Marvel: A Lazy-Ass Superman Chapter 861: Looking for a Match?

The reception the previous evening had ended without a hitch, and not many people stayed overnight at Oak Spring Farm. Most of the old-money guests returned home in their private planes or helicopters. After all, there was a small airport and a helicopter landing pad near Oak Spring Farm.

As for the young artists who had to travel by car or rely on the Mellon family’s servants to take them to the airport, their options were limited. They could spend the night at a hotel near the airport or catch a red-eye flight.

Henry, who had stayed behind, had a wonderfully relaxing time. He didn’t need to worry about a thing concerning Grandma Katherine Hepburn. The Mellon family’s servants provided exceptionally attentive service. Not only were they highly professional, but some even held relevant medical and caregiving certifications.

Early that morning, Givenchy, who had also stayed overnight at the farm, put on his tracksuit and went for a jog around the beautiful garden grounds.

Most of the exhibits were still displayed on their stands, with only a few antique paintings having been taken down. Since the exhibition had been held outdoors, with lights shining on the exhibits throughout the night, the conditions hadn’t exactly been kind to these venerable old objects.

Once experts had inspected and properly cared for the antiques, confirming that everything was in order, they would be packed away again and returned to their owners.

As for the holographic crystal, Mrs. Rachel Lambert Mellon was busy examining the furnishings inside the house, trying to decide where it would look best. She hadn’t completely recovered from the grief of losing her husband, but her mood had undeniably improved.

Katherine Hepburn stayed by her old friend’s side, offering suggestions from time to time.

Any woman who could make it in Hollywood would eventually develop an eye for fashion, even if she hadn’t been born with one. And after years of experience, coupled with the social skills that came from a lifetime of dealing with people, the two elderly women naturally had plenty to talk about. In fact, they were chatting away enthusiastically.

Ironically, Henry, the youngest person there, was the last to get out of bed. When he finally met the others and exchanged morning greetings, he was still letting out enormous yawns, displaying absolutely no elegance whatsoever.

Grandma Katherine was half concerned for him and half exasperated by his lack of discipline. She gave him a light, almost perfunctory smack.

"Cover your mouth a little. Everyone can practically see the back of your throat."

Compared with Katherine Hepburn’s forceful personality, Rachel Lambert was much more reserved.

By then, Givenchy had also finished his morning exercise. He accepted a towel from a servant and wiped away his sweat as he walked toward the group strolling through the garden.

"Good morning! You’re all up already, too."

"Yes, I had a wonderfully restful night’s sleep," Mrs. Mellon replied happily, glancing at the old friend beside her.

Katherine Hepburn nodded with a smile.

"Oh, don’t worry about me. I slept very well, too. It’s this young man I’m concerned about. I wonder if he got up in the middle of the night to swat mosquitoes. He certainly looks as though he hasn’t slept enough."

"Or perhaps you were hoping for a romantic encounter here at the farm? I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed. There are only old ladies here, no young girls."

Perhaps because she was in a good mood and felt more comfortable around Henry, Mrs. Mellon made a slightly risqué joke.

Henry gave an awkward smile before quickly replying, "Actually, I spent last night sitting by the window, admiring the beautiful garden until I completely forgot to go to sleep."

"Oh, my goodness! That’s the finest compliment anyone could give me!" Mrs. Mellon exclaimed, pressing a hand to her chest.

But Grandma Katherine Hepburn wasn’t about to let him get away with it.

"Don’t take this boy too seriously. He’s not particularly good at anything else, but he’s exceptionally good at sweet-talking people. I wonder how many women have fallen victim to his tricks."

"Hey, Kate, that’s slander! I’m nothing like Tony Stark."

"I wouldn’t be so sure. They say birds of a feather flock together. The fact that you’re friends with him makes me suspect you’re no better."

"Then we’re no longer friends! Don’t worry, I’ll end our friendship right now! From now on, every time I see him, I’ll beat him up!"

The Kryptonian delivered his declaration without the slightest hesitation, his tone utterly firm and resolute.

The old woman and the young man played off each other so well that Rachel Lambert burst into delighted laughter.

