“Oh.”

Hyperion seemed unsure how to respond for a moment, only nodding slightly before walking towards the bedroom door.

She had heard Lisandra say that as soon as Lan Qi arrived in the demon city of Nicalis, he had purchased a mansion, which suited his overly assimilated personal style.

But she never imagined that Lan Qi would say he bought it for her.

For some reason, she felt a little awkward making eye contact with Lan Qi now, but overall it was fine. They still had a lot to talk about, such as the current situation in Nicalis and their plans for the future. They had only been chatting casually just now, not rushing into those topics.

Hyperion was just thankful that Lan Qi hadn't seen her dream just now.

The two walked and talked, and under Lan Qi's guidance, Hyperion began a tour of the villa.

The Cat Boss's dinner still needed some time to prepare. On this leisurely evening, they both missed each other dearly after a month apart, and slowly began to talk about what had happened to each of them during that month.

They walked one after the other on the mansion's wooden floor, making small, rhythmic echoes that became the only melody in this mansion villa on this midsummer night.

"Your good friend Lisandra lives not far away. If you want to see her, you can visit her anytime, or invite her over."

Lan Qi looked out the row of large windows, pointing to a fence in a certain direction in the night.

Passing the lawn, there was a small house surrounded by flowers.

"Uh, am I staying here?"

Hyperion pointed to herself.

She still found it difficult to think of this place as her home, even though Lan Qi had just said that this mansion was bought for her, she mostly thought it was just a joke Lan Qi often made.

"At least today, Kaliella didn't say whether you needed to go back. Of course, if you miss her, I can ask her to pick you up after dinner."

Lan Qi asked with slight hesitation.

"No need, I'd rather stay here."

Hyperion quickly waved her hand.

It wasn't that she didn't like the Fallen Sovereign, but Hyperion felt that it was rare to get some fresh air out of the palace, so she wouldn't bother the Fallen Sovereign anymore. Staying with Lan Qi was pretty good.

Her mood became more and more cheerful.

After all, the two of them had stayed in the same castle at the Lichtenstein Castle during the Holy Church banquet, so there was nothing strange about it.

"We'll stay here for two or three days, then go back to the Prante Empire."

Lan Qi said.

"Okay, I'll go wherever you go."

Hyperion had been confined in the palace for a month, and now that she had regained her freedom, her steps were as lively as a butterfly.

She was immersed in the mysteries of this castle, whispering softly, and occasionally turning back to ask Lan Qi questions, her voice like a charming serenade.

She marveled at the decorations on the walls and praised the artistic masterpieces designed by Lan Qi on the ceilings.

Lan Qi smiled, no longer talking to her about the Shadow World.

He would take care of everything.

As long as he completed a research experiment with his new demon friends in the Demon World, and figured out what the "key to defeating the vampires" was in the mission objective, he could bring his demon friends back to the Prante Empire.

According to the information they currently had and the latest progress, the mission objective of the Shadow World had successfully changed—

[Mission Objective 1: According to your understanding, the ancestral land of the demons may have a seal on the progenitor of the vampires. Perhaps some kind of key formula principle can be found in the ancestral land of the demons.]

Although Lan Qi now felt that he had found a new way to develop the vampire economy, he still had to complete the mission objective and respect the Shadow World.

Completing the first mission objective also meant the end of his work as a diplomat, Loci McCarthy, leaving only the work of Prime Minister Lan Qi Willford.

He could do the rest of the mission while taking Hyperion to play in the Prante Empire.

Lan Qi felt that the schedule of the Shadow World was always rushed.

For example, at the Illusionary Corridor Academy back then, he hadn't even begun to enjoy the fruits of victory when the Shadow World was almost over.

The second Shadow World was slightly better. Everyone settled things in one day at the Holy Church's Good People Banquet, and they played for a full four days.

Unfortunately, it was a desolate mountain castle, and they couldn't go out at all. It felt like a club training camp.

