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Chapter 871: Mr. Lance's Interview on the Road (Part 1)
Chapter 871: Mr. Lance's Interview on the Road (Part 1)
On the street, Lance and Talia were still holding each other tightly.
"Tata, are you cold?"
Lance asked with a seemingly puzzled expression.
Talia took a deep breath, slowly relaxing her hand that was pressed against Lance's back, but she remained still like a delicate doll, allowing Lance to hold her.
In the past, she would have threatened Lance, daring him to continue holding her.
But today, she had made up her mind to indulge Lance.
If she played it cool, Lance wouldn't have a choice but to comply.
"Mhm."
Talia pretended to be weak and snuggled closer to him.
"I'm cold, can you hold me for a little longer?"
Talia looked up at him and spoke softly.
"..."
For a brief moment, Lance fell silent.
Although his expression didn't change, he even paused for a moment from savoring Talia.
Tata's transformation today was too much for him to handle, and even Talia's charm seemed to have faded.
"Of course, but won't you..."
Lance tried to continue analyzing Tata.
"I won't run away."
Talia smiled, narrowing her eyes, and asked in a lowered voice,
"Even though I've only had shallow dating experiences with you in the past few hundred years, you're my first and only man. I won't be so shy that I can't bear it and run away."
"..."
Lance repeatedly received error messages in response to Talia's words.
He held Talia, but this time, he genuinely needed time to think.
Today's Talia made him feel like a stranger.
Was this the same demon princess who hadn't married in eight hundred years?
...
In a short while, Rosalinda had already hidden behind a newsstand with a cat in her arms, getting closer to Lance and Talia. Her gaze remained fixed on the distant couple.
"Oh my, Little Black Cat, did you see that? They're not letting go, and this is on the streets of Pariera!"
Baroness Rosalinda excitedly grabbed Little Black Cat's paws, her voice trembling slightly due to her excitement.
Her eyes sparkled, and a blush of excitement appeared on her cheeks.
Even she felt a bit embarrassed just watching them.
But the couple seemed oblivious to the onlookers' stares.
"I can't believe Tata is being so affectionate. Look at the way she's gazing at Lance, as if he's her entire world."
Rosalinda hugged Little Black Cat tighter.
This was the sweet romance she had always imagined!
"Meow..."
Listening to Rosalinda's words, Cat Boss couldn't bear to see her cry anymore.
"They finally let go. Wait a moment."
Rosalinda continued to watch from afar.
It was Lance who released Tata, tying his scarf around her.
Tata, in turn, gently touched Lance's face and asked if he was cold. If he was, she could continue to warm him with her body heat.
Lance immediately shook his head and took a step forward, but then he stopped as if he had forgotten something. He turned back, took Talia's hand, and continued walking.
They strolled along the streets of Pariera, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere among the old buildings in the North Shore's old district.
Rosalinda quickly retreated behind the newsstand.
"By the way, Tata, is there somewhere you'd like to go?"
Lance turned his head to look at Talia.
Today wasn't their first date, and they were already familiar with each other's habits.
Lance hadn't made any preparations in advance because any preparations beyond the restaurant would be useless.
Tata was different from ordinary girls; the more meticulously he planned, the more she would make him feel dizzy.
"Let's go to the Platinum Palace first. Last time, we didn't finish looking around before going for lunch."
Talia thought for a moment; it was almost eleven o'clock, but she had eaten many snacks at Rosalinda's manor, so she wasn't hungry yet. They could spend this hour before lunch strolling around.
The Platinum Palace was very close to their meeting spot, just a short walk away.
The last time they were there, they had ended up rushing out of the Platinum Palace awkwardly after teasing each other.
If possible, she really wanted to calm down and enjoy the epic collection of paintings in the museum with Lance.
"Then our itinerary will be the same as last time. Do you still want to go to the Cologne Bridge Inn Restaurant for lunch?"
Lance asked Talia.
In fact, Duke Mygaya had recommended the Cologne Bridge Inn Restaurant to them that morning, the same place where they had spent an afternoon in Pariera. That's why they had felt so awkward earlier.
That day at the Cologne Bridge Inn Restaurant, Lance had fed Talia, and she had eaten to her heart's content, noticeably gaining weight afterward—a memory that left a deep impression on Lance.
"..."
For a moment, Talia's temple veins twitched slightly.
She didn't say anything, but she could actually hear what Lance was thinking.
