Chapter 178 (1): Life Isn’t Only Poetry and Distant Dreams, But Also the Trifles in the Moment

Wayne quickly ended his call with Auston. He trusted that Auston would be able to quickly figure out everything with his scummy brain. What came later would be the fight for profits. Outside of the Minister—the Queen—everyone would welcome a bright future.

“With so many fence-sitters in the government, is Windsor really going to be alright?” Wayne muttered to himself. Through the two ambushing attempts after the Church of Moonlight, he had seen the Ministry of Magic for what it was. Free mages knew no loyalty, and with all the conflicts of interest within the ministry, everyone was working for their own benefit.

When personal interest outweighed national interest, they would sell the Queen if the price was right.

Wayne lamented the direction Windsor was going as a country. It was impossible to change things as an individual, so he decisively joined their selfish pursuit, learning from their experience and extracting the most essential teachings. He would be a muddy lotus growing out of muddy water[1].

From being a scum of society, he would work up the ladder to become a scum of the Ministry of Magic, with the ultimate goal of becoming Auston as soon as possible.

There was nothing he wanted more than climbing the scum ladder!

***

Six o’clock.

A candlelight dinner was set up in a high-end restaurant, with Francan cuisine being served. It was lauded as the most classy in the Chosen Land, embodying the rich Francan culture of romanticism. Its prominence in the food culture in Windsor was unquestionable.

Due to his eating habits and personal taste, Wayne was only gentlemanly in appearance, concealing the uncouth man he was. He tasted nothing romantic and only noticed the high prices and the complicated etiquette.

Filomina, on the other hand, was savoring the romantic atmosphere. The man sitting across from her improved with every taste. Young women wanted their men mature and composed, and their spouses dependable, but Filomina wasn’t a young woman anymore; subconsciously, she yearned for a man who was sixty percent mature and forty percent childish.

Her ideal partner shouldn’t be too mature because their life would be dull and passionless, which would only make her mentally older; he shouldn’t be too immature, like a literal manchild, because the resulting ruckus would get on her nerves.

Wayne was just right. He was dependable when he was mature and funny when he was childish, stirring her heart when she didn’t expect it with the vibrancy of youth.

It was shameful to admit, but Filomina found Wayne most attractive when he gripped her leg and applied night cream assertively, then pinned her down to put stockings on her. Her heart had been fluttering at that moment.

She couldn’t say that out loud, or she would sound like a pervert, unbecoming of a High Reverend.

“High Reverend, the Ministry of Magic is preparing for compensation. You’ll receive the response tomorrow afternoon at the latest. My thirty percent...”

𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

“Don’t talk about work when we’re eating.”

Filomina glanced at the rose in the glass vase. In this setting, he should be praising her appearance and temperament; all this money talk spoiled the mood.

Wayne followed her gaze and saw the glass vase penetrated by the rose. Expression solemn, he pondered the unspoken message.

What are you implying? That I should be giving away my body for Windsor tonight?

Aren’t you being too eager, Auntie?

He wondered if he was overthinking. She couldn’t be making a pass. He coughed into his fist and said, “It’s been two hours since we last saw each other, Mina. You’ve become younger and prettier.”

“Are you humoring me? Put your heart into it.”

“Your necklace’s so white!”

“It’s blue...”

Filomina looked down. Before dinner, she had returned home to put on an evening gown. While it wasn’t cut that low in the chest area, her incredible assets still stood out, and they were quite white.

She clicked her tongue, picking up her glass of wine to hide the slight flush of her cheeks.

They reserved an entire screening room when they went to a movie after dinner. It was a classic romance movie. As someone from the future—a version of it anyway—Wayne found the twists and turns of the story cliché. The only praiseworthy part was the fact that the male and female leads had a happy ending; there was no iceberg or sinking ship.

Filomina, on the other hand, was filled with joy. She had a little notepad that listed all the things she wanted to do before thirty, but never did. She had crossed out several of them the past two days, and her life felt much fuller.

Once they returned to her manor, Wayne was allowed into her bedroom, and he had black tea there instead of in the living room. While listening to music and having tea, he checked all the different bottles on the dressing table, shaking his head.

Filomina saw him as she emerged from the bathroom in a robe. “Since you know women so much, tell me, what’s wrong with my cosmetics?”

“These aren’t the problem. You are.” Wayne arranged the products into different types and pointed at the skin care products. “These will be enough for you. As a Gold-rank mage, your powerful life essence allows you to maintain your youth with wind elements. You should toss the other cosmetics.”

“They are expensive,” Filomina said reluctantly. She opened them not long ago and hadn’t used them much. It would be wasteful to dispose of them.

