Chapter 425: Contact

“What the hell?”

Staring in the direction where the old man had really scuttled off, Ariel was utterly confused.

Her cheap dear elder brother had sent his trusted butler here—really just to find her and confirm she was safe?

That guy who’d been beaten by her so badly last time he couldn’t get out of bed for half a month and even lost the position of heir—was he really that kind?

“And what did that line even mean?”

They hoped she and Liya would always maintain a deep friendship?

Friendship?

Only friendship?

Were they cursing her?

“Pah, pah, pah—figures they’re up to no good. Friendship? I’m the woman who’s going to win Liya’s love!”

After reaffirming her grand ambition, Ariel couldn’t help but tip her head back again in the deep night and gaze toward the sky.

With no branches or leaves to block the view, the vast sky filled her eyes; the stars glittered, brilliant and bewitching.

Liya... could she be looking at this same stretch of sky right now?

“Sigh, I really want to know how Liya is doing.”

Liya had gone to the Holy City—surely to attend that important Lustration Rite.

But she herself had been delayed in the ruins for a whole month. Without her help, Liya—alone—had to endure that cruel rite and trial...

Ariel bit her lip, a little guilty.

Right now Liya must really need comfort—someone who could let her open her heart, someone warm by her side to give her support.

Except...

If she set out for the Holy City now, even with the fastest carriage, it would take at least three days to see her...

Three days—long and not long, but to Liya, who had waited a full month already, it would be even harder to bear.

She must be so worried about me...

Huh, wait.

A spark flashed through Ariel’s mind.

Even if she needed at least three days to see Liya in person, just talking to her, finding out her situation, telling her that not only was she safe now but also much, much stronger, and giving her warm comfort... that she could do right now!

Ariel’s eyes lit up, and ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) she immediately pulled out that... sound-transmission stone!

Before, she couldn’t use it because Liya’s stone had been lost during the spatial transfer, and then Ariel herself had entered the ruins.

But it had been a month now—Liya must have bought a new sound-transmission stone, so they could absolutely communicate directly!

“It’s just that the stone’s range depends on quality... Liya’s old one couldn’t receive over this distance... Sigh, let’s hope the new one’s better.”

With a flutter of nerves, Ariel dialed that familiar frequency.

...

...

Knock, knock, knock.

The door was rapped.

“Hello, Your Holiness Saintess. Your loyal believer has come to pay respects.”

“Eh? So late, and I didn’t know any believer would come...”

Liya opened the door in confusion—and saw...

Muen outside, voice lowered, wearing a wicked grin.

“You...”

Liya’s eyes went wide in shock. She hurriedly dragged Muen into the room, glanced warily left and right outside, then closed the door.

“What are you doing here? This is deep inside the church—outsiders can’t come in. If The Yellow-Haired Villain in Soaring Phoenix’s Novels Also Desires Happiness comes from the ‘Renren Book House’ free-reading APP, search Baidu for ‘Renren Book House’ to download and install the Android APP; latest chapters of The Yellow-Haired Villain in Soaring Phoenix’s Novels Also Desires Happiness can be read at will! If the High Sister sees, she’ll definitely...”

“Relax, I’m no outsider now.”

Muen cheerfully took out a badge and waved it before Liya.

“I’m a registered Honorary Cathedral Knight of the Church. From now on, we’re family.”

“Honorary Cathedral Knight?”

Liya blinked her watery eyes, scanning the badge again and again. After confirming the Church’s seal was indeed on it, she chirped with delight:

“This was issued to you by His Holiness the Pope—so that means...”

“Hmph, didn’t I say? We’re family now.”

Muen slipped an arm around Liya’s slender waist and lowered his head to nip her sweet cherry lips.

“W-who’s family with you...”

Liya scolded shyly. “What happened—hurry up and confess honestly.”

So Muen nibbled her slightly flushed little ear and told her everything about his conversation with the Pope.

Of course, he didn’t mention his suspicions about the Goddess. After all, the Goddess was Liya’s faith; voicing doubts would only make her unhappy.

“Bad man...”

After she listened, Liya tapped Muen’s chest with her soft palm and pouted:

“Happy now? Having a Saintess as your underground lover—unprecedented treatment, huh? Makes it convenient for you to flirt with other girls too.”

“How could I?”

Muen gazed tenderly at Liya’s lovely eyes, lovely nose, lovely lips, and lovely face, pulling her tighter into his arms.

“Right now I can’t wait to show you off to the whole world. My little Liya, you’re too cute. Can I kiss you again?”

“No... you mustn’t—mm...”

The words of resistance were so feeble; the delicate struggling melted almost instantly beneath that searing, domineering kiss.

The warm candlelight flickered, casting two figures pressed together, leaning into each other.

“What are you working on? Busy?”

When the passionate kiss ended, Muen gently tucked a stray lock behind the girl’s ear.

“Hmph, at least you know I’m busy.”

Liya twisted his waist; in the instant he hissed with pain, she slipped from his arms as nimbly as a mermaid and went to the desk beside them.

Her perky hips swayed beneath the fitted nightdress—irresistibly tempting.

Muen followed and saw the golden sheets spread across the desk.

“This is...”

“Holy Words—text copied with Holy Light. On the day of my succession ceremony, they’ll float into the sky with my recitation so all the believers in the Holy City can see. It counts as a kind of miracle I, the new Saintess, call down.”