The last time they dated was right after she had broken up with the Great Love Poet, and her Mad Love Demon state hadn't been lifted yet. She could hear Lance's heart clearly.
She turned her eyes to meet Lance's gaze and found that he was, as expected, observing her. His naturally curious green eyes seemed to be waiting for her to get angry and reveal her true self.
But today, she didn't care. No matter how Lance behaved, she would let him have his way.
"Yes, I want you to keep holding me and feeding me, treating me like a big gray cat that can be held."
Talia whispered into Lance's ear, standing on her tiptoes.
Lance's steps came to an abrupt halt, and his eyes shifted from confusion to suspicion.
He felt like he had fallen into an illusion, as if all the knowledge in the universe, from its origin to the birth of the first underwater life and the laws of gravity and energy, was flashing through his mind. Yet, he couldn't decipher the gray-haired girl in front of him who was going crazy.
……
"What are they talking about? Are they exchanging sweet nothings? Are they about to do something shameful?"
Baroness Rosalinda tightened her grip on the cat.
Her heart was fluttering with anticipation.
"Don't be fooled by appearances, my lady. They..."
Cat Boss wanted to tell Rosalinda that at this moment, both of them had a thousand thoughts running through their minds, each scheming to outwit the other.
In the past, Cat Boss had also mistaken this for a romantic encounter between an ice queen and a gentle youth, eagerly anticipating the sparks of love between them.
But now, having truly understood both of them, Cat Boss realized that Lan and Talia were the ones with the devious minds.
However, upon further reflection, today's situation seemed a little different from before.
It was becoming increasingly unclear whether they were plotting against each other or simply going with the flow.
Before Cat Boss and Rosalinda could exchange more than a few words, Lance and Talia were already holding hands and walking away.
Rosalinda, clutching the cat, followed closely behind, weaving through the streets, eager to witness the entire date while also trying to stay hidden.
...
After more than ten minutes...
Pariah North District 2, Platinum Palace.
The dome was adorned with stalactites, and angelic reliefs danced gracefully on the arch, so lifelike that they seemed ready to break through the walls at any moment.
At the center of the dome, a colorful glass mosaic cast a dazzling light grid onto the marble floor, which Lance and Talia walked upon.
They had mentioned more than once that they wanted to visit this museum, one of the largest and most historic art museums on the Southern Continent and a landmark of the Bosson Kingdom.
Even though the third round of the Platinum Cardist Exam had been held in a projection of the Platinum Palace, both of them had been eager to visit the actual location ever since.
Moreover, the Platinum Palace was a must-see destination for travelers to the Bosson Kingdom.
The last time they had stayed at a hotel near the Platinum Palace, they had passed by frequently but never found the time to visit.
Just like how locals often don't make a special trip to see the famous landmarks right at their doorstep, living close by made them feel like they could visit anytime, and they might have missed out on this beautiful sight if it weren't for a chance opportunity.
The only day they truly had free time to enjoy themselves was during the Fireworks Festival, but even then, they only managed to explore half of it due to time constraints.
"In the end, the afternoon date took up too much of that day's itinerary," Rosalinda recalled, thinking back to the last time she witnessed their date.
"What did they do that afternoon?"
Cat Boss thought for a moment and realized that their date hadn't covered many places.
"They ate from noon until night," Rosalinda replied seriously.
"...
Indeed, that afternoon had taken up most of the day.
Cat Boss now realized that Lance and Tata's dates were quite simple.
Eat, eat, eat, eat, play, eat, eat.
The two strolled through the spacious exhibition hall, flanked by two seven-meter-tall sphinxes standing in a stalemate.
Here, Lance and Tata didn't need a map to know which connecting galleries to visit.
"To be honest, I think the director would love this Platinum Palace," Lance said to Talia as he gazed at the familiar palace.
They had visited more than once, and during the Platinum Cardist Exam, they had also witnessed a partial projection of it in the artificial shadow world.
The sphinxes were the landmarks of the hall where the examiners were located, so all the candidates and examiners were familiar with them.
"Abigail would probably be here with us in Pariah if she didn't have so many affairs to attend to. But what you really want is her team's navigation, so we wouldn't need to look at maps," Talia said, knowing that Abigail was currently busy preparing the opera's sequel.
In the past few days, the Dimensional Branch might take the team directly to South Vandina, and during their final days in Brillada, the capital of Kreitni, Abigail had been training Xiao Hou Bao.
