Chapter 801: The Protagonist’s Love Story (Part 8)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 801: The Protagonist’s Love Story (Part 8)
"A crystal... palace?"
It wasn't just her vision; Ariel’s very consciousness wavered for a fleeting moment.
That translucent, shimmering palace was far too dazzling. Bathed in a radiant glow that complemented the handsome, smiling man standing before her, it was the kind of sight that could easily swallow a person's soul.
Had it been anyone else, their legs would likely have gone weak by now, and they would have collapsed into the man’s arms, forgetting all about the date.
"Wait, no."
But Ariel was not so easily defeated. She snapped back to her senses almost instantly, her willow-arched brows knitting together.
"That’s not what I meant by a 'Crystal Palace'!"
Who said a Crystal Palace had to be a literal palace made of crystal?
Was that what she was after?
To her, a "Crystal Palace" was a place where many beautiful, adorable girls lived together with her! It was the paradise of her dreams!
A beautiful girl’s heart was as clear as crystal, and her soft, supple body was as intoxicating as a palace. Only when these elements came together did you have a true Crystal Palace!
But a place without any beautiful girls? What kind of Crystal Palace was that?
This cold, lifeless structure couldn't pique her interest in the slightest!
"Really?" Muen asked. "You truly don't like it?"
In the original novel, the term "Crystal Palace" did indeed refer to a girl's harem, but Muen vaguely recalled that Ariel actually had entertained the idea of building a literal crystal palace.
After all... the girls needed a place to live, didn't they?
How could you pick up girls if you didn't have a "Big House" to put them in?
Though Ariel usually acted serious and prided herself on being "mighty and majestic," she actually harbored the pink, flowery fantasies of a young maiden.
And what could be a more perfect place to house beautiful girls than a sparkling, glittering crystal palace?
"In... in any case, I don't want something this flashy!"
In the end, Ariel still didn't explicitly say whether she liked it or not.
However, after staring at the crystal palace for a long time, she suddenly realized something.
"Wait a minute, how did you know about this?"
"Know about what?"
"The Crystal Palace! I never told anyone about that!"
A palace made of crystal, filled with beautiful girls—Ariel would never go around announcing such an embarrassing dream. She was utterly baffled as to how Muen knew, and how he had actually managed to build the thing.
She stared into Muen’s eyes. "You didn't use some despicable magic like Mind Reading while I was defenseless, did you?"
"Mind Reading?"
Muen didn't deny it. Instead, he leaned closer to Ariel and countered, "Do you think I’m capable of that?"
As Muen lowered his head, the distance between them vanished until they could see their own reflections in each other's eyes and feel the warmth of each other's breath.
Ariel noticed the deep, meaningful curve of Muen’s lips.
He wasn't denying it, but he wasn't admitting it either. It felt more like a provocation.
Is this guy... starting to hit on me?
Ridiculous.
Did he really think such a childish move would work on her? Not even by a millimeter.
"I’m the one asking you," Ariel said.
"Why jump to that conclusion? Couldn't it be that we’re simply kindred spirits?"
"I’d rather run headfirst into a block of tofu and die than be 'kindred spirits' with you."
"Tofu isn't hard enough to kill anyone. Should I take that to mean you feel the same way, but you're just too embarrassed to admit it?"
"Get lost! Who’s embarrassed?"
Ariel gnashed her little canine teeth and was the first to look away. She took a small step back and muttered, "Whatever, it doesn't matter. Teacher probably told you, didn't she?"
Is even Teacher on his side now?
Liya, Heavenly Fire, and even her Teacher... one by one, the people and things that were supposed to be hers were forming bonds with this guy.
Is this divine retribution for lying about my bust size so many times?
Dammit.
She felt a pang of bitterness in her chest.
"Alright, don't overthink it. While your teacher did tell me a lot about you, she would never reveal your private secrets."
Muen smiled thinly, interrupting Ariel’s wild thoughts. "Like I said, I just know you very well. That’s all."
"Hmph." Ariel turned her head away. "As if I’d believe that."
"Drop the tsundere act; it doesn't suit you."
With their banter finished, Muen took Ariel’s hand and led her forward.
It was only then that Ariel noticed other structures surrounding the crystal palace.
However, their designs were bizarre. There were metal tracks shaped like waves suspended in mid-air, colorful wooden horses that spun automatically, and an eerie-looking house that seemed dark and terrifying.
They surrounded the crystal palace like stars orbiting the moon.
"What are those?" Ariel pointed curiously at the things she had never seen before.
"An amusement park."
"An amusement park?"
"A date shouldn't just be about walking and window shopping. There has to be a place to play. I thought about it, and I couldn't find a place more suitable for our date than an amusement park," Muen explained.
There was no such thing as an "amusement park" in this world.
Because a convenient energy source like electricity had not been developed or popularized, there were no conditions to manufacture things like roller coasters, merry-go-rounds, or Ferris wheels. Thus, they had never been invented.
This amusement park was different; it was entirely powered by mana.
Special magic-conducting metal structures combined with magic stone bases drove the machinery. After a period of specialized design, it had actually reached the level of the parks in Muen’s memories. It was another testament to the fact that magic was truly omnipotent.
This endeavor was also incredibly expensive and extravagant. Every magic stone was worth a fortune; mana was by no means a cheap energy source in this world.
Only a top-tier noble like Muen—who possessed memories of a past life and held the entire fortune of the Duke’s estate, including Duke Campbell’s "coffin money"—could replicate these amusement facilities in another world.
In fact, compared to the Crystal Palace—which was a Truth-Tier spell cast by the Guild Master of the Royal Mage Corps in exchange for a single favor from Muen's father—these amusement facilities were the real money-sink.
The Stone Cauldron Association provided the materials, the Tower of Origins branch provided the magic stones, the Royal Engineering Institute handled the construction under Muen’s guidance, and over a thousand laborers were hired at high wages to meet the deadline... Muen felt that in just three days, he had made a massive contribution to the economic development of Belland.
If Celicia knew, she would surely be moved to tears.
He just hoped that the next time they met, her kick would be a little lighter.
"A place for a date, huh..."
Ariel’s power was gone, but her eye for value remained. In particular, her lifelong ability to discern the worth of goods at a glance told her exactly how much money had been poured into this.
At the very least, the one hundred million he owed her could never have paid for all this.
"You’re certainly dedicated," Ariel remarked, rubbing the fabric of her clothes—which was so soft she still hadn't gotten used to it. She huffed, "But if you think this is enough to make my heart flutter, you're dead wrong."
"Whether your heart flutters isn't something you decide with your mouth."
Finding Ariel increasingly adorable, Muen couldn't help but smile as he led her into the meticulously crafted dating grounds.
"You have to feel it with your heart."