This Shadow World was a completely open map. Apart from the Southern Continent being a wartime enemy country and unable to get a visa, the Northern Continent was basically unrestricted.

Lan Qi made up his mind the moment he arrived.

He must finish the Shadow World early and let Hyperion have fun and be free in this Shadow World.

If there was another opportunity in the future, he would definitely conquer the Southern Continent as well, so that Hyperion could go wherever she wanted.

Sure enough, compared to drawing on paper, drawing on a map was more fulfilling.

Lan Qi watched Hyperion happily exploring the villa, put his hands in his pockets, and thought as he walked behind her.

The mansion's corridor was like a portal leading to an unknown realm, and each sconce was like a warm hand, reaching out to them and dispelling the night.

Hyperion wandered, being guided.

Passing through an indoor courtyard surrounded by flower buds.

Stepping on the marble stairs, the next floor gradually appeared in her view, and what came into view was a subtle change—there was no gorgeous decoration, and the entire interior became a fragrant garden. Inside the house, the bright daffodils, the foam-like purity of hawthorn flowers, the plum blossoms covering the branches, and the light golden color of honeysuckle, all made her enchanted.

The corridor stretched endlessly forward.

With refreshing tranquility, Hyperion and Lan Qi stepped through a series of Nicalis-style concert halls and reception rooms in the style of the restored ancient demon world. Each place seemed unusually quiet, as if hiding invisible audiences, quietly watching their figures.

When Lan Qi closed the heavy door of the library that seemed to lead to another time and space, Hyperion vaguely seemed to hear a deep laughter coming from a classroom in the Purgatory Corridor Academy.

On closer inspection, the design of this mansion incorporated many architectural elements of the Purgatory Corridor Academy.

"Sure enough, you still can't forget that school."

Hyperion sighed.

"Don't you like it?"

Lan Qi looked at her and asked.

"No, I like it very much."

Hyperion shook her head with a slight smile.

The two of them seemed to have returned to that ancient and famous demon school, the period when they first stepped into the Shadow World.

She thought that day was the best day of her life.

Later, she discovered that there was an even better day.

Maybe it was today.

"Do you think, in the story background, the Witch Miss has no chance to go to the Purgatory Corridor Academy with the Son of the Sun again?"

Hyperion suddenly thought and asked.

After all, in the hint background of the Shadow World, the identity she played was the Witch Miss, and Lan Qi played the Son of the Sun.

In the first Shadow World, the Son of the Sun who sneaked into the Purgatory Corridor Academy met the Witch Miss and abducted her from the academy, and became companions in the human world together with her.

In the second Shadow World, the true historical story was that the Witch Miss died at the Holy Church Villain Banquet, giving all her royal blood to the Son of the Sun.

So since then, there has been no Witch Miss anymore, only the Son of the Sun alone.

The Shadow World they were in now was a "hypothetical line" that was different from history because the story line had shifted slightly.

"Uh, probably, but maybe even so, the Son of the Sun would still build his villa in a similar way, waiting for someone who can't come back to return."

Lan Qi thought for a while and guessed.

Maybe because he had played the Son of the Sun three times, he could somewhat guess the Son of the Sun's mood.

The two chatted idly and stepped onto the stairs again.

The next floor still exuded an antique charm, with rose and lavender silks covering the cabinets on the entire wall, and vibrant fresh flowers found a home here.

Finally, they arrived at Lan Qi's own private space—there was a bedroom, a living room, and a study in the style of a headmaster's office.

The two sat in the study and tasted a little of the Demon World flower wine that Lan Qi took out from the wall cabinet.

Lan Qi himself didn't dare to drink it, but last time in the sixth floor of Hellrom Prison, Hyperion discovered that she was very good at drinking, so she wanted to taste it whenever she saw wine later.

Sure enough, Hyperion drank two small glasses and commented that it was sparkling water.

Lan Qi smiled with relief.

He was very casual about the wealth in his mansion. After Hyperion appeared, all of this became insignificant.