"Xiao Hou Bao is truly a jack-of-all-trades," Lance said, having unlocked many functions himself, and Xiao Hou Bao was learning wherever she went.
"By the way, did you know that Xiao Hou Bao has been feeling a little unwell lately?"
Talia didn't mind Lance bringing up other women during their date because she was his precious daughter, and it was only natural for him to care about her. This was Talia's basic requirement of Lance.
"I noticed it a little, but she didn't want to tell me. So I asked Antanas," Lance replied thoughtfully.
Initially, he had thought that Xiao Hou Bao was simply exhausted from being trained rigorously as a professional actress by Director Abigail, but later he realized that she was experiencing intermittent pain.
According to the demonic doctor Antanas, Xiao Hou Bao had forcibly conquered the poison of Meroghas during the Blood Moon Cataclysm, and it was her demonic nature that allowed her to achieve perfect compatibility and awaken the latent power within her bloodline. Her body had begun to transform in a demonic direction.
Now, as she returned to her daily life, she subconsciously suppressed her demonic nature again, leading to physiological changes.
On the one hand, her body was transforming in a demonic direction and producing a strengthening poison similar to her ancestors. On the other hand, her body was also trying to reject this poison, resulting in allergic reactions and occasional side effects from using Meroghas's power.
"You're quite concerned about her, aren't you? Good."
Talia glanced at Lance and praised him.
"Antanas said that these symptoms aren't a big deal and are partially related to her emotions and psychology. As long as she rests well during intermittent flare-ups, it should be fine. Her body's detoxification speed is very fast, and she should be able to fully adapt to her body's new changes soon."
End of Chapter:
Lance estimated that Huberian was already approaching Ekerite, accompanied by Antanas and Sinora.
As a fellow demon of Meloghasis, it was nearly impossible for Huberian to be harmed by toxins, as Meloghasis was almost immune to poison.
"Hmm?"
Talia suddenly furrowed her brows, displeased, and glared at Lance.
"What's wrong?"
Lance finally felt that Talia was able to speak normally, but she was leaning against him again.
"Don't mention Meloghasis."
Talia said with a hint of anger.
"I didn't bring her up."
Lance pondered for a while before realizing what had upset Talia.
"You thought of her name in your heart."
Talia continued to press against Lance, as if she wanted to lean against his chest and pin him down.
"My mistake, my mistake, I was careless."
Lance shook his head repeatedly.
If this continued, Talia would probably hug him again and keep competing with him in the Platinum Palace.
But at this moment, embracing without regard for others was not appropriate. First, this place was a sacred art sanctuary, and even a little civility required attention to the occasion. Moreover, Lance noticed that there were reporters from the Pariera Broadcasting Company interviewing in front of the demon paintings today.
Recently, in the Bosson Kingdom, demon-related issues had been the hottest topic, even extending to cultural aspects.
It would be even worse if they were caught on camera.
"Nearly a thousand years ago, the Platinum Palace was originally built as a military fortress to defend against the invasion of foreign races. Later, during the peaceful era, it was transformed into a royal palace, and since then, it began to collect art treasures, gradually including sacred and even epic-level collections. As the years passed, successive kings expanded and beautified the palace, making it the center of artistic and cultural life in the Bosson Kingdom."
The voice of the Platinum Palace guide echoed in the vast exhibition hall where Lance and Talia had just arrived.
The two strolled through the grand hall, occasionally stopping to appreciate the art and exchanging thoughts.
It was only about a century ago that the Platinum Palace was converted into a public museum. After several renovations and redecorations, it was opened to the public, allowing everyone the opportunity to admire its rich and colorful collections.
The central hall they entered featured a dome sculpture depicting the vibrant scene of soaring divine eagles and galloping horses. Looking up, one would feel as if they were in the divine realm of ancient times.
"Tata, do you still remember these paintings?"
Lance stood at one side of the central hall and asked Talia beside him.
The two of them often shared similar interests, but they rarely discussed art appreciation in their daily lives, focusing more on magic card crafting, magical engineering, and gourmet food.
The last time they visited, they didn't stay for long, but today they finally had the leisure to linger and appreciate the art.
In the center, the massive oil painting "The Rise of the Eternal Night Kingdom" by ancient imperial artist Stephen Martin, though faded, still exuded grandeur.
(End of Chapter)
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