Chapter 50

Unedited chapter

50. A Rival in Love is Creeping In

Having something to eat upstairs, Shu Shu was not in a hurry to attend the banquet. On the contrary, he started to eat happily.

Halfway through, his communication device suddenly rang. Shu Shu opened it to see and found that it was actually Synthia who had sent a message.

Synthia had already arrived at the banquet ahead of time, but he was not familiar with anyone at all, so he sent a message to Shu Shu, asking whether Shu Shu had come or not.

"Is it a message from a classmate?" Ian asked. Shu Shu certainly didn’t hide from him when reading the message, and the letters on the screen were also very large, so he was able to read the message just by taking a glance at it.

"Yeah. It’s my desk-mate Synthia who sent me a message. Uncle Ian, do you know Synthia?" Shu Shu curiously asked.

When Ian introduced those people just now, he was familiar with all of them. It made Shu Shu feel that Ian should be omnipotent.

"I mainly know the older generation. I’m not familiar with a young sub-beastman like him, but Edgar should have his information." Ian said. When his son sent Shu Shu to the bridal class, he had definitely checked the situation of everyone in the bridal class.

And him speaking out like this was partly to give Shu Shu a hint, letting him know some of the things that they did and would do.

Edgar glanced at his own mother a little unhappily. He did investigate Shu Shu’s classmates, but he didn't want to let Shu Shu know—what’s to be done if Shu Shu felt displeased after knowing about it?

However, Shu Shu did not feel displeased and turned towards him with great interest instead. Edgar thought about it and then sent Synthia's information to Shu Shu.

Synthia was the stepson of a viscount, and, from a certain point of view, his life experience in the Beastman Empire was quite melodramatic . . . .

To begin with, Synthia's biological father died in an accident. His sub-beastman father initially intended to raise him alone, but a viscount pursued him ardently later on. He was originally a rather weak sub-beastman, and after his husband died, he did not know what he should do. He ultimately accepted the viscount's pursuit and married the viscount.

He had eaten his former husband’s beast bead, so naturally, he could no longer give birth to a child for the viscount. At first, this did not matter. The society had developed to the present; there were many beastmen and sub-beastmen who did not want to have children, and no one would think they were strange for not having children. Unfortunately, another sub-beastman took a fancy to this viscount afterwards . . . .

This viscount should have loved Synthia’s mother dearly, but he nevertheless wanted children. In the end, he actually gave his beast bead to this sub-beastman, letting the other party give birth to his children . . . .

A person’s feelings would change. Between a sub-beastman who kept his former husband in mind constantly and a sub-beastman who was dead set on bearing and raising his own children and even gave birth to five or six children, which one was more important?

The viscount decided to divorce Synthia's mother, but Synthia's mother was hard-pressed to accept it. The marriage that had been unhappy from the beginning also made him depressed. In the end, he actually killed himself.

This was the case. Of course, there were some more details written on the investigation report, but at the same time, there was no mention of the beast bead—after all, this was considered to be a general knowledge that everyone knew.

"This is a scum male who had an extramarital affair, and the mistress even gave birth to illegitimate children, ah!" Shu Shu suddenly sympathized with Synthia.

"This viscount is indeed immoral." Ian also commented after reading the information. The number of sub-beastmen in the Beastman Empire was less than that of the beastmen. Sub-beastmen whose husbands had an accident and chose to remarry were not few, and many beastmen would not care about this. After getting married, they would concentrate their thoughts and efforts on their sub-beastmen all the same. The viscount’s way of handling matters would naturally be despised.

Anyway, although Ian found many more faults with the viscount, but he also wouldn’t say much. It was because he had a bit of guilty conscience—his son had no beast bead, so in the future, when he was together with Shu Shu, he would not be able to give Shu Shu a child, and then Shu Shu's situation would be just like that of the viscount . . . .

"Shu Shu, since your classmate has arrived, would you like to go and chat with him?" Ian asked.

"Is it alright for me to go down?" Shu Shu inquired. He certainly wanted to go down and have fun.

