HTLCCBFT Chapter 208

Has The Lord’s Career Chart Been Filled Today? – Chapter 208

“This is Lucy’s cat.”

Sensing the deity’s surging murderous intent directed at Karichi, Oliver didn’t even have time to be shocked by the cat god’s second face before reflexively blurting out those words.

The effect was immediate—although the deity still radiated unfriendly energy, the terrifying pressure that had left the cat unable to even tremble gradually receded.

Oliver allowed the thoroughly frightened Karichi to leap down from his lap, watching as it frantically fled along the path it came from.

Before he could stand and walk toward the bed, the handsome golden-haired deity silently approached first, pulling him into a tight embrace.

“Oliver.”

That deep, murmuring call brushed against his ear like a soft, fuzzy feather.

Though the posture was intimate and ambiguous, Oliver could easily detect a trace of grievance and dissatisfaction in that tone.

While overjoyed at His awakening, he couldn’t help feeling both amused and guilty.

……He never expected that his rare encounter with a passing cat would be witnessed by this jealous God.

“Cat god,” he relaxed into the deity’s embrace, his voice clearly amused, “Didn’t we agree earlier that you understand my feelings and won’t mind other beings anymore?”

The golden-haired deity pressed his lips into a straight line, his cat ears twitching slightly.

Clearly having heard, yet pretending otherwise.

“Besides, that was Lucy’s cat.” Knowing He was playing dumb, Oliver suppressed a laugh and continued, “I already have the most handsome, gentle, and considerate cat in the world as my beloved, and only deity. I’ve been missing Him so much that even the most captivating scenery in this city couldn’t distract me, which is why I stayed in the bedroom this bright afternoon… right?”

Clearly pleased by these sweet words, the deity’s long tail, which had been relaxed and drooping, quietly perked up.

Noticing these subtle changes, Oliver naturally took His hand.

After the human and deity separated from their embrace, they began discussing what happened during their time apart.

The cat god, not particularly skilled at storytelling, responded to his young partner’s questions with some caution and awkwardness.

Regarding His full-powered attack on the furious God of Death Deyth, He explained while gesturing earnestly: “Deyth was quite severely injured. He won’t be able to leave the divine realm for some time.”

Pausing here, He added with serious commitment: “Before His new divine body solidifies, I’ll visit Him.” Then break it apart again.

Having learned from this experience, He finally understood: as long as Deyth’s divine body was shattered, leaving only a head behind, He wouldn’t be able to wander around anymore.

Oliver breathed a slight sigh of relief and asked curiously: “Some time?”

The God’s definition of “some time” probably meant—

Sure enough, the cat god stated matter-of-factly: “Over two hundred years.”

Oliver: “……”

That was indeed completely nothing to worry about.

Without that capricious God of Death constantly causing trouble, he certainly felt much more at ease.

Compared to the cat god who had been in deep slumber these past few days, far more had happened to Oliver.

Yet he didn’t tell everything to the cat god: not only because the innocent and simple-minded deity might not understand, but also because judging by its satisfied expression while constantly rubbing against him, its interest clearly wasn’t on Gregor’s affairs anymore.

“By the way, there’s one more thing I want to ask you.”

Oliver suddenly remembered that mysterious pure white divine temple.

Although after dreaming of that temple for two consecutive nights, he hadn’t fallen into such circumstances again.

This left him puzzled and increasingly suspecting that it might not be another deity as he had thought, but merely his imagination.

Perhaps it was because he had been deeply worried about the conflict between the cat god and Deyth that day, which affected the forced rest state brought by the game system?

“Do you know… which deity would have an entirely white divine temple with a courtyard full of roses?”

The God of Wealth was taken aback.

With a serious expression, he thought carefully for a long time before giving a negative answer.

“It’s probably just my imagination then.”

Oliver chuckled wryly, though he actually felt more relaxed.

Facing the cat god’s inquisitive gaze, he described without hesitation the scenes of the white temple he had dreamed of those two nights.

However, the more he spoke, the more serious the deity’s expression became, quickly leaning closer to gently “sniff” his small companion.

When it approached his sensitive and vulnerable neck, Oliver instinctively wanted to pull away, but knowing it was out of concern for him, he restrained himself.

—What he didn’t know was that this seemingly pure and upright cat god could easily accomplish the same “inspection” process by releasing its divine sense, even from dozens of miles away in other cities.

After a prolonged and thorough inspection, the clear-eyed God finally withdrew and seriously delivered its conclusion to its small companion.

“There’s no scent of other deities on Oliver.”

It stated with certainty.

“That’s great.”

