Chapter 262

"Agatha?"

Seeing Elijah, dressed in a wedding gown and standing on the altar, the middle-aged matron leading out the bride—Agatha—his heart swelled with overwhelming joy!

Earlier, unable to sleep at night, he had suddenly gotten up to go to the beach and gaze at the stars, only to accidentally witness Agatha being kidnapped; to save this girl he deeply loved but who did not love him, he had rushed home overnight, using acceptance of his family's arranged marriage as leverage to demand they help find Agatha's whereabouts.

But he never expected that the marriage partner his family had arranged for him was none other than Miss Agatha!

This… this must be fate's design!

"Miss Agatha!"

Amid Agatha's equally stunned gaze, Elijah, also dressed in a white wedding gown, took two hurried steps toward her, and before the astonished guests, his face flushed with unrestrained excitement, blurted out:

"I never imagined it would be… anyway, fate brought us together in Ankara, then allowed us to know and befriend each other, to travel side by side—and now fate has brought us here at last. I…"

"I'm late. Sorry!"

Accompanied by a polite-sounding apology whose tone was decidedly impolite, the grand doors of the chapel—closed after all guests had arrived—slowly creaked open, and a man in a pure black suit, flanked by a dozen guards, strode confidently inside.

He had clearly rushed here—his breathing slightly ragged—but his steps remained steady and powerful, his attire immaculate; save for a single bright streak of yellow hair atop his head, his entire demeanor was striking and magnetic, like a lion patrolling his domain.

And the instant this young lion stepped into the chapel, his eyes—like two dark stars—locked unblinkingly onto the altar, fixed upon the beautiful bride in white lace.

"Mr. Joseph?"

"Mr. Joseph!"

Amid the equally high-pitched but emotionally contrasting cries of groom and bride, the man who seemed the very center of the world ignored all astonished guests, stepped calmly onto the altar, and walked steadily toward the bride.

He's here! Li… no, Mr. Joseph has come! He really came!

Watching her beloved stride resolutely toward her, Princess… no, Agatha felt a sharp sting in her straight nose; the entire world before her shimmered with glittering light.

And through the shimmering waves of joyful tears, the man whose eyes held only her had reached their side, extending his palm toward the stunned middle-aged matron, his voice calm, firm, polite yet utterly unyielding:

"Madam, you should hand Agatha over to me."

"…."

Bursting into someone else's wedding, approaching the bride's mother, and demanding with utter composure that she surrender her daughter… faced with a request that was less impolite than outright outrageous, the middle-aged matron's mind had completely shut down.

In her heart, she naturally wanted to fly into a rage, lash out with furious words, then summon the guards to throw this arrogant, madman out on the spot.

But gazing into the man's eyes—like galaxies hidden within—and hearing his tone, as natural as the sun rising or the sea flowing, her hand gripping Agatha's arm trembled involuntarily, then slowly, slowly loosened…

…

【Through exceptionally superb acting and a novel character archetype never before seen in theatrical history, you have successfully crafted the fictional persona "Mr. Joseph, the Love-Seeker," earning the approval of ninety percent of the audience and enthusiastic adoration from seventy percent across two acts and one prologue, totaling eleven scenes. Having met the advancement condition, your Silver Badge "Elite Performer" has successfully upgraded to the Gold Badge "Master Performer."】

【Master Performer: When you have accumulated sufficient experience, you may be called a performer; when your technique is solid, you may be called a performer-artist; but if, beyond that, you possess unwavering devotion and passion for your art, then you are an elite among performers—and this is the endpoint most can reach.】

【To become a Master, however, mere accumulation, superior technique, and passionate devotion are far from enough. You must, on top of these three, possess profound understanding of human nature, the ability to forge emotional resonance with your audience, and the capacity to demonstrate your unique style and artistic pursuit through innovative reinterpretations of traditional works—only then may you be called a Master Performer.】

【Wearing Effect: Your accumulation, your technique, your passion, your understanding of human nature, your emotional resonance with audiences, your innovation and pursuit of artistic style—all have elevated you to the rank of Master. Thus, when you consciously perform, you radiate unparalleled, irresistible charisma.】

【The more unfamiliar your audience is with your appearance, voice, and temperament, the more readily they will believe your performance; if they know you well enough to be utterly unfamiliar with you, they may even believe, without any obvious flaw, that you are the character you portray.】

【Advancement Path: After successfully deceiving one hundred thousand people into believing you are the character you portray through masterful performance, this badge will automatically upgrade to the Chromatic Badge "Man of a Thousand Faces." Current progress: 0/100000.】

【Hidden Trait (No Equipment Required): As a Master Performer who originated from portraying the "tycoon" archetype, you retain the distinct, dazzling aura of "Mr. Joseph."】

【When you make demands of targets of lower status or rank, if their inner will is not strong enough, they will unconsciously yield and instinctively obey your instructions.】

【This trait grants additional potency when targeting the opposite sex.】

This effect…

Even fictional characters within the theatrical world are affected? Damn! No wonder it's a Gold-level badge!

Watching the man before him gently tremble as he offered Agatha's hand to his future mother-in-law, and glancing at the golden glow of the 【Master Performer】 badge in his slot, Li Ang's face still radiated deep, focused emotion—but inside, he was bursting with joy.

This trip to the theater was absolutely worth it!

His 【Elite Performer】 badge had previously had no clear path to advancement, but after accompanying the Princess to watch—and perform in—a few scenes, it had leapt straight to Gold level, becoming his fourth Gold badge after 【Wine Country Martyr】, 【I Am the Demon】, and 【Thrush Prince】!

As Li Ang rejoiced inwardly over this bountiful harvest, Agatha, watching this man who defied all convention by storming the wedding to take her away as "Mr. Joseph," felt her eyes well with tears; she broke free from the matron's grip and rushed into her lover's arms like a young swallow returning to its nest, voice trembling:

"You love me so much… Li Ang… I'll marry you tomorrow, and we'll never be apart again, okay?"

"Yes!"

Li Ang nodded, gently stroking the elegant, swan-like spine of the woman in his arms, answering tenderly: "I certainly will… hmm? What did you just call me?"