Until he took Hyperion to the third floor, a solemn door stood in front of them, and the gilded patterns inlaid on the towering door shone with a dazzling light under the reflection of the stained glass windows.

Two more floors down was the restaurant's business level.

Pushing open the door, the faint aroma of candle aromatherapy on the third floor greeted them.

"I'm really happy today. The Shadow World only becomes happy when I find you."

Lan Qi smiled very happily.

It had been a long time since he had played with Hyperion like this.

They had already explored the royal capital of Yekrita, or rather, as a local, Yekrita had no meaning to Hyperion other than living there.

"Yes, I also feel so happy every day after meeting you."

Along the way just now, Hyperion's emotions had gone through several changes.

First, she was uneasy, then joyful, and now she was immersed in self-forgetfulness because of her reunion with Lan Qi after a long separation.

She had waited anxiously in the long nights of the palace, not knowing when Lan Qi would come to the Demon World, and the tension in her heart was indescribable.

Now her emotions were finally released, no longer the clock that was tightly wound with anxiety.

"By the way, Hyperion, I'll take you somewhere."

Lan Qi remembered something and looked in one direction.

"What?"

Hyperion originally planned to explore downwards, but when she heard Lan Qi say this, she turned her head with great interest.

"Follow me."

Lan Qi chuckled and snapped his fingers.

The restaurant was just downstairs, and it might be a bit noisy.

There was a nice terrace on this third floor.

Lan Qi invited Hyperion to the open-air garden on the third floor.

The moment they stepped out of the room, their vision suddenly became wide.

It was paved with wooden floors, with rocking chairs for resting, and they could clearly see how big Lan Qi's manor was, and enjoy the fresh air outside.

The midsummer night's full moon climbed higher, and a row of silver stardust hung over the endless night sky above the Nicalis Sea.

Here, they could finally hear the musical opera being performed in the restaurant downstairs like a show, and occasionally there was a slight clinking of glasses, and they could imagine the customers gently touching the sparkling wine in the slender glass.

But Lan Qi also had it here.

In this mansion, you could see unknown wines and a whole set of wine glasses in a few steps, and the terrace was even more complete.

Lan Qi led Hyperion to the very edge of the terrace.

They stood in a row, leaning on the stone railings, looking out at the sparkling water of the bay, immersed in the tranquility and beauty of this moment.

"If it weren't for the fog tonight, we would be able to see the outline of the palace on the other side."

Lan Qi whispered.

"At the end of the bay, the never-extinguishing blue light of the palace's barrier is always so bright."

Lan Qi reached out towards the distance, and in his words, he seemed to feel the loss of the meaning of the blue light to them.

Hyperion turned her head and looked at his cheeks.

"So, you've been watching me from across the street?"

She said slowly.

Until this moment, she finally understood where she was.

And why Lan Qi bought this mansion after coming to the Demon World.

Looking from this side.

Once, the light from the palace seemed so close in the distance between them, so close that it seemed within reach.

The distance between the two of them was like a star to the sun.

But now, it was just an ordinary light across the sea.

They were already standing beside each other.

"Yeah, actually, I've been worried in my dreams these past few days about whether you're having a good time over there. Luckily, Lisandra told me that you're safe in the palace."

Lan Qi admitted, then looked at the other side again, enjoying the leisurely moment.

The wind outside grew stronger, and the houses on Nicalis Island across the street were lit up. The magic-powered railcars on the bridge were full of passengers, traveling back and forth between the two sides.

The two were silent for a long time.

Mainly because Hyperion stopped talking.

"So you also dream."

Hyperion exclaimed.

"Of course, I also fall into the gentle embrace of the Fallen Sovereign, okay?"

Lan Qi always felt that Hyperion seemed to regard him as a monster.

In fact, he was very normal.

"Lan Qi, if the content of the dream changes in the gentle embrace of the Fallen Sovereign, what does that mean?"

Hyperion looked at the bay and murmured.

In fact, the only thing she couldn't understand after waking up was the magic of the Fallen Sovereign's gentle embrace.

