"That's because no one wants to accept a woman like her into their family, after all, a bright and beautiful flower would be chosen over a wilted one." Yuer continued, Quinn knew that her aunt hadn't said everything she'd heard, and had chosen kind words when repeating them. She knew Sonia Gun, her mouth was very sharp, not a single kind word came out of her mouth. During the Eywis family selection, every day that woman tried to annoy her.
"I don't know how, it seems like Jacob Pan found out about you and started causing trouble."
"He's been coming to your uncle for days. At first, he refused, but now he seems to be threatening him indirectly. When I told him you couldn't accept it, he insisted you had no reason to refuse. You've participated in many elections, but no family has shown any interest in you. He also said that as long as you're not participating in an election with any family, he has no reason to back out." Yuer's hand gripped the glass in her hand; if it broke, Quinn wouldn't be surprised.
Quinn paused for a moment.
The Selection is an event held by noble and prominent families in the Kingdom of Crescere to find a match for their sons. The nobles would invite several daughters from other prominent families, and after following various family traditions, the families would choose which woman would be worthy of becoming their daughter-in-law and their son's wife. The women who participated in the selection were called 'seeds'.
Almost all families indirectly assess the Flower on the temples of the women participating in the selection process. Ultimately, they will assess which character best suits their family, which women will adhere to family traditions, and which women will make good housewives and daughters-in-law. However, some families ignore the Flower and focus more on the character of each woman who attends.
After a woman participates in a family's selection, her value increases in the eyes of the public. This is due to the increased knowledge and skills she gains. Therefore, those who are not selected are usually immediately approached by other families after participating. This is because not all families hold selections to find a wife for their son. Typically, it's reserved for the son who will become the next leader of the family and clan.
The more a woman participates in an election, the greater her chances of being elected in the next election, but that wasn't the case for Quinn.
She had studied the traditions of nearly every noble family in the Kingdom of Crescere, but she hadn't even received a proposal from any other family, let alone been chosen. Was Quinn sad? No, she was participating for her uncle, who had given her the best. She wanted to repay him for all his kindness.
However, it seems this has now become a long-term problem. Jacob Pan is known for his insanity, and he'll get what he wants. Perhaps he's very curious about the 'grey flower woman' who's been the subject of this discussion.
"What threats did he make?"
The uncle immediately shook his head, "It's okay. It's not a big deal. I can handle it myself, and you don't need to worry about anything. I'll tell Jacob Pan that I don't accept this proposal." The uncle excused himself that the conversation was over and he wanted to rest, and left.
Yuer stared at Quinn for a long moment. "Your uncle never wanted to cause you any trouble, let alone add to your burdens. But when your uncle said it was okay and left, you knew that the trouble Jacob Pan caused was no small matter."
Quinn nodded in agreement, "then I will go find Jacob Pan and try to talk to him."
"Yes, you can talk to him, but don't accept his proposal, I will find another way for you."
….
In a private restaurant amidst the sparkling night sky, Quinn sat in one of the VIP rooms, gazing out the window. The night sky of Soul Planet was filled with the sight of meteorites falling almost constantly. Her gaze fell on a star that continued to twinkle incessantly. She remembered a saying from a long time ago: that star was called Fabulous, very far from here, and you could see it very clearly from space. Its light was a guide for the soldiers who served in space, the Eagle Sky Legion.
Fabulous was her favorite star because it looked so beautiful in space. After hearing about it, Quinn also wanted to join the Eagle Sky Legion. She wanted to explore outer space, visit various planets and fight alongside other warriors, pilot her own mecha and land on uninhabited planets. Exploring the universe sounded exciting.
Quinn didn't know how long it had been since she smiled, even when she remembered her dream, not even a single line could be seen, her eyes were increasingly empty, as she stared at the falling meteorites.
"Miss Flos?" The greeting made Quinn leave the beautiful scenery outside and turn to the man sitting before her. He was young and had a handsome figure and face, but the wild, darting eyes he gave her made Quinn slightly uncomfortable.
"Mr. Jacob." Today she had made an appointment with Jacob Pan, she had heard that Jacob Pan didn't like receiving sudden invitations like this, especially to a restaurant that wasn't very well-known.
"I've only seen you once, and that was a long time ago. I could only see you from afar and didn't have the chance to greet you. It turns out Miss Flos's beauty looks so unreal from this close up. I can't even believe there's a woman as beautiful as you."
Quinn ignored Jacob's remark, "I don't have time to waste on small talk with you, Mr. Jacob. So let's move on to the reason for our meeting today."
Quinn had specifically booked the VIP room because Jacob was a sensationalist, and his activities were often in the public eye. He was well-known. Quinn didn't want to be the center of attention.
"I reject your proposal."
The corners of Jacob's lips lifted, "you know, when someone openly rejects me like you did to me, I feel even more eager to make them mine." They stared at each other, the man in front of her was very dangerous.
"I'm pretty sure there's no rule on Soul Planet that requires me to accept every proposal that comes my way—especially yours."
Jacob's smile grew wider, he laughed briefly before speaking very low, "you may not realize it, but your uncle is the talk of the town right now." Quinn's eyes narrowed.
"That gray flower on your temple, I heard, is a bad omen. No family would accept you, even though you've participated in various elections in many places. I heard that all your family members died twelve years ago, leaving you alone. After that, you went to live with your uncle."