Chapter 73 – Royal Affair

"Auntie Nayn!" Evandel sprinted at Nayun the moment the door opened and jumped into her arms.

Nayun gasped, caught off guard. But she reflexively grabbed Evandel and said, "You crazy girl!" Nayun walked inside the house and pinched Evandel's cheek. "What were you going to do if I didn't catch you, huh?"

"Nyooo! Auntie Nayn, no piiiiinch!" Evandel squirmed, trying to escape from Nayun's grasp.

Lee chuckled as he shut the door behind Nayun and said, "Welcome to our humble abode. Also, your English is pretty good now."

Nayun set Evandel down and said, "It's always been good. I just never had a chance to use it much."

Evandel sprinted back to Lee, jumping into his arms.

Lee smiled and adjusted Evandel to be comfy before saying, "Suuure. Yeonha would beg to differ."

Nayun rolled her eyes and said, "Yeonha would beg to differ about a lot of things. Like how she totally doesn't love Hajin."

Evandel gasped and said, "RICH AUNTIE NO LOVE UNCLE HAJI?!"

Lee laughed and said, "No, she definitely does, Eva. Yeonha is just a bit dishonest."

Evandel gasped again and said, "RICH AUNTIE LIE?! Mommy going be big mad!"

Nayun chuckled. "Oh, I'm sure your Mommy will be very made with Yeonha later, Eva." She stretched and said, "But this is your house, huh? It's pretty big. You sure it'll be alright to have this while we're at Cube?"

Lee nodded. "Don't worry about it. I'm planning to hire some housemaids... and even if I don't, Rachel definitely will."

Nayun stuck her hand in her jeans pocket and said, "True. In fact..." She swept her gaze around the area and said, "It wouldn't surprise me if she redecorates everything in this place. Rachel seems like she'd enjoy home decor."

"Probably... But anyway, I'm setting up a grill in the back. Since Eva wants barbecue, I'm making some burgers, hot dogs, and steaks. Wanna chat out back?"

Nayun glanced at Evandel.

Evandel tilted her head. But then she nodded and looked up at Lee. "Daddy! Can I play in my room?"

Lee smiled and set Evandel down. "Of course, Eva. Go have fun with Richy and Kerny."

"Kay~!"

After that, Evandel tugged the air, making her usual plushies appear in an instant before running upstairs. Shortly after, the sound of a door clicking shut, along with Evandel's faint babbling echoed from above.

Nayun looked amused and said, "Rachel would totally be mad at you for leaving Evandel alone like that. Also, she's just a toddler, right? Isn't it bad to leave her alone like that?"

Lee started walking towards the back porch and said, "It's fine. Evandel is a toddler, but she's also the daughter of me and Rachel. She's a very smart little girl... and she also needs some alone time, you know? She spends so much time with me and Rachel already that it's good for her to have some time by herself to get used to independence too."

Nayun moved to walk beside Lee and said, "Huh. You're saying you're not just leaving Eva alone because you don't want to watch her... but because you're being considerate of how to raise her?"

"Obviously. You think I'd want to stop holding my cute baby girl otherwise?"

"Point taken." Nayun chuckled. "Both you and Rachel are a bit too clingy when it comes to Evandel. It's going to be a mess when she gets to puberty, isn't it?"

"Problem for future me and Rachel."

Nayun snorted.

Lee opened the slide door to the porch and stepped outside.

Nayun did as well and then let out a soft smile as she saw the beach down below. "This is a pretty nice view."

"Yep. Although it also means that Eva keeps insisting that she wants to go fishing with me every day since the beach is so close."

Nayun laughed. "She would."

Lee grabbed a pair of tongs and started putting charcoal from a nearby bag into the steel grill. "No, you don't understand, Nayun. My baby girl's definition of fishing is apparently stabbing things with a spear. Not rod fishing."

"...Huh?"

Lee chuckled and lit up the grill with a lighter after spraying some lighter fluid. Then he said, "Apparently, in Eva's eyes, 'fishing' means gettting food. Not having fun reeling in fish."

"...Pft."

Lee shook his head and said, "Honestly, I don't know where she got the idea that fishing means just stabbing fish with a spear..."

"I do."

Lee raised an eyebrow. "You do?"

"Yeah." Nayun lightly punched Lee's shoulder and said, "From her Daddy, of course. Didn't you say you used to go spear fishing for money?"

Lee paused. Then he groaned and facepalmed.

Nayun laughed.

"...In my defense," Lee said. "It never clicked in my head that someone would think spear fishing means ACTUALLY stabbing fish with a spear and not using a speargun."

Nayun leaned against the nearby porch railing and said, "Maybe you should show that to Eva sometime then instead of letting her assume things. We've all seen how crazy that can get with Hajin and Yeonha, after all."

"Yeah. Thanks for the reminder." Lee cut a small piece of fat from a steak to grease the grill and said, "Though I think I'll try and pull Eva into more peaceful hobbies. Like sculpting. I'm worried she might decided that it'd be more efficient to fish by spamming tons of mana spears into the ocean, freezing the ocean, or using Excalibur to split the seas so that she can grab the fish..."

Nayun hopped onto the porch railing and idly kicked her legs. "Probably. That's the danger of raising an overpowered toddler."

"Yep. Wouldn't have it any other way though." Lee used the tongs to grab the trimmed piece of fat and started greasing the grill. Then he said, "So what's the urgent business?"

Nayun paused.

Lee kept greasing the grill, deliberately not looking back to give Nayun some time to think and respond.

Nayun gave Lee a grateful smile, even though he couldn't see it. Then she said, "...It's Oppa."

