The Max Level Hero Has Returned!-Chapter 1189
Chapter 1189
Evangeline threw herself at Davey, wailing as she pounded her fists against his chest. It wasn’t long before she broke down completely, collapsing into his arms and sobbing uncontrollably.
Pop!!
Suddenly, the sharp sound of party poppers echoed through the air, drawing everyone’s attention to its source.
There stood Marky—who had followed them without a hint of awareness or tact—holding party poppers in both hands.
“Congrats!”
In contrast, Yuria was far more perceptive, hurriedly grabbing her shoulder and shaking her head, trying to stop her.
With everyone focused on her in the middle of that utterly inappropriate moment, Marky looked around awkwardly. “What? What’s wrong?”
Rinne stared at her blankly. There was something in her gaze, as if she were looking at something pitiful beyond saving.
Everyone was speechless, staring.
“Why is everyone looking at me like that...” Marky mumbled in an uncomfortable tone.
* * *
They hadn’t hired a single servant to set up for the celebration. They had prepared everything themselves, from the party cards to the balloon decorations and even the food.
Evangeline couldn’t bring herself to complain to Davey any further.
The whole situation had left her a bit bewildered, yet at the same time, a deep sense of relief had washed over her. The sheer absurdity of the fact that it had all been a surprise party made her want to laugh.
Additionally, the reason they had gone so overboard dramatizing the situation had only been because of her discovering the location before the party preparations were finished.
Still, she wondered if they really had to go that far—even for a surprise party, it felt a little extreme.
Not knowing the full truth, she could blame her dad for his annoying prank, which she didn’t find amusing in the slightest. Yet regarding the party itself, she was more than satisfied.
Thanks to how hard it had been on the island, the surprise felt all the more precious. She felt strange, as her emotions that had hit rock bottom were suddenly flipped in an instant.
“
Hmph.
”
Even so, she wasn’t about to forgive her dad just yet.
“Evaaaa! Try this too!” Right then, Red Ribbon, sitting beside her and happily gnawing on a chicken leg, smiled brightly and held it out to her.
“Red Ribbon...”
“This one’s special! I was saving it! But I like Eva, so you can have it!”
“Thanks, Red Ribbon.” She knew she couldn’t stay angry.
While she was still a little upset, she ultimately decided to just let it go.
Beautiful music began to play, coming from Davey’s own instrument. The nearby spirits began to dance, swirling gently in the air.
It was a breathtaking sight, something she had never seen on TV or heard at a live concert.
Illyna had quietly approached and asked with a soft smile, “Do you like the island?”
“
Huh?
Oh.
Yes, I do.”
What surprised Evangeline most wasn’t her dad’s antics but the fact that her moms had gone along with it too. She could understand Davey doing something like that, as he was always full of mischief, but her moms? That hurt, and left her feeling betrayed.
“Mom...” Evangeline began.
“Hmm?
”
“Don’t do that again. Do you have any idea how scared I was?”
“I’m sorry, I won’t do it again.”
“I hate Dad... I hate you too...”
“I’m sorry, sweetie. I promise it won’t happen again,” Illyna said as she wrapped her arms around Evangeline.
In response, she let out a deep sigh and murmured, “I’m only forgiving you this one time. And that’s only b-because I really like this island.”
“Thank you, but try not to be too mad at Davey.”
Evangeline didn’t have a response.
“He cares about you, and loves you more than you realize.”
“He loves me, and yet this is how he shows it?”
“Well... Who knows? Maybe he had a reason for it?”
‘A reason?’
Any possible reasonable explanation eluded her.
* * *
Above Evangeline’s treasure trove, effectively her newfound lair, stood a grand villa overlooking a part of the beach.
After the indoor celebration, the flow of the party had naturally shifted to enjoying the beach.
Splash!!
Off in the distance, an enormous spray of water erupted as someone swam furiously across the ocean. It was none other than Rinne.
Though she looked like a slender girl, swimming was nearly impossible for her as a golem weighing over two hundred kilograms. Instead, she had equipped a special device that used particle materialization, letting her propel herself through the ocean.
Elsewhere, Yuria, Marky, and even Reina were diving with goggles, catching fish barehanded. Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon splashed around with Evangeline in the shallow waters while the adults watched from the shore, enjoying the relaxing atmosphere.
Meanwhile, despite it being a rare break, Aeonitia and Tiara stared at the sea, contemplating how to make the view even more beautiful. They were truly workaholics to the core.
“Davey, are you sure about not telling her the truth? What if Eva ends up really resenting you for this?” Illyna, lying face-down under a parasol on a sunbed, said in an uneasy tone.
“No, this much is just right. There’s a reason I planned things this way. If she finds out the truth, things will flip.”
Evangeline had already retrieved her stolen sweet potato box. Her lips had trembled when she wanted to be angry, but getting her treasure back had made her too happy to keep sulking.
She had even snuck out during the party to carefully stash the box back in her lair. It was proof that she had begun to acknowledge the underground cave as her lair.
Even so, Illyna’s expression didn’t ease. “If she knew why you did all this, she wouldn’t hold such resentment against you.”
“A parent doesn’t complain to their child.”
“Isn’t that exactly what your father did to you?”
Her sharp words made him fall silent for a moment.
“It has to be different. Whether it’s the process or result,” Davey answered curtly, though a strange irritation rose in his chest.
“Are we starting?”
“
Hm? Ah—
yeah. Please.” Illyna stretched out flat on the sunbed, and he loosened the string of her bikini. He then poured down the special elf-exclusive solution he had prepared.
It was similar to tanning oil, but it made the skin softer and enhanced mana absorption as well. It was made from the fruit juice of the World Tree Al, and its effects were beyond simple comparison to ordinary chemical products on the market. Instead of simple oil, it could be considered an incredible medicine.