"Just until it’s your turn to appear. Once it’s your turn, Edgar will come find you right away." Ian said.

"Okay!" Shu Shu showed a big smile and quickly rushed downstairs.

Edgar felt a little uneasy. He walked a few steps forward and had the surveillance cameras follow Shu Shu closely. Then, fixing his attention on the surveillance screen, he started to watch it.

Ian goggled at his son regardless.

Once a beastman liked a certain sub-beastman, his feeling would not easily change, and it would be difficult for him to like others again. Beastmen who would do such things like Synthia’s stepfather had done were really not many. Since his son liked Shu Shu, his son’s feeling most likely wouldn’t change.

Shu Shu had Synthia send his coordinate to him, and he finally found Synthia in a corner.

Synthia was standing there fretfully, all alone. After seeing Shu Shu, he almost shed tears from his eyes, "Shu Shu, you’ve finally come."

"What happened?" Shu Shu asked in puzzlement.

Synthia twisted his body and spoke softly, "I’m afraid."

"There’s nothing to fear. Be a bit more courageous." Shu Shu said a few words of comfort. "I’ll take you to eat some food?"

"Okay." Synthia gave Shu Shu a quick look, emotionally moved, and his face was red.

He also knew that his own behavior was not flattering, but he was unable to change it. Now that he met Shu Shu, who did not mind his behavior and demeanor, he simply had to take Shu Shu to be his own knight in shining armor.

Seeing Shu Shu walked forth, Synthia blindly followed suit, walking behind Shu Shu.

Shu Shu actually didn't go to a crowded area. He took Synthia to a corner that had food and called Synthia to eat.

Synthia was a little worried that eating extra food would make him fat. He was also worried that doing so would be weird. He didn't want to refuse Shu Shu though, so he started to take some food. As he ate it, he felt that it tasted especially good and couldn't help but eat more. "It's really delicious!"

“I also think that the food in the Imperial palace is indeed delicious." Shu Shu nodded in agreement.

"There’re so many people here, and there’re many tall and handsome beastmen too." Synthia covered his face with his hands, but his eyes couldn't stop looking at those beastmen.

"I think they look so-so." Shu Shu gave the beastmen a brief look, unconcerned—these guys were absolutely not as good-looking as Edgar.

"Shu Shu, you set your sights really high." Synthia said and then kept watching the beastmen outside with eyes full of expectation. "I don't know whether they’ll like me or not. It’d be great if there’s someone who likes me."

"If there’s someone who likes you, then what?" Shu Shu asked.

"Of course I’ll marry him, ah!" Synthia replied.

"Is it critical for you to get married?" Shu Shu could not help but ask.

Synthia was silent for a moment before giving a nod and then covered his small face that was full of expectation. "If I get married, there’ll be someone who treats me well and pampers me."

"So it’s like this . . ." Shu Shu nodded and regarded Synthia with sincere and earnest wishes. "Synthia, I’ll tell you something. Relying on others is unwise; you had better relying on yourself." A good few of his previous owners all said so!

Synthia was stunned for a while and suddenly recalled Shu Shu’s behavior these days, how he studied with great effort every day. Synthia suddenly felt that he was quite useless, and his eyes reddened again—no one had ever said this to him before . . . .

Synthia turned his eyes towards Shu Shu gratefully but unexpectedly saw that Shu Shu was eating again . . . .

"Synthia?" A voice suddenly rang out. Shu Shu and Synthia turned their heads and saw a middle-aged beastman along with a sub-beastman who looked neither young nor old approaching them. The beastman's brows were tightly knitted, and he looked at Synthia with dissatisfaction.

"Synthia, how can you be here?" The sub-beastman at the beastman’s side asked, the tone of his voice very bad.

Synthia was so scared he instantly started to tremble, whispering, "My classmate brought me."

"Didn’t I tell you to be well-behaved in school? How could you trouble your classmate to bring you to a place like this?" The sub-beastman said while glancing at the plate Synthia was holding with a slight disdain. "Also, coming to attend the banquet only to hide in the corner and eat non-stop, what does it look like?"

