The Yellow-Haired Villain in Soaring Phoenix's Novels Also Desires Happiness

“This isn’t right. This isn’t right. This is very not right!”

Inside a room filled with a girlish atmosphere, Muen looked extremely agitated. He paced back and forth, clenching his fists at times as if protesting the injustice of fate itself, then muttering under his breath at others, as though cursing this damned, screwed-up reality.

In the end, he turned his head and glared viciously at Celicia.

“This is seriously not right, okay? I just want to sneak into a ball. Why do I have to... that?”

Even saying those two words out loud made Muen feel too ashamed to open his mouth.

“Isn’t there really no other way?”

“There isn’t.”

At this moment, Celicia was instead calmly savoring the freshly brewed coffee Veil had prepared, speaking leisurely:

“Of course, if you can think of some other good solution, feel free to suggest it. I’m not some tyrant or demon who insists on forcing you to do it this way.”

“......”

Muen’s words caught in his throat.

As much as he hated to admit it, the solution Celicia had put forward really was the most feasible one at the moment.

After all, if a highly watched Imperial Princess brought an unfamiliar grown man with her to a ball, it would certainly attract suspicion and attention from all sides. But if she brought a maid instead... that would be normal to the extreme.

Moreover, with the identity of a princess’s maid, Muen’s freedom of movement would be greatly increased.

It was practically a perfect disguise.

Except for the gender.

“Will it really not be discovered?”

After struggling internally for a long while, Muen slumped back into his seat, dispirited.

“If {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} it gets exposed in that situation, then Muen Campbell’s life would truly be completely over—in every possible sense.”

“Relax. With a niche and complex potion like this, as long as the potion maker’s skill is sufficient, it’s extremely difficult to detect during the effective period.”

Celicia said, “After all, it’s a change to the entire ‘appearance.’ No matter how you look at it, it’s far more reliable than relying on masks and bone displacement, or... simple cross-dressing.”

“Potion... right, potions!”

Muen’s eyes lit up as he said:

“But Senior isn’t here right now. I don’t have that kind of potion.”

“As for that point... you can rest assured as well.”

Celicia mercilessly crushed Muen’s last shred of hope.

“For your sake, I can very thoughtfully go to that old sword bearer myself and ask for a potion for you. As a bonus piece of information, Anna Kaplin’s potions were taught by him.”

“...Then I really should thank you.”

“No need. As your fiancée, it’s only proper.”

“......”

Muen collapsed backward in his chair, completely limp, like a dying fish that had truly fallen into despair about the world.

“Is it really that big a deal? It’s not like you’ll actually become a woman. It’s just a change in appearance. If you did actually become a woman, I’d be the one feeling troubled.”

As she said this, Celicia—who had been trying to persuade him—suddenly stiffened, her voice turning cold:

“You’re this unwilling. Don’t tell me you’re still thinking it would be easier to flirt around at the ball if you kept a male identity.”

“...No! Why are we dragging it back to that again? I’m just afraid something unexpected will happen!”

“As long as you don’t mess around, what unexpected thing could happen? Nobody even recognizes that identity of yours.”

Celicia sneered.

“...Maybe.”

Muen tilted his head back, staring at the pale ceiling, silently praying that absolutely nothing unexpected would happen.

“I just hope everything goes smoothly.”

......

......

The Demon King’s Castle.

Mist filled the air.

In order to rescue the young girl who had been taken by the Demon King, the Hero, clad in armor and wielding a holy sword, fought through countless obstacles. Passing through lava laid out by the Demon King, spikes, and evil dragons blocking the path, she finally arrived before the Demon King’s Castle.

The castle was gloomy and terrifying, with lightning and thunder occasionally flashing within the mist.

“Wait for me!”

After enduring dangers along the way, the Hero was already covered in wounds, yet she showed not the slightest hint of retreat. Her eyes were filled with determination.

Yes—how could she retreat here?

She knew that the delicate, pitiful young girl was trembling in fear within the Demon King’s grasp, crying, waiting for her.

Therefore, she had to reach her side as soon as possible.

And so, the Hero pressed on.

After enduring endless hardships and passing through countless dangers once more, the Hero... finally stood before the Demon King.

“Despicable Demon King, return her to me at once!”

The Hero roared at the blond Demon King. Flames of rage were already burning impatiently along the greatsword, just short of severing the Demon King’s head.

But—

“Hehehe, you’re already too late!”

The blond Demon King sneered grotesquely and flicked his cape.

What was revealed was no secret weapon, but...

The very girl who was supposed to be waiting to be rescued by the Hero.

Her face was full of shy embarrassment as she lay against the Demon King’s chest. Turning her head back, her cheeks flushed red, she said:

“I’m sorry, Ariel. I’m already shaped like Muen...”

“No!!!”

......

Morning. Sunlight fell across her face.

Ariel jolted awake from her nightmare.

“Damn it. How could I dream something so bizarre?”

She swayed as she got out of bed, walked to the mirror, and looked at the girl reflected within—clothes disheveled, hair a mess, clearly just awake, yet dark circles already hanging under her eyes, a thoroughly miserable sight.

“Ah... I stayed up late again last night.”

“Damn it. I lost track of time again.”

In the past, even during her busiest days, she rarely stayed up for several consecutive nights without sleep like this.

Because back then, there was always a girl nagging in her ear, reminding her.

But now...

Bang!

Ariel slammed the table in anger.

A dream was just a dream—but wasn’t that dream... also a reflection of reality?

The girl... had already been taken away by the Demon King. She already... could never belong to the Hero again.

Liya was no longer her Liya.

“Hah... haa...”

After the outburst, Ariel gradually steadied her breathing.

She knew very well that impotent rage was completely useless.

Letting herself sink endlessly into training and magical research also had no healing effect.

“Better... to go out for a walk.”

Ariel sighed and began tidying her appearance.

Yet at times, she would still suddenly pause for a second or two, falling into some kind of contemplation.

In truth, she did not hate Liya. She respected Liya’s choice very much. Her sudden departure back then was simply because she had accidentally witnessed that scene, leaving her emotions too chaotic. She didn’t know how to face Liya, or what to say.

Of course, that obscene scene still delivered an unparalleled shock to her heart—pure, at least in her own estimation, even if she considered herself experienced. She had never imagined that Liya, who appeared so pure and adorable on the surface, would privately be so...

Just thinking back to it made Ariel’s face flush again. She never knew that little girl could play so wildly.

But setting all that aside, when she traced everything back to the root, it came down to one thing: she did not understand. No matter how much she racked her brain, she could not figure it out.

What exactly was she lacking compared to that damned Muen Campbell?

Gender?

No. That wasn’t it. She believed that if it was true love, the barrier of gender was not something insurmountable.

Then why...

Why was her ten years of slow, patient devotion snatched away in a single stroke by that bastard Muen Campbell?

She couldn’t accept it.

Ariel clenched her fist. Even after so much time had passed, the grief and anger in her heart still refused to dissipate.

But... no matter how angry she was, this was all it could be. A person couldn’t die from their own anger. She still had to keep moving forward.

With a sigh, Ariel stepped out of the room.

The moment she did, she saw it—under the sunlight, the familiar figure sitting quietly in a wheelchair.

Her brows twitched. Her body tensed instantly as she became alert, calling out with lingering unfamiliarity in her voice:

“B... Brother?”

“Oh, Ariel, you’re finally awake.”

Under the sunlight, the man sitting in the wheelchair—his complexion deathly pale—turned his head toward Ariel and showed a gentle smile.

“You’re home now. How did you sleep? Are you adapting well? If you have any problems, feel free to talk more with your big brother.”