Myths Reawakened

“The investigation team will be accompanied by clerks from the Ministry of Magic. I’ll make the arrangement for you. Prepare to depart in two days. You have to hurry, or you won’t catch anyone,” Auston warned, then he kicked Wayne out.

He was such an eyesore! Auston didn’t understand why his wife and daughter would be drawn to a bastard like him. What did they even see in him? And those bastards outside the family. Why did they insist that Wayne was Auston’s illegitimate son when the evidence said otherwise?

“Megan, bring Monica to me.” Auston grew angrier the more he thought about it, so he made the order to Megan through the soundproofing barrier, deciding to vent his anger by petting the black cat.

Wayne shrugged, rising and walking out of the study. The moment he opened the door, he saw Megan.

What’s the point of the soundproofing barrier? He thought with a silent huff. But then he turned around and saw Veronica, which explained why Megan had set up the barrier.

Veronica’s eyes were glinting with murderous intent. She stiffly curled her finger at Wayne, demanding he follow her to have a private conversation.

Wayne put his medal back on. Instead of giving a response, he looked over her shoulder in surprise. “Master, why are you so angry? Are you here for Auston?”

Veronica loosened her fists and turned around with feigned meekness, excitedly waiting for her father to become a human cannonball from a VIP seat. Although she didn’t know what had happened, she was in a foul mood and would like to enjoy some domestic violence.

When she looked over her shoulder, though, she was surprised to see the empty corridor, and Wayne was gone when she turned back.

“Bastard, stop right there!”

She growled furiously, charging toward the far end of the corridor and pursuing Wayne by the smell of scum in the air.

***

Young Master’s Mansion.

In the bathroom adjacent to the master bedroom, Wayne hummed while drawing a bath, slowly taking off his clothes. He pondered for 0.25 seconds and decisively put a towel around his waist before getting into the bathtub.

Five seconds later, Veronica jumped into the master bedroom through the window, her eyes blazing with vicious light. She followed the smell to the bathroom, and with a carefully sneaked glance, she confirmed that Wayne had a towel on. Emboldened, she stepped into the bathtub and straddled him, raising her fist for a punch.

It didn’t land.

Catching her fist, Wayne blocked his face with his other hand and offered, “Wait. I’ll fight you once I’ve finished washing myself. I’m not wearing anything now. This isn’t appropriate.”

“Why? It’s not as if there’s anything new!”

“You’ve seen me?” Wayne’s eyes widened as he pressed down on the towel around his waist. “When and where? How did I not know?”

Back in Klofron, when you were unconscious. Of course you wouldn’t know.

Veronica smiled triumphantly without giving him an answer. Although it was an odd thing to get competitive about, it was rare for Wayne to be the speechless one.

“If you’re not going to tell me, fine. I’m not at a disadvantage anyway. I’ve seen your naked—”

Bam!

Punched in the nose, Wayne covered his face and said, “Get out of here. I’m not wearing anything, and there’s no one in this mansion. If something happens, no one will hear your scream.”

“You’ll be the one screaming!” Veronica gritted her teeth, but still rose from the bathtub with her arms crossed around her shoulders, waiting for the scum to finish his bath.

Unfazed, Wayne tore off his towel and tossed it outside the bathtub.

Veronica lowered her head with a blush and huffed, “So ugly. Where are the scissors?”

“You talk big for someone who can’t bear to even look. Get out of here if you’re embarrassed. Don’t be a nuisance while I wash myself.” Wayne scoffed derisively. He had been shameless when Veronica was naked, so he was obviously stronger!

Seething, she glared down at him with wide eyes, which would’ve been more effective if she weren’t blushing so hard.

Her competitive nature was admirable, at least. Wayne lay in the bathtub and enjoyed the bath like he had all the time in the world.

“Bastard, are you planning on staying there until tomorrow morning?”

Veronica finally had enough. She cut off Wayne’s off-key humming and dragged him out of the bathtub, grabbing a random robe for him while womanhandling him to the bedroom.

“Patience. I know you’re eager, but this isn’t appropriate—”

Wayne shouted at the top of his lungs, infuriating Veronica so much that she rained punches on him and pinned him to the bed, finally shutting him up.

“Shut up. If you keep saying nonsense, I’ll—”

She held her fingers together and made a slicing motion.

“Fine, what are you in such a hurry to talk to me about?” Wayne asked, shifting backward to lean against the headboard. When Veronica slid down, he grabbed her legs and pulled her along.

There was a moment of silence.

Bam!

Veronica closed her eyes with her fists clenched, taking a few deep breaths to calm herself. Once she regained some semblance of composure, she said, “You were at the meeting to decide if you’ll become heir. Did it pass?”

“Not originally,” Wayne said honestly. “But the Queen overruled the vote. From now on, I’ll be the Lando heir. You rank second after me.”

“What gives you the right?” Veronica scoffed out a laugh. “You aren’t even part of the Lando family. Even if you have the right to be the heir, it’ll be through that. You won’t have priority over me.”

“That would be the case usually, but everyone, including the Queen, believes that I’m Auston’s illegitimate son, and that Auston is trying to make me heir by making his children marry each other, since an illegitimate son doesn’t have inheritance rights. The Queen pitied him for the lengths he had to go to, so she made me the heir apparent.”

Wayne made up lies without any struggle. Veronica rolled her eyes and said, “As expected of Her Majesty. She has a good eye for people.”

She fell silent, her eyes reddening and brimming with tears.

“Veronica, this expression doesn’t suit you. Master and Auston will punish me if they know that I made you cry.”

“They like you so much. Why would they punish you?!” She made a furious punch at his face.

The bed board collapsed with a loud thud. Wayne covered his face and coughed, speaking weakly, “Don’t be like that. I’m just the heir. Auston never even brought up marriage, and Master pretends to be oblivious. They make it clear that it’ll only happen with your consent.”

“And if I never give it? You’re just going to wait forever?” Veronica didn’t believe that for a second. She crossed her arms and huffed. The diary told her that the scum wouldn’t be so docile, so she wasn’t going to fall for his trickery.

“What if I do? I’m thought to be the illegitimate son. Whether a marriage happens or not has no bearing on me. I didn’t agree to Auston’s offer for the marriage, anyway.” Wayne looked at her calmly. “Auston told me that there are responsibilities you cannot take on, so he asked if I would be interested in shouldering them instead. I said yes.”

Veronica was stunned. The simple words hit her where she was most tender. She gulped, her heart racing. Then...

Wayne was blushing.

That gave her the excuse to punch him in the face and flee in panic. Judging by the loud bangs that followed, she had likely knocked into a few walls. Wayne watched her leave with a hand propping his chin, amused.

He picked up the bathrobe and returned to the bathroom, soaking in the water again. A vertical crack opened up in his chest. His tentacles twirled around an antique silver coin, getting intimate with his elemental friends.

He had thought that Schrödinger would come and take the coin away, but the asylum director had done nothing, not even making a phone call. There was no sign of the old legendary mage trying to make Wayne owe him.

“That guy... is he too busy going after some poor families, or has he been beaten to death?”

Wayne wondered out loud. He put on clean clothes after the bath, and before returning to his residence, he entered the young lady’s bedroom through the window with his diary.

He was asking for a beating!

It was a crucial part of winning Veronica over, so he had to do it. Otherwise, their earlier interaction would’ve been meaningless.