“Speaking like money is an issue to you.”

Wayne would like to throw the cosmetics into the trash can. He picked up a bottle and was ready to throw it. When Filomina didn’t stop him, he tossed them one by one, then he simply swept his arm across the table to discard everything but a few skin care products.

Those did not spark joy!

Filomina grimaced and sat down before the mirror, fuming. She pointed at the night cream. Her boy toy had better make it up to her.

Wayne never turned down such scandalous demands. He applied cream on her fair, slim neck, his fingertips rubbing and inching under the collar of her bathrobe.

Filomina slapped the hand moving toward her chest away, warning him to remember the bet. If he gained something—or someone—he would have to pay for it.

Out of the question. As long as Wayne didn’t actively make a move or reject her, he didn’t have to take responsibility. That was math.

Even so, he refrained from slipping his hands down the valley and hills. Pulling a chair for himself, he sat down and lifted one of her legs to apply cream to her skin.

His obedience disappointed Filomina, but then her eyes lit up when she saw the briefcase on the nightstand. “Your new design?”

“I won’t call it that. I learn from the exotic style of a foreign state.”

“Which country is it?”

“It’s not on the map.”

...Then it is your design!

After he was done applying the night cream, Filomina opened the briefcase and took the

qipao

out. It did seem exotic; at least she had never seen any clothes in a similar style. The slits were a little too high, though, almost reaching the waist.

“Are you sure this will sell?”

“Don’t question a professional’s eyes,” Wayne said solemnly. “This outfit accentuates a woman’s figure and grace. Combined with luxurious accessories, it’ll make for an incredibly high-class look.”

Filomina nodded. Turning her back to him, she glanced over her shoulder at him with a smile and put the

qipao

on. Her motions were elegant—slow, in other words, giving him an eyeful with obvious purpose.

“You’re too slow. I’ll give you a hand.”

Wayne rubbed his hands together. Since he was such a helpful person by nature, he went up to button up her collars for her, ignoring her protests.

The High Reverend was inexperienced yet ignorant of her inexperience, so she was always biting off more than she could chew. Wayne didn’t even do anything before she was feeling hot and bothered.

Goddess knew where her confidence came from.

Wayne had reasons to question if he had fallen into her trap. The best hunter often pretended to be the prey. Filomina knew that she wasn’t a good seductress, so she might be letting him do the work for her, waiting for him to take responsibility like a good man.

Do you take me as a pushover?

Wayne looked at the beautiful lady in his arms, his Adam’s apple bobbing. Well, he wouldn’t mind being pushed over.

Filomina put her arms around his neck, proud of her feminine wiles. Smothering a smile, she said, “Judging by your expression, it seems that I’ve won the bet.”

The soft, warm body in his embrace was distracting, but Wayne immediately broke out of his reverie when the bet was brought up. He pushed her away, sending her sprawling on the bed in a heap of limbs.

He would hunt as the prey!

The tension was thoroughly broken. Filomina rose and stood by the bed awkwardly, tucking her hair behind her ear before crossing her arms, scoffing.

Keep it up,

both of them thought.

I’d like to see how much longer you can do this!

***

At ten o’clock at night, Wayne left the manor with his briefcase. The

qipao

was put back inside. Since it hadn’t been released on the market yet, he couldn’t give it to Filomina, no exception. He peeled it off her with his own hands.

While driving, he enveloped himself with the cold energy of Death to clear his mind, dispersing all the intelligence debuffs he was inflicted with, especially the nonsense Little Wayne was saying to him. Take one for the team? Sacrificing himself? Bear the risk for his brother? The lofty reasoning was nothing but excuses for his selfish satisfaction.

His lower head should shut up!

With his rationality back online, Wayne didn’t just block his lower head, but mute it. If he didn’t treasure the bond they had built over the years, he would’ve denounced Little Wayne tonight.

Filomina was attractive, but she was as unhinged as she was stunning. If she got a taste of him tonight, she wouldn’t hesitate to leak the news to the Ministry of Magic tomorrow. And the day after, Wayne would be attending his own wedding.

It was better to ignore a woman who didn’t know how to share.

He wasn’t worried at all. It wasn’t easy to make him settle down with one woman. He could reset his feelings every night, and with the cheat, it was impossible for him to lose.

Filomina, on the other hand, had to be having a hard time with all her pent-up frustration. Who knew which of them would be the prey?

“Kekeke—”

1. A play on the saying, “A lotus that grows in muddy water but remains untainted.” It’s used to describe someone who doesn’t let their circumstances shape them. Here, the meaning is the opposite. ☜