CHAPTER 124: CHAPTER: 124 BY THE LAKE, JUST US.

Vivian and Charlotte walked through the busy streets of the third district, the part of Deldi City where most common people lived.

Lanterns hung from ropes above the road, and their warm yellow light made the whole place feel alive and welcoming.

With the appearance-altering magic active, the two of them looked like a normal pair of travelers.

No one looked twice at them.

They just blended into the moving crowd, hand in hand.

Charlotte held Vivian’s hand tightly, her fingers locked around his.

Anyone watching would think they were simply a young couple enjoying a peaceful night walk.

There were many stalls around them.

Fruit sellers were arranging fresh apples.

Small shops displayed books and pencils.

Stands held colorful clothes hanging from wooden bars.

The smell of food drifted through the air.

Everything ranged from roasted meat to sweet bread.

Vivian looked around with calm eyes, taking in the life of the place before asking,

"So... have you come here before?"

Charlotte shook her head. "No, I didn’t."

She had passed these roads many times in her carriage when leaving or entering the capital.

But she had never stepped down and walked among these people.

When she was younger, she had been very ambitious.

Her days were filled with magic practice, training, and study.

She never wasted time on things like this.

She never looked around or explored anything outside her goals.

But meeting Vivian had changed something inside her.

She hadn’t forgotten her ambition, just... lost sight of it for a moment, without meaning to.

The early years of her life had been shaped by a single, sharp dream, taking the throne.

Back then, it wasn’t about power or pride.

It was a shield she wanted to build.

A position high enough to protect the boy who was always coughing.

Always tired.

Always pushing himself even though his cursed body didn’t let him breathe freely.

Her ambition slowly changed shape.

It stopped being a dream and became something heavier, a duty she carried for his sake.

But now... he wasn’t that weak boy anymore.

He was strong, calm, dangerous when needed, and far more capable than she ever expected.

He stood tall without her protection.

So her dream shifted again.

The throne lost all meaning.

She didn’t want it.

She didn’t want the palace walls, the politics, the endless fights for power.

She didn’t want to stand above the world.

She wanted something simple.

A quiet life far away from blood and war.

A home where they could wake up together, laugh together, raise children together.

And one day, when they were old and wrinkled, she wanted to hold his hand and leave the world at the same time, peacefully.

That was why she stepped away from the race for succession.

She didn’t fight for the crown.

Instead, she supported one of the princes to take the throne so the empire wouldn’t drown in needless bloodshed.

Her heart wasn’t in the throne anymore.

Her heart was in the man walking beside her.

As they continued down the street, a warm smell drifted toward them.

A stall was cooking barbecue, meat sizzling over open flame, smoke rising into the air.

Vivian stopped, and Charlotte stopped with him, their hands still linked.

He glanced at her. "Want to grab some?"

Charlotte gave a small nod. "Mm."

"Alright then." He let go of her hand and stepped forward.

She stayed where she was, watching him quietly.

The flames from the stall flickered across his face, and for a moment he looked softer than usual, almost the baby face he had before.

After a few minutes, he returned with two small paper bags in his hands.

The smell was strong and warm, making Charlotte’s stomach rumble the moment he got close.

He smiled a little. "Let’s find a good place."

Charlotte stepped closer, her eyes shining just a bit.

The night around them was lively, the city full of noise and light, but for her, the world felt surprisingly peaceful.

Moments like this were exactly the kind of life she wished for, simple and close, with him beside her.

They walked for a long time, leaving behind the noise of the market and the shouting of merchants.

The streets grew quieter, the lights fewer.

Soon the houses thinned out, and the wide stretch of a calm lake came into view.

The water was still, like a sheet of dark glass.

The moon hung perfectly above it, full and bright, its reflection floating on the surface like a second world beneath their feet.

The quiet here felt different, soft, peaceful, almost sacred after the chaos of the city streets.

Vivian glanced around, then lifted his hand.

The ground responded at once.

