Divine Emperor of Death

Chapter 5129: Please Accept, City Lord

“Ma~ I was scared so much…” Jillian Hayden wept.

“My daughter… my precious daughter…”

Tears streamed down her father’s face, “We failed you…”

Jillian Hayden’s own tears flowed freely.

The pain she had buried for so long erupted all at once.

She buried her face against her mother’s shoulder and sobbed.

“I thought you abandoned me…”

“No, never!”

Her mother’s arms wrapped around her tightly, trembling as though afraid she would vanish if she loosened her grip. Her father held her shoulders, repeatedly looking at her face as though making sure she was fine.

The warmth of her parents’ embrace was everything Jillian Hayden had dreamed of for the past month, and she had finally gotten it again. Perhaps they might’ve made a mistake, but as long as they saw their ways and changed them, she was willing to love them again, trust them again.

She couldn’t forget them for they were here only parents.

“How could we abandon you? You’re our daughter.”

Her father’s voice cracked as he said, “We still kept thinking of ways to save you, but the more we thought about it, the more we became helpless. Our Hayden Family… has fallen. This is the price we paid to come here and establish ourselves. There’s no longer any choice left other than to protect ourselves to the best of our ability.”

Jillian Hayden’s expressions kept changing. She forcefully wiped her tears and quickly asked.

“What happened to your Hayden Family?”

As soon as she asked, her father fumed.

“It’s those damned Miredon Family bastards! They colluded with someone to kill us all and then also inflicted damage on themselves just to avoid responsibility. The Miredon Family has never been united. They were split between Exalts and Primarchs, and now only Primarchs remain! Clearly, the Transcendent cultivator faction in the Miredon Family used this chance to eliminate those old farts and then place the blame on a mysterious cultivator.”

“Really…?” Jillian Hayden looked confused.

She heard more from her father but was still confused.

This wasn’t what she heard from the City Lord, but the results appeared to be the same.

The Hayden Family and the Miredon Family were really done for, but the Miredon Family seemed to have more Primarch survivors compared to Exalt survivors in their family. This raised suspicion that there had been an internal clean-up within the Miredon Family, while they also took this opportunity to eliminate their immediate rival, the Hayden Family.

Her father had also temporarily become the Patriarch since the old Patriarch seemed to have been arrested and kept inside the prison.

“Since our youths and children are still alive, the Hayden Family can rise from the ashes. Father, I believe you can restore the family.”

Jillian Hayden quickly said, momentarily forgetting about her own plight as she imagined the difficulties her father would face. Since the Patriarchs got caught, it was possible that they would be executed to warn the masses, so her father would enjoy this new position.

Suddenly, her father lowered his head.

“We’re truly sorry. We made you suffer.”

For a moment, Jillian Hayden felt as though she had returned to her true home.

The darkness that had consumed her heart receded. The pain, the loneliness, and the despair, all of it seemed to fade beneath the love of her parents.

It made her give a lovely smile before her expression froze.

“The Saint…”

Jillian Hayden clenched her fists, “That old monster ruined everything. He lied to us. He treated me like some servant and sold me away like property. And that damned City Lord-“

“Jillian!”

Suddenly, her father’s expression changed sharply, and her mother quickly covered her mouth, leaving her frozen.

“Don’t speak nonsense.”

Jillian stared blankly.

Nonsense?

She then discovered the sound of footsteps echoing behind, causing her to nod.

Right, her parents were here to save her. They couldn’t badmouth the City Lord.

City Lord Davis entered the hall.

The moment he appeared, Jillian Hayden’s parents released her and hurried forward.

“Greetings, City Lord!”

“We thank the City Lord for his benevolence!”

“We thank the City Lord for protecting our daughter!”

Their voices rang through the hall.

Jillian Hayden felt embarrassed, but she knew they had no choice but to be incredibly polite if they wanted to leave this place alive. To not embarrass her parents, she also appeared by their side and bowed to the City Lord.

Her father continued speaking enthusiastically.

“If not for the City Lord’s intervention, our daughter might have suffered greatly!”

“You protected her during these chaotic times, even provided her shelter and ensured her safety.”

