Chapter 80: Let’s Get Married
Lust’s power was semi-passive. Once activated, it remained active, its influence constant. Deactivating it returned him to normal.
He hadn’t done it intentionally. He had forgotten to turn it off after using it on Ekaterina.
After all, he already had Angelica and Ekaterina. He didn’t need a harem. Too many women would be… overwhelming…
He truly meant it.
But it was too late to deactivate it now. The Ability had already taken effect the moment he touched her.
And Natia’s reaction was… unsettling… something felt off.
She was leaning forward, her sky-blue hair cascading down her slender neck, her pink lips parted, her gaze fixed on his finger, oblivious to the curious stares of the other patrons.
What was she doing?
Her blue eyes, intense and unwavering, made his skin crawl.
“Lady Natia, what… what are you…?” he asked, his voice barely a whisper.
“Quiet…”
Her words, muffled by his finger, were accompanied by a glare, as if reprimanding him for interrupting her… experiment.
He fell silent.
Natia, a genius in magic, was equally clueless when it came to matters of the heart.
She had no experience, no frame of reference, so she treated Louisa’s words as gospel.
Louisa had advised her to test her feelings, to confirm her love for this man.
And that’s what she was doing…
Hmm, the sensations were the same as before. Her heart rate had increased by a third, her cheeks were warm… She even pulled out a small mirror, checking her reflection while still holding his finger in her mouth. Yes, she was definitely blushing.
According to Louisa, blushing and a racing heart were signs of… attraction…
And of course, her own feelings…
Did she dislike him?
No.
Did she desire him?
Yes, a little!
She examined her heart, acknowledging her desire for more… contact…
After a few seconds, she released his finger, a sense of emptiness washing over her as soon as the contact was broken.
This wasn’t just a… fluke…
Before Qin Chu could sigh in relief, she spoke again, her voice calm, her gaze unwavering. “Can you… touch my face?”
Her request was… bizarre… but he complied, placing his hand on her soft cheek.
His touch, rough and calloused, didn’t repel her. The warmth of his palm was… comforting…
She rubbed her cheek against his hand, like a cat seeking affection, a faint smile curving her lips.
It was the first time he had seen her smile, even in his previous life.
A smile, rare and unexpected, could be incredibly beautiful. He stared at her, momentarily captivated.
Yes, it was… pleasant…
Natia, confirming her feelings, her reactions matching Louisa’s description, reached a conclusion. She was in love with this man.
After a few seconds, she released his hand, her blue eyes still fixed on him, her gaze intense.
“Hero Qin Chu…” she said, her voice firm.
“Yes?” He tensed, her gaze unsettling him. What was she planning?
“Let’s get married.”
The milk tea he had just sipped sprayed from his mouth, his surprise absolute.
What the hell was happening? How had they reached… marriage…? Was she delirious? Her cheeks were flushed… Perhaps she had a fever…
He grabbed a napkin, wiping his mouth, his face burning with embarrassment, the stares of the other patrons making him squirm.
This bastard… he was so lucky!
A beautiful, petite woman, with such… assets… was proposing to him? Why wasn’t he dead?
He could practically hear their envious thoughts.
He gasped, staring at her in disbelief. “Ahem, Lady Natia, did I… mishear you? Or are you… joking? This isn’t funny. I might take you seriously.”
“I’m not joking,” she said, shaking her head. “You heard correctly. I’m asking you to marry me.”
Well, he definitely hadn’t misheard her.
“Why?” he asked, utterly baffled.
Lust couldn’t be responsible for this. The Ability could induce infatuation, but it couldn’t make her skip countless stages and jump straight to marriage.
Her voice, as always, was calm, devoid of any emotional inflection. Her words weren’t a declaration of love, but a simple statement of fact, a research report.
“Based on two separate experiments, I’ve concluded that I’m in love with you.”
Despite the presence of others, her gaze remained fixed on him, oblivious to their stares, their whispers, their envy, their judgment.
She cared only about her own desires, her own pursuits.
And now, those pursuits included him. After all, he was the only man who had elicited such a reaction from her, both physically and emotionally.
“And if I’m in love with you, then we should get married, shouldn’t we?” she added, her logic straightforward. His touch was pleasant, and she wanted to keep him close.
If love equaled marriage, wouldn’t there be fewer tragedies in this world?
He thought, but his mind was still reeling. He couldn’t comprehend this situation. Marriage? It was too sudden… Did she even understand what she was saying?
Seeing his hesitation, she frowned slightly. “Is there something… wrong… with me?”
“I might be biased, but I believe my appearance is… acceptable. Many have commented on my beauty.”
“And my figure… many women envy it.”
Her beauty, her curves… yes, many envied her.
“I’m also quite talented. My teacher once said that I’m the most gifted of the Thirteen Sages. And I’m strong. I might be the youngest of the Sages, but I’m progressing quickly. In terms of combat ability, I’m above average. My position is solely due to my age.”
“If we marry, I can protect you until you become stronger.”
“And financially… well, you receive 100,000 Mana per month, but I… I don’t have a fixed income. However, last month, I sold ten potions for 3 million Mana.”
“And one of my less important magical notebooks fetched over 10 million at auction. So, I believe we’ll be… comfortable…”
She had clearly thought this through.
Ten potions, 3 million Mana… a “less important” notebook, 10 million… She was wealthy. Undeniably wealthy.
If he didn’t have other goals, he would have thrown himself at her, begging her to become his sugar mama.
But this was… marriage…
And besides, was she even that… appealing…?
Sure, she was beautiful, with a great figure, powerful, influential, and rich… but those were… superficial qualities…
Marriage shouldn’t be based on such things. It should be about love. A loveless marriage was a recipe for disaster.
And he wasn’t that kind of person.
“Lady Natia, I’m truly…”
“Oh, right…” She tapped her forehead, remembering Louisa’s advice. Certain… activities… were reserved for marriage.
She had interpreted this as a… requirement…
“And after we’re married… we can do… those things…” she said, her voice still calm, though a faint blush tinged her cheeks.
She didn’t understand what those “things” were, but apparently, they were… important… to men.
Qin Chu stood up abruptly.
“I…”
He froze, two piercing gazes, sharp as daggers, boring into his back.
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