"I've already asked about Miss Shelley in detail."
"How did it go?" Yilin listened to Abi Robbs' report while holding a wine glass, greeting the other nobles from a distance with a smile. Simultaneously, she noticed Gray and Shelley in the center of the dance floor, paying attention to their every move.
"Miss Shelley is not engaged at the moment, nor does she have a lover. However, I've heard that several heirs of city families are her suitors. It's not surprising; she's the beloved granddaughter of Count Gruglu. Marrying her would mean forming an unbreakable alliance with the Gruglu family. For most nobles, this would be perfect. However, Count Gruglu doesn't seem to be in a hurry to marry off this granddaughter. Moreover... her own behavior is indeed rather inappropriate."
"Has she done something particularly outrageous?"
"Not exactly. But there's evidence suggesting that she's deliberately stirring up conflicts among several families."
"Stirring up conflicts? For what purpose?"
"Perhaps... as a hobby," Abi Robbs stammered, "She doesn't benefit from it, but she seems to enjoy causing others to have conflicts because of her."
"Oh? Really? I wouldn't mind if Gray marries her, but is it possible that she wants Gray to become just another one of her many suitors?"
In times of peace, nobles like Yilin, whose families faced great crises, were few and far between. And someone like Gray, who earned a title of nobility by his own efforts, was even rarer in the entire White City.
For the vast majority of nobles, their lives consisted of two things—marriage alliances and raising children.
Having heirs meant having successors. Without them, even the greatest families would be in vain. Marriage alliances were unquestionable—this was the only way for nobles to climb up. Almost every noble family had a thick genealogy book marked with various blood relations. Through continuous marriages and inheritances, day after day, year after year, they expanded their family's domain. Meanwhile, they entangled the entire nation's blood relationships into a tangled web.
In a way, marriage was the second power that came next to holding an army. Naturally, many people leveraged this. Shelley was just one of them.
As another tune ended, Yilin watched from afar as Shelley holding Gray's hand, left the dance floor.
"Keep an eye on them."
"Miss Yilin, do you think Gray will be charmed by Shelley?"
"It's not what I think, he might already be."
*Yes, although she couldn't see Gray's expression, Gray's gaze hadn't left Shelley since the beginning. At the same time, Shelley's eyes shone while looking at Gray. This couldn't be worse.*
*That Gray was just like a husky set loose. If you didn't keep an eye on him for five minutes, he could get into trouble. If he ran off and never came back, Yilin wouldn't be surprised at all. After all, his appearance was just as sudden.*
*Of course, given the current situation, it would be disastrous.*
*Was Count Gruglu planning to use this method to take away her most important bargaining chip?*
*Gazing at Count Gruglu from afar, Yilin noticed he was equally troubled. It seemed it really wasn't his strategy.*
*However, Yilin remained anxious.*
…
Having already unlocked the knight line and the gospel line, Gray had now successfully unlocked the romance line.
*Was this romance?*
*Was it not?*
*Was it?*
*Was it not?*
*Well, I'm not sure either. You have to understand, Lichs aren't even mentioned in the Bible; it's really hard to define.*
So, since Gray thought it was, let's assume it was.
Gray's plan was basically like this, "First, become a knight. Then, earn the church's commendation and get recognized by the church. Start a family like the protagonist in 'A Knight's Guide to Success,' slay an evil dragon, rescue a princess, stumble upon a treasure while walking, and share it with the poor... Do you think anyone would suspect I'm a Lich if my story is this perfect? Of course, a story this perfect definitely needs romance. Otherwise, it would be flawed. So, I need to fall in love!"
Sure, the plan was quite thorough. He had to be a very ambitious knight. Apart from being a Lich, he was practically flawless.
"Starting a family... are you thinking of raising a bunch of little Liches?" the Black Cat asked Gray quietly.
"Um... I don't think any Liches have ever reproduced."
"Yes. It's great that you understand that."
"But just because no Lich has ever reproduced doesn't mean it's impossible! No Lich has ever become a knight, and yet I did! You have to have dreams!" Gray said confidently.
The Black Cat looked bewildered. He suddenly had a thought, "Who am I? Where am I? What the heck am I doing?"
Whatever the Lich decided, a ghost certainly couldn't change it. Thus, Gray boldly took giant steps toward his new goal.
"I think I might need a ring urgently."
"What?"
"Don't you need a ring to propose? I read it in a book."
"Wait, you're planning to propose now?"
"When else should I propose?"
The Black Cat felt almost blind, "Listen, love isn't that simple. First, you need to get to know each other."
"We already know each other."
"Don't interrupt! First, you get to know each other, then you develop feelings."
