The Charismatic Charlie Wade

Nirina’s words had a profound effect on Maria, making her eyebrows tremble unconsciously. Though she seemed to grasp
something, she decided not to probe further, choosing to brush the matter aside. With a delightful smile, she said to Josef, “Since
the Young Master can’t make up his mind, let me choose.”
Pausing for a moment, she continued, “In ancient times, I would definitely call you ‘husband’, but nowadays, no one addresses
anyone like that. We pretend to be lovers rather than husband and wife, so how about you calling me dear and I call you my
baby?”
Maria’s face flushed as she anxiously awaited Nirina’s response, fearing he might refuse or be dissatisfied.
However, Nirina didn’t dwell on it much. To him, acting like a couple, even wearing matching outfits, warranted using such
endearments. Nonchalantly, he nodded and replied, “Baby, right? Sure, let’s do it that way.”
Afterward, Nirina reminded her, “Just remember, don’t use that term ‘Nujia’ in front of others. We’re living in a new era now and
such old titles are no longer appropriate. If you say that outside, people who don’t know might get the wrong idea...”
Maria playfully stuck out her tongue and said, “Young Master, Nujia has lived through the transition from the old age to the new
era. I understand what you’re saying. Besides, I haven’t used that term in hundreds of years, only in front of you. After leaving
this place, I’ll adjust myself.”
“Sounds good.” Nirina acknowledged. He glanced at the time and suggested, “It’s getting late; let’s go.”
Maria nodded, asking Josef, “Young Master, after we leave can I call you my dear?”
With a casual tone, Nirina replied, “As long as you’re not worried about the teasing from the old folks downstairs, you can call me
whatever you like.”
Blushing immediately, Maria corrected him, “No, no, what I meant was after we leave the Zilian Villa...”
Chuckling, Nirina shook his head, “Alright, let’s get going quickly. They are still waiting downstairs, probably eager to say
goodbye to you.”
“Okay,” Maria apologized, “Young Master, I’m sorry. Wait a moment, I’ll come after offering incense to my father.”
Nirina readily agreed, then left the room on his own.

As soon as Nirina left, Maria approached her father’s spiritual tablet, her jade-like hands delicately holding three incense sticks.
She carefully lit them before inserting them into the incense burner. Kneeling on the futon in front of the tablet, she joined her
hands and muttered in a soft voice, “Father... Maria wants to marry her husband... oh no, oh no... I made a mistake pretending
to be someone else... Maria is going back to the south with Young Master Paul. I hope you, in the spirit realm, bless Maria and
Young Master to return safely and also wish that Young Master can achieve his desires...”
After saying her prayers, she kowtowed before the spiritual tablet three times before standing up and hurrying out.
Nirina was waiting in the courtyard, greeting Maria with a smile as they descended from the top floor together.
Below, four old people were waiting eagerly in the hall on the first floor, their heads tilting up the stairs. Their eyes widened when
they saw the two in their matching outfits and Marius exclaimed, “Oh! Mr. Paul and Ms. Paul, truly a match made in heaven!”
Keagan Myers couldn’t help but wonder, “Marius, between the three of us, you’ve known Miss the longest, have you ever seen
her smile like this in the past 90 years? She’s practically glowing!”
Meanwhile, Maria walked with a shy smile on her face, appearing like a young girl. Beside her was Nirina and it was evident that
she was in a great mood. She would occasionally steal glances at Josef, her shy eyes timidly meeting him before swiftly diverting
and her countenance was akin to the elegant waltz of willow leaves in the breeze, captivating and exquisite, much like the moon
hidden behind a delicate flower.
In their perception, Maria was someone who loved to laugh, but she carried a heartlessness, playfulness, and dominance that
set her apart. Coquettish and shy were words that hadn’t been associated with Maria for ages. But now, they were in for a
surprise, as they finally witnessed Miss’ girlish and shy side.
As Maria came closer, Larry Cole couldn’t help but smile and exclaim, “Just imagine how breathtaking Miss would look in a
beautiful wedding dress or traditional attire!”
Larry Cole’s wife chimed in, “But, you know, the three of you old men should stop gossiping until Miss and Mr. Paul leave. Mr.
Paul has formidable powers and you don’t want him overhearing your chatter!”
Quickly, Larry hushed the other two, “Enough, we’ll talk once Miss and Mr. Paul are gone.”
The three of them continued to chat casually while Nirina and Maria entered the hall.
As they approached, Larry Cole and his companions hurried forward, accompanied by Larry Cole’s wife and greeted them
respectfully, “Hello, Miss and Mr. Paul.”

