Chapter 164: As Long as You Two Live Well Together, Nothing Else Matters
“Look, the flowers we planted last time have already bloomed. That was really fast.”
Peiya pointed at the Xiangfran flowers in the pot. Elise put down what she was doing and walked over to her side. Looking at the flowers swaying in the wind, she smiled.
“Do you still remember what you said when we planted them?”
Peiya was startled. She remembered that they said planting them would bring a miracle. And she herself had said… she would fall in love with Elise.
“Well, let’s wait until they fully bloom first. And besides, aren’t you satisfied yet?”
When that topic came up, Peiya felt like crying. She thought Elise really had gone too far. These past few days had been too much.
“By the way, are you still planning to live in that apartment? Why not just move in here earlier?”
“N-no… please don’t. I still want to rest my body for a few more days. Let me off the hook. Even steel can’t handle this kind of pressure.”
“I’m not going to do anything to you. It’s just more convenient this way, isn’t it?”
Elise put the flower pot back on the windowsill, then picked up a sharpening stone and started trimming her nails. Peiya looked at her, a bit confused.
“Why do you trim your nails every day? Even I don’t do it that often.”
Peiya looked at her own nails. They were clear and neat, hardly needing any trimming.
But Elise trimmed hers every day, and recently even more often, like a lion checking its territory.
“You’ll understand later. Just stay curious for now.”
“Huh?”
Peiya had no idea what Elise meant, but she still moved closer.
“Then help me trim mine too. I think they’ve gotten a bit long. I never really take care of them.”
She remembered that before, she didn’t really pay attention to taking care of herself. Compared to other girls, she barely managed the basics.
“You’re a girl, but you live so carelessly,” Elise said.
She took the sharpening stone and small scissors, carefully trimming Peiya’s nails. She was very focused. Peiya found herself getting sleepy, almost like she was being gently comforted. Recently, she seemed to get sleepy whenever she sat down.
Was her body really that tired?
“You’ve been feeling sleepy a lot lately. Should I help you recover a bit?”
“No… I think I just didn’t rest well.”
After Elise finished trimming her nails, Peiya curled up on the bed and quickly fell asleep. Elise stood up, closed the curtains, and gently shut the door. She told the maids not to go in, letting Peiya sleep peacefully.
Then Elise took a carriage back to her own home. There, she saw Anna, with red eyes. Yes, literally red.
Elise was a bit surprised. She couldn’t figure out how Anna managed to make her eyes so red, almost like something unnatural.
In fact, Anna hadn’t been sleeping well either. She had been worrying about what happened before. After all, she was the one who let Peiya go, and after searching for so many days, she still had no news.
In Anna’s room, everything felt lifeless. She spent her days holding onto equipment she picked up from the Adventurers’ Guild, looking like she was living in hard times.
When she saw Elise come in, Anna moved slightly and asked curiously,
“You went back… did you see Mom and Dad?”
“I did. Sis, you really should take better care of yourself. If you go out like this, you’ll look like a wild person.”
“I know… Can you help me find someone?” Anna bit her lip. She felt like she had run out of options. If this continued, she would completely lose.
The only thing she could do now was ask her younger sister for help. Maybe Elise would feel sorry for her and lend a hand.
The old Anna would never have imagined she would end up like this.
But now… it had really happened.
Seeing how Elise looked more and more fresh and radiant, Anna felt like she herself had already grown old. But she just couldn’t accept it, where exactly had she lost?
Was it really just because she had been a little willful?
“Who is it?” Anna asked.
“Someone very important.”
“What’s the name?”
Anna moved her lips, but suddenly didn’t want to ask anymore. Maybe she was afraid that if her sister really found that person, she might end up competing with her for the same man.
So she bit her lip and said, “I… don’t remember clearly. I’ll ask you again when I remember.”
…What?
Elise felt like Anna was just messing with her.
“I went back to see Mom and Dad. They’re fine. Also… I’m getting married soon. Do you want to come?”
“What?!”
Anna’s eyes widened. She didn’t expect Elise to suddenly drop such big news. Could it be arranged by their parents?
“Do Mom and Dad know?”
“Yeah. That person already started calling them ‘Dad’ and ‘Mom’. We get along very well. Sis, when are you planning to get married?”
“I…”
At this question, Anna felt her face heat up. She didn’t expect this day to come while she was still stuck at the very beginning.
“I don’t know… but probably soon.”
Anna forced a smile. “By the way, what’s your partner’s name?”
“Not a man.”
“Wait! What? You found a woman? Sis, you really shouldn’t choose randomly. What if she’s just after our family’s wealth?”
“Are you being paranoid? She’s really a good person. And I noticed she learned our family’s etiquette very quickly. She must have practiced it before.”
“So you came to tell me this just to show off your girlfriend, right?”
