Eldritch Horror Theatre

Or perhaps even the legendary mutual attraction?

It could only be said that a wedding was a wedding; the lively atmosphere was still escalating.

Following the principle that when things are abnormal, there must be a reason, Fu Qian analyzed the contents of the six scenes he had seen so far step by step, feeling that he had genuinely grasped something incredible.

Was the crown princess considered the right person because she likely already harbored a Seed of Ecstasy deep within her heart?

Judging by appearances alone, she certainly didn’t look the part; her overall demeanor was actually quite aloof.

But he couldn’t forget that among the candidates he had seen, there was also the extreme Temperance Faction member, Brother Honma. Mere outward appearances couldn’t be trusted.

And the bride standing before them had indeed acted somewhat abnormally.

At the very least, for someone who was theoretically a newcomer, she blended into the slightly deranged atmosphere of Ehm Palace far too naturally.

Take her abnormal calmness in this very moment, for example.

If that assumption held true, then His Excellency Jose’s actions truly carried the unfathomable depths of an emperor’s mind.Given the latter’s level of power, no matter how deeply hidden the Seed of Ecstasy was, it would be difficult for him not to sense it. He was almost certainly aware.

It was even highly probable that this was exactly why the crown princess had been chosen.

So why would he choose such a wife for his son?

Did he think those ordinary, vulgar women fell too short, so he wanted his son to experience ultimate pleasure?

Wasn’t that line of thought a bit too steeped in pleasure? A father’s love might be as heavy as a mountain, but this was a strange mountain indeed.

It was well known that the thing was somewhat contagious. Don Juan wouldn’t be able to enjoy his happiness for long before he became one of them—wait, was he really not one of them already?

In that moment, the phrase ”mutual attraction” struck Fu Qian with an even stronger sense of déjà vu.

While his behavior wasn’t particularly rare, Don Juan’s determination to linger among the flowers of romance was indeed tenacious.

According to the previous files, he had failed to inherit his father’s talents, possessing only the constitution of an ordinary person.

For him to wreak such havoc in the court and possess such astonishing charm truly defied common sense.

Even when his young stepmother had earlier claimed she couldn’t ”control herself,” Jose had subtly acknowledged it.

Was he unafraid of his son catching the bride’s bad habits because the son was already a carrier himself?

Thinking about it this way instantly made things seem far more logical.

Brother Don Juan’s track record, the lewd atmosphere in Ehm Palace today, and even His Excellency Jose’s astonishing vigilance when he directly tore open his own stomach...

Had he known about Don Juan’s problem all along, and not wanting him to harm anyone else, found him a fellow carrier?

That would even explain Don Juan’s sudden death after the wedding.

Excellency Father’s Amnion was no saint. If the Seed of Ecstasy grew to a certain point and erupted to devour its host, it wouldn’t be a strange development at all.

So by painstakingly choosing this particular daughter-in-law, was His Excellency Jose actually demonstrating a sense of social responsibility?

Beneath that furrowed brow lay a fierce conflict between a father’s love and a monarch’s duty?

Fu Qian noted that thinking this way would be incredibly naive.

If he was watching a drama, he should just watch the drama without constantly trying to elevate its philosophical meaning.

Setting aside personality and sentimentality, simply applying such a motive to His Excellency Jose’s actions revealed plenty of logical contradictions.

It might be true that he knew about the crown princess’s condition, and it might be true that he deliberately chose her for that reason, but his motive couldn’t possibly be limited to such sociological factors.

He had deliberately chosen such a figure to achieve a specific goal—perhaps even for today.

Had Old Man Ji planned to deal with Jose through some sort of ritual because the latter had also prepared a ritual of his own?

...

Now this was a wedding. Just how much mutual attraction was contained within it?

In that moment, certain past speculations connected in an astonishingly seamless way.

So it wasn’t just Don Juan and Consort Xing who were a pair of star-crossed lovers; Old Man Ji and His Excellency Jose were the same?

What a truly exhilarating showdown.

”You... why?”

Fu Qian believed he wasn’t the only one feeling this way. Faced with the bride’s repeated affectionate confessions, the gloomy young Don Juan seemed unable to handle it.

Staring at that stubbornly earnest face, his voice dropped a few notches. He couldn’t comprehend why she would make such a decision.

”You will understand in time. I only found out a little earlier... At first, I couldn’t even believe that you were my Mr. Right.”

Unfortunately, the response he received was despair-inducing.

With a single casual remark, the bride displayed the dual talents of a riddler and a hopeless romantic.

”But we barely know each other, how could you...”

Don Juan looked as if he didn’t know what to say anymore.

”No, we have met. You just don’t remember.”

The bride’s tone remained calm and resolute.

”As I said, I simply realized it earlier than you did.”

...

He knew it. The solemn vows of a newlywed couple could truly leave an audience in silence.

The ones that failed to evoke emotion simply weren’t sincere enough.

Following another exchange between the bride and groom, the entire Sanctuary grew unusually quiet, and the atmosphere slowly became indescribable.

What was particularly fascinating were the expressions on the numerous men’s faces.

Whether the bride’s words made logical sense or not, the contrast was simply too sharp.

This playboy who had cast himself as the victim—a scumbag who would have died hundreds of times over if not for his good father—had somehow ended up with a newlywed wife like this. It was enough to make them grind their teeth and curse the heavens for their unfairness.

Unfortunately, having a good father really was just that amazing.

Not only did he help select the right person, but he probably also went out of his way to make that right person believe his son was right for her.

In plain English, he had even handled the romancing for him.

Indeed, how could Fu Qian possibly be satisfied with simply chalking the crown princess’s behavior up to being a hopeless romantic?

Every anomaly had a cause. Was it possible she was telling the truth and had indeed interacted with the groom before?

As for why the groom didn’t remember it himself?

That was simple. Hadn’t Don Juan just said it himself? He felt as if he had no sense of self, as if he were merely an extension of his father’s life.

And His Excellency Jose had personally admitted that he was the one who had chosen his daughter-in-law.

Was it possible that both of those statements were the complete truth? That His Excellency Jose had genuinely interacted with the crown princess on behalf of his son?

In fact, when the crown princess had first described things that way, Fu Qian had naturally been reminded of Menggu and Menglang in the imperial palace’s ice cellar, as well as Tianshan Tonglao, who had played matchmaker for them.

The sense of déjà vu was overwhelming, even if the matchmaker’s identity was much more unconventional this time.

Furthermore, there was no need to think of it so vulgarly. The crown princess’s unique mental state and His Excellency Jose’s abundant methods meant the latter could have easily used psychological induction instead of taking physical action.

As for the point of such a convoluted process—wasn’t the point unfolding right now?

Faced with deliberate sabotage of the ritual, the bride was currently demonstrating the resilience of the plan through her own actions.