Perhaps only the Fallen Sovereign and Lan Qi could answer her.

Lan Qi was also considered an expert in the Fallen Sovereign's gentle embrace.

"It represents that you have more dreams that you think you can't realize in reality."

Lan Qi, with the professionalism of a psychological counselor, walked to the table closest to the terrace fence, picked up the glass, poured two glasses of grape juice that he could also drink, and handed one to Hyperion.

A look of loss flashed in Hyperion's eyes.

But she quickly hid it.

"I see."

She said softly with relief.

Sure enough.

Unrealizable dreams.

This dream of a church wedding was so absurd that even her own subconscious was convinced of this.

"But have you noticed? Reality is getting closer to your gentle embrace, which means it can still be realized."

Lan Qi suddenly asked.

"Look, no one in the Hutton Kingdom will bully you anymore. We have clues about Duke Micah, and Antanas and the others might even be able to help us find Miss Iphathia. Anyway—no matter what dreams you have, I'll help you realize them."

Lan Qi looked at her, raised the glass in his hand, and grinned with a guarantee.

Hyperion seemed stunned for a moment after hearing his words. When she came back to her senses, she found herself in a starry sky filled with phosphorescent light.

The scene in front of her made her stunned again.

On the boundless and dim sea, the end of the long road was connected to the sky.

"..."

Hyperion stared blankly at the boy and the night sky and starlight behind him.

The flourishing summer stars spread across the boundless sky, and countless stars seemed to be fragments of time, flashing with eternal brilliance, weaving into a brilliant star chart in the sky, integrating the depth and dream of the night.

The world of gentle embrace seemed not yet melted, her heartbeat was echoing, repeating constantly in an instant, guiding her who was half-dreaming and half-awake.

She remembered that she always saw his figure in her dreams when she fell asleep late at night.

Was she really awake?

She didn't know.

She thought she had just been defeated by Lan Qi's cleverness, believing that everything was fate.

At this time, she was still unwilling to wake up.

But maybe.

Now, it wasn't just a nod that could make her give up.

An emotion surged into her heart, and she tried her best to get closer to Lan Qi, tiptoeing and kissing him on the cheek.

Lan Qi's eyes suddenly widened as he stared at the sea alone.

He felt an indescribable touch gently brushing his cheek, as if it was a cool breeze, or the lightest feather, leaving a soft touch on his skin.

"Lan Qi, thank you."

Hyperion's voice was extremely clumsy and stunned, but it was like a trickle, gentle and fierce.

Lan Qi didn't speak for several seconds, just turned his head and looked at Hyperion in a daze, as if in a dream.

Hyperion didn't expect that her actions just now would make Lan Qi look like his brain had crashed.

Gradually, she felt a little ashamed, lowered her head awkwardly with her heart beating like a drum, and grabbed her sleeves.

If Lan Qi felt that she had crossed the line, the worst case might be that they couldn't even be friends in the future.

"Hyperion..."

However, Lan Qi didn't seem to mind Hyperion kissing him at all. He was still very close to her, without any wariness. He just seemed to have remembered another thing.

"What's wrong?"

Hyperion saw Lan Qi's attitude.

Although her heart rate suddenly accelerated again, she calmed down inexplicably, and even felt a strong sense of joy.

"I'm live streaming..."

Lan Qi was worried that Loren couldn't withstand the pressure, so he temporarily prepared to broadcast for a while to report his safety to Dean Loren, so that he could see that he had successfully picked up Hyperion.

But he never expected that Hyperion would suddenly kiss him.

Now, the pressure on Dean Loren might be even greater.

The seventh-level Shadow World that the Hutton people thought was the place where fourth and fifth-level students were desperately seeking survival, and the live stream collapsed as soon as it started.

What Yekrita Academy saw three weeks later was the Shadow World—a midsummer night love premiere.

Hyperion: "??!"

She covered her cheeks.

"Ahhh..."

She felt that she couldn't go back to Yekrita.

(End of chapter)