Chapter 523: Chapter 36 Palmer’s Love Story
"That’s basically the situation. Church seemed calm, but I think he was angry and then left without a word."
In the Undying Club, Palmer drunkenly talked to a few people about what had just happened.
After Church left, the three of them lost their interest, let alone the fact that they couldn’t continue the board game by themselves, so they simply left the Landling District and returned to the Undying Club, where at least they could find a few more people.
"Damn it, Palmer, you ruined tonight’s board game!" Serey cursed from the side.
Serey didn’t care about Church’s emotional issues. To be accurate, Serey didn’t care about anything; this guy’s remaining life was meant for having fun, and everything had to yield for the sake of enjoyment.
Palmer had destroyed the "Journey of Nightfall," and their game had only just begun.
Bologue didn’t say much. He felt this was a matter between Palmer and Church. The two were once partners, and even though Palmer had shared many past experiences with him, some things were known only to Palmer and Church themselves.
Like the issue between the Faceless One and Afeiya.
"This is something you should let Church handle himself, not add fuel to the fire from the side."
After hearing the whole story, Wei’Er paced back and forth on the chessboard, knocking over pieces one after another.
"I know, but if we let Church handle it himself, it’ll just fade away unresolved."
Palmer reached out, picked Wei’Er up from the chessboard, and set her aside. Wei’Er sat obediently in place, wrapping her tail around her body.
"Since I’ve known Church, he’s been pursuing Afeiya... Oh, this shouldn’t be called pursuing. His actions are merely going to buy flowers, and this has been going on for a year or two."
The more Palmer spoke, the more he shook his head, unable to tolerate Church’s slow actions.
"If Church keeps buying them like this, he’ll just remain a well-off customer!" Palmer slapped his thigh in frustration over Church’s lack of resolve.
"So, you want to help Church?" Bologue fiddled with the chess pieces.
"Sort of... If Church continues like this, he’ll just bury the secret deep in his heart, and that’s just awful."
Palmer calmed down and gazed at the railroad tracks on the chessboard, which crossed through towering mountains and a snow-blanketed world...
"Everyone’s an undisputed expert in their own area, but when it comes to unfamiliar angles, they’re utter fools."
Bologue said, "Sounds like you really know something."
Palmer said, "I don’t really know much; I’ve just been through it."
"Tell us?"
Serey became interested. Since the board game couldn’t go on, listening to a story was also quite good. Serey loved various stories. When he was still a Night Race Lord, he once formed a maid team in the castle, and the maids’ daily job was to lull Serey to sleep and tell him bedtime stories.
When they heard this past story, both Bologue and Palmer had complicated expressions, while Serey seemed thoroughly engrossed in the pleasant memory.
"That was back when I was getting ready to join the Order Bureau."
Palmer recalled the past, though it wasn’t too far in the past, since he’d only been with the Order Bureau for a couple of years.
"As one of the heirs of the Clarks, the Order Bureau was not only a coalition to us but also an extension of the Clarks’ power. Every generation, someone from the Clarks joined the Order Bureau and held important positions; I was no exception.
At the time, I didn’t have any complicated thoughts about it. I just thought of it as going to a new place for work. I was already old enough and supposed to leave home for work, so I packed my luggage and was ready to leave. On the night before my departure, Vasilina came to see me."
Palmer paused for a moment and suddenly stopped talking.
Serey shouted, "Go on!"
"No... I suddenly realized that telling this story might ruin my heroic image..."
"What heroic image?! Just say it!"
Wei’Er raised her cat paw, her cold sharp claws gleaming.
"Alright, alright!" Palmer surrendered with his hands up, beginning to regret bringing it up.
"Back then, my relationship with Vasilina was childhood friends, I admit I had feelings for her, but just like Church, I kept quiet, too scared to confess."
Wei’Er murmured, "Even the heir of the Clarks turns into an idiot in such matters."
"Hey! I heard that!" Palmer was distressed.
Palmer was about to retort but deflated like a balloon and muttered.
"Upon hearing I was going to work away from home, Vasilina came to see me. I thought it would be some difficult goodbye scenario, but in reality... um...
She asked if I was going to work for the Order Bureau, I nodded affirmatively, and then she said the Order Bureau was dangerous and asked if I would face many scary enemies. I admitted, and I comforted her by saying I was mentally prepared for such things and told her not to worry too much.
Yes, even at my coming of age, my damn old man force-fed me all these life-risking lessons, so how could I not be mentally prepared!"
Mentioning his peculiar dad and the life-risking coming of age, Palmer grew agitated.
Bologue remembered Palmer’s coming of age ceremony, and every time he thought about it, even the serious Bologue couldn’t help but laugh.
"Son, welcome to the New World!"
Accompanied by the father’s kind words, a crazy and bizarre world unfolded like thunder before a child, leaving Palmer crying his eyes out in fear.
Oh dear, was Palmer’s comedic talent not from his experiences but rather from his dad, passed down in the Clarks family?
