The Yellow-Haired Villain in Soaring Phoenix’s Novels Also Desires Happiness - Chapter 257



35. Reason

“Indeed, it’s you, Classmate Lia.”

In this warm holy light, Mu En sighed softly.

The world is so wondrous.

In just these two short days, he had faced the most terrifying existence in this world, and yet experienced the most cherished beauty that made one long to return.

He had met the most esteemed ruler of this country, and that very night, was assassinated by an unknown person.

And then there’s this.

The person before him, who would be revered by countless believers, a future saint of the Life Church with a status even more noble than that of a duke’s son, and also his childhood friend, closely tied to the destined true protagonist…

was actually performing and playing the violin in this small downtown restaurant?

And it just had to be caught by his own yellow-haired villain self?

Damn, it felt like his DNA was reacting, and he was almost about to blurt out, “Classmate Lia, you wouldn’t want Ariel to know you’re doing this behind her back, would you?”

……

“I… I’m not Lia!”

The “performer” still wouldn’t give up, retorting fiercely:

“Who is Lia? I don’t know her, you… you’ve mistaken me for someone else!”

“Is that so?”

Mu En didn’t say much more, just quietly watched her.

Watched her.

Clearly still shrouded in mist, Mu En couldn’t even see her face, nor could he look directly into her eyes, yet she seemed to suddenly develop a severe social anxiety, her delicate body trembling violently.

Shaking and shaking, even more violently than when she first saw Mu En, her hands, which were using the holy light, nearly shook into Mu En’s nostrils.

“Classmate Lia…”

Mu En sighed again, pressing her hands back to her chest before her movements became indecent, helplessly saying:

“There aren’t that many coincidences in this world; you might as well start accepting reality.”

“Um…”

Lia immediately sniffled hard, letting out a pitiful wail as if giving up the struggle:

“Why… why is this happening? I was so careful, specifically choosing a place far from the academy, even disguised myself like this, yet why did I still run into someone I know, why was my identity still exposed?”

The mist shrouding her face dissipated, revealing her pure and adorable features.

The eyes were red, extremely pitiful.

“Maybe it’s because you’re too kind. You knew it could expose your identity, yet you still acted at that moment.”

Mu En smiled, then his expression became serious as he stared into the girl’s eyes and said earnestly:

“So, now I can finally converse with you in a proper manner, Classmate Liya. Thank you for saving me just now.”

“What saving you? Even if I hadn’t acted, you would have had a way to handle it, right?”

Liya pouted, her big, watery eyes scanning Mu En’s chest, which had almost fully recovered:

“And that injury on your chest, it really isn’t a big deal. Using Holy Light on it was a complete waste; give me back my Holy Light!”

“This…”

Mu En looked a bit embarrassed and awkwardly said:

“I was going to say that, but you moved too quickly. You can’t blame me for that.”

“Hmph, Ariel is right; you’re just a bad person!”

Liya glared fiercely at Mu En and even punched him hard on the chest with her small fist.

But the sight of the girl, with tears in her eyes and her cheeks puffed up, was not fierce at all; it was incredibly cute.

The punch that came out of her anger had no strength behind it, instead bringing Mu En a delightful sensation.

“Hmm…”

Seeing Mu En enjoying the moment, Liya seemed to realize how intimate her action appeared to outsiders. She quickly retracted her hand, her little face turning as red as a ripe peach, lowering her head and not daring to meet Mu En’s gaze.

Mu En was almost overwhelmed by her cuteness.

“Ahem, um, Classmate Liya…”

But Mu En quickly collected his thoughts, pretending to be serious as he looked at the girl before him and asked:

“Although it might be meddling, as a classmate, just to be safe, I must ask…

Why are you here at this time?”

Although Mu En appeared to be wandering around, in reality, St. Maria Academy should still be in normal class sessions.

Especially since the entire Belrand had been under strict lockdown recently, St. Maria Academy had reopened the first-level grand chamber that was originally closed.

Generally speaking, except for someone with a special identity like Celicia, ordinary students shouldn’t be able to come and go freely in the academy.

Liya surely couldn’t be like him, kicked out by Teacher Mela with a little foot.

“Um…”

Liya quietly glanced at Mu En and then buried her head even lower:

“I… I can tell you, but you… you can’t report it to the academy, and you can’t tell the academy about what I say afterward.”

“Of course.”

Mu En showed an honest smile, “You can rest assured; I would never do something despicable like using someone else’s secrets to threaten them.”

“Really?”

“More real than pearls.”

“You swear to the goddess.”

“I swear to the great goddess of life.”

Mu En extended four fingers and said solemnly:

“I will never reveal what Classmate Liya is about to say; otherwise, I will be chopped to death by someone with a machete.”

With that assurance, Liya let out a sigh of relief and said in a voice as thin as a mosquito’s buzz:

“It’s… I discovered a secret passage through Ariel… to come out.”

“Secret passage?”

Under the great secrecy instrument, where could there be a secret passage?

Mu En was momentarily stunned but quickly realized.

What Liya was referring to should not be a secret passage.

Rather, it was a hidden passage opened up by Ariel’s teacher in a soul state, exploiting the flaws of the first layer of the great secrecy instrument.

After all, the first layer of the great secrecy instrument was merely a derivative of the Eternal Clock; it wasn’t even the outer layer, so having flaws was quite normal.

But the fact that a soul state could discover these flaws and crack them also indirectly indicated that Ariel’s teacher was not simple.

After all, being the protagonist, if one couldn’t even leave the academy, then what kind of protagonist would they be?

“As for why I am here…”

Liya almost buried her head in her chest, stammering:

“F…for… for money.”

“Money?”

Mu En was taken aback.

Recalling some of the girl’s earlier actions, he blurted out:

“Are you really short on money?”

“Um…”

Liya didn’t answer.

But Mu En noticed that at this moment, not only was her face red, but her neck was also flushed.

The answer was quite clear; the reason the girl was performing in this restaurant was indeed because she was short on money.

But Mu En was even more puzzled—how could Liya be short on money?

Although she was currently undergoing the so-called mortal trials, her outward identity was that of a minor noble’s daughter; no matter how one looked at it, she should have enough money.

Moreover, in the original book, she had never been in such a dire situation that she needed to come out and earn money herself.

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Unless…

Mu En thought of something, looked at Li Ya, and suddenly realized:

“Li Ya, your reason for needing money… could it be because of Ariel?!”

“Um…”

Li Ya let out a habitual low murmur.

There was no agreement… but also no denial.

“I see… so it really is because of Ariel.”

Mu En leaned back in his chair, gazing up at the faintly glowing bright stones on the ceiling, and a strange smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, feeling that the world was becoming increasingly bizarre.

—That destined protagonist, the proud and soaring main character, is actually short on money again?

—