17. The Old Scumbag (Monthly tickets requested at the beginning of the month!)
Winning over your wife is an art.
It’s a skill that every man with a wife must strive to upgrade. As long as you can make the matriarch of the household happy, she will be compliant to your every whim. Any request, as long as you whisper it in her ear, she will blush and agree. But if you accidentally mess it up, the lightest consequence is sleeping under separate blankets, and the moment you reach out, you might get slapped. The worst case? That night, the bed could turn into something as uncomfortable as a washboard, bricks, or tiles—anything sharp and angular.
And that’s just the usual situation. Not to mention that I started this whole effort to “have dinner alone with the woman outside,” which raises the difficulty level exponentially! So, I must employ some special techniques.
After all, at first glance, it seems Ke Fei’er has outright rejected my request, but in reality, her distracted demeanor and “secretly observing” actions clearly remind me: I still have a chance to explain. I can’t afford to be careless, so I immediately leaned in closer.
“This isn’t just a made-up excuse; it’s something that truly needs to be done.”
Then, I quietly explained this secret in Ke Fei’er’s ear.
I spoke with conviction because I truly wasn’t lying.
The citizens of the United Kingdom of Meili aren’t particularly interested in history or culture, which means they wouldn’t come to a place as “culturally rich” as a library unless they had a specific reason, especially not at this early hour.
At this moment, what transpired between Ke Fei’er and me would remain a secret known only to us; the towering bookshelves shielded us from the gaze of the administrator, adding an extra layer of assurance to our solitude.
Disturbed by my “bouncy” approach, Ke Fei’er instinctively wanted to shy away, yet she held back her embarrassment, unwilling to miss this rare opportunity, standing her ground as her lips trembled with my whispered words in her ear.
“Don’t… don’t make it so mysterious.”
In the end, it was indeed Ke Fei’er who couldn’t hold back first. She symbolically pushed my shoulder, creating a distance that was barely the width of a palm. Sighing, she clasped her hands together, placing them on her hips, and asked, “So, what do you want to do this time?”
Isn’t this reaction just a classic case of someone being verbally reluctant but physically honest?
But I would never dare to voice such thoughts now; otherwise, I would surely end up being dragged out by my ear by an indignant Ke Fei’er. During the time spent coaxing my wife, I would make the atmosphere as sweetly awkward as possible—there was no doubt about that!
“It’s not that I want to do anything, it’s just… Ke Fei’er, you know why we came to the United Kingdom of Meili, right?”
First, it was to obtain the “main storyline” that appeared here; second, and perhaps more importantly for me, it was to “escape.”
With a death script looming, two white-haired elven saints, each capable of slaughtering a small town, had teamed up to send me to my demise. However, just as one wave subsided, another arose; at the ruins in the United Kingdom of Meili, we hadn’t discovered anything joyful, and instead, I had stumbled upon a new death script.
Another white-haired elf wanted to kill me.
I didn’t have time to ponder what grievances I had with these white-haired beings; death was closing in, and the longer I delayed, the more perilous my situation became. Thus, I planned to resolve the newly emerged “death script” before the “pursuers” arrived.
That’s why I needed to tell Ke Fei’er about my agreement to join Lin Ke for dinner; first, to gain my wife’s consent, and second…
“This time it’s both ‘danger’ and ‘opportunity,’ which is why I agreed to have a strange candlelit dinner with Lin Ke. Ke Fei’er, at this point, I wouldn’t, nor do I have the opportunity to do anything with a man I’ve only just met.”
Pausing, I clasped my hands together and looked at Ke Fei’er, “So, you might have to be elsewhere and not accompany me. My dear wife shouldn’t mind such a small issue, right?”
Ke Fei’er blinked.
Was it because my reasoning was sound, or simply because that last line flattered her? Looking at it this way, my “coaxing my wife” plan seemed to be a success.
Ke Fei’er freed her hand and pointed to her own lips.
“If you do something a little, I won’t mind.”
Hey! It worked!
No problem at all, your wish is my command!
Afterward, a satisfied Kephir quickly felt that my incessant coaxing and comforting was rather annoying. Not long after agreeing, she shooed me out of the library, saying, “I’ll quietly look for clues, you go kiss and then hurry off to find your capable maid to play with!” After that, she ignored me completely.
I couldn’t shake the feeling of being neglected by my wife, but… to be honest, there was a tiny bit of secret delight in my heart.
Because, after Kephir agreed to my request, in the spirit of “fairness and justice,” I really had to go find Nilu and explain things to her. Since Kephir had “commanded” me like this, I had no choice but to comply. After wiping the lip print off my mouth, I hurried off to where Nilu was at that moment.
Similar to Kephir, Nilu had also been busy with the “ruins” and the “white-haired fairy” these days. However, unlike Kephir, who was searching for clues in the library, Nilu, accompanied by the fairies, chose to look for them at the ruins. When I arrived at the excavation site, which was sealed off by Lin Ke’s subordinates, and found Nilu…
I felt a strange discomfort in my heart. After all…
“Nilu.”
As I called out to her from behind, Nilu, who was busy scribbling in front of a pile of stones, turned around in a way that surprised me.
“Mr. O’Keefe? What brings you here specifically?”
Even treating Nilu as a “maid,” her appearance at that moment was just too… dirty. She had come here early this morning, but what kind of “archaeological work” had she been doing? She was covered in dust, grass clippings, and dirt all over her body and hair.
As the master of the fairies, Nilu’s current state could not be discovered by her fairies…
For a moment, I even forgot my purpose for coming and hurriedly pulled out the handkerchief that Kephir had given me when I left the library, handing it to Nilu. After all, seeing Nilu in such a “disheveled” state, I had to honestly admit my feelings.
It felt uncomfortable, a sensation named “heartache.” Although… Nilu didn’t seem to have any complaints, and even teased me the moment she took the handkerchief.
“Thank you, but… if it weren’t a handkerchief soaked in Kephir’s scent, it would be even more perfect.”
“Stop being cheeky, wipe your face!”
As soon as I said that, I regretted it! I had been a bit too hasty!
But should I be grateful? Because Nilu must have guessed my true thoughts and wasn’t upset; instead, she… rarely showed a side of surprise and shyness.
“Uh, I’m sorry… I didn’t expect you to actually care… about this…”
Nilu, holding the handkerchief, was momentarily stunned.
Oh no, it’s only the “beginning,” and it’s already turned into this “dangerous” atmosphere. How am I supposed to speak next?
Everyone, it’s September! Are you all ready for your studies?
In this month’s ticket event, we’ll be adding new pillow designs featuring Kephir and Nilu. And since school is starting, you know how everyone gets those meal cards, right? So, this September’s ticket event will also include card stickers as prizes!
For the specifics, please check the separate chapter dedicated to the September ticket lottery. In short, you can’t lose by participating! Everyone, please cast your votes for the tickets; I’ll also be able to prepare a special, heartfelt illustration and new pillows and such.
So, let’s get voting! The ticket event and last month’s winners will be announced in a separate chapter!
Black and white illustration: Urasiru