Clockwork Bride

Page 229

"Don't expect me to suddenly become impotent when we're in bed. I won't do that."

This was partly a joke, but it also revealed Karen's own nervousness and embarrassment. Knowing she was a little nervous, Hayden became less so.

"What fetish? You underestimate me. Do you think I'm the kind of person who lusts after other people's bodies? If I really like someone, I won't care about the size of their breasts."

So Hayden said, half jokingly and half honestly,

"As for whether it's romantic or not, you've got it all wrong. Let me tell you, Karen—for people like us who know nothing about romance, fighting side by side against the gods, eliminating all evil, eradicating all injustice, and working together to shatter the suffering in this world... these are the most romantic things in the world!"

These words revealed a rare display of Hayden's domineering nature.

Unfortunately, once this person feels he's in the right, he easily becomes a little overconfident. Seeing Karen's face turn bright red with embarrassment again, he couldn't resist making another move:

“I’ve finished speaking, Karen. So now it’s your turn. What is your answer?”

Now, it was Kallen, who was usually the most domineering, who became slightly unsettled: "You...you shouldn't keep pressing me! Don't we already know?"

“Of course we’ll keep pursuing her.” Now that things have come to this, Hayden won’t back down anymore. “We’re like-minded comrades, and we should be a respectful future couple. We’re equals, right? How can it be just me saying ‘I love you’? I can say it ten more times right now: Karen, I love you, I love you, I love you…”

Having done it once, Hayden, with his thick skin, wouldn't have a problem saying it a few more times. This time, he looked Karen directly in the eye without flinching, which ironically made Karen unable to bear it.

"Alright, alright! You win. Hayden, you do indeed possess the power to defeat gods with sweet talk—I concede defeat."

While Hayden held her hand, Karen stammered for several seconds before finally letting out a rare sigh, her face flushed with a surrender-like tone, and saying...

"Um, I love you too."

It was a little embarrassing to admit, but the moment he received the answer, Hayden felt his head spin. The distance between them was less than a fist's width. Karen's expression—as always—no, even more radiant than usual—made Hayden's heart race.

Driven by a strong impulse, he suddenly pulled his hand away from Karen's palm and gently embraced her.

Karen froze, stunned by the suddenness of the event. She was a powerful figure capable of shattering mountains with a single punch. Hayden's embrace was something she could easily have easily dodged and then punched, sending him flying into the stratosphere. However, precisely because it was Hayden embracing her, Karen suppressed her instinct to attack, calmly relaxed, and looked up at him.

Those large, amber eyes were slightly moist, showing a hint of surprise, but also a touch of anticipation.

What was she expecting in her eyes? Even though Hayden was a virgin, he wasn't so stupid as to not understand. No matter how cowardly he was in this kind of situation, he couldn't back down now. So he mustered his courage, leaned in, and gently kissed Karen.

It was less of a kiss and more of a simple touch of lips together. They just remained there, awkwardly unsure of what to do next, having never been in a relationship before. There was no real pleasure involved.

But this clumsy kiss still made their hearts pound, pounding so loudly it was almost noisy. Hayden even felt his chest swell, his heart swell. Such a silly kiss didn't bring much sensual pleasure. But the resonance of their hearts beating in unison, this feeling of exhilaration, this overwhelming warmth—it brought a joy and passion far greater than any physical sensation.

For two hearts new to love, this is like rain to parched land.

Hayden was usually quite fearless and reckless, but when it came to matters of the heart, he would often shrink back when he felt insecure. But now, as this blissful joy filled his heart, Hayden realized how unnecessary his previous anxieties and struggles had actually been.

From now on, his and Karen's lives will likely face many upheavals and changes. To eradicate all injustice and crush all suffering, they must fight against those so-called invincible forces. But the passion that fills his heart at this moment makes Hayden feel fearless.

He now finally understood that this "love" was indeed something with the same or even greater "power" as divine power. Moreover, what Hayden had come to understand was merely the tip of the iceberg of the power of "love."

The two smiled at each other, held hands, and happily went home.

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On the way back to New Sprouts, Hayden was still overwhelmed with emotions that he couldn't easily summarize. He still felt like he was dreaming and couldn't calm down.

As for Karen, although she always seemed calm, she was actually so embarrassed that she wanted to roll around in bed.

Hayden's team members were not stupid or blind. Although Karen and Hayden returned to the company looking normal, only holding hands and not being affectionate, the core members of the team immediately understood what was going on when they saw the expressions on their faces.

