There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL) novel Chapter 787

Chapter 787: Side Story 4. Endless Journey - 68

"Huh?" Bassena blinked in surprise. He thought Zein only suggested the father thing because they seemed to be serious about each other already. "Really?"

"H-how did you know?" Julia widened her eyes. She looked at Asa, but he shook his head to tell her that he hadn’t said anything to his father yet.

Zein leaned back and crossed his arms, replying nonchalantly. "If you’re just dating normally, you’ll tell Lucy or Kar first instead of coming straight to us like this."

Bassena arched his brow. "Is that the case?"

Asa shrugged and grinned at Zein. "As expected of you, Father."

"No, wait--" Bassena raised his hand. "You’re actually engaged?"

"Yeah?"

The sharp ambers zeroed in Julia’s bare fingers. "Without any ring?!"

"Well, I haven’t got the time to--"

"My son! Proposing! Without a ring!" Bassena stood up and gasped, eyes widened as if the world had just crumbled in front of his eyes. "What a disgrace!"

"Oh, come on!"

"Whoa..." Kar waved his finger to snatch a jar of cookies with his mana so he could snack on this live show.

Zein rolled his eyes and pulled his husband back to the couch. "You’re being dramatic again, Bas. You’ll look like Shin if you continue."

Bassena gasped again, looking even more scandalized than the absence of the ring. "What a horrid thing to say, honey!"

Zein chuckled. "He’s your future in-law, you know?"

Bassena turned toward Kar with a scowl, as if blaming his son for his choice of in-law--as if it wasn’t him who befriended that in-law first. Kar merely shrugged and ate his cookie. "What? He’s cute."

"That’s right--stop being so dramatic, Dad!" Asa attacked the esper too. "Isn’t it better to bring her to an artisan and make something she actually likes?"

"Where’s the romance in that?" Bassena argued and scoffed. "Your sister will scold you for sure."

"Oh, wait--where is she?" Asa looked around, realizing the most boisterous member was actually absent.

"Guardian Tree."

"Oh, phew..."

Julia was once again thrown into a whirlwind. What was this constant emotional shift happening in just a few seconds? She felt like she was in the middle of a deadline during his college days, and honestly...

"Pfft--" Julia clasped her mouth as a chuckle escaped her lips. "Oh, I--I’m sorry..."

"Welcome," Kar spread his arms from his chair, smirking. "Now you know that our family is not that special."

Asa grinned and stroked his--supposedly--fiancee’s shoulder. He had been saying it for so long; that his family was nothing special, that his fathers acted like regular fathers. But as expected, one had to experience it firsthand to believe that those legendary people were just humans in the end.

At least, she was finally calm enough to drink the refreshment and didn’t look so nervous anymore. Zein felt it was time for them to return to the topic.

"So, about that marriage?"

"Ah, we want to do it this week," Asa said, prompting both his brother and father to spray their drink in shock.

Zein glanced at the mess and spoke sharply. "You’ll clean that up, right?"

"O-of course," Bassena coughed and grabbed a napkin, cleaning the couch and the wet floor right away.

Kar did the same quietly, and none of them used magic, even though they were very much capable of doing so. The house staff also didn’t make any move, as if it was something normal to see their employers cleaning up around the house.

In that instance, Julia understood the hierarchy in the family.

Zein leaned back and crossed his arms again. "Explain."

Asa swallowed quietly before explaining what happened that night--well, up until his proposal, at least. When he finished, the three men raised their brows dumbfoundedly.

"For naming rights?"

"That’s not it! Ugh..."

"I can assure you that I’m not accepting because of that," Julia said quickly.

Asa grinned, actually feeling rather proud of the way he proposed. "But it’s neat, isn’t it?"

"Haa..." Zein threw his head back and closed his eyes. "I have to say you have a way of proposing, just like your Dad."

"What? I’m proposing normally," Bassena argued.

"You waited until you got ownership of this cliff."

"It’s a dowry, honey."

"Anyway, he’s your son alright," Zein sighed, looking at his grinning son.

Bassena scoffed. "My son would prepare a ring from a long time ago."

"Oh, put it to rest, Dad."

Zein clapped his hand. "Focus."

"Yes, Sir!"

Yeah. A clear hierarchy--Julia made a note in her mind.

"So, since you agreed to marry anyway, it’s fine to do it quickly so you can change your name listed on that project? Is that what you think?"

"Well..."

"We don’t really care about big weddings or anything, so just a quick registry office wedding like Uncle Dee and Uncle Joon is--"

"I disagree."

The conversation paused as everyone looked at Zein. Of anyone, nobody expected rejection from Zein. Especially not Asa.