Chapter 75 Sympathy

In the end, no one fell asleep.

It was not someone's daring suitors who disturbed his sleep. When Nova opened the door of the hotel room where the knocks were made late at night and saw the petite figure in a black robe outside, he was stunned.

"Mr. Brody."

The visitor lifted his hood, revealing long brown curly hair, a small face with freckles and a pointed chin. His youthful and beautiful face no longer had the rosy color of the day, but looked a little pale.

"...Miss Carleton, it's so late, you shouldn't be here." The other man was wearing pajamas, a coat, and holding a lamp. The light made his eyes look particularly cold. He had no intention of welcoming the girl who looked very pitiful into the room to talk to her.

"The hotel corridor is not a good place for conversation." Emilia Carleton was no longer as shy and innocent as she was during the day. She raised her head bravely, her voice trembling a little, but she still stared at the other's cold gray eyes without giving in.

"You shouldn't have come to me." The black-haired young man lowered his eyes expressionlessly: "I have no interest in and will not get involved in Caledon's troubles."

"—What if I say," the girl lowered her voice to an almost inaudible level, "that I know some secrets about the deal between the Caledon family and the Temple of Eros?"

“…”

Emilia stared nervously at the other person's slightly pursed lips. Even though she had planned this in her mind a thousand times, she still felt her heart beating wildly in her chest.

A figure slowly approached from the darkness. The godlike face that had made one blush during the day gradually emerged from the shadows, like the silent, frozen waves of the night. A gentle smile seemed to linger in those impressive blue eyes—but if one looked closely, one could see only boundless silence and indifference.

The girl's pupils shrank violently.

The newcomer was walking down the corridor she had just passed, but all the doors were locked, without making any creaking sounds that were particularly harsh in the night - was there anyone there just now? An instinct called fear that she could not understand at all climbed up her spine.

"Come in, Miss Carleton."

The person blocking the door suddenly spoke, stepping aside to allow a path through the room, revealing a faint warm light. Emilia was incredibly grateful to him at that moment. She felt a sense of relief as she slipped into the small, shabby hotel room, while the man who had made her hair stand on end slowly and methodically closed the door.

"Mr. Brody?" Emilia bit her lip, glanced at him secretly, and subconsciously moved closer to the black-haired young man.

"It's okay, Azuka is not a stranger." The other party replied coldly and briefly, placing the lamp on the table and naturally occupying the only soft chair in the room.

"This will involve some very dangerous topics," Emilia emphasized carefully.

Someone chuckled pleasantly, then snapped their fingers. Emilia suddenly felt the sound of the wind moving away from her. The inevitable rustling noises suddenly disappeared, and the room was so quiet that she could only hear the other person's breathing and her own heartbeat.

"It's completely safe now."

Nova glanced at someone and added calmly.

——I really didn’t realize that this guy likes to show off in front of girls?

Emilia took a deep breath and began the opening remarks she had recited countless times in her mind: "The 'engagement' between you and me is not just a transaction between the Brody and Caledon families."

"The Inquisition."

"...Huh?" The girl was stunned for a moment, and the speech she had prepared in her mind was suddenly messed up.

"After all, anyone with a discerning eye knows that the Brody family title will never fall on me." The other party said lazily, somewhat wearily. "First, the Brody family is not a wise choice. The wealth of Ironthorn Territory lies in its people, not in the family itself. This is not suitable for the Caledon family, which urgently needs investment to alleviate its debt crisis. Secondly, instead of choosing a destined abandoned child, why not fight for my cousin Percy Brody? It's not like you don't have other things to trade."

"So it's very simple, Inquisition." The man tapped his arm slowly with his fingers. "Perhaps they want you, as my fiancée, to accuse me of some blasphemous acts in exchange for a promise against the Caledon family?"

"...You, you know everything?" Emilia murmured subconsciously, and then realized with frustration that this had put her in a completely passive position.

"No, it's just some shallow and boring speculation - unfortunately, those people are just as shallow and boring." The other party denied it categorically: "So I hope you can tell me something I don't know."

The girl pursed her lips and whispered, "I'm willing to tell you everything and cooperate with your next move, but I have a request... no, to be more precise, a request."