Givenchy hurriedly stepped in to smooth things over and change the subject.

"No need to end any friendships just yet. How about we have breakfast first?"

"Sounds good." Rachel Lambert gave her butler a meaningful glance, and the staff immediately began making the necessary arrangements.

It’s true that Europeans and Americans place considerable importance on breakfast, but that doesn’t mean they serve an entire banquet of elaborate dishes every morning as they might at dinner. For elderly people in particular, balanced nutrition comes first, followed by taste.

The Mellon family’s chef was exceptionally skilled. Even a simple fried egg carried delicate hints of various herbs, enough to whet everyone’s appetite.

Henry didn’t order coffee with his breakfast. Instead, he asked for black tea. In North America, unless you belonged to one of the top families, getting your hands on truly exceptional tea leaves wasn’t easy. Naturally, Henry wasn’t going to pass up this rare opportunity to enjoy some fine tea.

By comparison, there were more ways to obtain estate-grown coffee, and differences in roasting techniques meant that the quality varied from one roaster to another. As a country that consumed coffee on a massive commercial scale, America’s coffee scene left a great deal to be desired.

The breakfast should have been a pleasant, leisurely affair, filled with casual conversation about art and the latest trends in fashion.

Then, without the slightest warning, Rachel Lambert asked, "Henry, would you be willing to marry a daughter of the Mellon family?"

At the critical moment, Henry managed to turn his head aside just in time, narrowly avoiding spraying the tea in his mouth all over someone else’s face.

After choking and finally catching his breath, the Kryptonian looked helplessly at the elderly woman.

"Ma’am, that’s taking a joke a little too far. What if I actually took you seriously? Your daughters are probably old enough to be my grandmother!"

The old lady gave Henry an exasperated smack on the shoulder.

"What on earth are you thinking? Both my Elissa and Catherine, Paul’s daughter, already have families of their own. Of course I’m talking about the young women in the family who haven’t married yet!"

Elissa Winn Lloyd was Rachel Lambert’s daughter from her previous marriage, while Catherine Conover Mellon was the daughter of Paul Mellon and his former wife.

Despite being such a devoted and compatible couple, Rachel and Paul had never had children together. Perhaps they already had enough children between them, and adding more might have caused complications.

But looking at the elderly woman’s serious expression, along with the two other people’s excited, unmistakably entertained faces, Henry suddenly felt as though he’d wandered straight into a dragon’s lair.

"Haha, thank you for your kindness, ma’am, but I don’t think that would work. I’m such a carefree, undisciplined person. I wouldn’t be able to take proper care of a family."

Perhaps the idea had come to Rachel on a whim at first, but the more she thought about it, the more feasible—and beneficial—it seemed. She continued trying to persuade him.

"Isn’t that exactly why you need someone to look after you? Besides, if you married a daughter of the Mellon family, you’d receive support and assistance beyond what most people could ever imagine.

"Take that action star in Hollywood, Arnold Schwarzenegger. He married a daughter of the Kennedy family, and I hear he’s planning to run for governor of California this year. His chances of winning are quite good.

"If you wanted to enter politics, there’s only so much we could do to help you. But if you’re willing to put your considerable intelligence to its best use, we could provide substantial assistance, whether through the aluminum industry, the steel industry, the oil industry, or the defense industry, led by companies like Lockheed Martin."

Alarmed, Henry waved both his hands and shook his head repeatedly.

"There’s really no need for that! And it wouldn’t suit me anyway. Besides, it’s not as though a young lady from the Mellon family would necessarily be interested in some penniless nobody she’s never even met."

In the eyes of a family like this, Henry’s wealth amounted to little more than that of a dirt-poor nobody. And becoming a son-in-law who married into one of the wealthiest families in the country was hardly an easy task. At this rate, even the Kryptonian’s bones might get broken, with every member of the family lining up to take a few bites out of his marrow.

Seeing that Henry had no intention of even entertaining the idea, the old lady wisely refrained from continuing to promote the Mellon family’s eligible daughters.

She still wore a faint smile, however, and no one could guess what was going through her mind.

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