In a few seconds, a smooth stone table rose from the earth, followed by two chairs shaped comfortably enough to sit on.

They faced each other with the lake right beside them, the moonlight brushing over their shoulders.

Charlotte sat down first, her eyes drifting toward the water.

The night made her face gentle and soft, as if she belonged in this peaceful scene.

Vivian opened the package of barbecue.

Warm, rich smell spread through the air immediately, making the quiet place feel even more pleasant.

He took out two simple glasses he had bought from a stall earlier.

Filling them with water, he placed one in front of her with calm care.

Charlotte accepted it with a warm smile that reached her eyes.

She looked almost shy, but at the same time, there was a steady happiness there, clear and easy to read.

Vivian picked up his own glass.

"Let’s dig in," he said.

"Y-yeah," she replied, her voice small but bright.

The two of them sat together under the moonlight, the lake silent beside them, the smell of warm food rising between them.

It was a simple moment, quiet and untouched by anything outside.

A moment that felt like the kind of life she once only dared to imagine.

They finished eating slowly, not because the food was fancy, but because the moment was too peaceful to rush.

When they were done, Vivian brushed his hands together and wiped the stone table clean with his air element.

Dust and crumbs vanished instantly.

Charlotte didn’t move.

She only leaned forward, resting her chin on her hands, watching him with a soft smile that refused to leave her face.

She didn’t even try to hide how much she enjoyed looking at him like this, calm, relaxed, almost playful.

Once he finished cleaning, Vivian took his seat again and looked at her.

"Want to drink something?" he asked.

Charlotte nodded. "Yes."

The truth was simple.

If he had asked her to drink water, she would say yes.

Wine? Yes. Bitter herbs? Yes. Even poison, she wouldn’t hesitate.

That was how deeply she trusted him, how hopelessly far she had fallen.

Her heart didn’t bother to hide that from itself anymore.

Vivian smiled at her answer.

With a small snap of his fingers, a bottle appeared in his hand, pulled from his subspace with practiced ease.

Two glasses appeared next, forming gently above his palms before he set them down on the table.

He picked up the bottle and turned it in his hand.

The label gleamed faintly in the moonlight, and a grin tugged at his lips.

"This was Father’s," he said.

"He planned to drink it with Mother someday... but I stole it."

His tone carried a hint of troublemaker energy, the kind that didn’t match his usual calm face.

For a brief moment, Charlotte imagined Vined’s face when he opened his storage later and discovered his prized, expensive bottle missing.

She snorted softly.

Vivian already looked amused, almost proud of his crime.

Somewhere far away, a powerful warrior was probably laughing loudly in a bar, not knowing a tiny piece of his happiness had already been robbed.

The moonlight shone down on the two of them as Vivian reached for the cork.

The lake beside them stayed silent, as if holding its breath for whatever came next.

Vivian opened the bottle with a soft pop, the smell of the liquor rising out slowly.

He poured a drink for her first, then filled his own glass, placing the bottle gently on the table.

He lifted the first glass and offered it to her.

Charlotte accepted it with the same quiet grace she always had, fingers light on the glass, her smile never fading even for a second.

Under the moonlight, that smile looked almost too soft, too warm.

After handing her the glass, Vivian picked up his own.

"Is it your first time drinking?" he asked.

Charlotte lowered her eyes for a moment.

In this life, she had never tried alcohol.

She never had the chance, or the interest.

But in that long, empty white void where she spent countless lifetimes... she had drunk more times than she could remember.

And always, just like now, he would be the one pouring the drink, handing it to her gently, staying beside her in silence.

But that wasn’t something she could say out loud.

She looked up and simply answered, "Yes."

Vivian smiled. "Mine too."

He lifted his glass slightly.

"Cheers."

Charlotte smiled again, a little brighter this time.

They tapped their glasses lightly, the small sound spreading softly across the quiet lakeside.

The moon shimmered on the water as they took their first sip together, sharing a moment that felt simple and perfect, as if the world outside didn’t exist at all.