Chapter 797: The Protagonist’s Love Story (Part 4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 797: The Protagonist’s Love Story (Part 4)
An indeterminate amount of time passed.
Ariel felt as though her soul had entered a strange state, detaching from her physical body to overlook everything in the room from an ethereal vantage point.
She watched the maids treat her like a dress-up doll, incessantly cycling through different outfits. One moment it was a pale gown paired with simple, cute deerskin boots; the next, it was a Lolita-style dress with a massive bow tied in her hair. Then came elaborate court dresses with steel-hooped petticoats that cinched her waist so tight she thought she might snap in half.
One piece after another, Ariel felt her soul drifting further and further away, as if it were about to leave the room entirely and fly into the heavens...
"It’s finished!"
Suddenly, the maids' joyful exclamations pulled Ariel’s soul back to reality. After intense discussion and practical demonstrations, they seemed to have finally reached a consensus on the perfect outfit for their doll—no, for Ariel.
"Ta-da! Behold—the reborn Miss Ariel!"
Noah whipped away the black cloth covering the mirror, instantly reflecting Ariel’s figure.
Looking at the reflection, even though her soul had only just returned to her body, a glimmer of startled wonder flickered in Ariel’s vacant eyes.
She almost didn't recognize herself.
It was definitely her—she was sure of that—but the sight was so simultaneously strange and familiar that it made her doubt her own eyes.
The Ariel in the mirror wore a white silk gown. It lacked any gaudy embellishments, but the edges were finished with incredibly delicate, intricate floral patterns. When her snowy wrists or ankles peeked out from the fabric, it looked as though she were sinking into a bed of clouds.
The neckline wasn't excessively low, but it perfectly showcased the elegant lines of her collarbones. Her slender, porcelain neck rose from the silk like a graceful white swan staring at its own reflection in a lake, accentuated by a carefully chosen necklace.
A pale rose sash was tied around her waist, highlighting a slenderness that bordered on the supernatural. Yet, this slenderness held no hint of frailty; Ariel’s body had long been forged through unimaginable training. Every movement suggested a hidden strength and agility, a perfect transition between stillness and motion.
Beneath the hem were two long legs—legs of such shape and texture that even the experienced maids couldn't help but marvel. They had left them mostly unadorned, save for a pair of ribboned socks and exquisite small leather shoes. This minimal touch was like a single plum blossom in the winter snow—just right.
Beyond the clothes, some of the more meddlesome maids had taken advantage of Ariel’s catatonic state to apply light makeup. Pale eyeshadow softened the sharp intensity of her brow, bringing the beauty that had previously been buried by her fierce demeanor into sharp focus.
She was no longer the wild, uninhibited warrior, but a charming and lovely young lady.
"So beautiful..."
Ariel couldn't help but whisper. In all her years, she had never seen herself like this.
She had always spent her life crawling along the edge of death or desperately climbing the peaks of power. When had she ever been this soft, this lovely?
"Right? You look great!"
Noah and the other maids were lost in a trance of self-satisfaction. "Miss Ariel really does have a wonderful foundation. You just usually don't pay enough attention to your appearance. As a beautiful girl, how could you waste your natural talent like that?"
"I-It doesn't look good at all!"
Coming to her senses, Ariel’s face turned beet red. "I don't suit this style one bit!"
"Whether it suits you or not isn't for you to decide alone, Miss Ariel."
Noah helped Ariel up and excitedly led her toward the door.
"Whether a princess is beautiful must, of course, be determined by the prince."
"Prince?"
"Alright, time is almost up. Go on, Miss Ariel. Don't keep the prince waiting."
Noah escorted Ariel to a garden and then took her leave with a mischievous wink.
Ariel was utterly bewildered. The previous "public execution"—which felt like having her embarrassing childhood diary read aloud in front of a crowd of relatives—had caused her to lose her sense of vigilance. She simply worried that she might get lost in such a massive park.
But as it turned out, that worry was entirely unnecessary.