Lee paused and glanced back at Nayun. "Your older brother? What's wrong?"

Nayun let out a frustrated sigh and said, "Nothing's wrong. It's just... Grandfather doesn't think it's worth keeping him around anymore. Dad's pushing back against it, but... Pretty much until Memorial Day on June 6. That's how long I have to find a solution."

Lee did some quick math and said, "...So after finals."

"Just about, yeah." Nayun pursed her lips. "Apparently, Dad's tried everything under the sun and even some that aren't to wake Oppa up and heal him. But nothing's worked. So..."

"So they want to take him off life support."

"...Yeah."

Lee hummed. "I've heard about how your grandfather is, so it doesn't surprise me. But that's pretty coldhearted, even if it's not surprising."

"Right?" Nayun sighed. "And Grandfather is in Australia clearing out hordes of monsters or something so he won't be back until AFTER the two months too."

"Mm..." Lee tilted his head and did some thinking. "June 6 is a Friday... Finals are done that Wednesday, June 3rd. Do you think it'd be the day of June 6 exactly?"

Nayun pursed her lips. Then she said, "...Probably. Since it's Memorial Day, Grandfather probably wants to do a tribute for Oppa on that day to save face."

"Then we have until June 5. One day after finals."

"...Yeah." Nayun sighed. "...Any ideas? I was thinking that since you said fairies are real we could find something here in England..."

"Oh, don't worry about it, Nayun."

Nayun blinked. "...What do you mean don't worry about it?"

"Did you forget?" Lee laughed. "Evandel has the Holy Grail."

Nayun paused. "...You mentioned that last time. But, uh... What IS the Holy Grail."

Lee gave Nayun a blank stare.

Nayun blushed. "W-What?! I don't read as many dusty books as you and Rachel do, okay?!"

"...It's literally the chalice of miracles. Like, it purifies the unclean, destroys the demonic, and grants wishes."

Nayun froze. Then jumped down from the porch railing and grabbed Lee's shirt collar, shaking him. "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME THAT BEFORE I PANICKED AND CRIED FOR HOURS IN DESPAIR YOU BASTARD?!"

"I THOUGHT YOU KNEW!"

"HOW COULD I KNOW?! I'M KOREAN!"

"SO AM I! TECHNICALLY!"

"AAAARRRRGHHHHH!"

A window opened from up above and then Evandel's voice echoed. "Auntie Nayn! No yell! Bad!"

Nayun glanced up at the window and said, "Your Daddy's bad! He didn't tell Auntie a secret!"

"It wasn't a secret! You never asked!"

"YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME ANYWAY!"

"Auntie Nayn! No yell! Mommy yell you!"

Nayun glanced up to respond to Evandel, opening her mouth.

And then she saw Rachel standing behind the glass sliding door, a thin smile on her face.

Droon gave an awkward wave from behind Rachel, mouthing 'she's in a bad mood.'

Rachel slowly slid the door open.

Nayun coughed and quickly let go of Lee. "R-Rachel! Welcome, uh... Home? How was the palace?"

Rachel smiled. "It was productive. May I ask why you were shaking my fiance?"

"W-Well- Wait." Nayun blinked. "Fiance?"

Lee blinked too. "Wait. Since when am I your fiance, Rachel?"

Rachel smiled and calmly walked over before slipping a ring on Lee's left ring finger. "Since now."

A golden band with diamonds encrusting the oval face, a wide sapphire embedded in the center, then five rubies making a cross over the sapphire, four rectangles, one square...

And one that Lee absolutely recognized as the Sovereign's Ring that King Charles III wore when he took the throne.

"R-Rachel?!"

Rachel kept smiling. "Yes, Dear?"

"This...!?" Lee waved at the ring. "Do you even know what this is?!"

"Of course. Do you?"

Lee paused, hearing the sincerity in Rachel's voice. Then he composed himself and looked into Rachel's eyes. "...Are you sure?"

"Do you still have to ask?" Rachel grabbed Lee's left hand, idly spinning the ring. "...Who else would ever wear this while I'm alive? Besides." Rachel let out a bright smile and said, "You said I'm like Princess Diana, right? Then you might as well wear the ring her husband had before he died."

"...Isn't that bad luck?"

Rachel smiled. "Then don't die."

Nayun looked between Lee and Rachel. "Uh... Should I like. Leave?"

"Of course not." Rachel giggled. "You're a witness. Droon too. Since there's two, it's official."

Lee gave Rachel a blank stare. Then he burst out laughing and pulled her in for a kiss.

Rachel let out a surprised squeak before leaning into it.

From up above, Evandel gasped and then let out a happy squeal. "MOMMY DADDY KISSY! YAY!"

Nayun sighed. "...Third wheeling again, I guess."

Droon walked over and patted Nayun's arm. "It's okay. You're still part of the family as Eva's Auntie."

"True." Nayun laughed. "Who needs a man anyway, right?"

Rachel came up for breath and then her eyes sparkled with mischief. "There's room for a Queen consort~"

Nayun immediately turned a bright red. "WHAT?!"

Lee turned red too. "RACHEL?!"

Rachel laughed and stuck out her tongue. "Just kidding."

"You...!" Lee leaned forward and nipped Rachel's tongue.

Rachel let out a yelp and lightly swatted Lee's shoulder. "Lee!"

Nayun rolled her eyes. Seeing as how they definitely were getting too into it, she took it upon herself to tend to the grill, placing down the first array of burger patties. "I'll just... start cooking then."

Droon hopped over and said, "I'll help!"