Chapter 104: You’re Just Not My Type

Elinox stopped moving. ’Noxi?’

Only her parents and uncle called her that.

Zishan had heard it earlier at the estate, but she had never expected him to start using it himself.

’What the hell is this man thinking?’ She stared at him. ’Why is he calling me that all of a sudden? If others called me by that name, I would’ve been angry right now... but it’s odd... I feel no anger towards him right now for some reason...’

Zishan, however, was far too busy watching Frank to notice how long Elinox had been staring at him.

Frank’s face had darkened. From the way his nostrils flared, Zishan half-expected actual smoke to come out of them.

’Yep.’

Zishan became even more convinced.

’Definitely that trope.’

"Oh, Noxi." He gestured toward Frank. "Who’s this man before us? Is he one of your servants?"

Elinox snapped out of her thoughts and looked between Zishan and Frank, seeming genuinely unsure how she was supposed to respond to the fact that Zishan had just called the son of a Duke her servant.

’You dare call Frank a servant? I just remember his name when somebody said it... but he’s a son of a Duke, and yet you dare to call him my servant?’

The Einstein Family was one of the prominent noble families in the Kingdom.

Frank’s father was a Duke. Calling him Elinox’s servant in front of half the Registry was something most nobles would never dare to do, even as a joke.

Zishan seemed to notice that he had said something wrong. "Oh, sorry about that..."

Frank’s jaw relaxed slightly. At least, the man understood his mistake.

Zishan cleared his throat before giving him a respectful bow. "Hello, Esteemed Young Man whose name I do not know and whose face is practically the definition of ultimate handsomeness." Zishan raised his head. "Nice to meet you, no-name guy!"

’I just realized it... the guy’s name... Frank Einstein shout-out! Don’t worry, dude, I’ll tell the other dude from Earth that I met your parallel self in another universe or something.’

Frank spaced out along with several people around them, while the gossip around the Registry only grew louder.

"What the hell is going on? What is this guy up to?"

"Has the battlefield messed up his brain? Did he go crazy?!"

"Although Mr. Frank Einstein is quite handsome... I don’t really get why Zishan would say that. Although he himself was hand—"

The woman suddenly stopped. Then, her eyes widened as she seemed to have realized something. "I get it now! I definitely get it now!"

The girl beside her leaned closer. "What?"

The woman lowered her voice into a whisper that somehow still reached Zishan. "Zishan Walker might be into men, and he wants to get Frank’s attention! That must be it!"

Zishan’s smile twitched. He slowly turned toward them. "No homo! No homo here, guys!"

The surrounding crowd became silent for another second as they did not understand what he was saying.

Elinox just closed her eyes.

Frank, however, seemed to have stopped caring about the stranger calling him a servant. His impression of Zishan had improved after hearing the earlier praise.

He straightened his clothes before giving Zishan a more approving look. "You’re quite a good lad. What’s your name? Are you Zishan Walker perhaps?"

"My name?" Zishan repeated as he looked at Frank. ’Oh. Now I have a problem. I could tell him the truth, or I could invent something ridiculous and walk away before anyone corrects me. What name would piss him off without making him another enemy of mine?’

Several possibilities came to mind, though none of them seemed particularly good.

"Oh... sorry... my name..."

"His name is Zishan Walker," Elinox intervened before he could finish whatever nonsense he was planning. "And I brought him here to register someone as his adopted little brother."

Zishan looked at her. ’Nice save! Saves me the brain cells to think more about something else... but... is it good to announce my name in front of everybody...’

He nodded to himself.

’Anyway, although I would’ve really liked to piss this Frank off. I don’t want another enemy on my list. The Walker Family is already enough...’

Frank’s earlier approval disappeared the moment he heard the name. "Zishan Walker..."

So he really was the supposedly dead adopted son of the Walker Family everyone had begun whispering about.

Elinox watched him for a moment before speaking again. "If I’m being honest with you, you should stop trying to court me."

Frank stiffened.

The surrounding people became suspiciously quiet.

Nobody walked away.

Even several people who had already completed whatever business brought them to the registry seemed to have forgotten that they were supposed to leave.

Elinox continued while staring directly at Frank. "I don’t like your family. I also don’t like you. Although we met a few times as kids to train and stuff, you’re just not my type."

Frank’s face gradually worsened.

"Moreover, I believe in fate. Give it up. Love is not supposed to be something forced on someone."

Zishan’s eyes widened. ’Clock him! Clock him!’

He almost wanted to cheer.

’Damn, that’s my woman right there—’

His thoughts abruptly stopped.

’What the hell... why did I say that in my mind?’

Zishan shook his head once.

’Whatever. Not important.’

[...]

Frank looked as though Elinox had stabbed him somewhere nobody else could see. For some reason, Zishan suddenly felt a little bad for him.

Only a little.

So, he reached over and tapped Elinox’s shoulder. "Noxi, don’t say it like that. It’s going to hurt so much, you know."

Elinox turned toward him.

Zishan gave Frank a sympathetic look.

"I’m so sorry for your loss, dude." He placed one hand against his chest as though offering his deepest condolences. "You’ll definitely find a better girl than this one here!"

"..."

"..."

For several seconds, nobody said anything. Frank stared at him along with everyone else nearby, more than one person looking as though they were not sure whether they had heard him correctly. Elinox, however, remained completely calm.

Zishan’s smile slowly disappeared as his brain finally caught up with his mouth.

"Ooops..."

’Zishan! You and your impulsive mouth!’

He glanced toward Elinox again, only to find the same calm expression on her face, which somehow made the situation feel even worse.

’Damn it! I’m gonna die at this point!’