The Demon Lord's Bride (BL)
Chapter 361: It’s nice being the one observing other’s story sometimes

Chapter 361: It’s nice being the one observing other’s story sometimes

After I said it, the two inventors immediately shifted the conversation to our project.

"Oh, right. Won’t we need a room for us to talk about this project?" Izzi looked at me and Neel. "I gathered we won’t do it in the research tower."

"I won’t go to the Castle," Neel declared.

Right. That was the whole point of her coming here. At that time, Zia offered a place timidly. "Can’t you do it in the library? It has stationary and everything."

The two inventors, however, didn’t seem keen on that idea.

"Library is rather..."

"The vibe is strict, and..."

"If there’s mishaps..."

"Hmm..."

Heh--it seemed like they had bad experiences with libraries. Of course, I expect nothing less from someone who blew up a university, but I didn’t expect Neel to have it too. I had thought she would avoid any public places, but I guessed she had to go to one before she built her bunker.

"Can’t we just use one of the bedrooms?" Neel looked at me. "There are a lot of them and no one uses them."

"Oh, that’s right," Izzi nodded. "We can move some equipment here and--"

"The ante-library!" Zia interjected, startling us with a slightly higher tone. She cleared her throat and repeated with a quieter voice, half-hiding behind me. "Umm...you can use the ante-library. No one uses it, and it’s more like a place for discussion, so..."

My brow raised as I looked at her; the corner of my lips twitched as I held back from grinning. "Well, there’s a lot of table and stationary there, so it’s rather ideal, I think," I decided to...help her a little bit. "And it’s not a public library, so what are you talking about being stiff and all? The only people who use the place are me and Zia."

Izzi glanced at Nell, and the half-naga, as the newcomer, just shrugged. "Sure, if you don’t mind," he said. "I mean, you’re the owner after all, just--" he chewed the inside of his cheek before adding cautiously. "Don’t sue me if there’s...umm...accident or anything."

I scoffed and said proudly. "Do you think the library of Matsa Ra Natha doesn’t have protective magic?"

"Tsk--rich people!" Neel muttered under her breath.

I wanted to laugh, but I was afraid I would wake Jade up, so I just pressed my lips and turned toward Izzi. "Hey, why don’t you just stay here for a while?" I suggested, feeling Zia’s finger twitch on my elbow. "Wouldn’t it be complicated if you went back and forth every time? It’s not like you were banned from leaving the tower--I mean, not anymore."

Izzi bit his lips and scrunched his nose in contemplation. "Nngh--can’t," he shook his head after a minute of making a distressed face. "The furnace is there, and I can’t complete the other project from here."

"What? The amusement park one?" I tilted my head. "I thought you only need...I don’t know--papers?"

"I have to make a working miniature--a prototype, you know--to see it works on a small scale," Izzi shrugged. "That Lesta told me to; we’re collaborating on the formations needed there."

Damn--he must be eager to pay his debt now, aside from gaining more patents to his name. Made it hard for me to tell him to focus on this video recording device.

Neel narrowed her eyes and leaned forward then, the interest palpable in her face. "What amusement park?" she asked. "Are you talking about that amusement park? Rides and carnivals and all?"

"Rides, mainly," replied the elf. "A novelty of this world, no? Lots of money; very marketable," he winked, and the black eyes flashed.

"Can I...can I join?"

"Ask the boss," he shrugged. "I mean, the Big Boss," he cocked his chin toward the upper floor. "It’s his wedding gift for his bride."

"It is not," I pursed my lips.

"Yeah, whatever," Izzi scoffed. "But you know he makes it for you."

"...I know."

"Tch--rich people."

* * *

Izzi brought a chest with Neel’s prototype camcorder inside, as well as all of his research notes, putting them in the ante-library that had been morphed into their temporary research lab.

While they were talking about the completion of the video recording, I would sit in the library making more picture books for Jade--this time about the tale of a boy’s adventure on Earth’s hospital wards. We would color the pictures together and Angwi would put on a preservation spell over the papers so they wouldn’t get smudged or damaged.

Once they were done, we would read it in the garden after feeding the fish, and Jade quickly forgave me for planning to have a week-long honeymoon.