"I explained a lot to Vasilina, telling her not to worry and whatnot, but she didn’t listen at all and, with a serious face, said to me..."
Palmer mimicked Vasilina’s serious tone at the time.
"Palmer, you’re a jinx..."
"Hold on a minute! Jinx?" Serey raised his hand and interrupted Palmer, "Did you become a debtor at that time?"
"Huh? No, I’ve just always had bad luck since I was young," mentioning this, Palmer looked quite embarrassed, "And after becoming a debtor, the bad luck became increasingly apparent."
Bologue tried hard to stop himself from laughing.
Hahaha!
"Back to the main topic."
Palmer recounted what Vasilina said to him at the time. He rarely remembers something so clearly, let alone someone’s words word for word.
Palmer remembered that night’s conversation; it was etched in his heart like a sword.
"Palmer, you’re such an unlucky fellow, going to such a dangerous place. You might die one day and then every secret buried in your heart will fade away... Isn’t that just pitiful?"
A smile unconsciously appeared on Palmer’s face, "Honestly, I didn’t quite understand what she meant when she said that."
Serey asked, "And then?"
"Then Vasilina kissed me forcefully."
"What?"
"What?"
"Meow?"
Palmer’s expression was mixed with shame and indignation, "What could I do! I couldn’t resist her at all! I have never won against that jerk since I was young!"
"She pinned me against the wall and kissed me, then she smiled at me and left. I was completely stunned and couldn’t sleep all night."
"The next day my dad saw me looking all downcast and he jokingly said," Palmer recounted something even more absurd, "True to my son, going out to fight evil, got so excited lost sleep!"
Serey didn’t know what expression to put on anymore.
Thinking about the grand Night Race, and the rising Eternal Night Empire, being destroyed by the Clarks family, and now this old and powerful Extraordinary Clan, with such a bizarre manner...
Were these people really the ones we fought to the death with during the Dawn War?
Serey gently rubbed his forehead, even now the Night Race Lord doubted life for a moment.
"After I got to the Order Bureau, it took me a few weeks to slowly understand Vasilina’s words," Palmer said softly, "She knew I liked her and knew I wouldn’t dare to say it out loud. If I died out there, those feelings would never see the light of day."
"Instead of waiting for you to react, Vasilina chose to tear down that barrier herself?" Bologue said.
"Pretty much, it was only then that I realized belatedly that I actually had a girlfriend, and I was happy for a long time."
"Shouldn’t it be fiancée?"
Bologue noticed Palmer’s incorrect wording; mentioning "fiancée" made Palmer’s face change slightly, unclear whether it was joy or distress, but it was definitely complex.
"What do you mean? I thought I had a girlfriend and was excitedly showing off to others. After working for more than a year, my dad came to the Order Bureau to visit me, ask how my work was going and so on, and then..."
Palmer recalled the situation back then.
"Hey! Son, still alive huh!"
"Hey! Dad, still strong huh!"
When they met at the Order Bureau, Palmer talked about his work experience. He encountered many problems, luckily Palmer received very comprehensive training within the Clarks family and handled them perfectly.
Palmer’s dad then talked about the things that happened in Wind Source Highlands after Palmer left.
"By the way, Vasilina..."
As soon as Dad mentioned Vasilina, Palmer boasted, "I chased Vasilina, she’s my girlfriend now."
Palmer was full of excitement, in the past Dad always teased him about Vasilina, now Palmer finally won one. But Dad was not surprised, instead, he nodded, correcting him.
"How can you call her a girlfriend?"
"Then what?"
"She’s already your fiancée, don’t call her a girlfriend anymore."
"Oh, I got it," Palmer noticed something off, "Hold on... What did you say?"
"Fiancée?"
"Fiancée... Fiancée!"
Palmer’s scream echoed throughout the Order Bureau.
...
"Turns out after I left Wind Source Highlands, Vasilina went to my dad and exaggerated what happened that night to him."
Back in the present, Palmer spoke expressionlessly.
"Vasilina feared I would die out there and this emotion would be buried, but she also feared I would mess around after leaving Wind Source Highlands."
Palmer said as he pinched his chin, "After all, I’m somewhat charming, Vasilina’s worries are understandable."
Despite saying this, Palmer’s face was pale, as if telling a joke that wasn’t funny at all.
"So Vasilina went for it, found my dad, and proposed to me.
Yes, you heard that right, I’m the one who was proposed to, and my dad actually agreed. They even finished the engagement banquet.
Of course, no one informed me, no one..."
Palmer slumped against the chair, his whole body sliding toward the table’s bottom.
"Their explanation was, I was performing tasks at the Order Bureau at the time, they didn’t want to distract me, and since I like Vasilina, I would definitely agree...
Just like that, I got a fiancée."
Palmer slid to the bottom of the table, like a pale shell without a soul. Bologue half-lay on the table, and after a long time couldn’t suppress the laughter, eventually, everyone stopped pretending, various laughter erupted continuously.