《My Husband, the Werebeast Commander》 Chapter 1 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The interstellar date: August 3021. The Third District. The Sullivans and the Holts were both noble families in the Third District. Today, they were celebrating a marriage between the two families. Everywhere in the city, wedding videos of the happy couple were played in a loop on large screens. The bride looked sweet and gentle. The groom was handsome and refined. Anyone would say they were a good match. The wedding would be held in the banquet hall on the highest floor of the Third District¡¯s Central Building¡ªthe eighty-eighth floor. The ornate crystal chandeliers and gleaming utensils illustrated the extravagant nature of the affair. It was not just the nobles of the Third District who were attending this wedding. Apparently, two big shots from the First District were coming as well. Evidently, this wedding had attracted much attention. The Sullivans and the Holts still commanded a lot of respect. However, in contrast to the lively mood in the banquet hall, the atmosphere in the bridal lounge next door was tense. Ruth asked worriedly, ¡°Val, you still can¡¯t reach Isaac? Did something happen to him? Why don¡¯t I check in with the Holts again?¡± Valerie Sullivan, who was in a white wedding dress, lowered her gaze, looking at the diamonds on the hem of her dress. Just then, her SmartBit beeped. Isaac Holt was calling her. Valerie lifted her hand and accepted the call. ¡°Val, I¡¯m sorry. Maddy¡¯s aircraft had an accident in the Seventh District. I have to go and rescue her!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t there a rescue team?¡± ¡°Val, how can you say that? How can I stand by when something like this has happened to Maddy?¡± Valerie said calmly, ¡°Isaac, have you forgotten that, in a few hours, it¡¯ll be my twentieth birthday? If you don¡¯t come back and marry me, the System will assign a compulsory husband to me.¡± ¡°Val, I¡¯ll try my best to come back. No one wanted this to happen.¡± Try? That meant he might not make it back in time. Valerie said nothing. It was Isaac who sounded indignant as he chastised her, ¡°Val, I know you¡¯re unhappy, but you can¡¯t be so selfish. Maddy is your sister! She has been seriously injured, and I can¡¯t leave her! Forget it. How about this¡ªI¡¯ll try my best to come back, but don¡¯t bother my parents about this.¡± The call ended. The bride in the mirror smiled to herself mockingly. Heh, her sister? Heh heh, she was being selfish? When Valerie was thirteen years old, she was attacked by space pirates while riding a spaceship. Fortunately, the Interstellar Guards arrived in time and rescued her. However, she was still seriously injured. She was placed in a cryo-chamber where she was preserved for five years. No one knew that during her five years of sleep, Valerie had transmigrated to the ancient earth of more than a thousand years ago. When Valerie woke up, there was a girl six months younger than her in the family, adopted from the Seventh District. This girl called Madeline was the child of her father¡¯s best friend. Madeline Sullivan was shrewd and adept at winning people over. Not only did Valerie¡¯s father, Zachary Sullivan, treat her as his own daughter, but Valerie¡¯s two brothers also treated her as their own sister. Oh, now even Isaac, who had been betrothed to Valerie ever since they were kids, was flaking on the marriage because of Madeline. What a coincidence that something like this would happen. ¡°Val¡­¡± Ruth was worried as she stared in distress at her daughter. Still, she did not know what to say at this point. Valerie in turn reassured Ruth. ¡°Mom, it¡¯s okay, the wedding will go on as planned.¡± ¡°It will?¡± ¡°Yeah. Please socialize in the banquet hall on my behalf. I¡¯ll pop out for a bit.¡± Ruth hurried behind her. ¡°Val, what are you going out for?¡± As the door closed, Ruth received a reply. ¡°The groom is gone, so I¡¯ll find a new one.¡± Ruth: ¡°¡­¡± Chapter 2 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation There was a reason Valerie chose to marry Isaac. Valerie had slept for so long, and when she woke up, her mind was filled with too many memories from the ancient earth. She could not process this time difference for quite a while. In addition, her body had just recovered, and she was still a little weak. In the past two years, she had stayed at home without stepping out, namely, surfing the Internet occasionally. After she woke up, she had not had much contact with the opposite sex. Not to mention that Isaac and Valerie had been betrothed to each other since they were children, thanks to their grandfathers. They were well-matched, being childhood sweethearts, and were also both admitted to the Medical Department of the Imperial Military Academy this year. Marriage was a matter of course. The Federal Empire had a rigid rule that ordinary women must have a legal spouse at the age of 20. Otherwise, on their twentieth birthday, after midnight, a husband would be assigned to them by the System as a ¡°birthday gift¡±. A random assignment was too uncertain. Who could predict what sort of husband would be assigned to her? It was better for Valerie to marry Isaac whom she knew very well. However, who would have thought that at this juncture, Madeline would use her little tricks to pull Isaac away, so that he would have no way of marrying Valerie? Valerie sighed. She had always known that Madeline coveted Isaac, and Isaac was interested in Madeline, too. They should have confessed to each other already. It was not like Valerie could not live without Isaac. However, there were only a few hours left until midnight. Where should she find a man of her liking to marry? Was she supposed to just wait for the System to assign her one? Valerie would not give up. She walked through the long corridor with her dress hiked up. Suddenly, something furry flashed across her field of vision. She tottered backward on her four-inch high heels. Then, she was looking into a pair of large, gleaming eyes! This young man was very handsome. His features were sharp and refined, and his skin was so fair she could hardly see any pores. His silver-gray hair was rather messy, and his pair of fluffy ears of the same color trembled slightly. Valerie trembled as well. Her face was completely flushed! She wanted to squeeze him! She suddenly felt a tickling sensation on her foot. She looked down and saw a fluffy silver-gray tail gently brushing over her foot. Valerie asked, ¡°Who are you?¡± If she had met such a good-looking werebeast like this, she would never have forgotten him! Still, she had missed out on five years of her life and had been cooped up at home for two years after she woke up. Valerie did not know that many guys, excluding family members. The young man pursed his thin lips. ¡°I¡¯m Jonny.¡± What a cute nickname. Although this kid was her type in every way, Valerie¡¯s top priority was to find a man to be her groom. First, she had to solve that thorny problem. Valerie lifted her dress, about to leave, when his furry tail hooked around her calf. When she raised her head, she saw the young man¡¯s eyes reddened as he asked, ¡°Where are you going?¡± As he was so good-looking and adorable, Valerie was more patient with him. She said, ¡°I¡¯m in a rush to find a man to marry. I¡¯ll come back later for you, okay?¡± ¡°No, no.¡± He bit his lips and pouted. His dark eyes looked wet, but his large soft tail was wrapped tightly around Valerie¡¯s ankle. ¡°Please don¡¯t leave, okay?¡± Valerie clutched her chest¡ªoh, her heart! Who could bear to leave him? In a helpless, half-joking tone, she said, ¡°Come on, I¡¯m really in a rush to find a groom now. If only you were over twenty years old, you could¡¯ve helped me out.¡± Jonny¡¯s shiny, doe-like eyes grew wide.. Chapter 3 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°I, I¡¯m an adult!¡± Jonny frowned, as if thinking carefully about how old he was, and finally said very solemnly, ¡°I must be forty years old!¡± ¡°Pfft!¡± With such a cute and cuddly appearance, he claimed he was forty years old? Little cutie, he must be teasing her! Valerie¡¯s irritation at being abandoned by Isaac vanished at once. She teased him back, ¡°Okay then, show me your SmartBit. If you¡¯re really over twenty, help me out by marrying me. When the danger is over, we can get a divorce if you want.¡± Although it was not so easy to get a divorce in the Empire, it was better than getting married to a random man. Who knew what he would look like?! The key point here was that Valerie prioritized good looks and could not stand anyone ugly. If she married an ugly husband in the future, she would not be able to eat or sleep! In the past, she was always willing to act deeply in love with Isaac and get married to him because he was not too bad-looking. Nonetheless, compared to Jonny, Isaac was basically a potato! ¡°SmartBit¡­¡± Jonny looked left and right, then saw the SmartBit on his wrist. However, it seemed to be broken. He fiddled with it for a long time before finally opening the interface for the marriage application. ¡°Big sis, is it this one?¡± Valerie looked over and saw that he had a black SmartBit. She could not tell what brand it was, but the material had a polished sheen and it did not look cheap. Perhaps it was a privacy setting, or it might be damaged, but she could not see anything else on the SmartBit. The personal information page was a bit garbled, but fortunately, the optical code on the marriage application was clear. If Valerie pulled up her personal information page and they scanned each other¡¯s optical codes, it would be considered as an application for marriage to the Empire¡¯s System. If they met the marriage requirements, the System would approve the application. At this moment, footsteps sounded behind them. Valerie turned around and saw two women approaching. The older one wore a purple cheongsam, looking graceful and refined. The younger one was accompanying the one in the purple cheongsam. They happened to be Isaac¡¯s mother and younger sister. ¡°Valerie, my brother hasn¡¯t come yet. So, what do we do about this wedding?