"Pfff... if you're asking about Bernadette? She'll have a daughter in the future," Lynn said with a smile, pretending not to notice Roselle's question fully.
'A daughter...' Roselle took a deep breath, feeling a mix of emotions like a tipped-over spice bottle. He subconsciously began to examine Lynn, frowning afterward.
There was no denying Lynn's strength; otherwise, the God of Steam and Machinery wouldn't have kneeled before him. But it was clear Lynn wasn't a suitable match—he didn't seem like the mature and steady type, more like a capitalist with possibly some sadistic tendencies.
To be honest, Roselle didn't think having an overly powerful partner was a good thing. While a strong partner could protect Bernadette, it also meant that if he turned out to be a scumbag, his daughter would have no way to resist.
And Lynn, in front of him, clearly wasn't a good guy.
At this moment, Roselle had already put on his judgmental glasses. Everything about Lynn rubbed him the wrong way.
"Hahaha..."
Before Roselle could finish nitpicking in his mind, Lynn suddenly burst into laughter. This left Roselle bewildered. He saw Lynn wiping the corners of his eyes.
"You don't think I have any sort of relationship with your daughter, do you?" Lynn, who had deliberately misled Roselle, wiped away his tears and innocently said, "Don't be ridiculous. She visits my dreams just to see you. In the future, you'll suffer severe corruption, and Bernadette can only meet you in my dreams to avoid being affected."
Roselle was taken aback, his eyes widening in realization. He glared at Lynn, his face flushing with a mix of anger and confusion, before finally asking, "So, what's the deal with the daughter?"
"Bernadette does indeed have a daughter in the future, but it has nothing to do with me. And that daughter isn't even her biological child, she's adopted," Lynn explained, pausing for a moment before glancing at Roselle. "Because of the corruption, you do a lot of terrible things in the future, leading to a falling out with Bernadette. But even so, after your death, she spends 150 years searching for you, with no time for romance."
Roselle froze upon hearing this, his expression becoming more complex. After a few seconds, he sighed, "That child... Sigh, since we've fallen out, she shouldn't care whether I live or die. Why search for me for 150 years?"
Although he hadn't experienced that future, from Lynn's brief description, Roselle could already imagine how difficult those 150 years must have been for Bernadette.
As a self-admitted doting father, Roselle would rather Bernadette disown him and start a new life, instead of tormenting herself like this.
"Aren't you concerned about your future death?" Lynn asked after waiting patiently for a few moments, once Roselle's emotions seemed to calm down.
"It's not that I'm unconcerned, but it's not surprising. If I really get corrupted, then such an end wouldn't be unexpected," Roselle replied, having already guessed something. He continued, "But since I can still meet you afterward and entrust you with saving me, it seems I didn't truly die, right?"
"Your death is indeed part of your plan. You intended to use death to escape the corruption. Unfortunately, the corruption from the Mother Goddess of Depravity was more persistent than you expected. So, even though you died once, you still couldn't escape being her plaything," Lynn nodded, not hiding the truth.
"Tsk, I really am unlucky…" Roselle clicked his tongue, but he didn't seem too surprised. He then looked at Lynn again and said, "But I guess it's not all bad."
"Heh!" Lynn understood what he meant and chuckled. Suddenly, he remarked, "You're taking this better than I expected. I thought someone with your personality would resist me more. Usually, overpowered protagonists don't like having others above them."
"Who would like that?" Roselle retorted, giving Lynn a sideways glance before looking at the quiet Artisan standing nearby, saying nothing.
'It isn't like I don't want to resist? No, it's that I couldn't resist!'
Besides, Roselle wasn't some invincible protagonist who became a god or angel right after transmigrating. He had worked his way up from an ordinary person! Working for someone wasn't new to him; he had worked for the Steam Church before, and now he'd simply change employers. No big deal—he'd continue to grow stronger while working!
Roselle was practical in this regard and didn't have any irrational pride about not working for others.
"You're more realistic than I expected," Lynn commented. Suddenly remembering something, he asked, "By the way, Roselle, do you now realize that this world is Earth?"
Lynn said this in Chinese on purpose.
He knew that in the original story, it wasn't until after Roselle had been to the moon that he fully confirmed this world as Earth, at which point he became determined to protect it with his life. It was also when he started genuinely caring for more than just a few people like Bernadette, no longer treating life as a game.
Lynn wanted to break the news early. First, he believed it was better to face harsh truths sooner rather than later. Second, he wanted Roselle to take his work seriously.
Lynn could tell that Roselle wasn't particularly eager to work for him right now, which was understandable. At this point in time, Roselle was at his peak, with full confidence and an unbeaten streak, save for one setback in Bonova.
Someone like that might acknowledge Lynn's life-saving favor and reluctantly choose to work for him, but their heart wouldn't fully be in it.
Later-era Roselle, after enduring the beatings from outer gods, was much more grounded. At that point, his only goal was to escape corruption and protect Bernadette in the face of the apocalypse. Though he complained outwardly about working for Lynn, deep down, he was more than willing.
While Lynn told Roselle he could have someone else fill in for him, he still relied on Roselle to push forward with technological advancements. Hence, he didn't want this genius plagiarizer to slack off. That's why he intended to motivate Roselle with the truth about their world and the promise of a grand future.
After all, rescuing one person or two didn't make much difference to Lynn—he had already promised Amanises and Klein to save their family.
(End of Chapter)
If you want, support me on Patreon and get access to the end of the story in advance:
p@treon.com/IHaveNoNamingSense