Chapter 300: Out at last!
“I AM OUT AT LAST!” a young man in wrinkled sportswear, a blue pair of flip flops, and disheveled hair yelled loudly as he stretched his hands up while walking out of prison. It was none other than Yulian Von Krone. Free at last!
“Get moving Lad! You can't hang out around here!” An old guard at the gate said dismissively. “And don’t come back here next time, this is no good place for young people like you!”
“Oh... Sorry, I can’t promise you that, Gramps... Hahaha...” he chuckled as he began walking away, he planned to return after the end of the year to harvest some heads.
“I am only 61!” The old man scolded then shook his head as he saw Yulian walk away without a care. Young people these days! “Hay, do you have someone to pick you up?” The old man yelled at Yulian from the back.
“No... I will take a cab!” Yulian said. He made a small fortune in prison after making some, not very legal, bets inside. So he didn’t need to walk!
“We are in the middle of nowhere, There are no cabs....” The old man began to speak then paused as an empty yellow cab stopped right next to Yulian.
“Need a ride, lad?” The middle-aged driver with a receding hairline asked, making the old guard frown... They were out of town? Where did that car come from? They usually didn’t come here even if they called for them.
“Yeah! I am going to town!” Yulian said as he jumped inside.
“Be careful!” The old guard who felt that something was wrong suddenly warned Yulian, but it was too late, the cab was already far away.
...
“So... What are you doing in such a remote place?” Yulian asked the driver as he inspected the perfectly normal car carefully. He was not a fool but he needed a ride.
“I was tasked to drive some snobby granny to her house on a nearby farm... I thought it was a shame to return to the city empty-handed, so I figured I would try the prison. They always let people out in the morning. I served a sentence there myself a long time ago!” the driver said with a sigh.
“Oh...” Yulian relaxed a bit, he could smell the unique scent of a long-expired perfume in the air, the sure sign of an old lady.
“Where to?” the driver asked merrily as if Yulian would earn him a fortune.
“I just want to check the city... why don’t you take me to the white hotel?”
“Oh! You too wanna see the wedding?”
“Too?”
“Yeah... since early morning I have been hauling people toward there! Some are there to protest, some want to take photos... some... who knows....” The driver said with a disturbed expression, “Anyway, no matter what, it is the wedding of the century...”
“I know, right!” Yulian said. “The security must be very strict...”
“Yeah, police are all over the streets! They think some feminists plan to make trouble...” the cab driver sighed.
“Oh...”
“Yeah, they just can’t handle the image of 8 brides getting laid at once. It goes against anything they believe in... There are some rumors that there exist other secret brides. I wonder how that groom will take care of them at night...” the jealous driver said. Hinting at certain things.
“More brides?” Yulian squinted his eyes.
“Yeah... My wife explained it to me this morning, she read it in some tabloid. Apparently, they have ordered 10 dresses!” he said, “ think about it... 10 dresses for only 8 brides!”
“WHAT!” Yulian suddenly asked. “WHO?”
“Don’t scream kid... I am telling you what I know!”
“Sorry about that.... “
“Don’t worry about it... I was wondering about the extra brides all morning too... It could be anyone from a movie star to a handmaid...” he said, agitating Yulian.
“Oh... Can you drive there faster? Double your speed and I will double your fare!” Yulain said.
“Sure... But pay half first...” the driver said with a subtle smile.
Yulian didn’t hesitate as he directly put $200 in the man’s hand.
The man nodded then pressed the gas paddle. He was hired to secretly drive Yulian there as fast as possible, to begin with. But he didn’t want to alert him.
...
The cab reached the Hotel pretty fast, making Yulian a little shocked.
“I was a race driver in my youth!” the driver said proudly as he parked near the hotel, “That’s how I got in trouble!” He told the truth.
“Oh...” Yulian thought that this was very plausible as he paid the rest of the fare and then stepped down the busy grand streets. Looking at a clock on a nearby storefront, he made sure it was still 10.47. The ceremony started at 12.00!
Not knowing why he was there or if he could sneak in he began to wander aimlessly, watching the people who were lining up to take photos or try to sneak in as the police officer and the men in black who surrounded the hotel ordered them to go away.