Oliver showed a relieved smile, finally completely at ease.

The blond youth’s return not only improved the lord’s spirits and made him more radiant, but also brought subtle relief to those around who had grown accustomed to his constant presence with the lord.

In their eyes, whether it was his exceptionally outstanding appearance or the identical hair color between the two… whenever this always silent “Mr. Jin” stood with the lord, it created an intimate and harmonious atmosphere that felt both unapproachable and unbreakable.

Days passed in a flash.

The atmosphere in the castle seemed to have completely returned to its usual calm, with only a very few vaguely noticing that Vice Knight Captain Loyel had been entering and leaving the castle more frequently since his return.

Various projects throughout Gregor city progressed in an orderly manner, with people living busy yet fulfilling lives, their faces bearing increasingly more smiles.

Except for a very few—those who used to stand at the top of the urban residents’ social hierarchy, but could now only watch helplessly as others pushed carriages, or wealthy merchants swiftly advancing on horseback, while he himself paced in place, some high-ranking craftsmen, and former supervisors.

Gad had never suffered such hardship before.

He was born into the most typical knightly family, with no siblings to compete for property, and although his father was rigid and strict, with his innate skill of reading people, he could always easily deceive him.

In his memory, the period that could be considered the most “arduous” was when, as a knight page, he followed his mentor to participate in a minor conflict between lords and was struck by a sword in his right arm.

After he was honorably knighted and, through maneuvering, rose to become the sheriff at Count McKenna’s side, he had lived in comfort and luxury, never again tasting such bitterness.

Yet he never expected that, just after turning forty, he would be disgracefully thrown into prison, becoming the highest-status prisoner among the three in the cell.

Prisoner!

Thinking of the immense humiliation he had suffered, and his son Rayper still in prison, Gad’s resentment toward Duke Oliver instantly peaked.

Before leaving the prison, his face ashen, he straightened his clothes and waited at the entrance for his third wife and two attendants.

Seeing the young woman’s tear-filled eyes only worsened his irritation.

But after all, they were still outside.

Especially after these long three days, his self-esteem felt as if it had reached a breaking point, and he didn’t want to endure any further turbulence.

“We’ll talk when we get back.”

After curtly uttering these words, he draped the thin cloak prepared by the servant, mounted his horse, and headed toward his residence.

However, before he had gone far, he keenly noticed the faint, lingering glances of passersby directed at him.

This wasn’t normal—this was Havest Street, the most prosperous street in the southern capital, where most merchants conducting business chose to ride horses or carriages. This time, he was riding an extremely plain gray horse without any extra decorations or insignia.

Why were so many people staring at him?

He furrowed his brows tightly.

Was it because of this cloak?

In the transition from late summer to early autumn, the weather was still quite hot, especially in the afternoon.

Believing he had found the reason, Gad grimly removed the cloak, casually tossing it to the servant behind him, and subtly quickened his pace, soon arriving back at his residence.

Only after stepping inside did he feel those clinging, persistent gazes gradually fade away.

“Damn it—!”

He could no longer contain the fury boiling within him, clenching his right hand into a fist and smashing the exquisite wooden ornament to the right of the door into pieces!

His wife, witnessing this sudden outburst, let out a startled scream.

But the next moment, under her husband’s dark, warning glare, she shuddered violently and silently swallowed the rest of her scream.

Splinters of wood embedded themselves deeply into his hand, and blood trickled steadily down.

Expressionless, Gad placed his hand on the table, allowing the trembling servant to perform a simple bandaging, lost in thought.

His wife watched from the side, quietly sobbing.

“What happened while I was away from home these days?”

When he said “away from home,” his face twitched uncontrollably. Taking a deep breath, he continued, “Tell me everything. Not a single detail is to be omitted.”

Upon hearing this, she cautiously glanced at him before giving an almost imperceptible nod to the butler.

The butler then began recounting recent events with a seemingly calm expression that barely concealed his strained fear, reporting everything in meticulous detail.

When Gad learned that the prison incident he had desperately tried to conceal had been thoroughly publicized as a cautionary tale that very same day—even becoming material for playwrights at the newly built grand theater on East Street who were drafting scripts about how he and his father were imprisoned for wantonly insulting common women, with performances scheduled for the latter half of the year—

“That despicable, shameless, vicious devil!”

Now Gad finally understood why people on the street had been staring at him during his return journey.

Unable to contain his rage any longer, he furiously kicked over a table, snatched his cane, and with a ferocious roar began savagely beating the nearest male servant like a madman: “How dare he do this! How could he do this?! And you useless fools, worthless maggots—why didn’t you tell me earlier?!”

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