It was a fairly precious item, yet Davey never hesitated to use it when needed.
“
Ughh.
That’s cold...”
“I told you it’d be cold. Thanks to that annoying little mouth of yours, I don’t feel like stopping, either.”
“W-Wait! Don’t—!”
Flustered, she tried to turn around, but Davey unhesitatingly poured another stream of oil down her back.
“
Kyaah!
It’s cold!” she shrieked, her body twitching from the shock.
Her fists clenched tight, toes stretched out stiffly, and her face flushed as the unnatural chill traveled through her body.
“Hey, hey!!”
“Seems you’ve forgotten who’s in charge here, my lady. The medicine’s in my hand, after all.”
“
Ahh!
It’s cold! Stop! Please!! I give up! Enough!!”
At first, she writhed and clenched her teeth, trying to endure the cold and tingling sensation. But as the chill faded and she got used to his touch, she buried her face between her arms, cheeks burning red.
“
Haah.
Seriously, why are you so good at this?”
“
Hm?
”
“It doesn’t feel like it’s your first time doing this. Don’t tell me you’ve been sneaking off to Earth to meet other women?”
Davey knew she was only teasing, yet even knowing it was a joke, he couldn’t just let it slide.
“Why am I so good at it?”
“W-What?”
“I have more than just a day or two of experience using my hands on you, my lady. My hands have always been at work.”
Her face flushed red in an instant.
Just then, Perserque—lying nearby with her legs crossed—pushed her sunglasses up and gave him a pointed look. “Davey! Enough with the jokes.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
He neatly finished applying the medicine to Illyna, retied her bikini strap, and then laid back on his sunbed, gazing at the bright sky and the white sands. Watching everyone laugh and play, he couldn’t help but think that all the effort had been worth it.
Just then, a voice interrupted him, “Hey! What do you think you’re doing?”
Though the sunbed was a bit oversized, it was still meant for one person, not two. Davey turned his head in surprise at a soft sensation pressing against his side.
Illyna had climbed onto the sunbed with him, clinging close.
“What? Can I not?”
“It’s too cramped. You’ve got your own spot right there.”
“
Hmmm.
But I like it here better.” She had no hesitation at all in showering affection, which was a sharp contrast to Aeria or Perserque who both embarrassed easily. In a way, that was one of her strengths. “If you keep pushing me away, I’ll just fall off, you know?”
Davey didn’t know what to say.
She was right, the sunbed was so cramped that the smallest shove would surely send her tumbling with a thud. He turned to the side, feeling Perserque’s presence nearby.
However, she didn’t seem to care at all. She simply sipped at her fruit drink with a straw, eyes on the children splashing about in the water.
By that point in their relationship, there was no point in her being jealous.
Letting out a sigh, Davey decided to just go along with it and let Illyna do as she pleased, resting her head on his arm.
What had managed to slip his mind entirely, unfortunately, was what might happen once a dimension was isolated like he’d done on the island.
He had overlooked the fact that Goddess Freyja, who had provided the information for the matter, couldn’t be judged by the common sense of an ordinary sentient being.
* * *
Things had worked out well, though Evangeline wasn’t the only one left flustered. Her channel’s forum was blazing hot, flooded with posts about the previous stream.
[So what was that stream even about???]
[What do you think? It was one massive hidden camera prank stream running for days, obviously.]
[??? Are you kidding me LOL]
[So all that life-or-death stuff was just acting? Boss got cooked good LOL]
[Saint of Tionis is one hell of a psycho... what kind of hidden camera prank is on that scale?? LOL]
[But don’t you think he really crossed the line? Boss looked really shook]
[You’re crossing the line, lol. Who are you to lecture about someone else’s family business?]
[No man, what’s wrong isn’t right.
[Nope, only you think that. I thought it was hilarious.]
[It’s not like anyone got hurt.]
What baffled viewers most was the Gourmet Research Society’s role in it all.
[Those maniacs could win awards if they ever went into acting. They got me good]
[Fr bro Rinne’s acting gave me goosebumps LOL]
Once viewers learned the whole ordeal had been orchestrated by the Gourmet Research Society to buy time for the surprise party, all they could do was laugh at the absurdity.
[Okay, but what happened to boss afterwards?? We need the follow-up!!]
[Yeah, hurry up and tell us how it ended!]
Since the stream had cut right after the big reveal, the crowd was left burning for answers. Evangeline, of course, had no clue—she was too busy playing on the beach.
[Hey! Holy shit!! Moderation just posted a pic!!]
[? Who cares about him right now.]
[No, seriously, go look.]
A sudden link appeared, and curiosity got the better of people. They clicked, heading straight to his social feed. The entire crowd collectively lost it when they saw the photo.
There he was, grinning smugly in nothing but square swim trunks, flashing a peace sign. In the background could be seen Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon, splashing around in the water with a little half-elf girl no one had seen before. Behind him stood Reina, water dripping from her hair, her swimsuit clinging to her pale skin and graceful neckline, stealing the breath of countless viewers.
[Holy shit this bastard’s rubbing it in, isn’t he? That he got invited to that party??]
[Burn it down!!]
[Fire!! Fire!!]
[Moderation, you traitor!!]
[Even A-list celebs don’t get beach parties like this.]
[He crossed the line.]
[Where’s the queen!! Where’s our queen!!]
Overseas comments piled in, too.
[We want Illyna!!]
Her popularity in the U.S. was massive, and fans demanded more photos of her. Alas, Moderation sent their hearts spiraling even further into hell with his included caption.
-
Pfft.
Bet you guys never got to do something like this! This place is amazing.
Seeing his gloating, the viewers only grew angrier.
Chapter 1189
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