This Universe Needs Old People - Chapter 84



Only Noblemtl

Apocalypse Needs Old People Episode 084

61. Divorce (10)

“Wh, what… … .”

When I told her that I was ‘annoying’, Daphne looked quite embarrassed.

“You’re definitely going to divorce me… … .”

“That’s right. I will divorce you and my father and marry Meursault. I will not break that promise.”

“But didn’t we just say that we were annoying, annoying?”

“That’s right. It means that you guys shouldn’t just sit there and wait for a happy ending. You asked me a little while ago if it was really necessary to do this… … .”

I continued with a mocking smile.

“If you hadn’t done this, you would have stayed in the same place forever. Just as you were pushed into marrying my father. Just as Meursault watched you marry another man.”

“… … .”

Daphne quickly realized what I was trying to say and blushed in embarrassment.

In fact, until now, I thought of them as simple NPCs, so I didn’t feel bad about leaving the divorce up to me.

Originally, players were meant to complete quests given by NPCs.

But Luna Moon was my mother.

I thought of Safe Zone as a game that recreated what my mother had seen and heard, so they looked different.

I started to feel a little bit like a living person.

So both Daphne and Meursault should feel ashamed.

Maybe it was because of their negligence that my mother met her death in this game.

I looked at Daphne for a moment and then said.

“The good news is that at least one person has taken a step forward. As you probably know, Meursault is not the kind of guy who would do something like that, no matter how much I tell him to do it.”

This is real.

Meursault resisted for a moment, saying it was madness, but after realizing his own ‘ridiculousness’, he prepared the proposal on his own.

I didn’t know you would prepare something like a candle heart if you left it alone…

At least it wasn’t my order to kneel in the rain.

Daphne no longer had a face that looked resentful toward me.

“You seem to understand my face well enough… Let me ask again. What should we do? Should we send Meursault back?”

“… … .”

Instead of answering, Daphne got up and walked out.

Instead of following Daphne, I leaned against the window and looked down.

* * *

“Meursault… … .”

Meursault, kneeling in the rain, at first thought he had misheard.

Because he never thought that the woman of high status whom he admired would come out into the rain without an umbrella, stand in front of him, and call his name.

He thought that being here was the right thing to do, so he stayed, but he didn’t expect Daphne to actually accept his proposal.

“Yes, Daphne… … !”

“Why are you doing this?”

Of course, the first words out of Daphne’s mouth were not acceptance of the proposal.

“No matter how much Haydam wanted it… …! You should have followed the order.”

“It’s the order… … .”

Meursault got up from his seat and covered Daphne’s head with his palm.

Even so, it was still impossible to avoid getting wet by standing in the rain, but that was what I wanted to do.

“Is it really necessary to follow the order?”

“yes?”

“Do I really have to get a divorce before proposing? Can’t I just get a divorce after proposing?”

“What is that… … .”

Daphne stood there with a blank expression for a moment, as if she had expected a common-sense story from Meursault, and then frowned.

“Why is Meursault like this? Stop talking nonsense!”

“I said the same thing at first. But then I heard that marriage was originally a crazy thing.”

“no……!”

“So, I’m sorry, Daphne.”

Meursault said, holding out the ring he was holding in his other hand.

“If it’s okay, would you mind joining me in this madness?”

“… Surely you’re not calling that a marriage proposal, are you?”

“Wouldn’t the last name Pendleton be cuter than Goodman?”

“This is truly the worst proposal… … .”

“sorry.”

“What on earth made you propose so shamelessly? Was it Haydam? That if you proposed, I would accept?”

“But Daphne, you came all the way here in the rain and stood before me?”

Meursault said with a faint smile.

“Seeing you before me, I thought that crazy things aren’t so bad. What about you, Daphne? Weren’t you excited as you walked here?”

“… … .”

When Daphne just stared at Meursault without answering, Meursault flinched and blushed.

“Oh, well, of course, it might have been damp and stuffy since it was raining-”

“You know what, Meursault?”

“Oh, what, what do you mean, Daphne?”

“It doesn’t rain behind you.”

“…yes?”

Only then did Meursault look behind him and he was greatly embarrassed.

There really was a clear sky behind him.

Perhaps if I had taken just one step back, or even just looked back once, I wouldn’t have had to stand here in the rain for dozens of minutes.

Meursault muttered in a dejected voice.

“I guess this is the aftereffect of the recent abnormal weather… Huh?!”

Meursault couldn’t finish his muttering and looked at Daphne, who was hanging on his neck.

“Hey, Daphne! What are you going to do if people see you… …!”

“Isn’t that something that someone who proposed to you in front of everyone should say?”

“That’s true, but… … .”

Daphne, who was watching Meursault, whose ears were red all the way to the tips, from a distance where their noses seemed close enough to touch, muttered.

“Yeah, that’s right. That’s why it was my favorite.”

“……yes?”

Daphne let go of Meursault and said, smoothing her wet hair.

“I have to go to Hayden now, so you should go back too.”

“Ah… then… … .”

Meursault, who thought Daphne’s words were a rejection, was about to lower his head, but Daphne continued.

“I don’t agree that Pendleton is cuter, but I can’t use the same last name as Hayden, so I’ll go with Pendleton.”

“…yes?”

“I’ll get a divorce and come back. Whether it’s for food or for death.”