¡± Jenny smiled wickedly at this turn of events. She had always disliked the frail, sickly Valerie. This was because, in her opinion, Valerie was just shamelessly clinging on to her brother. More importantly, Jenny was good friends with Madeline. They had known each other for seven years. On the other hand, Mrs. Holt was not opposed to the marriage. After all, this concerned the relationship between the two families. Moreover, to Mrs. Holt, Madeline was merely an adopted daughter of the Sullivans. How could she compare to Valerie who was a proper young lady? Mrs. Holt said earnestly, ¡°Val, if you wait for Isaac, he¡¯ll come back.¡± Valerie lowered her head and looked at the time on her SmartBit. It was past nine p.m. There were less than three hours left until midnight. If Isaac wanted to make it back, he should be in the Third District by now. However, he was not. Valerie smiled and said, ¡°Auntie, the wedding will go on as planned. You should go back to the banquet hall first.¡± Mrs. Holt nodded with satisfaction. Although Valerie was not in good health, she had a good family background, decent manners, and was obedient and sensible. As Jenny helped her mother walk back to the hall, she glanced back at Valerie with a sneering remark. ¡°You¡¯d do anything to keep up appearances, won¡¯t you?¡± They walked away, never noticing Jonny who was hiding around the corner. Valerie narrowed her eyes, turned around, and found that Jonny was still sitting there. Just now, he had retracted his big fluffy tail, afraid of being seen, but now he stuck it out again. His tail shyly curled around Valerie¡¯s ankle.. Chapter 4 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation After Valerie¡¯s encounter with the mother and daughter of the Holts, more than half an hour had passed. There was not much time left. After all, it would take time for the System to review marriage applications. She looked at Jonny¡¯s beautiful big eyes and asked, ¡°If you marry me, will your family object?¡± ¡°They wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± Valerie smiled. Just like when he claimed he was forty years old, the phrase ¡°they would not dare¡± might sound fierce at first, but it almost melted her heart from cuteness overload. This Jonny was especially like Alaska whom she had raised on the ancient earth. Great boyfriend material, yet super adorable at times, and so cuddly that she wanted to squeeze him! Valerie smiled at herself as she recalled that in the banquet hall, people were either waiting to laugh at her or feeling sorry for her. She stretched out her hand to Jonny and smiled warmly. ¡°In that case, marry me, Jonny.¡± A pretty woman in a beautiful white wedding dress was now reaching out to Jonny. In the first place, he had thought that she was familiar-looking, and wanted to get closer to her for some reason. Therefore, he nodded without hesitation and reached out to click on the optical code of his personal information. Beep. They succeeded in scanning each other¡¯s codes? Jonny was an adult, which was a relief to Valerie. Still, when she looked into his innocent, beautiful eyes, she felt a little guilty. Was she taking advantage of him? The marriage application had been sent to the System for review, and the result should be out within an hour. Forget it. If Jonny regretted this decision later on, she would do everything in her power to dissolve their marriage. If Jonny did not regret this¡­ She could keep him forever! It was not a loss with such a gorgeous canine youth. Valerie looked at the torn black clothes on Jonny and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll find you a suit to wear.¡± Jonny stood up and reached out to hold Valerie¡¯s hand, following her step by step obediently. When he stood up, Valerie only now realized how tall he was. In the newlyweds¡¯ lounge, the groom¡¯s suits were in one corner. There were a total of eight outfits, all custom-made according to Isaac¡¯s measurements. When Jonny was changing, Valerie noticed a wound on his arm. Fortunately, the wound was not deep and had been treated. She frowned. ¡°How did you get that? Shall I call the doctor to take a look?¡± Jonny shook his head. ¡°Nah, it doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± Valerie repeatedly confirmed that the wound was indeed no longer bleeding and that it was already healing before she let the matter go. She thought, when the wedding was over, she would get someone to find out where Jonny came from and why he did not remember anything. Valerie chose a black suit for Jonny. The white diamonds inlaid on the cuffs complemented the diamonds on her wedding dress. Subsequently, Valerie discovered that although Jonny looked very young, he was taller than Isaac who was 1.8 meters tall. The buttons of the shirt were strained tight, and the outline of his muscles was faintly visible. His face was so delicate and pretty, yet his body¡­ sure packed a punch! Valerie looked up and saw that Jonny was looking at her. A faint pink blush rose on his fair neck. Valerie asked, ¡°Jonny, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Jonny said, ¡°Big sis, I seem to have met you somewhere before.¡± Hearing this pick-up line that was disdained as being old-fashioned even on the ancient earth, Valerie burst out laughing. ¡°Well, we may have met in a previous life.¡± Jonny frowned, a little perplexed because he thought it might not be during his previous life. However, his jumbled-up mind stopped him from thinking further. He was getting a headache. Although the suit was a little small, it could still fit. The two of them stood in front of the mirror, both attractive and suitably matched. Valerie suddenly remembered that her wedding video with Isaac was still playing everywhere in the city. Although it was about time to take it down anyway, it was still ironic to think about it. Suddenly, her hand was grasped by a large warm hand. Valerie turned her head and saw Jonny¡¯s shimmering doe-like eyes. ¡°Big sis, what are you thinking about?¡± ¡°I¡¯m wondering, why hasn¡¯t the System approved our marriage application?¡± Chapter 5 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation At this time, the System named White Marsh almost crashed after receiving this marriage application! Due to the special nature of the person applying for marriage, this highly intelligent System could not decide immediately. Thus, it had to send this marriage application to the man of the highest status in the entire Federal Empire! Dressed in a dark blue shirt and black trousers, Zayn Gunn was sitting in the study, frowning. He usually had a scholarly manner, but now he was containing his rage. It was not surprising why he was angry. Jonathan Gunn, the first commander of the Federal Empire, who had just returned, injured but victorious, from a battle with the Zerg at the edge of the interstellar system, had suddenly disappeared? Jonathan was not just the Empire¡¯s best fighter, he was also Zayn¡¯s uncle! At that time, if Jonathan had not suddenly entered a manic-depressive period, he would not have been hurt. He defeated the Zerg and sustained some injuries, but an accident happened on the way back, and his whereabouts were unknown now! Zayn coldly instructed the person on the other end of the video call, ¡°Find out the whereabouts of the last signal from Commander Gunn¡¯s aircraft, and be sure to find him! Also, keep a low profile and don¡¯t let news of this leak out!¡± At this time, his uncle was too weak. If someone with bad intentions found him, the consequences were unthinkable! ¡°Yes, Your Majesty!¡± After cutting off the communication, Zayn rubbed his forehead. His uncle had remained in the culturing chamber for many years due to his unusual physical condition. It was after Zayn was born that Jonathan¡¯s condition stabilized. Therefore, Jonathan looked to be about the same age as Zayn. They were like uncle and nephew, but also like brothers, and were very close. Zayn blamed himself. He had known that these few days were his uncle¡¯s manic-depressive period. He should have stopped Jonathan in the first place and let others deal with the Zerg invasion! At this moment, an electronic voice belonging to an artificial intelligence rang out. ¡°Your Majesty, White Marsh has sent a request for your decision.¡± Zayn frowned. ¡°What request?¡± ¡°A marriage application¡­.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t even handle a marriage application? Ivy, tell White Marsh to handle it according to the rules. If it can¡¯t even do that, I¡¯ll replace it with some other artificial intelligence!¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± At this point, Zayn was busy again. Someone had found fragments of Jonathan¡¯s aircraft in the Third District and even found a cracked mask near the fragments of the aircraft. It should be the silver mask that Jonathan usually wore. Zayn immediately sent someone to block off the entire Third District, search the area carefully, and not allow anyone to leave easily! On the other side of things, Zayn¡¯s private intelligence, Ivy, was contacting the System, White Marsh. It said gleefully, ¡°White Marsh, His Majesty said to follow the rules. If you can¡¯t even do that, he¡¯ll consider letting me replace you.¡± Of all the artificial intelligence in the Federal Empire, who did not wish to replace White Marsh as the main System? After White Marsh heard this, it sneered. ¡°Dream on! Even if I retire, it won¡¯t be your turn!¡± It huffily cut Ivy¡¯s call, looked at the marriage application, and finally approved it with a loud slam! In any case, it was doing it according to the rules. Both parties who applied for marriage were eligible. As for the other factors, it had nothing to do with the System which only acted according to the rules! At the same time, Valerie, who was still in the lounge, looked at the message sent on her SmartBit. Her eyes suddenly lit up. ¡°It¡¯s approved!¡± Valerie was delighted. She turned around and hugged Jonny. Jonny¡¯s fluffy ears trembled. Then, he slowly reached out and wrapped his arms around Valerie¡¯s waist. At this moment, the door opened, accompanied by Ruth¡¯s anxious voice. ¡°Val, it¡¯s already eleven o¡¯clock. Your dad is asking whether, for this wedding, you should just choose¡­¡± When she saw both of them in an embrace, she was dumbfounded! ¡°V-Val, who¡¯s that?!¡± Chapter 6 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°He¡¯s my husband now.¡± Valerie cheerfully gave her mother a brief introduction, then said with a smile, ¡°The rest will be discussed later. Let¡¯s go, the people outside are still waiting for us. Let¡¯s get the ceremony over with first.