Tom silently cursed and wrote his real name as he turned to see it was an old friend.
“Anna! It has been a while,” he said as he sighed. So what if it was an empty envelope... Like Victor, that pervert could do anything to him.
“Yes!” Anna said she gave the attendant a cloth bag that clearly had some herbs. Her name was calligraphed on it.
“Thank you very much! This way please!” The attendant bowed then gestured for them to follow her with a smile... Strange... That smile reminded Tom of the one he usually gets in brothels.... Never mind that.
“Where have you been lately? Why didn't you join the academy?” Tom asked as they began to walk. “Why weren't you answering your phone?”
"Young master Victor gave me the recommendation to enter the medicine valley where they don’t allow phones... I am also busy all the time as I was accepted into medical school" she said with a sigh...
"Oh..."
"It is very tiresome, but somehow fulfilling to heal people," she said with a smile. "Now look at you! When did You become so handsome ?" She said, eyeing him. The white suit really suited him.
"I have always been handsome!" he stated.
"Yeah, Yeah... You men and your stupid ego.." she dismissed him, "Do you believe it, The twins and Margret are getting married already!" she sighed again. She was feeling a little jealous, the guy she was after in the medicine valley is as dense as a log!
"Yeah... But it was only a matter of time, especially for Margret," Tom said awkwardly.
"True.... But she really did achieve her dream and scored big!" Anna said as they entered the VIP elevator that headed to the wedding Venue. “Look how rich the groom is!”
"... We will see if this marriage will last when Victor discovers that she is marrying him for his money..." Tom said.
"That's rude.." Anna said as the elevator door opened to the grand Venue.
"That's the truth. You know her..." Tom trailed off as he walked out of the elevator and a girl passed by him nearly bumping into him. She had long purple hair and a slim pair of glasses on her little nose. She seemed annoyed as another purple-haired guy that looked like her servant was appeasing her.
They went inside the elevator.
Damn, she is hot!
"Tom... Tom, are you ok?"
" Ah sorry...."
"Don't worry about it... " Anna said, “Look! This place is really amazing!” she added looking around the huge Venue.
It was a grand hall decorated with all kinds of exotic flowers. The roof was made out of screens projecting a sky scenery.
All around, white round tables were scattered facing a grand stage that was built in the center of the hall. It had some strange dragon legend motifs all over it as if it were some kind of authentic temple.
“Amazing! I heard they will be making some kind of theatrical wedding!” Anna said with her eyes sparkling.
“Yeah... It’s called a ceremonial wedding...” Tom corrected her with a sigh, his friend was always a star worshiper. But he had to confess this place was really amazing.
There were still not many attendants, as they seemed to have arrived a little early. And this allowed them to see more of the hall's details.
"Look, it’s Peter Georgy and Sarah! They are already here!" Anna suddenly waved to her friends who were sitting at a side table.
"Oh... You go see them.... I will need to go to the bathroom before that.... I will catch up with you later," Tom said with a frown. He was on a tight schedule and he needed to be ready for Caspian's arrival.
...
Yulian didn’t go inside the hotel immediately. He waited for a while, the wedding would not start for another hour anyway.
He casually strolled around and then entered a nearby coffee shop where he ordered a cup of cappuccino before asking the blushing waitress if he could use the toilet. She couldn’t say no to his dashing smile.
After closing the toilet’s door, he quickly undressed and then began to check the suit... As expected, in the inner lining of the jacket which he carefully cut using a knife, he found something. It was an envelope that had a strange talisman pasted on it.
Yulian frowned, although he didn’t know how talismans worked, he saw some of them in his family.
Opening the envelope, he found that it was filled by some strange power. Sniffing it he realized that it was some kind of black powder mixed with some herbs... A smoke bomb!
He knew it! That guy was a crook! No wonder he didn’t like him!
He sighed as he closed the envelope and then threw it with the talisman in the toilet.
He quickly rechecked the pants and the shirt then put them on with the jacket before walking out after wetting his hair a little and combing it to the back to reveal his handsome face.
He drank his cappuccino casually, then after giving the waitress a generous tip, he borrowed an envelope and put a candy bar inside of it... He would never forget to bring a present!