In such situations, and on such issues, the first person to jump out is naturally—

"Finally... Master has finally reached this point!"

Of course, Angela was especially happy.

Everyone was in the meeting room, and Angela was feeding Pania from a small food cart. However, as soon as she saw Hayden and Karen return and saw their expressions, Angela immediately stopped feeding the animals.

Looking at Hayden, Angela seemed almost moved to tears. To be honest, this even startled Hayden a little.

And then, with great interest and anticipation, she asked, "When do you two plan to get married?"

Interestingly, this question first stunned the other two goddesses in the conference room.

However, Hayden and Karen weren't stunned. In fact, they exchanged a surprised glance before Karen projected a document into the air:

"Actually, strictly speaking, we are already married."

Surprised?

Karen is always a decisive and impulsive person, and Hayden is sometimes similar. So, after their first date, still a bit hot-headed, they excitedly got their marriage certificate online.

By this time, the Peacock King and Hela, those two gods, must have already received the news. I wonder what their expressions will be.

The other members of Hayden's group had different and quite interesting reactions when they heard Karen's words and saw the documents she projected.

First of all, Alastor was actually the happiest one.

"Great. This will significantly improve the stability of our group."

He had always hoped that Hayden would quickly establish a relationship with Karen, so as to ensure his influence over Karen. Now that he saw them actually getting their marriage certificate right away, with legal backing (even for the god of capital, the law is still the rule when playing the economic game), Alastor was naturally very happy.

And he had his reasons. While the strongest deity in this interdimensional divine group was Kallen, the other lesser deities lacked sufficient connection and trust with her; instead, they were linked to Hayden. In other words, the group's stability depended on the close bond between Kallen and Hayden. And with the official certification already in place, this stability naturally increased dramatically.

Unfortunately, not everyone present was equally happy.

Abigail didn't speak or show any expression; she just raised an eyebrow, practically writing "read" on her face.

Pania was clearly taken aback: "Huh? They got their marriage certificate already? I thought it would take at least a while longer, that there would be another chance!?"

Her expression clearly wasn't one of surprise.

Hayden and Karen exchanged a glance, both realizing that—not only outside the company, but even within their small group—not everyone was happy to see them suddenly get married. As for the reasons… well, that's best left unsaid.

However, compared to these two minor deities, Angela's reaction was the strangest.

She looked at the document Karen had projected, tilted her head as if she couldn't process the information, and asked with some confusion, "Does the presence of this... mean that the two of you are already married?"

"The documents are the biggest guarantee; the ceremony is secondary and will be added later."

Now that they've already got the marriage certificate, Karen is very calm: "What else do we need for a wedding?"

Unexpectedly, Angela gave her a startling remark: "Of course it's the unity of body and soul. How can you be considered husband and wife if you haven't become one yet?"

These words really stunned Karen.

Husband and wife, united as one, what does this mean? It shouldn't need any other explanation, right?

As for the others in the conference room, upon hearing Angela's words, they immediately turned their attention to Hayden and Karen.

Pania, who had just been taken aback by the news of getting their marriage certificate, slapped the sofa cushion in dissatisfaction: "A couple who got their marriage certificate but haven't slept together yet? This plot is too cliché! Refund!"

Now Hayden and Karen were in the most awkward position. After all, they hadn't done anything yet. They exchanged glances, both blushing slightly. Having just gone on their first date, neither of them really knew how to bring up taking things further.

(As for why these two impulsively rushed to get their marriage certificate, it can only be said that for them, it was a completely effortless matter.)

Left with no other option, Hayden had to go up and spank Panya again to ease the awkward atmosphere.

But Angela wasn't so easily appeased. Karen had no choice but to tell her, "Those things, like the ritual, can be done later."

Angela nodded, "I see, I understand, I can understand."

However, before Karen could even breathe a sigh of relief, Angela immediately changed the subject: "So when do you two plan to hold the ceremony?"

This question is even harder to answer than the previous one.

Fortunately, Hayden has improved somewhat and now knows to step in and help Karen. He quickly changed the subject: "Don't rush. Now is not the time to plan this. We discovered something very important on our date today."

What he's about to talk about is, of course, the educational skills chip.

Romance aside, daily life must go on, especially since the problems ahead aren't limited to the everyday. Hayden got some information from Freya yesterday, and today he witnessed something very important outside. That's why I called everyone here for a meeting. The situation is uncertain right now, and further turmoil is foreseeable.