Anna said this with a smile. Her sister finding a woman and even planning to marry her… this actually made things better for her own chances.
“Of course. You’re my family. If I don’t tell you, who would I tell?”
“Sure, sure. As long as you two live well together, that’s what matters most.”
Hearing that her sister was going to marry a woman, Anna was actually very happy. She felt like her own good days were coming. At least now she didn’t have to worry about Elise competing with her, she could focus on finding Peiya.
Elise felt a bit surprised. For some reason, her sister’s reaction felt a little strange, her blessing seemed too positive.
But ever since they defeated the Ice Bear King, the distance between the two sisters had mostly disappeared. Maybe because both of them had found new romantic interests, they had become more open about the past.
After leaving Anna’s house, Elise went to the Adventurers’ Guild. Of course, she wasn’t going there to announce her marriage, Peiya hadn’t even agreed yet. She only told Anna because that was her personality.
This way, her sister wouldn’t keep bothering her anymore. After all, she knew Anna had always been on guard, worried she might “steal her man.”
So she told her directly.
As for coming to the Adventurers’ Guild, she was there to handle some procedures for Peiya.
“I’ve already moved Peiya’s household registration to our family. Please help process the rest here as well.”
With just one sentence, everyone at the guild almost spat out their drinks in shock.
The first to react was Nara.
“So fast? How long have you even been together?”
Maya quickly covered Nara’s mouth. “Kids say random things, don’t mind her.”
Elise shook her head. “It’s not what you think. My parents decided to take Peiya in, so she’s now a member of the Anthony family. I’m just helping her complete the necessary procedures.”
“Wow… straight into a noble family just like that.”
Maya smiled and took out a document. “Just fill this out, and you’ll officially become a free adventurer. You won’t need to check in at the guild all the time anymore.”
The document the guild leader handed over was similar to the one Elise had signed before. It was a special contract, something usually only people from powerful or noble families could get.
“Actually, Miss Peiya has always worked very hard. It looks like things have finally turned out well for her,” Maya said.
Nara couldn’t hold back her curiosity. “Then… can I ask something bold? Are you two sisters now?”
She really didn’t expect that in just a few months, things would change this much. These two moved way too fast.
Elise shook her head. “Not exactly. She’s now part of our family, but we’re not related by blood. My parents also don’t want to cause trouble for Miss Peiya, so please keep this a secret.”
“Of course, no problem,” Maya agreed easily. “Miss Peiya is also someone who helped the guild a lot.”
“I’ll definitely keep it secret,” Nara added quickly.
“Alright. We might be leaving for Blackwater City soon. By the way, how’s the investigation of the last attack on the guild going?” Elise asked.
Maya nodded. “We did look into it. It seems the Beast Tamer Association may have some connection with the church. They hid things very well. In the end, they only gave some compensation, saying they failed to control the monsters properly. But the real situation… we don’t fully understand yet. My sister is still investigating, so we should have answers soon.”
“The Beast Tamer Association moves around a lot, and before this they were enslaving large numbers of magical beasts. I feel like their goal is more than just research. As frontline members of the guild, you should be careful,” Elise said.
She remembered Peiya’s earlier guesses. For now, all they could do was wait and see. The future impact was still uncertain.
“Don’t worry,” Maya replied. “I’ve been keeping an eye on things. I won’t let them act freely. But one thing is clear, they’re already wary of us. Things will probably only get worse.”
The mood became a bit tense. After finishing the paperwork, Elise left the Adventurers’ Guild.
When she returned to the apartment, she found that Peiya was already awake.
“Still sleepy?” Elise asked, gently rubbing her head.
“A little. What is this you gave me?”
“Documents. Your paperwork is done. From now on, you don’t need to go to the guild to check in all the time. We’ll leave for Blackwater City in a few days.”
“…What?”
Peiya was surprised. Seeing Elise’s serious expression, she knew she had just come back from outside.
“What did you tell them about me?”
“I told them you’re my legal wife, so I went there to take you away.”
“What?!”
Peiya’s expression instantly changed. “Who is your wife? Hey, you didn’t really say that, did you? How am I supposed to go out now?”
Just imagining everyone congratulating her made her face turn red. It was too embarrassing. Why didn’t Elise tell her before going out? Was she planning to act first and explain later? Either way, Peiya strongly protested.
“I’m kidding. Of course not. I just said you’ve been accepted by my parents, so they should think carefully before asking you to do things. You’re basically half a member of the Anthony family now. Don’t be so careless anymore, okay? You can’t lose the family’s manners. Though here, it doesn’t matter. I won’t mind that you can’t even last a minute.”
“Hey! Listen to what you’re saying. I think the reason I’m so sleepy lately is because of you.”
Elise smiled. “Doesn’t that just mean you’re weak? Tonight I’ll cook for you and help you recover.”