Her mother repeatedly nodded, “The City Lord’s kindness is something our Hayden Family can never forget.”

Jillian Hayden felt her ears ringing.

Kindness?

Shelter? Safety?

Had they forgotten where she had been imprisoned here for an entire month? Had they forgotten why she was here?

The praises continued endlessly.

The more they spoke, the more confused Jillian became. However, she saw their game. They were turning black into white so that City Lord stayed free of crime, and they could get her outside without any problem. This was a defeat that they would be forced to drink.

Her reputation could also be saved if people came to know that the City Lord had saved her. This was killing two birds with one stone.

Honestly, she looked at her parents with some surprise, glancing at them with a glimmer of respect.

Eventually, City Lord Davis raised an eyebrow.

“What exactly are you here for?”

Jillian Hayden’s father immediately smiled, “We have to come to express our gratitude and also wish to formally present a marriage proposal as we give our Jillian to you, City Lord Kain.”

The hall fell silent.

Jillian Hayden’s smug smile slowly left her face.

“This…” City Lord Davis looked shocked.

Her father continued, “Our daughter has always admired capable men, and we believe the City Lord is the finest choice. We sincerely hope the City Lord will accept. If you do so, our humble Hayden Family will firmly support your rule in this city.”

“Yes, yes.” Her mother nodded eagerly, “Our daughter already belongs to you. It is just that we wish to make this formal and allow her to be faithful to you. We will support your rule regardless, as we bring the Hayden Family to the heights we enjoyed back in our era once more.”

Jillian Hayden’s gaze turned distance. A glaring sound filled her ears as though her eardrums were going to tear.

Tears flowed from her eyes without stopping as the light in her eyes died. All hope she had was gone, dead and buried. Her parents had buried it themselves, making her react with a smile that was not a smile.

“Do you two wish death unto me?”

She slowly straightened her back as she smiled at them.

“You-” Her mother narrowed her eyes, appearing worried, “I told you not to speak nonsense. The City Lord is an honorable protector of our city. How can you say that marrying him is pushing you to death?”

Her father also looked stern, “Daughter, we know we were wrong, but at this point, there’s no better option for us, for you. A poor man knows he’s just poor, but a poor woman knows she’s just with a poor man. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can decide your own life someday. You won’t be able to obtain a good match like this and instead end up in an even more unfavorable position.”

“What are you talking about?” She pointed at City Lord Davis, “He… he is hundreds and thousands of years older than me, perhaps even millions!”

Her mother frowned, “Child, you’ve suffered too much and become confused. The Saint only wished to guide you, and the City Lord rescued you. He’s your benefactor, and age rarely ever matters once everyone becomes an adult, so the Hayden Family is more than willing to repay. There’s no change to these events. Do you understand?”

On the other hand, her father grabbed the ring from her hand that not even the City Lord bothered with before turning around and smilingly handing it over to the City Lord.

“Here is our dowry. Please accept this marriage.”

City Lord Davis remained motionless as he stared at them, his gaze on Jillian Hayden.

He then reached out his hand and took the ring, “You’ll have my answer in two days.”

“Many thanks, City Lord! The Hayden Family is forever indebted!”

The father and mother fell to their knees, literally kowtowing to their son-in-law. They tried to invite Jillian Hayden, but she was unresponsive, the light in her eyes appearing to have been snuffed out. She wasn’t even looking at her parents anymore but at the ceiling, her thoughts unknown.

Davis felt it was very… dark.

He had the urge to kill her parents for her, but wasn’t this precisely the scenario he had hoped for?

The moment he heard that they appeared here, he already knew that they were going to beg him to accept Jillian Hayden so that they could rise from their fall, but it seemed like Jillian Hayden thought otherwise- hope otherwise.

It was just the way they went about it that really opened his eyes, since he could tell that they cared about her but not as much as keeping the family alive, not to mention they wasted the chance Evelynn gave them, as she had spared them on the account that he wanted Jillian Hayden spared.

“You two can leave now.”

He said, nearly releasing the disgust in his soul to his voice.

Thanks for the Magic Castle, Szentin. Appreciate it a lot.

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June 6th

[10/12 normal chapters]