Hearing Hayden speak so seriously and get down to business, everyone naturally stopped making a fuss and prepared to start talking about serious matters.

But Karen still noticed Hayden winking at her, and the two couldn't help but exchange a knowing smile.

To put it simply, Karen isn't the kind of princess or rich girl who thinks love is everything. The date is over, their feelings for each other are confirmed, they've returned to their companies, and they've even gotten their marriage certificate, so naturally, it's time to do the big things.

But what's the problem? Neither Karen nor Hayden ever wanted to make a painful choice between ideals and love. Because the important things they wanted to do, even if they weren't exactly the same, were so close that they could walk side by side.

As Hayden said, for him and her, it meant fighting side by side against the gods of capital, eliminating their evil, eradicating all injustice, and working together to shatter the suffering in this world...

These are the most romantic things in the world.

260: Cooperation is a win-win situation!

Adam looked down at the city from the night sky.

The sky was cloudless tonight, and the downtown area of ​​New Asia, visible through the car window, was filled with colorful neon lights, and the faint noise could be heard even from above.

Of course, Adam could have eliminated or blocked out these noises, but he didn't. These noises, like background music, weren't entirely a bad thing.

He was now riding in a four-ton black high-end hovercar, silently floating in the night sky, on his way back to the Mitra New Seattle branch building. Adam could have easily teleported back to the company, but he chose to ride the hovercar tonight. Ironically, being alone in an autonomous hovercar was a rare moment of personal time for Adam.

Inside the six-seater floating car, in this not-so-small enclosed space, Adam was now all alone. Unlike at the company or at home, there was no one, not even gods or demons, to bother him at this time. Only now could Adam think about things undisturbed.

What was he thinking about? There were far too many things. Adam had even more things to think about and plan each day than Hayden. He couldn't neglect the company work assigned to him by the Heavenly King Dhritarashtra, and his devilish wife also kept him busy. Besides all that, Adam had some schemes of his own, some underhanded plans. This meant he'd barely slept lately.

Fortunately, he had already adjusted his genes and modified his body, becoming a true member of the new god race; otherwise, this alone would have exhausted Adam to death. In the end, he could only rest alone for a short time in the hovercar.

When luck is bad, you can't even rest on the hovercar.

For example, right now, a message has been transmitted into Adam's mind via the StarNet. He could only end his quantitative enlightenment, open the message, and be astonished by its contents:

"Hayden and Karen suddenly went to register their marriage two hours ago?"

Although Adam had long known that Hayden and Karen would eventually marry, even he couldn't have predicted that the two of them would get married without any prior notice or warning. This unexpected situation left even Adam quite bewildered.

"Hayden, Hayden. Sometimes, I'm actually quite envious of you."

Closing the information window in his mind, Adam suddenly spoke to himself, expressing deep emotion.

"We are all geniuses among mortals, we all have our own adventures. How come you do things so easily, and good luck just falls into your hands on its own? But I have to constantly strategize and fight against fate. Why do those fools around you believe in you unconditionally, while I have to go to great lengths to make the idiots around me realize their own stupidity? This fate is just too unfair."

Despite his complaints, Adam's confidence remained undiminished.

Hayden was lucky, but that wasn't a bad thing for Adam either. They were friends, after all, and could "cooperate for mutual benefit." He would always find a way to make good use of the situation.

With this in mind, Adam had an idea and began writing the next email.

An email he would later send to Hayden.

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Hayden and Karen got married.

Although I don't know whether to say it's fast or slow, they got their marriage certificate before even having a wedding or sleeping together.

Generally speaking, marriage is a very complicated matter. Love, physical health, economic foundation, common language, whether the relationship between the two is equal... and, crucially, whether there are any idiots among the parents and relatives of both sides—these are all things that need to be considered.

However, most of the problems weren't issues for Hayden and Karen, and they impulsively went ahead and got married. Theoretically, such registrations should be private and not made public. But in reality, within an hour, King Peacock and Hela received the news.

As for which gods and divine races received this news immediately… well, that's hard to say. A whole host of gods, upon receiving the news, were initially puzzled, then immediately began to ponder its meaning—was this Kallen's own idea? Or was it the Peacock King's arrangement? What were they trying to express or imply through this action? How would this affect the delicate power balance within divine society? And how would it influence their political alliances or business arrangements?