Maria’s shy smile vanished and she turned serious as a parent, saying, “Mr. Paul and I are leaving for a trip to the southern
province. I’m entrusting this place to you. Remember, no one is allowed to go upstairs.”
Larry Cole assured, “Miss, don’t worry, I’ll take care of everything!”
However, Maria’s attention shifted to Keagan Myers and she calmly said, “Keagan, I had some free time last night, so I did a
fortune telling for you. Your calamity has been averted by Mr. Paul and there won’t be any major changes for the next twenty or
thirty years. You can rest assured. If there’s something to attend to in Eastcliff, you can confidently handle it without having to
stay here all the time.”
Maria understood that Keagan Myers had a unique path, which meant he couldn’t choose as freely as others. She sympathized
with his situation.
Keagan Myers knew this too and he expressed his desire to stay for a while and reconnect with his childhood friends.
After some contemplation, Maria agreed, “It’s alright for you to stay. Make reasonable arrangements and I won’t worry about
you.”
Keagan Myers respectfully cupped his hands, “Miss, don’t worry, let’s discuss it with Mr. Paul later.”
“Indeed, let’s get down to business,” Maria nodded. “In that case, Mr. Paul and I will take our leave.”
The four of them escorted Nirina and Maria to the yard, where they settled into the car.
Nirina focused on driving, while Maria, for some inexplicable reason, blushed slightly. She stole a glance at Josef, then turned to
look out of the window, hesitating before asking shyly, “Honey, how long until we reach the airport?”
Nirina responded casually, “About half an hour.”
Maria couldn’t help but get a little angry, “Shouldn’t the Young Master be calling Nujia ‘baby’?”
Nirina coughed lightly, asking, “Do you really want to call me that when there’s no one else around?”
Maria replied, feeling a bit wronged, “You agreed to it earlier...”
Nirina responded solemnly, “Alright, I’ll keep my promise.”

He then added, “Baby, we’ll be at the airport in half an hour.”
Maria smiled sweetly, “Got it, thank you, dear!”
Maria’s eyes landed on Nirina’s left hand holding the steering wheel and she asked curiously, “My dear, why aren’t you wearing
the ring I gave you when we left?”
Nirina explained, “Why should I wear it? The owner of the ring is your father, not me. I’m here with you, the ring serves as a
teleportation device in case of danger. If we encounter Morgana, it might trap her in a tricky situation. It’s better not to wear it, so
she doesn’t suspect anything. Plus, she’s been coveting that ring in her dreams and not having it with us might give us some
leverage if we end up negotiating with her.”
Maria nodded in agreement, “You’re right, my dear. I never thought about it from that perspective.”
After a while, they reached the airport. Maria took the initiative to hold Nirina’s arm, feigning a couple’s appearance.
Nirina caught on and played along.
Maria teased, “Should we continue this act when boarding the plane to avoid suspicion from the crew?”
Nirina nodded, “Sure, we can do that.”
With a plan in mind, they observed Morgana’s flight progress on Nirina’s phone. It seemed she was headed to Melbourne for
refueling before her journey to Myanmar. They had plenty of time, even enough to drive leisurely and enjoy the trip.
Maria sighed happily, “It’s been years since I’ve been back to the southern province. Once we’re there, I’ll leave everything in
your capable hands.”