¡± Ruth had a suspicious look on her face, but her daughter did not want to talk about it now. In addition, the guests in the banquet hall could not be ignored. Valerie held Jonny¡¯s hand and walked to the banquet hall when she suddenly noticed that his palm was very hot. She turned her head and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Jonny?¡± ¡°It¡¯s too hot, I want to show my tail¡­¡± Jonny sounded a little aggrieved. He reached out and tugged at his collar in discomfort. Isaac was not a werebeast, so his suits were not specially designed for werebeasts. That was why Valerie asked Jonny to put away his tail, otherwise, he would not be able to fit. She patiently said to Jonny, ¡°Just hold on a little longer. The ceremony will be quick. After it¡¯s over, I¡¯ll send you back to rest.¡± Ruth was curious about this son-in-law who had suddenly appeared! She looked at Jonny¡¯s appearance and suddenly frowned. ¡°Val, is he in his manic-depressive period?¡± ¡°Manic-depressive period?¡± Manic-depressive periods were only experienced by werebeasts. Werebeasts were an atavistic phenomenon, which was very rare. Among the Sullivans, only Valerie¡¯s eldest brother, Ian, was a werebeast. He was currently a third-year student at the Imperial Military Academy. When a werebeast became an adult, they would experience a manic-depressive period every year, and the duration of this period was variable. During each manic-depressive period, the werebeast would be emotionally unstable, plagued by insecurity, and might turn into a little crybaby. After the period ended, their memories of this period would become fuzzy. Werebeasts with partners could ask their partners to help relieve the manic-depressive period. Werebeasts without partners usually used exclusive medicine or resisted through sheer will, which would damage their mental strength and physical health. Ruth said affirmatively, ¡°When your elder brother was in his manic-depressive period, it was very similar to this. Doesn¡¯t this guy have any exclusive meds?¡± Valerie turned her head to look at Jonny. The corners of his eyes were red, and he was holding her hand tightly. He could not even remember his address, let alone whether he brought his medicine. Valerie immediately said, ¡°Mom, help me get a vial of exclusive meds from Ian. I¡¯ll complete the ceremony first. When the wedding is over, I¡¯ll give him the meds immediately.¡± ¡°That¡¯s our only option.¡± Ruth sighed. What was going on today? As Valerie was walking toward the banquet hall with Jonny, Zachary was being invited to the stage. He looked ashamed. At this point, Isaac still had not hurried back. This wedding ceremony was going down the drain. Zachary felt that his daughter had embarrassed him thoroughly! His eldest son, Ian, said softly, ¡°Dad, there are people here from the First District. You can¡¯t get angry. Grandpa is still watching from the audience!¡± The grandfathers of the Sullivans and the Holts, along with the bigshots from the First District, sat at the front. All of them were powerful and influential. Currently, they still appeared unperturbed as they talked softly among themselves. Still, there were too many guests today. After waiting for so long, the wedding had not started. People were already starting to whisper and gossip. ¡°I heard that Isaac is still in the Seventh District.¡± ¡°What a disgrace for the Sullivans! After all, there are even guests from the First District.¡± ¡°I heard that in about an hour, the daughter of the Sullivans will be twenty years old. If she doesn¡¯t get married, she¡¯ll be randomly assigned a man!¡± ¡°Who knows, she might be assigned to me, hahaha.¡± ¡°You¡¯d want that? She¡¯s an invalid. Wasn¡¯t she in a cryo-chamber for some years? I wonder whether she can even have children anymore¡­¡± They were saying all sorts of things. The Holts were also in various states of distress. Mrs. Holt could not sit still. What if the Sullivans became enemies with them because of this? However, Jenny said serenely, ¡°Rest assured, Valerie¡¯s madly in love with my brother. Even if she¡¯s married to some other guy, she¡¯d try her best to get a divorce and continue pestering Isaac!¡± Mrs. Holt frowned. ¡°Divorce isn¡¯t that easy. What if she can¡¯t get one?¡± Jenny grinned maliciously. ¡°Blame it on her rotten luck then.¡± When Zachary heard this, his face darkened. He took a deep breath, suppressed the rage in his heart, and forced a smile. Just as he was about to open his mouth to end this farce, he saw the doors being opened.. Chapter 7 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The white train of the wedding dress glided over the red carpet. A pair of newlyweds in formal attire walked into the venue together. The hall, just filled with discussion a moment ago, fell silent in an instant. Only the melodious sound of the cello accompaniment could be heard. Still holding onto Jonny¡¯s arm, Valerie walked over and said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for making everyone wait so long. Where¡¯s the host? Let¡¯s start the wedding now.¡± The host was a little slow to respond. He nodded immediately and began the long-overdue wedding. Nonetheless, in his heart, he was muttering to himself, who was this groom? Everyone present was stunned when they looked at the handsome man. They never expected that Valerie would change her groom at the last second! The Holts were all in a mess! Even Jenny, who had been gloating over Valerie¡¯s misfortune, watched this scene in shock, with her mouth agape. Valerie dared to marry someone else! Still, who was this person? He was strangely beautiful¡­ Grandpa Holt had been feeling guilty. After all, it was the fault of that kid, Isaac. He did not even show up for his own wedding. Now, as a result¡­ He asked his old friend in a faltering voice, ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± Ever since Isaac had failed to show up, Grandpa Sullivan had been displeased. Surely it was too improper for the Sullivans to be treated in this manner! When he heard Grandpa Holt¡¯s question, he stroked his beard and said mildly, ¡°That must be my grandson-in-law.¡± Grandpa Holt, ¡°¡­¡± Valerie ignored whether or not these people were shocked. She asked the host to simplify the ceremony and asked Jonny softly, ¡°Can you still hold on?¡± She sensed that Jonny¡¯s hand was getting hotter! Jonny nodded silently, but the cold sweat on his forehead dripped down and wet his long eyelashes, making his delicate face look cute and pitiful, just begging to be bullied. Valerie clenched his hand, looked up, and saw her mother standing beside her eldest brother, whispering something. She must be asking him for the meds. Then, she could not help turning to the host and saying, ¡°Hurry up!¡± The host felt aggrieved and could only skip a few steps, right to the last part! ¡°Does the groom take Ms. Valerie Sullivan to be his wife?¡± ¡°I do.¡± ¡°Then, does the bride take Mr¡­¡± At this, the host started sweating bullets too. He did not know what the groom was called! Nonetheless, Valerie responded quickly and said ¡°I do¡± at once. After that, she stood on tiptoe and put her arms around Jonny¡¯s neck. At this moment, Jonny, as if by instinct, leaned over and kissed the corner of her mouth. That sweet sensation relieved the waves of hot and cold washing over his body. However, at this point, Valerie was already stepping back. Jonny frowned, feeling lost and disappointed. The host quickly wiped the cold sweat on his forehead and said, ¡°It¡¯s done! Congratulations to the newlywed couple! Now, the banquet begins!¡± The time was slowly approaching midnight, but Valerie did not have time for social niceties. She kicked off her high heels, grabbed Jonny, and slipped away backstage. Jonny¡¯s condition was getting worse. Valerie could no longer wait for Ruth, so she sent her mother a message through her SmartBit asking for the exclusive medicine, before bringing Jonny to the newlyweds¡¯ lounge. ¡°Jonny, are you alright?¡± Valerie had woken up less than two years ago and did not know how to deal with the manic-depressive period of a werebeast. She took a wet towel and wiped Jonny¡¯s face while turning to her SmartBit and questioning the artificial intelligence, Snowy. ¡°During the manic-depressive period of a werebeast, what should I do?¡± Snowy: ¡°There are two solutions. One, give him exclusive medicine, and two, be his exclusive medicine.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± Valerie frowned and was about to ask in more detail when suddenly a big fluffy tail wrapped around her waist, tugged her back forcefully, and she fell into a warm embrace! Chapter 8 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Valerie reflexively wanted to leave this stifling embrace, but suddenly, there was a nasal, despondent voice from above her head. ¡°Big sis, I¡¯m suffering¡­¡± ¡°Jonny, don¡¯t panic. The meds will be here soon and you won¡¯t feel so bad then.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t leave me, right?¡± Valerie, ¡°¡­¡± It was hard to say. After all, the wedding between these two was a bit haphazard. Jonny did not seem too sober now. When he woke up later, he might have been the one who wanted to leave. Just as Valerie was about to explain, she suddenly found that Jonny was leaning over and touching the corner of her mouth, like a little kid eating candy¡ªtimidly, lost in pleasure, and reluctant for it to end. Valerie shuddered all over. This was different from the kiss during the wedding! She suddenly understood what it meant to be his exclusive medicine! When she returned to her senses, she saw Jonny¡¯s eyes that were as beautiful as jewels, glittering with tears. He was frowning and looking woeful. ¡°Big sis¡­¡± With that, his tears rolled down his fair cheeks, leaving a glistening trail. Valerie¡¯s heart softened at once. In the first place, she liked this type of adorable, pretty young man. Plus, he did her a big favor earlier. She should return the favor¡­ The most important thing was that now Jonny looked so alluring! His messy fringe covered his fair forehead. His initially gleaming eyes were now brimming with moisture, staring at her with infinite trust and anticipation. There were also the fluffy ears that trembled slightly from time to time, and the big tail that was wrapped tightly around her waist, which was very nice to stroke. She did not know why her mom still had not arrived with the medicine. Nevertheless, Valerie knew that Jonny¡¯s condition must not be prolonged! She lowered her eyes and nodded gently. ¡°Alright.