Chapter 1137: The Simplest Things
Then again, maybe being hounded by the most restless member of their group was a far better fate than developing heartburn, a whooping cough, or possibly an aneurysm from hearing the redhead’s response.
"Oh, is she not your first child too?"
"..."
Just what exactly was he supposed to say to that?
Not that Killian could’ve possibly forgotten Jax’s version of a priority list, because at this point who didn’t know about the redhead’s ever-expanding family? Still, would it really have hurt to spare even a single thought for the Aerun-sized bombshell that had just detonated in the middle of the Empire? Or did this guy genuinely not care?
More importantly, why was that particular thought irritating?
Killian’s brows were once again working overtime, knitting themselves into increasingly complicated configurations as he simultaneously attempted to express and suppress the full extent of his reaction.
Fortunately, before he could sink too deeply into thoughts he still hadn’t managed to sort through, one blonde appeared sufficiently outraged on his behalf.
"WHAT?! Are you serious right now? Is that really the problem here?!"
Yes.
You tell him.
At moments like these, Killian occasionally thought that maybe his younger brother hadn’t been completely insane when he made his choice. Because sure enough, there were rare days when even Ollie managed to make perfect sense.
Like today.
The official nodded slightly at the blonde’s outcry, feeling an unusual sense of solidarity.
Then, as if fate had personally decided that chairs and Killian Nox were simply not meant to coexist peacefully, the young official once again found himself nearly displaced from his seat a mere moment later.
Because Ollie dared to follow it up by dramatically pointing in Killian’s direction and saying something infinitely worse.
"Jax, my friend, listen here... It may be difficult to believe because you’re such an optimistic person... but does this big brother actually look like he could’ve possibly been blessed with another kid?!"
"!"
This little sh—
Killian practically launched himself forward.
Unfortunately, he caught absolutely nothing.
Because Luca, who had apparently realized several seconds earlier that violence was rapidly approaching, had already tugged his brother slightly out of the danger zone. Meanwhile, Kyle, whose survival instincts had clearly been sharpened by marriage, immediately stepped in front of his wife with the speed and determination of a man protecting a national treasure.
Or a public menace.
Possibly both.
The point was that Ollie remained completely out of reach.
Worse, the blonde didn’t seem remotely concerned about the danger he was in.
In fact, he appeared determined to make it worse.
"With his typical routine, if he did have another kid we’ve never even heard of, then wouldn’t their next lunch appointment be scheduled for next year?!"
"OLLIE."
Killian’s voice carried the sort of warning usually reserved for criminal incidents.
The blonde ignored it completely, finding his hiding place extremely secure that he could just pop out and actually talk more.
"Did you know that mother-in-law was prepared to visit various places of worship? Temples, churches, shrines, and even those shady craters just to pray for the healthy development of my niece?"
The emotionally invested aspiring mechanic looked genuinely scandalized as he continued his testimony.
"There’s even talk about prepared inheritance!"
At this point, the blonde wasn’t speaking.
He was presenting evidence.
The sort of evidence that absolutely nobody had asked for.
Meanwhile, Killian found himself reaching across the table once again, only to be thwarted by Kyle, who had apparently committed himself fully to protecting his troublesome spouse from the consequences of his own actions.
"Then there’s no other kid?"
Jax asked again, sounding genuinely curious this time around and entirely oblivious to the collective rise in blood pressure he was causing among his friends.
"Of course there’s none!" Ollie screeched immediately. "But if those twins don’t get stopped, then that might not be the case for long!"
The blonde insisted on this while popping out from behind Kyle’s back, only to immediately retreat again when Killian made another grab for him across the table.
To be fair, the newly married Mylor was genuinely concerned for a reason.
Back then, when he still didn’t know where he stood with Kyle, he spent a full day torturing himself over the possibility of being displaced by another partner.
Sure, at that point he hadn’t even fully understood what that would’ve meant for him. All he knew was that the mere thought had made him miserable enough to make the craziest promises.
So after experiencing that sort of mental anguish—despite none of it actually happening in real life—well, he couldn’t help but feel worried.
Because if those twins truly intended to cling to Killian the way everyone claimed they would, and if the Aeruns had genuinely submitted an official request for the Chief of Staff’s assistance throughout their stay, then wouldn’t that mean fewer visits to the dungeon space?
And if there were fewer visits to avoid revealing their secret, then what would happen to the baby bee?
Clearly, there were priorities here.
However, much to everyone’s surprise, the redhead who’d spent the last several minutes quietly listening to the argument suddenly spoke up.
"But why is that a problem?"
Jax asked the question without the slightest trace of malice.
He genuinely didn’t seem to understand.
"Huh?"
Ollie’s shoulders visibly drooped.
Oddly enough, Killian reacted too.
The official actually flinched, as though the question had blindsided him in a way he couldn’t quite explain.
Before he could examine why that simple line suddenly felt strangely unsettling, Jax casually continued.
"If he liked them eventually, then maybe it could be treated as good news. So that shouldn’t be a problem."
The redhead shrugged.
"...But in this case, he doesn’t even seem to like them, so why would it be a problem?"
Eh?
The room fell silent.
Meanwhile, Jax continued speaking as casually as if he were discussing tomorrow’s weather.
"Even if they truly liked him, and even if they’re royalty, could they really force someone who isn’t interested? Besides, would any of you even fall for it?"
"!"
Nobody answered immediately.
Not because the question was complicated...
Quite the opposite.
But because it was so simple that everyone suddenly found themselves staring at the redhead.
Over the past few weeks, scandals, politics, conspiracies, and increasingly absurd developments had become so common around them that they’d somehow overlooked the simplest things while trying to figure out how to circumvent them.
But sure enough, since when did they shy away from protecting their relationships, or even the lack of them?
Was that not their hard line?