“I see.”

Muen nodded, then slid his arm around Liya’s waist again.

“I told you I have to copy these now.”

Liya glared at him, cheeks puffed, and scolded:

“Let go.”

“No need. You continue.”

Muen pressed closer, whispering at her ear:

“You copy those; I’ll copy you.”

“?”

Liya tilted her head, a cute look of confusion.

Muen shook his head and smiled. “Nothing—just a hometown saying. Don’t mind it.”

“Hmph~”

Liya turned back, ready to continue copying the Holy Words.

But the moment she picked up the pen, her little hand trembled—and she couldn’t copy another stroke.

Because that bad man’s salty-pig hand had already slipped beneath the hem of her nightdress.

“No, you can’t~”

“What can’t you do? I won’t distract you.”

“The Holy Words require channeling Holy Light. I can’t let my mind wander... mm.”

“You don’t need to wander. Come on—focus.”

“...Mmm... how am I supposed to focus like this...”

Provoked at all her most sensitive points, Liya couldn’t help letting sweet sounds spill from her pink lips. Her waist dipped and lifted, meeting that bad man’s rhythm.

Without noticing, she sank deeper and deeper.

The candle dimmed and brightened, jumping again and again—so did those two shadows.

Clatter, clatter.

The desk was jumping too, as were the golden sheets—silent, destined to ascend into the sky under the gaze of all believers as a miracle bestowed by the Saintess—yet perhaps carelessly stained by a drop or two of holy fluid.

“Bad man...”

At the height of battle, just as they were about to touch the clouds, Liya fought to claw back a shred of clarity.

She knew if they kept playing that way—yes, it was thrilling—but all her work tonight would likely be for nothing.

So she suddenly turned, pushed that bad man down onto the bed, and bit his firm chest and shoulder, her voice soft and coy:

“Quick... quick and decisive.”

“That I can’t control.”

Muen blinked; his salty-pig hand instinctively cupped those snowy peaks as he grinned wickedly:

“Depends on you.”

“Mm... I... how do I...”

“You on top?”

“...No.”

Liya’s face flushed scarlet.

That position—how could she do that right in front of Muen...

“What’s wrong with it? Haven’t you done it before?”

“I-I haven’t!”

“Really? Don’t tell me when I was unconscious, you didn’t...”

“Mm... you really are a bad man.”

Seeing that if she didn’t comply, Muen looked ready to torment her all night again, Liya finally gave in to this bad man and obediently settled atop him.

It wasn’t the first time, so she wasn’t exactly clumsy.

After that, with the bedframe trembling, Muen learned for the first time what “lofty mountains,” “towering waves,” and “the earth shakes and the mountains sway” truly meant.

As they grew more and more in sync, Muen, too, sank fully into it—until...

“Beep, beep, beep, beep.”

“Mm? What’s that sound?”

“S-sounds like my sound-transmission stone.”

“Ignore it.”

“...”

“Beep, beep, beep, beep.”

“Beep, beep, beep, beep.”

“Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep.”

“Tch—who is it, so annoying.”

“I... I’ll take a look...”

In the candlelight, the two figures—now forming an inverted T—finally paused. A sweat-dewed jade hand reached out over the edge of the bed, rummaged through the scattered clothing for a long while, and finally found the stone.

Liya sensed it briefly—then the pretty face that had been drowning in pleasure suddenly cleared a great deal.

“Th-this frequency—it’s Ariel!”

“Oh... Ariel, huh? Let her—wait, Ariel?”

Just as he was about to be naughty, Muen froze. He and Liya stared at each other for a beat, both faces going a little pale.

He looked at himself, then at Liya.

Finally he looked at the sound-transmission stone in Liya’s hand—and suddenly understood the situation.

On the other end of the stone was the original book’s protagonist, the heaven-favored chosen one with surging combat power—Ariel.

On this end was her childhood friend—one of the heroines she wanted to bend and capture.

And beneath this childhood friend lay him—the yellow-haired villain ordained by the book—completely naked.

This setup... why did it feel... so badass.

...

...

“Hello... hello? Is that you, Ariel?”

The familiar voice from the stone sent the Ariel on the other end into rapture.

It connected—she actually got through!

“Liya, it’s me!”

Ariel gripped the stone. “It’s Ariel.”

“Ah... Ariel... you finally made it out of the forest... that’s wonderful... mm...”

“That’s right, I got out! A whole month—so much happened, you... hm?”

With her longed-for childhood friend on the line, Ariel had endless things to say—but she pressed them down for the moment.

Because she suddenly realized—didn’t Liya’s voice on the other side sound a bit... off?

“Liya? What... are you doing right now? Why does your voice sound a little strange, and your breathing so rushed?”

“Ah... I... I’m exercising.”

“Exercising?”

Ariel glanced up at the sky with a strange look.

“This late?”

“Y-yes. I heard exercising before bed works... better. I’ve gotten fat lately, so...”

“Honestly, I keep telling you to stop eating so many little cakes, but you never listen. You big milk-cow must have put on weight again.”

Ariel sighed in exasperation and amusement, hands on her hips, then asked:

“So what exercise are you doing to end up this winded?”

“I... I’m... I’m doing squats...”

On the other end, Liya’s voice seemed to grow even more breathless.

“That’s right—squats...”