Chapter 268 - 267: The Adult World is So Complicated

Nolan Crawford was a bit stunned. ’So something like that happened? I really had no idea.’

"Then all these years... why haven’t you ever contacted my parents? I’ve never heard them mention you."

Madam Bloom just smiled, not seeming to care at all. Her gaze toward him held a hint of affection.

"It’s all in the past. If I hadn’t seen you today, I wouldn’t have even thought about it. But the person they knew was the old me, not the Poison Master Madam Bloom. Do you understand what I mean?"

’If Milo were still alive, our child would probably be his age now. Maybe they could have even grown up with Sophia’s son.’

’The mixed-race baby we would have had would have been beautiful, too.’

’But that fire didn’t just take the only love of her life; it also took her soul and cost Lucas Crawford and Sophia two of their closest friends.’

’Now, she was just a middle-aged woman who liked to play with poisons. As for everything else... that all vanished with the fire.’

Nolan Crawford could only nod hesitantly. "Don’t worry, ma’am. I won’t tell them I met you today."

’The key thing was, Madam Bloom said his parents knew the old her, and he didn’t even know Madam Bloom’s real name.’

’What a mess. He was just here to support his good friend meeting the parents and see the world, but he ended up running into one of his parents’ old friends.’

’But this friend apparently didn’t want his parents to know her whereabouts.’

’Tsk, the adult world is so complicated. It’s really not something a little baby who’s only been alive for 270-some months can understand.’

Seeing that Madam Bloom’s mood seemed to have soured, Yvonne Lowell subtly changed the subject.

"By the way, Madam Bloom, what happened to that person from Country X who was selling counterfeit Beauty Intoxication?"

She remembered that when she had Zachary Jacobs report the matter to Madam Bloom, Madam Bloom had exploded on the spot.

While others might just run for their lives, she personally flew her plane off the island that very night.

The plane was already far away, but all of Apeiron was still filled with the sound of Madam Bloom’s cursing, and man, was it vulgar.

"Him? He turned into a puddle of stinking water and evaporated long ago." A scornful smile played on Madam Bloom’s lips.

"I can’t believe I spent so many years looking for him, and he just changed his name and kept hiding in some godforsaken corner of Country X. Perfect. I got to settle old and new scores with that son of a bitch all at once."

’What a piece of trash. Stealing her formula and backstabbing her was one thing, but how dare he plagiarize her Beauty Intoxication.’

’Luckily, he never saw the complete recipe for Beauty Intoxication back then. Otherwise, her reputation would have been utterly ruined.’

Zachary Jacobs froze for a second. "So that useless bum really was the traitor you mentioned before? No way, Madam Bloom. You actually took on such a pathetic disciple?!"

’Back then, even though she taught the three of them with everything she had, she never mentioned officially taking them as disciples. It seems that loser pissed her off so badly she developed PTSD about accepting students.’

’But what was wrong with him? The thought of Madam Bloom almost losing her life because of such a useless bum actually made him want to laugh a little.’

Madam Bloom shot him a sideways glance. "Couldn’t be helped. I was young, reckless, blind, and foolish. All my own damn fault. Besides, weren’t you a total rookie before? I never looked down on you."

Zachary Jacobs was left speechless by her words and could only pout in frustration.

He thought to himself: ’You may not have looked down on me, but your passive-aggressive sarcasm is everywhere.’

’It couldn’t be helped. He just wasn’t interested in poisons. After so many years of studying, he was still just a dabbler.’

’He wasn’t like Lowell, a jack-of-all-trades who learned everything quickly and mastered it all to perfection.’

’Or like Nina, who was incredibly talented with medicine and poisons and had thoroughly learned all of Madam Bloom’s lifelong skills, aside from Beauty Intoxication.’

’The only things in this life that truly interested him were LEGOs, code, and making money. As for everything else... if the sky fell, his two big sisters would be there to hold it up. What the hell did he have to worry about?’

’He’d been serious about mooching off his sisters since he was a child.’

Kai Preston listened silently, one hand resting on the Leogryph’s head, stroking it rhythmically.

’After all, opportunity knocks but once. It wasn’t every day he got to pet this creature, so he had to seize the chance.’

The Leogryph didn’t embarrass him, either. It rested its head on his lap and let him pet away. After all, Lord Lionus was currently the main force diverting the line of fire for his old mother.

’And most importantly, it had been so busy playing with Luna’s cubs the past few days that it hadn’t had time for a bath. Its head was indeed a little itchy.’

Madam Bloom raised an eyebrow, deciding to call him out.

"Old Man Quinn, do you have anything else to say? If not, I’m going to take the kids for a walk."

Kai Preston glanced at her. "If you want to slip away, just say so."

"Alright, since the Lord Continent Master finds me an eyesore, I’ll take my leave." Madam Bloom wasn’t annoyed, rising with a smile.

Kai Preston couldn’t stop his lip from twitching. ’What did I just say?! Is that what I said?! ARGH!!!’

"You three single dogs without partners can stop hanging around. This is a meeting with the parents, what’s it got to do with you? Third, take these two handsome guys on a tour of our Apeiron."

The three single dogs without partners: ... ’Say that one more time!’

?ヽ(`Д′)?┻━┻

Zachary Jacobs looked at her with a resentful expression. "Madam Bloom, I told you not to call me Third anymore!"

’God knows how he’d survived all these years. They’d been calling him that ever since he arrived on Apeiron.’

’At first, being young and ignorant, he’d even responded to it with a cheerful smile.’

’By the time he learned the other meaning of the word, his objections were useless.’

"Got it, Third. I’ll be more careful next time."

Madam Bloom didn’t even spare him a glance as she strode out.

’Fuck!’

’Zachary Jacobs was angry! Zachary Jacobs was frustrated! Zachary Jacobs was not happy!’

’The worst part was, he couldn’t beat her in a fight or win a war of words. He was terrified she’d poison him without a sound, and he’d turn into a puddle of stinking water without ever knowing what happened.’

He could only lead Nolan Crawford and Ian Lynch out of the courtyard, fuming, and diligently act as their guide [the teeth-gritting version].

Zachary "Melting" Jacobs: Huh, why am I melting? My legs are gone, can my waist be far behind?

In the living room, only Kai Preston and the four of them remained.

Kai Preston raised his eyes to glance at them, then stood up with a calm expression.

"You two can go do whatever you want. The two traffickers, come with me."

Without waiting for a response, he turned and headed upstairs on his own.

Leo Grant and Silas Lynch, the two traffickers: ...

The two men each whispered a few words to their respective girlfriends before following him up.

Yvonne Lowell and Nina Jennings exchanged a look, shrugged in unison, and then took the Leogryph and The Mountain Lord out for a walk.

’As the old saying goes, better you than me.’

’Besides, it’s not like Kai Preston would eat them on the spot. What’s the big deal?’