¡± ¡­ Outside the banquet hall, when Zachary saw his wife leaving quickly, he also ran over. He stopped her and asked angrily, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why did Val change her groom at the last second? Who¡¯s that man?¡± Ruth shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but it turns out that Isaac couldn¡¯t come back in time. Getting a new groom made the wedding less embarrassing. As for what¡¯s going on, I¡¯m going to look for Val now as well.¡± Zachary said sullenly, ¡°Good, I¡¯ll go with you. This girl has some guts. She can even come up with anything! How can I explain this to the Holts?!¡± Ruth was speechless. ¡°How can you explain this? Shouldn¡¯t the Holts be giving us an explanation?¡± ¡°Forget it, there are business matters at stake here. You wouldn¡¯t understand. Let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll ask Val about all this!¡± Ruth remembered the exclusive medicine she had obtained from her eldest son and suddenly felt that this was not the right time for her husband to go over. She said tactfully, ¡°Val isn¡¯t feeling so well now. You wait here and I¡¯ll ask her first.¡± ¡°No need for that! I¡¯m going to ask her myself!¡± When Ruth saw how insistent he was, she lost her temper too. She said, ¡°What are you getting angry at?! Isaac isn¡¯t coming. If you¡¯re angry, shouldn¡¯t it be directed at the Holts? Yes, I don¡¯t understand what business is at stake, but if no groom showed up today, do you know how much hurt our Valerie would have to suffer? If she doesn¡¯t find her own groom, should she just be randomly married to some man we don¡¯t know? This man was chosen by Val herself. It doesn¡¯t matter as long as she¡¯s happy!¡± Zachary was enraged. ¡°You¡¯ve spoiled her! If she was only half as sensible as Maddy, I wouldn¡¯t have been so embarrassed today!¡± Ruth laughed coldly. ¡°You don¡¯t like being embarrassed? Well, when Isaac didn¡¯t show up, have you considered your daughter¡¯s feelings? You have the nerve to say that Val should learn from Maddy? Isaac stood Val up precisely because of Maddy! I have to ask you. You¡¯ve treated Maddy so well in the past few years¡ªis Val your own daughter, or is it Maddy?¡± ¡°Thwap!¡± After the slap, both of them fell silent at once.. Chapter 9 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Zachary regretted it at once. He should not have hit his wife. Ruth was weeping as she said disappointedly, ¡°Zachary, this slap tells me that I¡¯ve hit the nail on the head, right? Fine, just wait for my divorce application!¡± She covered her face, turned around, and ran. Two young men came over. The calm brunette was the eldest son, Ian. The cheerful blonde was the second son, Nick. It was the first time the two brothers saw their parents quarrelling. Nick hurriedly went after his mother, while Ian came to comfort his father. After all, they had not sent away all of their guests yet. At this time, just past midnight, the wedding video of the newlyweds all over the city was also replaced by various advertisements. This lively, unusual marriage that seemed like such a mess ended on this strange note. However, some people had already started posting on the Internet, joking about the change of grooms. There were already several versions of the story floating around. Zachary, who had calmed down, accompanied his father, Grandpa Sullivan, to send off the two big shots from the First District. One of them suddenly said, ¡°That groom, is he from your Third District?¡± Zachary nearly choked right there and then. How should he know what district that guy was from? Still, under the gaze of the big shot, he grinned and said, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s he now?¡± ¡°Ahem, the young couple is resting. Should I send someone to call them over?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Richard Lewis shook his head and walked toward the aircraft. The two men in the dark blue military uniform got on the aircraft one by one, and after the hatch closed, it started to take off. The blonde Eric smiled and said, ¡°Today¡¯s wedding was rather exciting. Richard, why did you ask about the groom?¡± ¡°I thought he seemed familiar.¡± Richard thought about the groom¡¯s appearance and felt that he had seen that guy somewhere before. Eric stroked his chin and said, ¡°Now that you¡¯ve mentioned it, I also feel that he looks a little familiar, like¡­ Hey, do you think he looks like His Majesty?!¡± Richard frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t speak nonsense! Still, he¡¯s a werebeast. They¡¯re strong-spirited, so I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll go unnoticed. He¡¯s so young. Maybe we¡¯ll see him again in the Imperial Academy.¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± They did not know that they were so close to the right answer. At the same time, several aircraft marked with the symbol of the royal family had also arrived in the Third District to start searching. Valerie had no idea all this was happening. She was woken up by her hunger. When she woke up, her stomach was growling. Only then did Valerie realize that, from the time she was waiting for Isaac to come back, until everything that happened after that, she had not eaten yet. Valerie looked down. Jonny¡¯s arm was still around her waist, and his big fluffy tail was still hooked around her ankle¡­ Valerie was about to move his arm away, but because the two were already legally husband and wife, she accidentally activated Jonny¡¯s SmartBit that was supposed to be on standby. Countless messages popped up in a surge! Valerie did not want to read them, but due to her iris identification, as Jonny had not adjusted his privacy settings, the messages were automatically displayed in front of her eyes. The person who sent the most messages to Jonny signed off as Zayn Gunn. Zayn¡¯s latest message was: ¡°Uncle, where are you? Are you okay?!¡± Uncle? Was Jonny that old? The moment the SmartBit was activated, there was a sudden beeping sound, indicating that it had given its location to Zayn. Valerie was so startled she almost fell off the bed! ¡°Zayn Gunn? Why does this name sound familiar?¡± Valerie hurriedly wanted to search for this name on her own SmartBit, but she heard an electronic voice emitting from Jonny¡¯s SmartBit. ¡°Reporting to Madam: Zayn Gunn is the name of His Majesty of our Federal Empire. Conventionally speaking, ordinary people aren¡¯t allowed to call him by his first name, but you are.¡± Valerie asked, ¡°W-Why?¡± ¡°Because he¡¯s your nephew-in-law now. Hello Madam, my name is White Tiger, and I¡¯m the commander¡¯s artificial intelligence. You can just call me Tig.¡± This time, it was Valerie¡¯s brain that almost crashed! Each new piece of information was like a ten-ton weight that crashed into her head and made her dizzy! Jonny was the first commander of the Federal Empire?! Jonny was the uncle of His Majesty, the current Emperor?! She abducted such a big shot and made him her last-minute husband! She was done for! Valerie instantly leaped out of bed, got dressed, and grabbed her belongings, deciding to make a run for it! Chapter 10 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Valerie hopped onto the aircraft and got away from the Central Building before she heaved a sigh of relief. Still, she had chills down her back, her legs were weak, and her waist was sore. The experience of being someone¡¯s exclusive medicine was not so pleasant at first, putting aside the fact that Jonny had such a great body. Nonetheless, Valerie had no regrets. She quite liked Jonny. He helped her out, and they were now husband and wife. She had no issues with being his exclusive medicine. However, how could she have imagined that he had such a prominent status? The first commander of the Empire¡­ Wait, was he not that ruthless imperial ¡°war god¡± who always wore a silver mask? How could he be the same person as Jonny? They clearly had different personalities! Valerie felt that her thoughts were in a mess right now. She forced herself to calm down quickly, then called her mother¡¯s SmartBit. It took a long time for Ruth to pick up. Before Valerie could speak, Ruth¡¯s sobs rang out from the other end. ¡°Sob sob, Val, I¡¯m divorcing your father!¡± ¡°Huh? Why do you want a divorce all of a sudden?¡± ¡°He hit me! And he kept defending Madeline, so I asked him if he sees Madeline as his real daughter. He didn¡¯t deny it! Then, his shame turned to rage and he hit me!¡± Nick¡¯s consoling mutters could be heard nearby Ruth¡¯s SmartBit as well. He was probably saying stuff like, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t be angry, it¡¯s surely a misunderstanding. Dad will let you hit him in return.¡± Valerie rubbed her throbbing temples and sighed softly. What a mess this was. Ruth cried for a while before she recalled the matter of the exclusive medicine. She said hurriedly, ¡°Val, where are you now? I¡¯m sorry, I forgot to send the exclusive medicine. I¡¯ll bring it over right now!¡± ¡°Mom, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll be home soon. We¡¯ll talk then.¡± Valerie hung up the call despondently, covered her face with her hands, and was silent for a while before she said, ¡°Snowy, find out for me¡ªthe Federal Empire will sentence a person to how many years for a marriage scam?¡± ¡°Thirty years. But Master, you didn¡¯t pull off a marriage scam. He agreed at the time.¡± ¡°A werebeast may forget what he did or what he said during his manic-depressive period¡­¡± Valerie¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean he¡¯ll also forget who helped him alleviate his manic-depressive period?¡± ¡°Technically, that¡¯s true. But don¡¯t forget, Master, you¡¯re already registered as married. Even his SmartBit addresses you as ¡®Madam¡¯.¡± The implication was that even if he forgot who alleviated his suffering, he would not forget who dragged him into the marriage. Valerie, ¡°¡­¡± She was too careless! Forget it, she was done for. Everything was ruined! Just half an hour after Valerie left the Central Building, the door to the newlyweds¡¯ lounge slowly opened, and Jonathan, who had changed into a dark blue military uniform, walked out with a cold expression as he buttoned his cuffs. The adjutant next to him said, ¡°Sir, His Majesty has summoned you urgently. Would you like to go back with us to see His Majesty first?