The black-haired young man didn't say anything. Under the gaze of those gray eyes, Emilia felt as if he could see through all her thoughts, which made her feel even more ashamed and uneasy about what he was going to say next.

She gritted her teeth and continued, "I hope you can continue to marry me."

“…”

In the awkward silence, the girl hurriedly added, "I'm just borrowing the title of your wife. If you find me annoying, I'll leave in about six months and never appear before you again. If another suitable candidate for your wife appears in the future, I'll immediately initiate a divorce."

The blond boy, who had remained silent the entire time, suddenly sighed softly, "Ms. Carleton, this is not something that can be traded."

Those gentle blue eyes easily captivated one, making one subconsciously believe everything he said: "You are still young, and you have a long life ahead of you. I hope you can find love and even marriage that comes from your heart."

Emilia's lips trembled. She seemed touched by the sincerity of these words, and turned her head slightly away. "Excuse me, sir. Thank you very much for your blessing... But as long as I bear the name of Caledon, marriage will always be a heavy bargaining chip for me."

Nova stared at her thoughtfully. "What do you want to achieve by marrying me?"

"I want to leave the Caledon family." Emilia answered frankly.

Next, the two listened to the story of an insignificant daughter from a noble family who struggled to survive between her ruthless, profit-seeking father and her greedy, cold-blooded siblings.

"Anyone in Caledon is expendable as long as the family needs them," Miss Caledon said with a wry smile. "My stunningly beautiful eldest sister was betrothed by my father to a widowed old earl, simply for his small pharmacy business. The old earl was tyrannical and tortured his previous wife to death. The last time I saw my eldest sister, she had 'accidentally' blinded one eye and her tongue had disappeared."

"I'm not pretty, nor am I smart. I've always been outshined by my sisters at home. But even my eldest sister, who was the most outstanding among us, has ended up like this," the girl said sadly. "Now my father is getting more and more irritable. I'm scared and unwilling to accept it. I might as well take the initiative to choose a suitable husband for myself."

Seeing that she was about to burst into tears, Azuka comforted her gently: "You are a brave girl."

Emilia couldn't help but look at him with gratitude, and she felt a little suspicious that the inexplicable fear she had just felt towards this man was probably just a problem with the lighting.

But the person she wanted to touch the most did not seem moved by her story at all, and did not show any sympathy.

"May I ask your age?" The black-haired young man changed the subject without warning.

"I'll be fifteen next month." Emilia said subconsciously. After realizing it, she gritted her teeth and said, "If you need a child, I can..."

She put everything she thought was most precious on it, recklessly, naively, and desperately.

"No, I'm not a pedophile and I have no interest in offspring." Nova frowned and interrupted her firmly.

In his world, most girls of his age were still worrying about homework and exams, and anyone who coveted their existence was a disgusting and despicable beast - and the girl in front of him had already started looking for a husband who would not abuse her.

"Your request is unfeasible, and the leverage you offer isn't absolutely necessary for me," he said bluntly, ignoring the girl's suddenly dimmed look. "Escaping your family of origin through marriage might be a viable option, but the uncertainty is too great and the process is too lengthy. The entire process is like handing your vitals over to a stranger whose background you don't know. However, considering your age and experience, I won't comment too much on this foolish behavior—"

Seeing that the other party was about to cry because of his harsh and merciless words, Nova paused and said reluctantly: "But what Azuka said is right. There is at least one thing worth affirming."

"You're very brave," he said expressionlessly, "so brave that you dared to come to me, your 'cousin' whom you've only met once, late at night. You dared to strive to win my curiosity and sympathy for you, and even dared to gamble on whether I was a pervert who was greedy for beauty."

He thought he had spoken very tenderly, but the girl's eyes turned red. After holding it in for a long time, she turned her head away and burst into tears in front of the two of them.

"...Since I already have some sympathy for you, I don't think crying in front of your negotiating partner is a good idea," the black-haired young man said dryly, "Sometimes showing weakness can put you in even greater danger."

Seeing the other person's tears falling even harder, he once again tried to show some kindness: "Perhaps you need some private space? We can talk again after you calm down."

"...Professor." Then he heard the God's Favored One sigh: "Actually, there's no need to speak at times like this."