"My dear grandson, why didn't you invite your little girlfriend over?"
At the dinner table, as she ate the spring rolls made by Slowking, Evelyn wore a look of surprise. The flavor was far better than any spring rolls she had ever tasted before.
"She's at a critical stage in her research, so she couldn't make it," Julian explained.
In reality, Julian hadn't invited her at all. Perhaps, deep down, he hadn't truly accepted Nicole yet.
If he had invited her to this family dinner, it would have essentially confird her status as the Walker family's future daughter-in-law.
'I'm only in my early twenties—how can I settle on a life partner so soon?'
Besides, his goal was to beco a champion. Matters of romance could wait.
All in all, Julian's behavior right now was that of a classic scumbag.
"Nicole is quite good. She took care of us and Grandma in the hospital during this ti," Tina remarked.
She had a favorable impression of Nicole.
But this was ultimately her son's own affair. As a parent, she wouldn't interfere too much.
Besides, with a son as outstanding as hers, he'd have no problem finding won.
Unless he reached the age where people start nagging about marriage, Tina had no plans to get involved.
"My dear grandson, Nicole is a good girl. Don't you dare lead her on. But in a few years, once your grandpa here can beat that old man Duke in a fight, it won't matter anymore."
John picked up a piece of beef with his chopsticks, intending to place it into Evelyn's bowl, but she moved hers away. Awkwardly, he set it into Quinn's bowl instead.
Nicole's status was no small matter. If Julian really dared to ss around and dump her afterward, even if he had once saved Duke's life, the old man would undoubtedly thrash him to the ground.
At the sa ti, relations between the Walker and Aldridge families would freeze over.
Fortunately, Julian and Nicole hadn't crossed that final line—though he had taken plenty of liberties along the way.
"Dad, you're going to set a bad example for Julian like this."
Quinn, being a woman herself, shot John a disapproving glare. "How would you react if soone treated that way?"
"I'd kill the bastard!" John snarled.
The Walker family had always prioritized loyalty over fairness. Right or wrong didn't matter—if you ssed with one of theirs, you were automatically in the wrong. They were fiercely protective.
The Walker family was small, and everyone was close, so they were exceptionally tight-knit.
"Quinn, you're already in your thirties. Why haven't you found a boyfriend yet?"
Evelyn set her chopsticks down on her bowl, her expression stern as she stared at Quinn.
Though the average lifespan in Drakoria had now reached 120, a woman in her thirties could still be considered a "leftover."
In ancient tis, a thirty-year-old woman would've been labeled as "a faded beauty past her pri."
"Mom, I'm still young!" Quinn muttered under her breath.
anwhile, Julian chid in, "Auntie has a suitor—one of her colleagues."
The mont those words left his mouth, the entire family perked up with interest.
"Julian, you're dead at!"
Quinn shot him a murderous glare.
But with Evelyn present, Julian wasn't the least bit afraid. He even smirked back at her, making her grit her teeth in frustration.
"Tell us what's going on," John asked curiously.
Of course, he was deeply invested in his daughter's marriage prospects. He had introduced her to many talented heirs from prominent families, but she had never taken a liking to any of them.
And just like that, ti slipped away until she was in her thirties.
"It's nothing. Soone's pursuing , but I can't be bothered to respond. If they can't surpass in my field, I'm not interested," Quinn said dismissively.
"Auntie, you might as well just say you plan to stay single forever," Julian said flatly.
Who was Quinn? She was the youngest recipient of the 'Arceus Award' in the world.
She won it at the age of twenty-eight. Before her, the youngest winner had been forty. She directly broke the record by a full twelve years.
That kind of achievent? Equivalent to a trainer becoming a Champion by twenty-eight.
"Soone more outstanding than you… might not even be interested in you," Henry muttered under his breath.
"Big Brother!!"
Quinn still heard him and glared at him furiously.
"My bad, my bad! If there really is soone better than you, I'll tie him up and drag him here myself!" Henry quickly backtracked with an appeasing smile.
In the Walker family, the most doted-on was the grandson, Julian—followed closely by the only daughter, Quinn. As the eldest son, Henry ranked near the bottom.
"Big Brother, you're one to talk. You're not married either!" Quinn fired back.
"Quinn!"
John's voice suddenly turned cold.
Realizing she had misspoken, Quinn glanced at Henry—only to see his expression had turned somber.
She quickly said, "Big Brother, I didn't an it like that. Please don't be upset."
She walked over and hugged his arm like she used to when they were kids, gently swaying it.
"I'm not upset. I'm the one who's made Mom and Dad worry," Henry said with a smile—though it looked painfully forced.
Julian could sense the deep sorrow radiating from his uncle's Aura—it was heavy and suffocating.
'What had happened here?'
Henry had never married, and it certainly wasn't due to any physical shortcomings. Julian had always assud it was either by choice or because he hadn't t the right person.
But now, it seed there was more to it.
"Uncle… did the person you love reject you, but you still can't let go? So you've been stuck waiting all this ti?"
Julian guessed based on every lodramatic drama he'd ever seen. That kind of tragic backstory seed highly plausible.
"Good grandson."
Evelyn shot him a warning look, signaling him to drop the subject.
"Oh—got it, got it."
Julian quickly nodded in obedience.
Because he sensed that his uncle's Aura had grown even more sorrowful.
'Damn, don't tell I really guessed it right.'
'What kind of blind woman would dare to reject my uncle?'
'And grandpa too—why didn't he just use our family's status to pressure that woman into agreeing?'
If Julian had a villain system, then with thoughts like these and his family background, he'd be the perfect final boss.
Julian did believe that love was real.
But in his personal creed, family and Pokémon ca first. Love? Maybe sowhere further down the list.
Maybe that had sothing to do with his past experiences.
Either way, one thing was certain—he wasn't so love-struck idiot.
Now looking at his uncle Henry… he really did seem like a classic case of one.
Hard to believe that the eldest son of the Walker family was such a romantic fool.
"Magee~"
Magearna ca out of the kitchen, carrying so dishes.
With Julian and Celebi—two bottomless pits—present, even though Slowking had cooked a mountain of food, there was barely anything left.
Julian had at least paused to talk.
Celebi, on the other hand, had been eating nonstop, its belly now round and full.
Celebi wasn't sure if it was just its imagination, but the food seed even better than usual today.
It wasn't an illusion—because today, Slowking's culinary skills had broken through to a whole new level.
*****
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