A Reborn Bride Pearl Emerging from Dust novel Chapter 1047

Calliope hesitated, at a loss for words. Well… she supposed he did have a point.

It certainly looked like Julius was genuinely worried about Linnea becoming too attached to him.

"Still, you're going to be colleagues for a while," she remarked, tilting her head as she regarded him. "You could at least try to be a little nicer to the girl. She seems to really like you."

She paused, eyeing him thoughtfully. "By the way, don't you think it's about time you found yourself a girlfriend?"

Julius shot her a resigned look. Calliope pressed on, "You've been single for years—haven't so much as gone on a date. Is… is there something wrong? Seriously, what's up with that?" Her gaze was searching, a hint of teasing mixed with real curiosity.

It was a mystery to her. How could he not have even one romance to speak of? Was it somehow her fault? But she didn't spend all her time glued to his side—it wasn’t like they were joined at the hip. Surely people wouldn't get the wrong idea? Then again, if she did give anyone the wrong impression, maybe she should clear things up for his sake.

Julius put on his most serious face. "You know most of my fans are women. If I were to start dating, what would happen to them? It would break their hearts. For their sake, I just can't get into a relationship," he declared, deadpan. "But feel free to harass our other two brothers about it. Honestly, I think it's about time they started dating."

Calliope looked him up and down, a smirk tugging at her lips. All right, there was some logic buried in his excuse. "But Julius, you’re not exactly a kid anymore. Even if you did start dating, I think your fans would understand—as long as you picked someone with a good heart," she countered. "Your fans aren't rabid; they're actually pretty rational. Like idol, like fans, right? You're a decent human being, so it follows."

Calliope’s cheek twitched in disbelief. "Julius, you’re just doing this to mess with me, aren’t you?"

"I’m not. Really! When finding a partner, you just need someone who’s right for you. If you set the bar this high, how’s anyone supposed to find the right person?" he shot back. "I think being outstanding isn’t the most important thing. What matters is whether you click."

Calliope arched an eyebrow, refusing to let it go. "So you’re not even going to try? Seriously, you’re getting older—you should at least start looking."

Julius leveled a stare at her, a wry half-smile on his lips. "My dear, you're so young and already playing matchmaker for me?" he chuckled. "Can't we be a bit more open-minded about this stuff? Marriage isn't something you can force—it’s all about timing. If it’s not the right time, what's the rush? These days, there are plenty of people who are single by choice. Plenty who don’t get married or even have kids."