The remarkable minds of these gods had already begun to rapidly ponder these questions, considering what implications this action might have. However, only Karen and Hayden knew that they hadn't actually thought anything of it; they had impulsively rushed off to register.

As for King Peacock and Hela, they were completely bewildered after receiving the news. King Peacock was alright, being a calm and collected person, he simply sent a text message asking Karen if she still had any plans for a wedding. Hela, however, didn't care about anything else and rushed to New Sprout City to ask, "Silly daughter, you've really grown up and don't even tell your parents you're getting married?"

In fact, looking back the next day, Karen couldn't help but feel that she had acted somewhat rashly. But would Karen admit defeat to her mother? Of course not. If it were the Peacock King, she might be a little more obedient, but with Hela, it was absolutely impossible.

So the natural outcome was this: "My marriage is of course a matter between Hayden and me. Why should I have to tell you all?"

Finally, the mother and daughter started arguing in Xinya City.

Even an upright official finds it hard to settle family disputes, and outsiders can't interfere. Hayden is now considered family, but in reality, it's inconvenient for him to get involved. Fortunately, Hela is adept at managing her daughter. Seeing that arguing elsewhere was pointless, she suddenly changed the subject: "I've seen you two mess around for so long, and you haven't even slept together yet. You said before you were waiting until after the wedding, but now you've got your marriage certificate. What are you even doing? Is this marriage just to get a certificate and shut everyone up?"

These words struck a nerve with Kallen, causing her face to flush bright red—partly from embarrassment, but also from anger: "What business is it of yours when I lose my virginity, you old hag?! I want to wait for an auspicious day, when all the stars are in their proper places, before we engage in dual cultivation to break my virginity, is that not allowed?!"

Of course, this was just Kallen making up an excuse. But jokes aside, Hela was genuinely stunned for a moment: "Really? You have such skills? I also practiced dual cultivation when I was young. Let me see your secret manual."

Where did Karen get the secret manual for dual cultivation? In the end, she still managed to drive her mother away. However, Hela is now Hayden's mother-in-law, so even though Karen made her statement, Hayden still had to politely see Hela out of town.

Taking this opportunity, Hela pulled her son-in-law aside and sighed, "Son-in-law, my eldest daughter is wild and thin-skinned. She has no figure and her temper is as stubborn as a mountain. She never listens to us. If she offends you in the future, you don't need to care about our feelings. Just give her a good talking-to."

She certainly has a very...unique way of being a mother.

“Karen is always mindful of her behavior in front of me, and she restrains herself in front of her father-in-law, the Peacock King, not wanting to lose face. Only in front of you does she become boisterous and talkative; it's a genuine expression of emotion that none of us can get her to do.” However, Hayden still had to say something nice to his mother-in-law, “Karen is actually more able to let her guard down in front of you, which means she truly loves you. I need to get along well with her in the future, and I'll need your guidance.”

Hela clearly enjoyed hearing those kinds of words.

"Oh dear, it's true that only sons are truly sensible." She praised Hayden while complaining and sighing, "I had always planned to have another son once Karen was completely independent. But as you know, my husband brought that egg back from Fallen City last time. Now our plan to have a son has to be postponed again."

She was referring, of course, to the infant goddess Margaret, whom Hayden and Karen resurrected by reversing time at the bottom of the Dead Sea. After the Peacock King brought the egg back to the Peacock Palace, it had been protected and incubated by him, and no one knew when it would hatch.

Most capitalist gods don't mind having many children, and even enjoy producing offspring with political marriage value or those who can be used as tools. However, the Peacock King and Hela, these two war goddesses and death goddesses, genuinely cherish their family. Therefore, before Margaret hatches and grows up to be independent, the Peacock King and Hela clearly won't have the time to have another child. Each additional, still vulnerable child represents another weakness that could be exploited by enemies. One is manageable, but two would be too many.

"Speaking of this, son-in-law, I know you and Karen haven't really done anything yet, and having children is a long way off. I also know you're both probably too shy to find a suitable reason to keep putting off making love. The first time you sleep together, you really need to coax her. But don't worry, your mother-in-law has a suggestion for you. This is a technique I casually practiced when I was young, called the 'Yin Yang Tempering Primordial Spirit True Technique,' a method of dual cultivation used by ancient sword immortals and their partners. I only practiced the beginning before getting bored and stopped, but it's still very valuable. You can use it as an excuse; Karen really likes you after all, so a little coaxing will do..."