Amidst the riot of colors, two rows of vibrant roses stood out prominently. It was already late spring moving into early summer, well past the peak blooming season for roses. These had clearly been forced into bloom with magic and then transplanted here.
All that complex effort, all to create such a charming floral path, just to guide Ariel forward.
"Tacky as hell. How boring."
Ariel curled her lip in disdain.
She wasn't some starry-eyed young girl. How could she possibly be moved by such low-brow tricks?
"I hope the guy hiding behind this annoying farce is ready to take a few punches."
Her small leather shoes stepped onto the floral path, making a soft rustling sound like falling leaves. Ariel cracked her knuckles, though in her current "cute" outfit, she didn't look threatening in the slightest.
However, threat level isn't just about appearances. Ariel felt that even in a dress, her combat effectiveness wouldn't be affected at all.
Of course, she’d have to find a way to break the restriction first.
"Ah, I'm here."
A breeze carrying a faint mist blew past, feeling quite refreshing under the brilliant noon sun.
Ariel squinted slightly as the sunlight reflecting off the sapphire-like lake was a bit dazzling.
In front of the lake sat a small, white Western-style pavilion.
The pavilion was exquisite and elegant, clearly the work of a master architect. The sculptures on the eaves, done in a post-Renaissance style from two hundred years ago, were the kind of thing noble ladies would chatter about for hours.
But Ariel didn't give the sculptures a second thought. She wasn't a noble lady, and she knew nothing about post-Renaissance art.
Most importantly... she saw the person inside the pavilion.
It was a man wearing an expensive, well-tailored formal suit. He sat leaning back in the pavilion, his posture casual yet undeniably elegant. Even with the sun behind him, his handsome features were impossible to ignore.
Most notably, his messy blond hair seemed even more dazzling than the shimmering lake under the midday sun.
"Yo."
The blond man sat with his fingers interlaced, as if he had been waiting for a long time. Seeing Ariel, he flashed a smile that would have made countless young girls' hearts flutter.
"You're here."
"Yeah, I'm here."
Ariel offered a slight smile in return. Then, she took a massive stride forward and launched a beautiful, high-aimed roundhouse kick straight at that familiar, handsome face.
"So why the fuck is it you, Muen Campbell?!"
"Why can't it be me?"
Muen seemed to have expected this and easily caught Ariel’s small foot.
"Can't I invite you to a pleasant and wonderful lunch?"
"You're disgusting. Gag—"
Ariel expressed her sincere disdain for Muen’s behavior with a dry heave.
Before coming here, she had imagined countless possibilities. She had even felt like she might have transmigrated into some shoujo fairy tale.
But she never, in her wildest dreams, expected the so-called "prince" to be fucking Muen Campbell!
How is he a prince? Huh?
Aside from being rich, handsome, and slightly reliable in a crisis, does any part of him resemble a prince?
What kind of princess would accept a prince with zero redeeming qualities like him?
"What a disaster."
To prevent Muen from continuing to enjoy the view under her skirt, Ariel quickly pulled her leg back.
"Give me back my ring and lift the restriction!"
"Don't you want to ask me why I did all this?"
Muen returned to his pose with interlaced fingers.
"No! Who knows what kind of scheme you're cooking up this time? I'm not falling for it!"
Ariel gave Muen a fierce glare and then grumbled, "Dammit. I was prepared for the absolute worst, and it turns out it was just a prank by you. I wasted all that time being nervous for nothing."
"Oh, a prank, huh?"
Hearing this, Muen’s eyebrows arched slightly. He said meaningfully, "Even at this point, you don't think I'd actually do anything bad to you? It seems... despite all your cursing, you actually trust me quite a bit now."
"..."
Ariel’s expression froze.
"Who—who trusts you?!"
"Don't you?" Muen countered.
"I..."
Ariel took a deep breath and said seriously, "Don't get ahead of yourself. This is just a rational judgment based on the facts. It doesn't mean anything else."