¡± Jonathan lowered his eyes, looked back at the lounge, and grunted softly. ¡­ The Sullivans¡¯ villa in the Third District. The Sullivans were in the food and beverage business. Their restaurant had opened branches in the Middle and Upper Third District. Fresh food was becoming increasingly scarce. Only the rich could afford to eat stir-fried dishes, while the poor only drank nutrient solutions to maintain the basic needs of the body. Valerie was lying on the sofa. By her side was Ruth, who had forgotten about her own troubles and was looking worried. ¡°Val, you¡¯re telling the truth? Jonny is the first commander who has been wearing a mask?¡± ¡°His SmartBit said so. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s fake.¡± ¡°Then, why did you choose him¡­?¡± Valerie covered her face with a pillow.. ¡°How could I have known that a werebeast I picked up at random would turn out to be such a big shot?!¡± Chapter 11 - Is the Madam Being Shy? Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation This was a much bigger matter than Ruth wanting a divorce! Ruth said nervously, ¡°Then, did he say anything to you? After his manic-depressive period, when he woke up, did he get angry with you?¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t, because I woke up first and ran away.¡± They looked at each other, silent for a while, but Valerie suddenly jumped up from the sofa. She said, ¡°Forget it, I¡¯ll have to face the music sooner or later. I¡¯ll contact him directly. I¡¯ll apologize and try my best to give him whatever compensation he wants. We can get a divorce immediately.¡± Though it was a pity to give up such a beautiful canine youth. However, her life was more important than his beauty! Moreover, Valerie did not want to cause trouble for the family¡­ Although she might have already provoked him, she had to find a way to remedy the situation, right? Ruth could think of no other solution. She said, ¡°How about you send a message to him and talk about it?¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Although they were not friends on their SmartBits, they were officially married, which was a stronger link than any friendship. It could not be deleted without a divorce. Valerie gathered up her courage and started typing a message to Jonathan. Should she apologize directly¡ª¡±I shouldn¡¯t have dragged you into the marriage¡±? That was too straightforward, no way! Or, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to help relieve your manic-depressive period. It¡¯s mainly because you seemed to be suffering¡±? That would not do either. Since she had seen him in that anguished state, would he not kill her so that no one knew about it? White Tiger was watching the chatbox and saw that Valerie was typing on and on. It said cheerfully, ¡°Master, Madam is sending you a message! After typing for such a long time, will she send you a long essay?¡± Jonathan, who was sitting in the aircraft, pulled up their chatbox. His facial features were those of Jonny¡¯s, but his temperament had undergone a massive transformation. His mouth was tightly pursed, and there was a cold glint in his eyes. Even if he did not wear his usual mask, he exuded an aura that no strangers would dare disturb. His eyes fell on the chatbox and saw that Valerie had stopped typing. In the end, she did not even send a single punctuation mark. White Tiger said, ¡°Is the madam being shy?¡± Jonathan closed his eyes, hiding away his icy gaze. ¡°Ten minutes later, I want to see His Majesty.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± There was still a little distance to the First District. White Tiger did not dare to slack off and concentrated on flying the aircraft, heading for the palace located in the First District. At nine minutes and fifty seconds, the aircraft landed successfully. Jonathan walked into the palace with steady footsteps, and the people around looked at him in shock. The first commander was not wearing a mask anymore? Zayn was also shocked when he first saw Jonathan, but he was most worried about Jonathan¡¯s physical condition. ¡°Uncle, is your health okay? What happened?¡± ¡°I led a team to wipe out the Zerg near the star region. On the way back, the military doctor on the ship was infected by the Zerg. There was a riot, and the aircraft crashed. But before the crash, the Zerg eggs were destroyed.¡± Jonathan revealed what happened without a trace of emotion. Even so, Zayn knew that the entire ordeal must have been frightening and upsetting. He nodded. ¡°Anyway, Uncle, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re alright. Your manic-depressive period¡­¡± Zayn had already learned from the adjutant that his uncle was found in a bridal chamber. There was a wedding between two local noble families then, and his uncle just happened to be in the manic-depressive period. Ahem. As Jonathan¡¯s nephew, Zayn was a little curious. Jonathan¡¯s expression did not change. He said, ¡°Your Majesty, put me through to White Marsh first.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± White Marsh, who was suddenly called up here, said in a business-like manner, ¡°Your Majesty, what¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°My uncle has asked for you.¡± White Marsh, ¡°¡­¡± Chapter 12 - It Was His Majesty Who Ordered Me! Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation If the System had a physical body, its mouth would have twitched at this point. Fortunately, it had no body. White Marsh said, ¡°Commander Gunn, is there something I can help you with?¡± ¡°Last night, you approved my marriage application?¡± ¡°It was¡­ His Majesty who ordered me to do so!¡± Zayn, who was sipping his coffee, spat it out at once. By his side, the intelligence Ivy used its mechanical arms to hand Zayn a handkerchief. Zayn wiped his mouth and asked indignantly, ¡°White Marsh, what are you saying?¡± White Marsh explained, ¡°Last night, I received a marriage application from Commander Gunn and a woman who was about to turn 20. I passed it up to you at that time, but you asked Ivy to tell me to follow the rules. According to the rules, Commander Gunn and that lady are eligible for marriage, so I approved it.¡± This shift of blame was so sudden that the handsome young Zayn was left speechless! Zayn quickly looked at Jonathan. ¡°Uncle, I was worried because you were missing then. I never imagined that you were the one applying¡­¡± Jonathan¡¯s expression remained the same. He picked up the coffee offered by the mechanical arm next to him, took a sip, and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it either.¡± When a werebeast¡¯s manic-depressive period arrived, their mind would revert to their childhood state, or in other words, the period when they lacked a sense of security. At that time, Jonathan¡¯s exclusive medicine happened to be destroyed because the aircraft crashed. When he saw the wedding photos on the billboard and looked at the girl in the pure white wedding dress, he suddenly fell into a trance. He ran to the wedding scene of the couple for some reason. What happened later was all in a haze¡­ Jonathan¡¯s fair slender fingers tapped the armrest of the sofa rhythmically. The study was so quiet that Ivy did not dare to move the mechanical arm at will, worried of making even the slightest creak. After a while, Zayn coughed lightly. ¡°Uncle, this is my fault. I¡¯ll immediately get White Marsh to dissolve your marriage, and then go to the girl to explain¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not necessary.¡± Zayn, ¡°???¡± At this moment, Jonathan¡¯s SmartBit rang. It was the adjutant, who reported that space pirates had been found in the Third District. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go right now.¡± Jonathan got up, picked up his dark blue military cap, nodded to Zayn, and walked out. Zayn watched his uncle go away, then immediately said to Ivy, ¡°Get me all the information you have about that girl!¡± White Marsh said, ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯m still here. I can send it to you directly. I have the most complete information.¡± Zayn sneered. ¡°Oh, you have the nerve to remind me you¡¯re still here!¡± White Marsh said, ¡°Your Majesty, you¡¯re our most honorable leader. You cannot use your powers for personal grudges. In addition, I think Commander Gunn should be very satisfied with his new wife, who¡¯s now your aunt.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Jonathan¡¯s biological age was forty years. Over the years, he had covered his face with a mask and never thought of getting married. Zayn had children of his own, but his uncle was still single and alone. He suggested several times that Jonathan could find a suitable partner to marry, but he was rejected. Did this mean that now, this bachelor of the Gunns was miraculously opening his heart up? Zayn said, ¡°White Marsh, send me a copy of all the information you have about Valerie. I want every detail!¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± ¡­ In the end, Valerie did not send a single word to Jonathan. What could she say? Any sentence would sound problematic. She might as well say nothing. She should just go with the flow.. At worst, they would just get a divorce! Chapter 13 - Slap Him Back With the Mechanical Armor Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation On the topic of divorce, Valerie asked her mother, ¡°Mom, are you going to divorce Dad? Although I don¡¯t like him being so nice to Madeline, I intuitively told myself that Madeline couldn¡¯t be his daughter. When you adopted her, didn¡¯t you secretly perform a genetic test?¡± In terms of features and temperament, Madeline was unlike Valerie at all. Unless Madeline¡¯s genes were mutated? Still, such a degree of mutation would be too much. Ruth frowned. ¡°I know, but he¡¯s too nice to Madeline! Yesterday, Isaac obviously couldn¡¯t come because of Madeline! But then your dad said you weren¡¯t sensible! No matter what, I just can¡¯t accept that!¡± Valerie said, ¡°Mom, Isaac is already in the past. He¡¯s not important, so Madeline isn¡¯t important either. You don¡¯t need to divorce Dad because of my affairs. Of course, if he did something wrong to you, then I¡¯ll wholeheartedly support the divorce. Also, it¡¯s not right to hit someone. Once it starts, there¡¯s no stopping it. It absolutely can¡¯t be condoned! Next time he dares to slap you, you should slap him back with the mechanical armor.