"How do you develop feelings?"
"Through talking."
"We've already talked."
"I know, but it's not enough. You need to develop feelings until the right moment. Only then will she agree to be your lover."
"Become lovers?"
"Yes."
"Only then can I propose?"
"Uh... yes."
"So, when exactly is the right moment?"
"How the heck would I know! It's definitely not now! Trust your instincts. When it feels right, it's right!"
Gray quietly tilted his head and thought about it. Suddenly, he found the human species too difficult. They had to judge big and small without a standard, now they had to judge the right moment without a standard?
Just thinking about it made Gray feel his brain was getting stuck.
So, in the spirit of Liches, "If you can't figure it out, try it. If you fail, you can always explode," and "The undead fear nothing because they can't die," he turned to Shelley and said, "Miss Shelley, would you be my lover?"
With a clatter, Shelley's wine glass fell and shattered on the ground. She stared at Gray in stunned silence, her face turning red.
Everyone's gaze fixed on them.
The Black Cat's eyes almost fell out. Could you really talk about love like this?
Shelley quickly pulled Gray's hand and led him into the garden. From afar, Yilin and Count Gruglu craned their necks, and several attendants stealthily followed.
"B-Baron, isn't this too fast? We just met."
"Too fast?"
"A little fast."
"Can't it be this fast?"
"It's not that it can't, it's just that it's a bit... really too fast. And I haven't even seen your face." Shelley's gaze was flickering, she bit her lip, and fiddled with her fingers. This was the confusion of a young girl.
"You see? This is what not having the right moment means. Get it? You have to develop feelings slowly." The Black Cat breathed a sigh of relief inside his armor. It wasn't easy. Finally, he predicted correctly for once. Just like last time when Gray became a knight, if this Lich kept having easy victories, he'd become even more reckless. It would be disastrous.
Just as the Black Cat was preparing to lecture Gray, Shelley suddenly looked up, blushing and said, "Alright, I agree!"
Saying so, she reached out a hand, looked into Gray's eyes unwaveringly.
The Black Cat almost choked on his own saliva as his eyes nearly fell out again.
"So, can I propose now?" Gray asked.
"Don't ask me, I know nothing..." The Black Cat was completely petrified, beginning to question his life. Could his previous life have been an illusion? Why did everything he knew seem ineffective on a Lich?
Logic would dictate that Gray should kiss Shelley's hand, but Gray didn't. Yes, he didn't. You can't expect a Lich to know human etiquette, can you?
So, the two stood in the garden, stuck. Unable to proceed to the next step.
After a brief silence, thinking she agreed too quickly, making Gray hesitant, Shelley gathered her courage and continued, "Even though it's really fast, life is short, what's wrong with a little hurry?"
"Do you really believe that?" Gray asked solemnly.
"Of course!" Shelley said with determination, "I've thought it through. Although I've never seen your face under the mask, it doesn't matter! I love your soul, your majestic figure! Your courage to surpass any knight! Love shouldn't be shallow!"
She spoke with conviction. For a moment, the Black Cat almost thought there was another Gray standing there.
This world was crazy enough—a Lich had found a lover.
Yet the craziest was still Gray, who seriously said, "So, can I propose to you now?"
Instantly, the atmosphere froze.
Shelley's initial enthusiasm turned into confusion, then terror. Her mouth hung open.
*This was going too far! Wasn't it too stimulating?*
"Couldn't it be... a bit too fast?" She said cautiously, losing her previous momentum.
"Didn't you say life is short, speed isn't an issue?" Gray asked persistently.
"I did, but, but, but..."
"Hmph," the Black Cat sneered inside his armor, "See? Indulging him, feel it now?"
Gray was still waiting for an answer, but they were at an impasse.
Seconds ticked by. Shelley felt breathless and couldn't get the words out past her "but." Finally, she lowered her head and said, "Sorry! I give up!"
She said, lifting her dress and hurrying away, leaving Gray to stand alone.
Hidden in the bushes, Yilin, and Count Gruglu's attendants let out a collective sigh of relief.
"Gray, you're the only one I've ever seen scare off a girl trying to flirt with you in that way."
"Scared her off?"
"What else?"
"What about my plan to have many little Liches..." Gray's hand trembled slightly.
"Thank goodness, it's ruined," the Black Cat gloated, "Honestly, the entire human race should thank her; she saved the world. I can't even imagine a Great Lich leading a bunch of little Liches in a church service. It's too touching. I fear the Priest would have a heart attack."
Night breezes gently blew by, swaying flowers and shattering the dream of a Lich.
The Lich's love came quickly, but also left quickly.