Back at the Lloyd family estate, in his small, shabby house, Andrew clapped his hands, realizing there was still one thing he had forgotten. He had not yet asked Valerie whether she was willing to marry his junior, Amari.

Yes, Valerie.

She was the one Andrew thought might actually be worthy of Amari. Sure, she was still young and a bit naive. Her skills were not exactly impressive – decent, maybe – but her background made up for it.

Born into the Reyes family, her family’s influence and status were solid.

And that, above all else, was what Andrew valued most.

Amari, on the other hand, had no family, no connections, and his martial skills were only average. His only real asset was his mastery of alchemy. With his eighth-grade divine alchemist status, marrying Valerie could still be considered a decent match.

Of course, his greatest backing was not his alchemy, it was Andrew himself.

He had mentioned Amari’s lack of a wife before, and now, he figured it was about time to arrange something for his junior.

That evening, after dinner with the beautiful Aspen and Natasha, the three of them washed up early and got ready for bed.

“Honey, are we doing it tonight?” Aspen asked shyly, her cheeks pink.

Natasha’s eyes glowed with expectation, clearly waiting for Andrew’s cue.

Seeing their faces, Andrew could only rub his temples helplessly. “Not tonight. Let’s talk about something else instead. Sex can wait.”

Aspen giggled. “Fine by me! I’m not in a hurry anyway. It’s Natasha who’s eager!”

Natasha, lying on the other side of Andrew with Aspen between them, immediately protested. “Aspen! What nonsense are you talking about? You’re the one thirsting for it, not me! Darling, don’t listen to her… I’m innocent!”

Andrew chuckled. “Alright, alright. None of you is needy, and you’re both pure angels. Happy? I actually wanted to ask you ladies something. My junior is 70 this year and is considering getting married. Do you think it’d be appropriate if I matched him with a young lady from one of the five great clans?”

Aspen’s eyes went wide in disbelief. “Wait… What? Your junior? 70? That’s grandpa age! You mean to tell me this old bachelor’s gone 70 years without a woman? He’s way too old!

“Let’s be real… He’s already got one foot in the grave, and you’re out here trying to find him a young miss from the five great clans? Can he even handle it? Since when did the five great clans’ daughters become so cheap that anyone can just pick one up like fruit in the market?”

Natasha nodded in agreement. “She’s right. From a woman’s perspective, darling, if you told us to marry a 70-year-old grandpa, we’d rather jump off a cliff.”

Andrew’s face darkened. “Come on, besides being a little older, he’s basically perfect. You two don’t understand."

Aspen folded her arms. “Oh yeah? Then enlighten us. What exactly makes him so ‘perfect‘?”

Andrew cleared his throat. “First off, he’s a divine alchemist of the Sovereign’s Apothecary, eighth-grade level. If word gets out, every noble and royal house would be scrambling to get him on their side.

“Second, he’s spent a lifetime refining pills… His wealth is beyond counting. But most importantly, he’s my junior. I’m his senior. That alone gives him enough reputation. Whoever marries him gets to enjoy my influence and connections. Isn’t that a solid deal?”