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I was thinking!¡± Just as they were talking, Nick opened the door and came in. ¡°Mom, Grandpa asked Val to see him.¡± Currently, apart from Valerie and Ruth, the rest of the Sullivans still did not know the true identity of the groom last night! On the way to Grandpa Sullivan¡¯s study, Nick berated Valerie in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s all because of you that Mom and Dad are going to get a divorce!¡± Valerie raised her eyes and looked at her second brother who was in the entertainment industry. She smiled coldly. ¡°Why don¡¯t you blame Isaac and Madeline?¡± ¡°Why do you say that? Maddy was in a hurry to attend your wedding, and something happened to her on the way. If Isaac hadn¡¯t rescued her in time, she might have died!¡± Valerie could not be bothered to listen to these excuses. When something happened to Madeline, her first reaction was to ask her future brother-in-law, Isaac, for help. Was this normal? Only a fool would be fooled. ¡°Nick, since you like Madeline so much, just treat her as your actual sister then.¡± ¡°You think I like being your actual brother?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m not forcing you.¡± Valerie ignored Nick, who was hopping with anger, and walked to the old man¡¯s study. She closed the door, shutting out her foolish second brother. Grandpa Sullivan was sitting on the sofa, wearing reading glasses and looking at a cookbook. The recipes from the time of the ancient earth had been lost. The book in the old man¡¯s hand was a manuscript painstakingly compiled over many years. Many of the recipes in it were incomplete, but the old man still regarded it as a treasure. In this era, even such a tattered and incomplete manuscript could fetch sky-high prices! Seeing his granddaughter come in, he carefully placed the cookbook under the glass cover on the table. Valerie only glanced at it before turning back to Grandpa Sullivan. Back when she transmigrated to the ancient earth, she happened to join a family of chefs. The dishes recorded in this book were not comparable to the number of dishes she had learned. Of course, Valerie did not tell anyone about this for the time being. She said politely, ¡°Grandpa, did you want to see me?¡± ¡°Where¡¯s that kid?¡± ¡°He had something to do, so he left first.¡± Valerie still revered her grandpa. Although she did not want to deceive him, she might be breaking off the marriage with Jonathan tomorrow, so at this time, it was better not to create more problems. She went to the tea table, poured a cup of tea for the old man, and said, ¡°Grandpa, under the circumstances at that time, if I didn¡¯t find someone to marry, I might be randomly assigned a man. What if I was assigned someone ugly and wicked?!¡± Grandpa Sullivan accepted the teacup, feeling helpless.. ¡°So, you like this one then?¡± Chapter 14 - Grandpa, We Can鈥檛 Afford to Support Him Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The image of Jonathan kissing her while he cried flashed through Valerie¡¯s mind, and her ears turned red. She said timidly, ¡°I do like him.¡± It was just a shame she could not afford to like him. Grandpa Sullivan noticed his granddaughter¡¯s expression and realized she liked that guy, but she still did not say who he was. He asked, ¡°Is he from a lowly status in society that you¡¯ll have to provide for him in the future?¡± Valerie, ¡°¡­¡± ¡®My dear grandpa, he isn¡¯t from a lowly status. ¡®Rather, his status is so high that, with a single sneeze, he can close down all our restaurants!¡¯ Filled with complicated thoughts, Valerie could only steel her nerves and nod. However, Grandpa Sullivan smiled lightly and said confidently, ¡°That¡¯s not a big problem. It¡¯s not like the Sullivans can¡¯t support him.¡± Valerie, ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Grandpa, you¡¯re overconfident!¡¯ No matter how rich they were, they could not afford to support the first commander of the Empire! Nonetheless, Grandpa Sullivan did not bring up this topic again. He took another sip of tea and said, ¡°Our family is going to open a branch in the First District. If all goes as planned, the branch in the First District may be the largest of all the branches. Soon, you and Madeline are going to study at the Imperial Academy at the same time, and your dad intends to let her take over the restaurant.¡± When Grandpa Sullivan said this, he observed Valerie¡¯s expression. Her face did not shift as she asked calmly, ¡°His reason?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not in good health, plus Madeline is more careful and dependable.¡± Valerie laughed. ¡°That sounds just like him. Grandpa, what do you think?¡± Her perpetually calm demeanor gratified Grandpa Sullivan. He had observed his granddaughter for a long time. Before, her body was indeed weak. After all, she was in a coma for five years. After that, she only stayed at home and seemed unconcerned about the outside world. His eldest grandson would join the army in the future, his second grandson liked to sing and was involved in the entertainment industry all day long, and as for Madeline¡­ Grandpa Sullivan put the empty teacup in front of Valerie and said, ¡°That girl, Maddy, is a fine person, but this restaurant belongs to the Sullivans.¡± The implication was that he did not mind pampering and supporting Madeline, treating her well. However, as an adopted daughter, she would not get the Sullivans¡¯ restaurant. Valerie was a little surprised, but it made sense. Her grandpa was much more clear-headed than her father, Zachary. Otherwise, he would not have managed to open so many branches in several districts. Valerie smiled. ¡°Grandpa, if the branch in the First District is handed over to me, I will not disappoint you.¡± ¡°Alright, young Val, I¡¯ll be keeping an eye on your performance.¡± After Valerie came out of her grandfather¡¯s study, she felt relaxed. She knew before that her father was biased, but fortunately, her grandfather was on her side. Still, when she thought about the whole issue with Jonathan, she got a headache again. Looking at the name of her spouse next to her personal information on her SmartBit, Valerie¡¯s heart clouded over at once. How terrible! He had not sent a single message, and Valerie felt as if the sword of Damocles was hanging above her head. It was like being on pins and needles. Just then, her SmartBit suddenly beeped, making her jump in fright. She thought Jonathan was calling! She hurried into her room, closed the door, and then checked her SmartBit. When she saw the person¡¯s name, her expression turned icy. Then, she rejected the call with a wooden expression. It was Isaac who was calling. Valerie was now thinking about Jonathan, about starting classes soon, and about opening a branch in the First District. She did not have time to deal with this potato! Still, Isaac seemed extra stubborn and kept calling. When he realized Valerie was not picking up, he sent a message. Isaac: ¡°Val, take the call. It¡¯s about your family¡¯s restaurant..¡± Chapter 15 - Why in the World Are You Calling Him Sir鈥? Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The Sullivans ran restaurants, and the Holts specialized in transportation. In the interstellar era, fresh fruits and vegetables were very rare. However, the Holts had connections to help the Sullivans obtain a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables, and the Sullivans were one of their biggest customers.So, it was a mutually beneficial relationship. The relationship between the two families had been very close for so many years because of this. Nonetheless, there was now a rift between the two close families because of the planned wedding between the younger generations. Valerie thought about it and finally picked up Isaac¡¯s call. The moment the call was connected, Isaac questioned her huffily, ¡°Val, why did you marry someone else?¡± Valerie laughed. ¡°Isaac, if I don¡¯t find someone else to marry, I¡¯ll be married to a random man. You stood me up, so what right do you have to question me?¡± Isaac seemed to be going through a lot of emotions. After a while, he repressed what he was feeling and said, ¡°It was a great dilemma. I couldn¡¯t stand idly by while someone was in danger. Forget it, it¡¯s my fault that I didn¡¯t come back in time. Val, divorce that man. I won¡¯t hold it against you.¡± Valerie was flabbergasted. The nerve of this man! Valerie asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask if I¡¯ll hold it against you?¡± Isaac was puzzled. He thought that they were always on good terms, so he said matter-of-factly, ¡°Yesterday, you asked that guy to help you at the last second, right?¡± Valerie did not answer him. She could not possibly reveal Jonny¡¯s identity. She asked about something else. ¡°Where¡¯s Madeline?¡± ¡°Maddy came back to the Third District with me this morning. Val, I¡¯ll come to you now. I¡¯ll go with you to get a divorce with that man, and then we¡¯ll get married.¡± ¡°Married, my foot! If you want to get married, go to Madeline! Right, didn¡¯t you call to discuss my family¡¯s restaurant? Since you¡¯re not talking about that, I¡¯m hanging up!¡± Valerie ended the call instantly. She had thought that Isaac and Madeline must be sneaking around together. If they were truly in love, she would sincerely wish them well. After all, a b*stard and a b*tch would make a good match. However, who would have thought that Isaac would still pester her so nauseatingly?! Enough! At this moment, her SmartBit beeped again and started ringing. Valerie was furious. She started scolding the moment she picked it up. ¡°Isaac, how shameless are you? You stood me up because of Madeline, then now you¡¯re running back to marry me. What do you mean by that? What, you want to have your cake and eat it too by marrying both of us sisters?¡± ¡°Who wants to have their cake and eat it too?¡± When Valerie heard the cool, low voice on the other end of the SmartBit, she froze! This voice was familiar but also foreign at the same time! She swiftly glanced at her SmartBit. The name that was displayed: Jonathan Gunn? Valerie, ¡°!!!!!!!!¡± ¡°Valerie?¡± ¡°Present!