The Yellow-Haired Villain in Soaring Phoenix’s Novels Also Desires Happiness - Chapter 296



74. Stars

Morning.

The soft light of dawn spilled through the gaps in the trees, casting mottled spots of light on the ground, like a tranquil sea of stars fallen to the mortal realm.

The branches of the evergreen shrubs parted, and a small head peeked out from the dense thicket.

A sharp gaze swept over the silent camp like that of a hawk.

The embers of the campfire still curled up a wisp of blue smoke, and beside the fallen deadwood lay the remnants of last night, gathered by someone unknown.

Good, no one around.

Ariel cautiously emerged from the bushes, tiptoeing toward the wagon she shared with Liya.

“What are you doing?”

The sudden voice made Ariel’s heart stop.

She turned around abruptly, only to find Mu’en stepping out from the woods, looking at her with a strange expression.

“You! What are you sneaking around for?”

Ariel placed her hands on her hips, trying to sound fierce.

“Just washing up.”

Mu’en pointed to his damp hair,

“There’s a nice river over there, so I took a bath.”

“I, I was just going to freshen up too!”

“Is that so?”

Taking advantage of a sliver of dim light, Mu En observed Ariel.

Just like him, Ariel was also drenched at the moment, as if she had just taken a dip in the river.

In winter, there’s basically no dew, so was this intentional to wash away the scent of the magical beasts from her body?

So cautious, but she probably still doesn’t realize that she has already exposed herself.

However…

Mu En glanced down and shook his head with some regret.

Clearly, her clothes were soaked and clinging to her skin, yet the curves that were revealed were still somewhat disappointing; it was evident that she was the real deal, and there was no miracle of shedding clothes and showing off flesh.

“What, what are you looking at!”

Noticing Mu En’s sympathetic gaze, Ariel immediately crossed her arms and glared at him in embarrassment and anger.

“Ahem, it’s nothing.”

Mu En shook his head, not calling Ariel out, and changed the subject, “There’s still some time before we set off, you can rest a bit longer, no need to wake up so early.”

“Hmph, this has nothing to do with you.”

“Alright, consider it me being overly concerned.”

“Wait.”

“Mm?”

“You…”

Ariel stared at Mu En, watching the droplets fall from the tips of his golden hair, puzzled she asked:

“Why did you wake up so early too?”

The sky had yet to brighten, and everyone else was still fast asleep, only the pink bear over there stirred and mumbled something.

“Morning run.”

Mu En said matter-of-factly: “Although for me now, running doesn’t really serve any exercise purpose, it does help me feel a bit more energized.”

“Morning run?”

Looking at the sky that was not yet fully bright, Ariel exclaimed: “Now?”

“What are you talking about?”

Mu En pulled out a towel and wiped his hair casually, saying:

“Since I’ve already taken a bath, I must have finished running already.”

“……”

……

……

Ariel quietly slipped back into the carriage, lifting the curtain to see Lia still curled up on the sofa, fast asleep. She couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Thank goodness, she didn’t notice.

“What a silly little fool.”

Watching Lia’s adorable face, so innocent and cherubic in her slumber, Ariel couldn’t help but smile.

But soon, her smile faded.

She recalled the words Mun had just spoken, her expression growing complex.

“That guy… suddenly becoming strong, there must be a reason for it, right?”

Ariel clenched her fist tightly:

“Last night’s gains were good, but not enough.”

“I must work even harder!”

“I have to push myself tonight too!”

“For… a better protection of Lia.”

……

……

Lia gently opened her eyes, looking at Ariel in front of her.

In an effort to appear as if she were training, despite the large sofa being more than comfortable enough to lie down on, she remained seated, her back straight as a rod.

But if one leaned in close, they could hear her steady breathing.

She must have been exhausted last night.

“Who’s the real fool here…” Lia murmured softly.

For someone skilled in holy light magic like her, how could a sleep spell, a negative effect magic, possibly work?

“Rest well.”

Lia raised her hand, pure holy light blossoming in her palm, gently drifting like a soft breeze into Ariel’s body.

……

As dawn broke, the camp buzzed with life once more.

Everyone rose, exchanged pleasantries, and discovered that despite what should have been a tiring long journey, they had slept surprisingly well.

Thus, they all expressed their gratitude to Mun, the one responsible for it all. At breakfast, Mun waved his hand grandly, conjuring a plethora of exquisite ingredients, along with luxuries like coffee and tea, turning their gratitude into near-worship.

Along the way, the perceptive senior Fanny noticed Ariel was missing and inquired with Lia.

Lia simply explained that Ariel was in training, earning a heartfelt remark from others: “Truly deserving of being the most legendary second-year chief of the academy.”

The journey begins anew, the carriage kicking up dust as it heads south.

Mu En could clearly feel the temperature gradually rising, the surrounding vegetation becoming denser, as if with the carriage’s advance, winter had been left behind, giving way to the warmth of spring.

And this spring breeze that accompanied the slow-moving carriage brought an increasing sense of comfort and tranquility.

…

Night fell once more.

