The Yellow-Haired Villain in Soaring Phoenix's Novels Also Desires Happiness Chapter 456: The Third Party

The stars descended upon the mortal world like the prelude to a round dance.

Brilliant points of light road through the dimness of the entire Sacred Grove, weaving a phantasmal tableau that was reflected within a depth of tranquil stillness.

That depth was the girl’s eyes.

But when those eyes shimred with the stars, when ripples of light glistened, what they held within them was that seemingly eternal, handso face.

Outside were stars.

Within her eyes were also stars.

Outside were stars fashioned by an illumination spell controlled with such exquisite precision it made one shiver.

And within her eyes... was her star.

“So many stars... that must have used a lot of magic, right?”

Liya lifted her hand and wiped the fine sweat from his forehead. A faint Holy Light flowed in her palm and erased his fatigue.

“It’s fine—not enough to wring completely dry.”

Muen gently took Liya’s hand and smiled softly.

“So? How about now—is it still stingy?”

“...”

A blush tinged Liya’s pretty face.

“Hmph.”

A little embarrassed to admit it, she gave her slim waist a slight twist, turned her head aside, and pouted playfully.

“To use all your magic on this kind of boring little trick... how silly.”

“Is it beautiful?”

“...Beautiful.”

“Happy?”

“...Happy.”

Muen, up to mischief, chased her little face with his questions. “Truly happy?”

“...”

In shy annoyance, Liya stamped her foot and glared fiercely at this bad man who loved to tease her—yet there was not a trace of malice in her eyes, only joy and a deep tenderness that seed to lt into flowing water.

“Mm, I can tell you’re very happy. But... I still hope you don’t get too happy just yet.”

“Hm?”

Liya tilted her head, not quite understanding him.

Not too happy, for now?

Why?

Didn’t he do all this precisely to make happy?

“Because...”

Muen smiled mysteriously and suddenly released the little hand he’d secretly been holding.

“It’s not over yet.”

“Not over?”

Perhaps the stars fallen to earth were too dreamlike, and Liya had been too imrsed; or perhaps the heat in her cheeks and the flutter in her heart were taking up too much of her mind—only now did she notice the touch of coolness that had sohow appeared on her wrist.

She raised her hand and looked, dazed.

On that fair, pale wrist—within that hazy field of vision—she saw the stars break the boundary between false and real and hang upon her wrist.

The light was not bright, yet it still dazzled.

Like a small ladleful of the Milky Way.

“Th-this is...”

“Star Stone.”

Muen gently drew Liya into his arms and kissed away the tears at the corner of her eyes.

“Supposedly a star fallen from the heavens. I thought it suited you very well, so I found the best craftsman in the Holy City and had it made into a bracelet.”

“A bracelet?”

“Yes. I had first wanted to make so other piece—earrings, or perhaps a necklace. But thinking it over, you are Her Highness the Saintess. Jewelry that’s too conspicuous would instead affect you.

So I made it a bracelet.”

In a low voice, Muen asked:

“You won’t think a bracelet is less precious, will you?”

Liya shook her head. “Star Stone is very expensive.”

“That’s good. Still, there’s another reason I made it a bracelet.”

Muen suddenly lowered his head, took Liya’s two little hands, and folded them over her lower belly.

“As the Saintess, you have to keep an elegant posture; the way you most often sit is just like this. See? When your hands are folded together, you can touch the bracelet I gave you at any ti.”

“...”

Liya gazed at the bracelet like a cluster of resplendent stars. It felt cold to the touch, yet her heart at this mont was scaldingly hot.

A heavy, heady emotion passed from the bracelet into her skin. She could almost picture Muen, tirelessly describing to the highly paid craftsn exactly how to shape a single stone into sothing so beautiful it made the heart tremble.

“You...”

After a long mont, Liya finally lifted her head to look at Muen, her eyes a little red.

But she didn’t continue the topic of the bracelet. Instead, she asked:

“You’re leaving, aren’t you?”

“...Yes.”

Muen was silent for a mont, then answered:

“I have soplace I need to return to. You know the Holy City doesn’t belong to .”

“Belrand... right?”

Biting her lip, Liya found a wicked thought rising within her—that she might use her power as Saintess to keep the beloved before her here forever, and be with him always.

But the thought flashed and was gone. She wiped it out completely.

She would not do that.

For the reason her knight shone so brilliantly was that he always moved toward his goal without a mont’s hesitation.

Like the sun—so warm.

So she would not beco his obstacle, much less selfishly block out his light, even if she knew that light would shine upon many others.

“Then... will you co back?”

“Of course, Your Highness.”

Looking into the girl’s eyes, Muen answered with a smile, yet earnestly:

“As long as you give the word, your knight will always return and cut down every thorn for you.”

“At any ti?”

“At any ti.”

Muen added:

“In any place.”

“...”

The Sacred Grove was still silent, and yet it felt as though flas were surging up.

Within that scorching, fiery feeling, the girl cupped Muen’s cheeks and sighed, troubled:

“Obviously you’re so bad, and yet... I just can’t bring myself to dislike you.”

Muen stroked Liya’s cheek as well and, at her words, gave a wry smile.

“Only ‘can’t bring yourself to dislike’?”

“...No.”

Her cheeks were still awash with rosy clouds, but this ti the girl did not retreat. She rose on tiptoe, getting as close as she could to that breath she yearned for.

Softly, she confessed:

“I love you, Muen.”

And before any reply could co, the girl forcefully sealed those fevered lips.

Lips pressed; mbranes clung; tender tongues intertwined.

Though they had savored each other many tis already, that electric sensation still coursed over their bodies.

So they held each other tighter, greedily drinking in one another’s breath, their hands tracing the contours of each other’s bodies again and again, as if to imprint every detail upon the deepest layers of flesh.

A long, deep kiss.

After a long while, their lips parted. They looked ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) into each other’s eyes.

Then both smiled at once.

Liya’s palm still rested lightly on Muen’s cheek. A hint of playfulness suddenly flowed in her gaze.

“You’ve worked so hard today. It seems I’ll have to give you a proper reward later.”

“Really? How will Her Highness the Saintess reward ?”

“Well... I prepared a few new outfits. Want to co and see?”

“New outfits? What kind?”

“Take a guess?”

“You little vixen—stop learning so much from Senior.”

Muen laughed and scolded, forcing down the fire truly about to ignite inside him. He gave Liya’s perky bottom a smack, slipped an arm around her slim waist, and spun her once.

“Head back?”

“Mm.”

After one last, intoxicated glance at the resplendent stars around them, Liya nodded.

“Let’s go back.”

“Don’t worry. If you want to see it, I can... perform it for you again anyti...”

Muen waved a hand, slowly gathering the surrounding points of light.

But as the lights drew together and gradually brightened, illuminating the area around them, Muen’s smiling words trailed off as he stared in a certain direction.

His expression slowly froze.

“What is it?”

Seeing Muen suddenly turn wooden, Liya tilted her head in puzzlent and followed his gaze.

And then she froze as well.

Because there, among the dense flowerbeds and shrubs, in the most inconspicuous corner... at so point, a figure had appeared, standing with flowers in her hands.

As the converging starlight lit the scene, it revealed a face gone pale and blank.

Ariel!