While I was busy drawing with Jade, Zia would sit on the couch facing the ante-library with a notebook or a novel in her hands--whether or not she used them was another story. I enjoyed checking on her and exchanging glances with Angwi, giggling silently behind my teacup while Jade observed us in confusion.

Anyway, it was quite fun.

And then, it was the day of Amarein’s visit. The moment I saw her coming in her bird form, I contacted Arta through the communication orb.

"Aunty!" I greeted her with a hug as usual. "Arta said she will come again this afternoon, are you okay with that?"

"Another fitting?" she raised her brow.

"Mm; she wants me to try the druid-styled outfit, and wants to know your opinion about it."

"Oh-ho," Amarein perked up slightly. "In that case, I shall not refuse the invitation."

And so, we shooed Izzi away and Neel was observing the fitting with a bewildered expression. She watched the seamstresses coming in with dumbfounded expression, but still followed us to the suite to see what the furor was about.

"Wow, you really are getting married," she said, sounding absolutely amused now that her initial surprise had passed.

I just shrugged, only for the seamstress behind me to clasp my shoulder tightly, wordlessly telling me to stay still.

"Good job, Young Master. You managed to keep your weight," Arta praised me by...squeezing my cheeks.

"It hasn’t been that long," I pursed my lips. "But I really lessened my snack and sugar intake."

"I can vouch for that," my loyal bridesmaid nodded.

[Poor Master! No longer eat candy with Jade...]

Thanks for the sympathy, I guessed? I glanced at the full-body mirror they put on the side, observing the half-ready clothes made of druid’s fabric. It was flowy, very light even though it consisted of several layers. I couldn’t move much while they stuck the fabric on me, but while they were handling it, the fabric kept on changing colors. Like how the druid wore it, the clothes had a high collar and would be fastened by tight, embroidered sash adorned with jewels, directly mined by the drows.

"What do you think, my Lady?" Arta asked with palpable anticipation.

And Amarein took upon it seriously. "Hmm..." she was no longer looking from the chair, but standing closely to observe the outfit well. "It’s quite alright. It’ll be nicer to stiffen up the upper part more, and add another layer below to deepen the color gradation. Have you thought about the embroidery on the sleeve and the sash?"

"Ah, that’s what I wanted to talk to you today, my Lady! I’m not so sure about the pattern to be used here."

"Why don’t you let the druids work on the embroidery, then? We have our own technique after all."

Arta gasped. "You mean the living embroidery?! Oh God--would you do that?"

And then the two started to get all serious about the design and the embroidery and whatnot. I had no idea what they were talking about, and as usual, just enjoyed myself becoming a diligent mannequin. Let them have fun--my duty is to wear them and look good while doing so.

"It’s pretty, but don’t you have a red one?" a voice greeted us from the window.

[Ignis!]

"Ignis!" I watched as Jade immediately flew to the fireplace, waiting for Ignis to crawl there. "It’s been a while since you graced us with your presence."

"I’m busy," the Salamander said haughtily. The tone told me he had just accomplished something great. How cute. "But the cave is done now."

See?

"Oh!" I glanced at Amarein then. "Is it possible to use it as a training ground?"

The druid lifted her head from Arta’s journal. "Not yet. It’s better to focus on mastering one element first."

"I see..."

"But there’s no reason why you can’t play in there," Ignis muttered rather sharply, prompting Amarein to raise her brow and add with a smile.

"Of course, it’s okay to play," she chuckled. "But there’s no need to purify the place, isn’t it?"

I tried not to laugh so the seamstresses did not scold me again, but it was so funny how this Salamander that had been absent suddenly acted as if I was being banned from visiting its abode. "Let’s play in the cave after we’re done training on the cliff."

The little gecko’s tail smacked the fireplace three times, before its head rested on the frame.

"There’s all kinds of creatures here..." Neel muttered quietly in the corner.

"Oh, have you met the wyvern?" Zia glanced at the half-naga.

"...the what?!"

"It’s nice, isn’t it?" I grinned at her. "I met a lot of friends after coming here."

And perhaps she could start to have some too.

I didn’t know if Neel caught on the meaning behind my smile, but I could hear her quiet mumble. "Well...I guess it’s not bad."

Hehe...

And then, the Salamander asked again. "So, will you wear a red one?"