Synthia immediately felt helpless somewhat.

"Synthia, since not many people have come yet, you quickly go back. Lest you stay here and provoke someone you shouldn't provoke." The beastman said.

Synthia was rather unwilling to leave but also did not dare to rebel, so he could only stand there foolishly. But this time, Shu Shu finally noticed the situation here. "What do you think you’re doing? Why should he go back?"

The two men glanced at Shu Shu, and their tones were actually a little gentler. "Hello, I’m Synthia's father. This child is ignorant and disobedient, so we’re just going to let him go back."

"You’re that viscount who strayed and found a mistress?" Shu Shu ascertained this beastman’s words and immediately thought of the information he had read before.

The viscount was initially very polite to Shu Shu because he knew that everyone who could attend this banquet was a wealthy and respectable person, so he didn't want to offend anyone. But even if it was so, being suddenly told off like this by someone would still make him angry. His face at once became extremely ugly. "Which family are you? Did your parents teach you to speak like this?"

"I don't have parents." Shu Shu said.

No parents? Shu Shu’s style of dress did not count as very outstanding. Not only did he come to the banquet early, but he also hid in the corner to eat. There was also no beastman accompanying him . . . . When the viscount looked at Shu Shu, he was no longer polite like in the beginning. "Sure enough, having no parents is the same as having no education. Synthia is my family, and this is my family's domestic affair. Who are you to interfere?"

"Shu Shu . . ." Synthia hid behind Shu Shu, gazing at Shu Shu worshipingly.

Edgar watched this scene from inside the lounge above, his face dark. After that, he did not hesitate to go downstairs and walk over to Shu Shu—that sub-beastman actually looked at Shu Shu like that; he simply couldn't bear it!

"How’s that your family matter? Here is my home, and you are in my home territory, so I can meddle in it!" Shu Shu put his hands on his hips, glaring at the beastman.

"Your home territory?" The viscount was uncomprehending and then looked at Shu Shu aghast. Here was the Imperial palace, and this person dared to speak like this . . . .

"This is indeed my home territory! Do you want me to call Edgar so you can ask him yourself?" Shu Shu said once more. Using powerful connections to intimidate people; he was familiar with this approach and could do it as well.

"You’re . . . the empress’ relative?" The viscount asked. This banquet, wasn’t it because the empress wanted to introduce his own relative?

"What do you think?" Shu Shu asked in reply.

"Sorry . . ." The viscount promptly apologized. After that, he actually disappeared from Shu Shu's presence very quickly and was even not seen among the crowd.

When Edgar, who originally wanted to be the hero who saved the beauty, had just walked halfway, he found that the "beauty" he was going to save was already fine and even went to eat again. That Synthia continued to follow after Shu Shu, but it was obvious that in Shu Shu’s eyes, Synthia was not as important as those foods. Since he felt jealous . . . he should’ve gone and devoured those foods.

Shu Shu was eating very happily now, but if he went in, they would definitely attract everyone's attention, and Shu Shu would not be able to eat like this anymore. Edgar stopped his footsteps far away and then ordered the chamberlain at his side to send a little more food to Shu Shu over there.

"Shu Shu, Shu Shu! Could it be that you’re the empress’ relative?" Synthia looked at Shu Shu excitedly after his stepfather was scared away.

"Yes." Shu Shu nodded.

"Eh, is the empress really going to marry you to the crown prince? Doesn’t the crown prince like Myer?" Synthia's eyes shone brightly, looking very gossipy.

Definitely not! Edgar liked him! But he was a beastman and could not be together with Edgar . . . . Shu Shu frowned, "Who the heck is Myer?"

On the other side, Julian, whom Shu Shu had met before when buying clothes, was standing beside a sub-beastman whose appearance and temperament were very outstanding. He and the sub-beastman were talking. "Myer, I just saw that Shu Shu. He’s hiding in the corner to eat."

Myer lifted his head and clenched his teeth. "Let's go see him!"

TL's note:

Updates this month will be on the 10th, 15th, 20th, and 25th. After that, the chapters are long again, so update will be once a week.