The Yellow-Haired Villain in Soaring Phoenix’s Novels Also Desires Happiness - Chapter 287



65. Morning

The next day, early morning.

“Hu…”

With a gentle exhale of turbid breath, Ariel slowly opened her eyes.

At this moment, she was sitting cross-legged in a massive bath tub, filled with a concoction of precious medicinal herbs. However, the liquid had now become remarkably clear, resembling ordinary bathwater.

After a slight assessment, confirming that all the medicinal properties had been thoroughly absorbed without a trace of waste, Ariel nodded in satisfaction and rose from the tub.

Glistening droplets of water cascaded down her fair skin, like a curtain adorned with pearls.

Ariel gazed at her reflection in the mirror: her long hair flowed freely, her gaze sharp, her body well-proportioned. The delicate waist and rounded, firm legs were a perfect creation that outsiders could hardly appreciate.

Yet, the two small breasts… still left a hint of regret.

But through that creamy skin, beneath this seemingly slender physique, one could faintly sense the terrifying power that lay hidden within.

“Congratulations.”

A wisp of blue smoke drifted from a ring on the nearby table, forming an ethereal and exquisite female silhouette.

She surveyed Ariel in her current state and exclaimed:

“Your body refinement has made some progress; among your peers, there’s probably no one who can catch up to you in this regard.”

“Really?”

Ariel clenched her fist, feeling the surging power within her limbs, and a signature rebellious smile crept onto her lips:

“It seems that the extra training over the past few days has really paid off!”

“Don’t celebrate too early,”

the beautiful phantom smiled, dousing her enthusiasm with cold water. “Though your martial realm is stable, what about your magical realm? How long have you been stuck at the threshold of the Secret Art stage? Are you prepared for the materials for the next phase?”

“Ugh…”

At the mention of materials, Ariel immediately wilted like a frostbitten eggplant:

“Not… not yet.”

Broke.

“…”

Seeing Ariel lower her head with a pained expression, the beautiful phantom couldn’t help but feel a bit speechless.

Her disciple was outstanding in every aspect—whether it was temperament, perseverance, or talent, she was one of the rare few the phantom had seen over the years.

Almost any hardship or predicament could be easily overcome by her; even when facing opponents stronger than herself, she remained unafraid, responding calmly, and even managing to win against the odds.

But only… recently, whether due to luck or some other reason, she seemed utterly helpless when it came to the word “money.”

The phantom began to suspect that Ariel had been cursed by someone; otherwise, with her experienced and resourceful teacher around, why was she still perpetually broke for one reason or another?

“Never mind, you don’t need to worry too much; being short on money is only temporary.”

The beautiful phantom comforted her:

“This trip to the Holy City is not only important for that little girl, Lia, but perhaps it’s also an opportunity for you.”

“Hmm!”

Ariel nodded vigorously, her eyes sparkling with determination, and she quickly emerged from her moment of disappointment.

That’s right, this little difficulty wouldn’t bring her down.

Money is a trivial matter; the most important thing right now is to help Leah become the Saintess.

After all, one day she would be very, very wealthy, and by then, she would completely bid farewell to black bread, feasting on chicken legs for every meal… tossing one aside!

“Speaking of which, I haven’t seen Leah for several days.”

As her small worries dissipated, the joy of becoming stronger filled Ariel’s heart once more. She quickly tidied up her clothes and luggage, eager to surprise her childhood friend.

“I need to hurry and find her; hum, she will surely be very happy too.”

……

……

In the early morning, Mu En stepped out of the dormitory building.

Due to some preparations he still needed to make, he got up very early, so even though it was a school holiday, the campus was still quiet at this hour.

In the dim light of dawn, he immediately spotted a figure waiting in the snow.

Though her hair was silver and purer than the snow, her red student council uniform stood out like a flower blooming on the white ground.

“Celicia?”

Mu En paused for a moment, then walked over,

“What are you doing here?”

“Waiting for you.”

“Waiting for me?”

Mu En blinked in astonishment, staring at the girl in front of him, who still wore a cold and expressionless face. Suddenly, he grinned mischievously:

“Could it be… you came specifically to see me off?”

“……”

Celicia shot him a cold glance, said nothing, and turned to leave.

Mu En was left in confusion, only able to follow her.

The path led out of the academy, long and winding, still piled with snow despite having been cleared many times.

Originally, Mu En had planned to trouble Teacher Meila to give him a kick, but with Celicia there, such a thing was naturally impossible.

However, watching the girl in front of him sway her hair and skirt, Mu En suddenly felt less anxious.

“About that assassination attempt on you…”

After crossing a small path through the woods, Celicia suddenly spoke up:

“I followed the assassin you caught and did some investigating.”

“Hmm?”

Mu En quickened his pace, walking alongside the girl.

“You investigated? Didn’t I leave that matter to Lord Sean?”

“At that time, the lower district was overwhelmed with affairs. Naturally, he was a bit stretched thin upon his appointment, so when I handed over the administrative duties to him, I helped him out a bit.”

Was it just to help Lord Sean?

Mu En tilted his head, studying Celicia’s cold and stunning profile, and suddenly smiled:

“So, what did you find out?”

“Following the clues, I traced it back to a certain viscount, but by the time I found him, he had already committed suicide.”

“Suicide?”

“Indeed. He left a letter, which roughly stated that he had suffered persecution from the Campbell family, and out of resentment, he had plotted the assassination. The letter also included evidence of him hiring an assassin on his own.”

“Persecution?”

Mu En scratched his head, “That’s a bit broad. I remember my father had quite a few run-ins with the nobility. What did the letter say?”

“It didn’t go into detail, but coincidentally, not long ago, that viscount’s only son had gone abroad for an exchange program, and his wife accompanied him to study. So, he was left all alone at home, and when we found him, he had been hanging from the beam for a full two days.”

“I see… a scapegoat?”

“Probably.”

“That’s a bit frightening.”

Mu En sighed,

The ability to casually offer up a viscount as a scapegoat not only highlighted the terrifying nature of the mastermind behind it but also underscored the importance he placed on the assassination attempt against himself. Perhaps… this kind of thing wouldn’t happen just once.

“So, I really don’t understand why Father would allow you to leave Belrand at a time like this. When I asked him, he just told me some nonsense about not letting you get too lost in the charms of beautiful girls’ chests and thighs.”

Celicia stopped in her tracks and turned to him, her gaze meaningful:

“What do you know about that?”

“Ah… what?”

Mu En’s eyes wandered, “You’re overthinking it. How would I know what His Majesty’s decisions are?”

“Is that so?”

“Of course.”

Mu En’s gaze circled around before settling back on the girl before him:

“Actually, for certain reasons, I must make a trip to the Holy City, so whatever deep thoughts His Majesty has are of no importance to me.”

“Oh? Then what is important to you?”

“What’s important is…”

In the increasingly bright morning light, Mu En suddenly stepped forward, closing the distance to the girl, feeling the silver-haired girl’s breath and warmth so close, and chuckled:

“Celicia, you’re not… worried about me, are you?”