¡± Her response was a conditioned reflex, and she regretted it after she said it. Still, to put it another way, she had done something even more regrettable with Jonathan. A silly response was nothing in comparison. Oh well, she was done for anyway¡­ On the other end of the call, Jonathan was silent. Was he deep in thought, or just taken aback by Valerie¡¯s response? Valerie bit the bullet and said directly, ¡°Commander Gunn, I¡¯m sorry. I was in a hurry to find someone to marry last night, so I did all those things. If you¡¯re not happy, we can get a divorce immediately. I can also compensate you. As for your manic-depressive period¡­¡± ¡°Beep beep beep beep.¡± Valerie, ¡°¡­¡± Her SmartBit¡¯s intelligence, Snowy, said dutifully, ¡°Master, Sir has already hung up.¡± Valerie¡¯s face was blank.. ¡°I know! Also, why in the world are you calling him ¡®Sir¡¯?¡± Chapter 16 - Thank You for Helping Me Find True Love Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Snowy said, ¡°Commander Gunn¡¯s SmartBit calls you ¡®Madam¡¯, so of course, I¡¯ll call Commander Gunn ¡®Sir¡¯. This is the term of address automatically set by the system, so it¡¯s not an error.¡± ¡°Change it!¡± Valerie said firmly, ¡°change it to Commander Gunn!¡± ¡°All right.¡± Valerie stared at the SmartBit for a long time, as quiet as a mouse, and finally summoned up the courage to send a message. Valerie: ¡°Commander Gunn, I apologize to you for what happened last night. Furthermore, you did me a favor, which I then returned, so we are even.¡± Valerie: ¡°So, what¡¯s your choice?¡± After a long time, Jonathan sent a reply. Jonathan: ¡°We¡¯ll meet and talk.¡± Valerie, ¡°¡­¡± This was the interstellar era where technology was extremely advanced. Was there anything that could not be done through a text, a call, or even a virtual projection? To meet and talk¡­ Valerie was not looking forward to meeting Jonathan! Nonetheless, after that, no matter how many messages she sent, it was like shouting into a void. Jonathan had decided not to reply. Valerie raised her head and looked up, feeling that the sword of Damocles was dangling steadily above her. Forget it, she should just assume that the commander was very busy, and had no time to pay attention to her now. After the wedding, Ian had already returned to the Imperial Academy, and Nick had also left. He was preparing for his concert. At this time, Madeline, who had been in the hospital for a few days, came back. Unlike Valerie¡¯s sweet and pleasant appearance, Madeline had slender eyebrows and sharp eyes. She seemed like a gentle person, but her gaze was steely. She was someone who could endure hardships. She would work diligently to achieve her heart¡¯s desires. In short, Madeline was not as pretty as Valerie. Nonetheless, she was a master of manipulation. As soon as she returned to the Sullivans¡¯, she was still walking unsteadily. She limped to Valerie¡¯s room and began to wipe away her tears. ¡°Big Sis, I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s all my fault. Otherwise, Isaac would surely have made it to the wedding! ¡°I¡¯m such a d*mn fool. ¡°I don¡¯t ask for your forgiveness, I just hope you can reconcile with Isaac. ¡°If you guys broke up because of me, I¡¯ll feel guilty for the rest of my life!¡± Madeline¡¯s award-worthy performance was so amazing that Valerie nearly choked. She quickly helped up Madeline who was still sobbing like a fountain and nursing her injured leg. Valerie said sincerely, ¡°Maddy, speaking of which, I¡¯d like to thank you for letting me find true love.¡± Madeline was stunned. ¡°True love?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, precisely because Isaac couldn¡¯t make it back in time, I had to find someone to marry. Then, I fell in love with someone at first sight, and we got married.¡± Valerie smiled shyly in a convincing manner. However, she was secretly crying to herself. Yes, it was love at first sight, but this love was not destined to last. Madeline noticed that Valerie¡¯s expression was genuine. She was flabbergasted. She had put up such an agonizing act¡ªwas it not for the sake of stealing everything from Valerie? However, now¡­ Where did this ¡°love at first sight¡± come from? Madeline said in surprise, ¡°Big Sis, what are you talking about? Don¡¯t you like Isaac? You were betrothed at birth, childhood sweethearts who grew up together!¡± ¡®If you give Isaac up so easily, I have no sense of accomplishment at all!¡¯ Valerie nodded and recalled everything from that night carefully. She said, ¡°My new husband is so beautiful. I¡¯ve never met such a beautiful person. Moreover, he loves me very much and cherishes me. Well, you¡¯re not even married yet, so why am I telling you all this?¡± Madeline, ¡°¡­¡± Suddenly, her broken leg seemed to hurt even more¡ªand not just her leg, but even her face was burning. Madeline forced a smile. ¡°Big Sis, aren¡¯t you together with Isaac? You know, the marriage between you two is good for our family restaurant.. If you do this, will it affect our family¡¯s business?¡± Chapter 17 - She Dreamt That Jonny Was Strangling Her With His Tail Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Maybe so, but I¡¯ve thought it over. Maddy, this time Isaac saved you, so shouldn¡¯t you devote yourself to him? How about this¡ªyou can marry him so that the relationship between our two families can still flourish. Isn¡¯t that killing two birds with one stone?¡± Seeing the sincere smile on Valerie¡¯s face, Madeline staggered back. Why was this unfolding so differently from what she had imagined?! Valerie should be scolding her out of embarrassment and rage, then hit her, thus incurring the wrath of the Sullivans. Only then would the Sullivans band together to condemn Valerie, right? Seeing the deep sisterly love shining in Valerie¡¯s eyes, Madeline was completely stunned, not knowing what to say. In the end, because Madeline¡¯s leg was hurting, Valerie helped her back to her room. After Madeline left, Valerie¡¯s lips curled into a mocking smirk. Then, she turned around and went to her grandpa¡¯s study. ¡°Grandpa, will the Holts create trouble for our family?¡± Over the years, the Sullivans and the Holts had been cooperating with each other for mutual benefit, but in fact, the one profiting the most was the Sullivans. After all, they had monopolized the restaurant business across the entire Federal Empire. As for the transportation business? The profits were less than one-third of the Sullivans¡¯. There had been some greedy, ambitious people in the Holts for a long time. Naturally, they wanted more, so after this wedding, they pardoned Isaac and used this situation to test the Sullivans. Of course, Grandpa Sullivan was most familiar with his old friend¡¯s character. He asked Valerie, ¡°If they cut off our supply of fruits and vegetables, what do you think we should do?¡± ¡°Be prepared in advance so that we won¡¯t be completely impeded by them. I heard from Dad that once the transport spaceship was intercepted by space pirates, but a big shot helped resolve the shortage of fruits and vegetables at that time. Grandpa, can we still go to that big shot for help?¡± In the two years after Valerie woke up, although she stayed at home, she had not been idle. Of course, she learned about all the major events that happened in the family over the past five years. Thus, she knew about this matter. Grandpa Sullivan stroked his chin and finally said, ¡°That big shot, I don¡¯t know why he wanted to help us. I only know that he works in the palace, but I don¡¯t know exactly what his position is. There¡¯s only one way to contact him.¡± The palace? There was no helping it. Each time Valerie heard about the palace, she would think of Jonathan. She even had nightmares at night, dreaming of the cute and soft Jonny tearfully kissing her one moment, and strangling her with his tail the next! Of course, Grandpa Sullivan did not know that Valerie was recalling her nightmare from last night. He continued, ¡°He¡¯s an influential figure in the palace, and I¡¯m not sure if he can help. I¡¯ll give you his contact information. You can take care of this matter.¡± Valerie was silent before she nodded. However, after getting that communication number, she felt like her hand was burning. Hopefully, she was overthinking it, and this big shot from the palace had nothing to do with Jonathan. They chatted for a while and soon, Zachary came home. He first went to see the injured Madeline, and then urgently looked for Valerie. ¡°Val, come out. I have something to tell you!¡± After realizing that her dad treated other people¡¯s daughters better than his own daughter, Valerie did not care much for him. She said solemnly, ¡°Dad, what do you have to say that you can¡¯t say in front of Grandpa?¡± Grandpa Sullivan looked coolly at his own son. Zachary choked. It would not look good if he continued yelling for Valerie to come out. He frowned. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you! Isaac didn¡¯t mean to not show up that day. He even pleaded with you.. Why didn¡¯t you forgive him? Great, now the Holts are reconsidering our business partnership!¡± Chapter 18 - If He Were a Worthy Man, I Wouldn鈥檛 Have Stepped Aside Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation When Valerie heard this, she sighed. ¡°Dad, you really can¡¯t blame me for this matter. Maddy and Isaac are in love with each other. I found someone else to marry just so they can be happy! Sigh, other people may not understand my painstaking efforts, which is fine, but how can you misunderstand me like this? Maddy was so pitiful that I hope she can be with her beloved. What did I do wrong? Although I¡¯ve lost someone, I can¡¯t let Maddy lose her true love.¡± Zachary was dumbfounded. Grandpa Sullivan glanced over at his granddaughter, his eyes gleaming thoughtfully. Zachary took a while to recover and said, ¡°Really?¡± Valerie immediately nodded. ¡°Of course! Maddy has liked Isaac for a long time, but because I was betrothed to him, she hid this feeling deep in her heart. As for Isaac, he often rushes to Maddy¡¯s rescue when she¡¯s in danger, regardless of the risk or the consequences¡ªisn¡¯t that true love? I was so moved by them, so I wanted to give them what they desire!¡± Zachary was taken in by her story. ¡°So, they¡¯re both truly in love?¡± ¡°Yeah, so let Maddy marry Isaac. That will kill two birds with one stone. Maddy will be married to the one she loves, and the relationship between our two families can be maintained. As for me, this slight blow to my pride is nothing. After all, Maddy is my sister.