Laughter and chatter filled the air around the campfire, but this time no one asked about Ariel. Instead, it was Lia, who was coaxed by the two seasoned jokers, Fanny and Vicky, to share a bit of music, and thus was urged to perform a song.

Lia, unable to refuse, began to sing a folk tune from her hometown, keeping time with the rhythm of the crowd.

The song was beautiful, and under the glow of the campfire, Lia’s flushed face was even more enchanting, captivating all who watched.

What puzzled Mu En was that, clearly, she was more skilled with the violin—why didn’t she play it?

…

Late at night.

“Damn, I almost overslept!”

Ariel suddenly opened her eyes, but as her gaze focused on the sleeping Lia in front of her, she stifled the startled exclamation that had caught in her throat.

After confirming that Lia hadn’t been awakened by her, Ariel quietly got up and slipped out of the carriage.

The surroundings were silent and empty, with only the still-burning campfire, as if recounting the earlier revelry.

But the revelry belonged to others, not to her.

“…I slept so soundly.”

Ariel stretched, feeling the fatigue drain from her body, replaced by a surge of energy.

“Sleeping on a luxurious sofa is just different; is this what being wealthy feels like…”

Ariel muttered with a hint of envy, then suddenly raised her hand and slapped her cheek, banishing those inexplicable thoughts from her mind.

“What am I thinking? What’s there to envy about relying on family wealth? One day, I will earn all of this through my own strength!”

“But for now, I should focus on what’s in front of me.”

“Last night’s harvest was good, but tonight I must achieve even more than yesterday!”

With her spirits lifted, Ariel transformed into a shadow and slipped into the dense foliage.

After she left, another figure slowly emerged from behind the carriage.

“Did she really go again?”

Mu En rubbed his forehead, retracting the flickering, arc-like alchemical field that concealed his presence, and approached another carriage, gently tapping on the window.

Moments later, a small head cautiously peeked out.

“Is it really okay?”

Leaning against the side of the carriage, Mu En crossed his arms and asked:

“Why not tell Ariel that you’ve gathered enough money, so she doesn’t have to run out in the middle of the night to hunt monsters? Those monsters are weak and prey on each other during the day, and at night they’re being slaughtered by some crazy beauty wielding a two-meter-long sword. It’s quite pitiful.”

“… Pfft.”

It seemed to hit a funny bone, as a delicate laugh echoed through the night.

But the laughter quickly stopped. Lia lowered her head and said softly:

“I was going to say that, but after thinking it over, I decided against it.”

“Why?”

“Because with Ariel’s personality, if I suddenly pulled out so much money now, it would only provoke her, making her actions even more extreme. At that point, she really might become the… what was it you called her? That beauty.”

“So it’s better to let her go out and vent a bit first, and when Ariel calms down, I’ll give her a surprise.”

“I see.”

“And… and also.”

Lia paused for a moment before continuing:

“Before, I could always find excuses to dodge, but in a place like this, if I suddenly pulled out that much money, even Ariel, no matter how dense she is, would notice something’s off.”

“I… I don’t want her to find out about it.”

“Aren’t you afraid she’ll run into danger?” Mu En asked curiously.

“After all, it’s out in the wilderness.”

“No.”

Lia shook her head vigorously: “I believe in Ariel.”

“True.”

After all, it’s that Ariel, who goes out at midnight to hunt monsters; it’s probably one of the most trivial things in her spectacular protagonist life.

What kind of danger could she encounter?

Thinking of this, Mu En looked up at the clear sky and suddenly smiled slightly:

“I still haven’t apologized for forcing you to make that unreasonable promise yesterday, so… since I can’t sleep anyway, how about we go stargazing together?”

In this world without light pollution, even in winter, the starry sky remains dazzling, reflecting in their eyes. Even Mu En couldn’t help but invite the beauty beside him.

“Stars…”

Lia instinctively looked up, gazing at the vast galaxy.

But suddenly, as if recalling something, her pretty face flushed, and she darted back into the carriage:

“Who, who wants to stargaze with you! You bad guy! Pervert!”

From noble mtl dot com

“Eh?”

Mu En stared at the tightly closed curtains, somewhat bewildered.

Did he say something wrong?

“Sure enough, did Lia get angry last night?”

Mu En sighed.

Just when he thought his invitation had failed and was about to return home in defeat, a small corner of the carriage curtain was quietly pulled back.

“Um… that…”

In the stillness of the night, Lia revealed half of her slightly visible face, shyly whispering:

“Can you wait a moment? I was just lying down, so my hair… is a bit messy.”

“And I want to change my clothes.”

……

“Tsk, see, those pesky kids in their puberty are just annoying!”

The pink bear still lay in the front room of the carriage like a dejected uncle. Not knowing what he had seen, he grumbled and turned over, then curiously flipped through the little yellow book he had extorted from Ariel.

“Eh?”

But as he flipped through, he suddenly raised his head in confusion, looking towards the direction where Ariel had disappeared:

“I seem to have something to tell that kid?”

“Ah, never mind, if I can’t remember, it’s probably not a big deal. Let her be.”

The pink bear scratched his backside and continued to lie flat.