“Th-That means you will accept my proposal… …!”

Meursault’s expression brightened for a moment, but then he suddenly realized something and asked with an anxious expression.

“… You don’t mean to say that you’re going to go see His Majesty right now and ask for a divorce, do you? I actually left the place without permission-”

“I never said that I would be the one who kills or becomes food.”

“No, no, Daphne!!”

Watching Daphne run towards the Commander’s residence with a fairly steady posture.

Meursault thought that today might be his anniversary.

* * *

It became an untimely romantic fantasy.

The commander surprisingly readily accepted Daphne’s request for a divorce.

Although Meursault was held responsible for his desertion.

‘Was it really Daphne’s heart that was most important?’

After all, if Daphne had asked first, the divorce would have been easier.

The reason Daphne was so afraid of divorce was because she thought that if she lost power, she would lose Meursault’s heart as well.

Because I thought that what Meursault wanted was Daphne’s background.

‘It makes sense, since he always said his dream was to marry the most noble woman in the district.’

However, Meursault, prepared to lose all of the status he had built up, proposed to Daphne in front of her house.

Despite the risk of incurring Commander Hayden’s wrath.

That’s what moved Daphne’s heart.

Of course, that candlelight heart event was enough to cool down a thousand years of love… … .

Perhaps the rain that fell just in time extinguished all the flames, which had the effect of making the scene even more miserable.

Daphne seemed to have felt sincerity in the fact that Meursault, who was always careful in everything he did, had made such an irrational decision without even thinking about taking shelter from the rain.

‘Anyway, I must have upset the commander with this incident, so I’ll just stay quiet for the time being.’

Thinking like that, I was about to open the office door handle again today to cheer up the commander.

“I didn’t know Daphne had feelings for you too.”

The commander’s languid voice came from inside.

“How many children are you going to have?”

‘ah?’

I let go of the hand that was holding the doorknob.

From inside, I could hear Meursault’s voice, who seemed as bewildered as I was.

“Huh? Oh, irony… … .”

“You’re not going to give birth, are you? A child who resembles you and Daphne equally will definitely be outstanding.”

‘now…….’

Is he asking Meursault how many children he and his divorced wife will have?

“We haven’t even had a formal wedding yet. Oh, no, the child isn’t something I can decide on my own in the first place. Of course, Lady Daphne’s child will be outstanding in every way… …!”

Meursault also seemed to be talking nonsense, unable to hide his embarrassment.

‘Is this… some kind of grudge?’

But the commander was not the type of person to have regrets about something he had already decided to divorce.

Then the commander’s calm voice was heard.

“Of course, that’s something you’ll have to discuss with Daphne before deciding. But don’t you think there are some ideal children you can have?”

“Uh, uhm… … .”

Meursault seemed to think for a moment, then gave his answer cautiously.

“Ha… I think… about one person.”

“One? That’s unexpected. I thought you liked kids.”

“Am I the one talking?”

“You get along well with Haydam.”

“Uh… if you put it that way, I guess I don’t really like kids.”

‘That?’

The commander’s low laugh could be heard from inside, and the questions continued.

“You have one child… yes. Do you want it to be a boy or a girl?”

‘Hearing it like this, it sounds like something an adult relative would ask during the holidays… … .’

The commander’s voice was full of curiosity, not a hint of malice, so Meursault quickly felt at ease and began answering more quickly.

“I wish I had a daughter who resembles Daphne.”

“Okay. That was a great answer.”

I don’t know what it was that was so satisfying, but the commander said it as if he was satisfied.

“I promised, Meursault.”

“Is this a promise?”

Meursault asked back, seemingly puzzled.

“I’m sorry… but what are you talking about?”

“When I get married, I want to have only one daughter who resembles Daphne.”

Unlike before, a cool voice flowed out.

“It means I won’t allow anything more than that.”

‘I wondered why he asked me so persistently about my children… … .’

It seems he was worried that Daphne and Meursault’s children would later threaten his position.

It’s a warning that I, as a commander, would naturally give, but… … .

‘Hearing it directly doesn’t make me feel very comfortable.’

But despite his discomfort, Meursault answered frankly without showing any particular discomfort.

“I understand what you mean. You have nothing to worry about. I have been loyal to you, and I intend to be loyal to Lord Haydam.”

‘Meursault… … .’

He may be a crazy guy who ended up marrying his boss’s wife, but he still has a lot of loyalty.

I thought the story would end warmly there, but an unexpected story came out of the commander’s mouth.

“By the way, you promised to find a companion for Haydam, right?”

“Did you know?”

Of all things, that story reached the commander’s ears.

“If you permit me, I would like to find a good match for you, Heydam.”

“I believe you will find a child suitable for Haytham. Of course… … .”

The commander spoke in a warm voice.

“I welcome your child, Daphne. Your child is not someone else’s either.”

“dismissal…….”

‘… Wait, what is that?’

Why does the story flow like that?

‘This is not it!’

This won’t work. If you don’t stop me now, you’ll end up being the main character of “Your Girlfriend Hasn’t Been Born Yet.”

At that moment, I was about to open the office door, prepared to be caught eavesdropping.

“I absolutely hate it.”

Meursault’s firm voice struck like lightning.

“…what?”

“Why would I give my daughter to a cold-blooded person like Mr. Haydam? Why would I?”

… This bastard Meursault?