¡± Zachary looked at the earnest glint in his daughter¡¯s eyes, and suddenly felt that he had been blaming her wrongfully. He said, ¡°Val, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ve been blaming you wrongfully all this while! I¡¯ll inform the Holts now.¡± Valerie nodded, her eyes reddening. ¡°Go, don¡¯t let our family business be affected. Also, Maddy might feel ashamed as she wouldn¡¯t want me to sacrifice for her. That¡¯s why you¡¯d better first set in stone their marriage before informing Maddy. She¡¯ll surely weep with joy.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Zachary hurried away. Valerie stoically wiped away a tear from the corner of her eye. Grandpa Sullivan started to smile as he teased, ¡°Young Val, are you that willing to step aside?¡± Valerie said, ¡°If he were a worthy man, I wouldn¡¯t have stepped aside. But Isaac¡¯s just a common potato. Whether he¡¯d marry Madeline is still uncertain. The Holts finally have an excuse to create trouble so they won¡¯t give up so easily. We should be prepared for any outcomes.¡± ¡°Alright, you should contact that big shot as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After Valerie returned to her room, she clasped her hands and prayed. ¡°I hope I¡¯m overthinking. This big shot surely has nothing to do with Jonathan!¡± Snowy was confused. ¡°Master, if they knew each other, wouldn¡¯t it be easier for you to ask for help?¡± Valerie sighed. ¡°But I don¡¯t know whether Jonathan sees me as friend or foe.¡± Snowy said, ¡°Friend or foe? Aren¡¯t you his wife?¡± Valerie was speechless. ¡°There¡¯s no way I can explain this matter to a lonely intelligence like you. Forget it, it¡¯s not too late. We still have to solve the problem of the supply of fruits and vegetables first.¡± If the Holts acted first, the Sullivans would be helpless! Therefore, Valerie called the number that her grandpa gave. Jonathan was currently in a meeting, sweeping his cold gaze over the room. ¡°This raid has proved that there are problems within each of our ten districts. Now, each person will be responsible for one district and search the place strictly. The spies must still be among them! If you don¡¯t find them, everyone can forget about taking a break!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Everyone nodded solemnly. He was getting involved in the ten districts. If they did not clean things up, no one would be allowed to sleep peacefully in the future! At this moment, Jonathan¡¯s communication device rang. He frowned slightly, showing his displeasure.. Chapter 19 - Do You Know Commander Gunn? Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The adjutants in the room held their breaths and looked nervously at their ruthless commander. At this time, the commander was in a very bad mood. Whoever made the call had terrible luck! White Tiger reported softly by Jonathan¡¯s ear, ¡°Master, you once left an alternate communication number with the Sullivans. Madam is calling. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s because she learned of what you did before¡­ Would you like to pick it up?¡± Without changing his expression, Jonathan looked up and said to everyone, ¡°The meeting is over.¡± After speaking, he turned around and entered his private lounge next door while everyone was still gaping in shock. Jonathan unbuttoned the collar of his military uniform, exposing his Adam¡¯s apple which was bobbing up and down. He said, ¡°Connect the call.¡± After a pause, he added a command. ¡°No projections.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Valerie, who was lying on the big soft bed, swayed her feet in boredom. She silently thought about what she would say. First, she had to ask that person why he had helped the Sullivans. Of course, this was an important point. However, a more important factor was that he had nothing to do with Jonathan! Then, she would have to persuade him to help their family through this crisis. Perhaps she would have to offer some payment, but that was to be expected. ¡®As long as his request was not excessive, she would agree to anything. At this time, the call was connected. Valerie hurriedly sat upright, only to find that the other person¡¯s projection was not turned on. The screen was pitch black. She considered the possibility that this guy was more cautious. After all, he worked in the palace. Valerie said respectfully, ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Valerie Sullivan of the Sullivan Restaurant. Thank you very much for helping us out back then.¡± Jonathan looked at the girl on the screen. She was wearing a stylish, appropriate dress with her long hair flowing over her shoulders. She was well-behaved and gentle, and did not seem like the type who would grab a stranger and make him her groom. He asked White Tiger to turn on the voice changer in advance, and his originally deep voice now had a warm maturity to it. ¡°It was nothing.¡± ¡°It was nothing to you, but it helped our family. May I take the liberty to ask why did you help us then?¡± ¡°L.. like the dishes served in the Sullivan Restaurant.¡± Valerie understood at once. It turned out he was a fan of the Sullivan Restaurant. Her tone lightened up as well. ¡°Oh, what a coincidence. Our family happens to be opening a branch in the First District. That¡¯s where you¡¯re based, right? You can eat there often in the future.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Although he was not talkative, he liked the dishes of their restaurant very much. This indirectly shrank the gap between the two of them. The conversation went very smoothly although Valerie was doing most of the talking while the other person only replied with a few words. After chatting for a while, Valerie got to the point. She said, ¡°Our restaurant may soon encounter some issues in the supply of fruits and vegetables. Could you help us again? Of course, I understand that this request is very abrupt. If it¡¯s too troublesome, we¡¯ll think of another¡­¡± ¡°Sure.¡± His voice was warm and gentle, like the reverberation of a cello in one¡¯s heart. Moreover, he sounded pleased! Valerie liked good-looking people, as well as people with nice voices. Naturally, she thanked him profusely. However, before the call ended, she asked carefully, ¡°Sir, how should I address you?¡± ¡°Just call me Mr. G.¡± ¡°Then¡­ Do you know Commander Jonathan Gunn?¡± ¡°No.¡± He replied too quickly. Valerie was taken aback. Her pretty eyes widened as she blinked rapidly, looking somewhat suspicious. Jonathan frowned and added, ¡°I mean, I¡¯m not that close to him..¡± Chapter 20 - Commander Gunn Is Lying to His Own Wife? Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Only then did Valerie heave a sigh of relief. That was what she thought. Jonathan was the first commander of the Empire. Who would dare to say they did not know him? Nonetheless, in the palace, it was probably only His Majesty who was close to him. After all, they were relatives. Besides His Majesty, perhaps also the military officers under Jonathan. Obviously, Mr. G was just an ordinary person working in the palace. He had nothing to do with Jonathan and had no contact with him. Valerie was relieved. ¡°That¡¯s all then. Goodbye, Mr. G.¡± ¡°Goodbye.¡± After hanging up, Jonathan went to look over some documents. White Tiger hesitated for a while before saying in a low voice, ¡°Master, you spoke several lies just now. You¡¯re someone who has never lied.¡± White Tiger thought angrily, ¡®Moreover, he¡¯s lying to his own wife! Jonathan looked down. ¡°She¡¯s afraid of me now. If I told the truth, she wouldn¡¯t have talked with me for so long,¡± White Tiger checked the length of the previous call. Oh, it was 28 minutes. Madam could chat with a stranger for 28 minutes, but she was reluctant to reply to the master¡¯s message. White Tiger suddenly felt a little sorry for his master. However. White Tiger said, ¡°Master, why did you help the Sullivans back then? That was so many years ago.¡± It was not because his master liked the food of the Sullivan Restaurant. Jonathan would not even have bothered to drink nutrient solutions if it were not for the fact that he would starve to death! Jonathan picked up a document and looked at it, coldly ignoring White Tiger. On the other end, Valerie turned around and reported the good news to her grandfather. With Mr. G¡¯s help, they were not afraid of any trouble from the Holts. When Grandpa Sullivan asked what Mr. G was like, Valerie thought about it and said, ¡°He didn¡¯t turn on the projection, but based on his voice, he should be in his 30s or 40s. He¡¯s quite gentle. I¡¯m guessing that he works in an administration role in the palace. He said that he likes the food of our family restaurant. When the First District branch opens, I¡¯ll cook something myself and invite him for a meal!¡± Seeing that Valerie was in a very excited mood, Grandpa Sullivan smiled kindly. ¡°You can cook? Why haven¡¯t you cooked for me?¡± ¡°Tm afraid you might think it¡¯s bad. I¡¯ve learned a lot in the past two years. How about I make two dishes for you to try today?¡± Valerie smiled winningly. To make her cooking abilities appear to be a logical development, Valerie had spent the past two years, after waking up, concentrating on ¡®learning¡¯ to cook while she recuperated. Grandpa Sullivan shook his head and said, ¡°It¡¯s too late today. I¡¯ve eaten too much. Let¡¯s do it tomorrow.¡± ¡°Alright, Grandpa.¡± ¡®When Valerie came out of the old man¡¯s study, she decided to go to the kitchen to get some ingredients but ran into Ruth who was chopping vegetables. Although there were housekeeping robots now, the Sullivans were all willing to cook their own meals. Ruth was chopping vegetables with a kitchen knife, and beside her stood Madeline, who was putting on another act. With eyes red from crying, Madeline said woefully, ¡°Mom, I didn¡¯t mean to have an accident. I called a number at random in a panic¡ªt didn¡¯t expect it to be Isaac. Don¡¯t be angry, okay?¡± Ruth chopped the carrots loudly, then minced them finely. She sneered and said, ¡°You¡¯re still able to think so quickly while panicking. You could¡¯ve called anyone else but you called the groom? Now that Isaac isn¡¯t marrying Val, are you happy?¡± ¡°Mom, I¡¯m not, I¡¯m really not¡­¡± ¡°Tm not your mom.. Don¡¯t just call me whatever you like!¡±