stomach let out a cute but urgent rumble.
"It''s been 20 minutes already! Is the person inside constipated or something?" Growing impatient, the girl raised her hand. A circr water mirror formed on the door, slowly revealing the inside of the stall.
It wasn''t that she had any strange hobbies—she simply wanted to see what was taking so long.
However, as the image inside the mirror became clear, the pale-skinned astrologist''s face turned beet red.
"This... this is Mondstadt?" the girl mumbled. "I guess it really is a city that values ''freedom,'' but this is a bit too free, isn''t it?"
"Mona?"
A soft voice suddenly sounded from behind her. The girl named Mona quickly dispelled the water mirror and turned around, trying to hide her nervousness with a smile. "Jean? I... I was just waiting for the restroom."
Yes, the woman who had appeared behind Mona was none other than the bride of this wedding.
What should I do?
Mona felt a wave of panic. Should she tell Jean that her new husband was in the bathroom with another woman...?
Wait... Mona hesitated. Maybe Jean already knew. After all, noble families haveplicated rtionships. Maybe they liked spicing things up with... these kinds of activities?
Either way, getting involved wouldn''t benefit her. Better to mind her own business.
"I''m sorry for the inconvenience. As the hostess, it''s my responsibility," Jean said, bowing slightly. "If you don''t mind, please feel free to use the restroom in my room."
"Thank you!" Mona quickly nodded.
What a saint this woman is!
...
Ten minutester.
"Phew..." Mona sighed with relief as she stepped out of the restroom in Jean''s room. "I feel like I lost two kilograms."
"Mona," Jean, who had been waiting outside, spoke with a subtle expression. "I heard you''re quite a skilled astrologist. Would you mind performing a reading for me? I''m curious about how my marriage will turn out."
At this, a cold sweat formed on Mona''s forehead.
---
Author''s Note: I understand that many of you haveins about the extended simtions. I appreciate your feedback and will do something about it in future Chapters. If you have any ideas or suggestions, feel free to join my Discord.
P.s Where did the miners go? We are out of stones! Get us to 2400 for 4 more extra chaps tomorrow!