Chapter 70  …

“…What are you even saying?”

Let’s just ignore that talk about newlyweds.

The light was so bright that it took several blinks before my vision finally cleared.

And then, the scenery of the new house came into view…

“…Wow.”

My mouth dropped open, and admiration came out automatically.

A stunned laugh followed.

‘Why does it have a hamster-patterned roof again?!’

It was nice, up to the point that it was a two-story house in the countryside, just like in my dreams.

But a hamster-patterned roof? Seriously! It doesn’t match at all!

‘Do you have no sense of aesthetics?!’

Ah, error! Error!

I’ll fix it right away! Sorry!

Ridiculous…

A moment later, only the roof was enveloped in light, and the pattern disappeared.

What appeared then was a soft turquoise roof, reminiscent of a warm sea.

The walls and pillars were a soft white that glowed with a faint ivory tint when touched by sunlight.

The windows and entrance were arched, and on the second floor, there was a charming balcony facing east.

An unexpected detail: it seemed like the house had a basement.

‘Is this for real?’

I’d have to go inside to check.

‘What about the barn and the storage shed?’

I turned my head, and they immediately came into view.

The barn and shed were on the west side of the house, forming an L-shape relative to the front of the house.

The shed was closer to the house than the barn, and the overall area had increased significantly.

Also… somehow, the exterior looked cleaner than before.

‘By the way, the outdoor bathroom is gone…?’

I wondered if the bathroom had been incorporated into the house.

Tilting my head, I looked at the other two.

Camilla and Lysian seemed completely absorbed in exploring our new home.

Lysian didn’t seem particularly surprised, as he had already somewhat adapted to my abilities…

But Camilla looked utterly astonished by something she had never experienced before.

“Th-This… how… Muriel, you have this kind of ability…? This is amazing…”

I scratched my cheek and laughed awkwardly.

Honestly, calling it an “ability” isn’t quite right… it’s more like a system toggle.

‘Hahaha…’

Anyway, next I carefully placed the animal friends in the barn and checked the interior.

‘Let’s add some more hay too.’

Hmm, good. Satisfying.

Affection for you: 20♡

This is Nelly’s affection level.

For some reason, she was staring at me with sparkling eyes.

What is it? Is she happy because her space got bigger?

I approached Nelly and stroked her soft, beige fur.

Meanwhile, elsewhere:

Tamed subject: Translating the language of a brown forest rabbit.

‘The palace of this cat has expanded! Excellent!’

‘Henceforth, I shall strive further to greatly contribute to the expansion of this cat’s cosmic empire!’

“…….”

She seems to be somewhat deluded, but I’ll leave her be.

After leaving the barn, I glanced around the storage shed.

Nothing special needed checking, but…

‘Huh? There’s a room?’

A door in one corner of the wall.

A laurel wreath was hanging there, likely a service from the system.

‘What kind of space is this?’

Curious, I carefully opened the door.

Stepping inside, the scene before me was…

‘…A workshop?’

Without a doubt, it was an alchemist’s workshop!

“Whoa…”

A spacious workbench for all materials and tools.

A sturdy furnace and bright lights hanging from the ceiling.

A properly-sized window on one wall for ventilation.

A wooden bookshelf that could hold over a hundred books and resources.

Display shelves to neatly organize various tools and ingredients…

It was the ideal workshop.

‘I love it! This is perfect!’

⌯>ᴗ•⌯ಣ Winks!

Yes, this time, I have to admit your sense is impressive.

“Great, Muriel. We can use this as a workshop.”

“Right? I want to get books and fill the shelves, and display all the tools and ingredients too.”

Seeing me excited, Lysian smiled at me, as if finding it cute.

His hand reached toward me, but I quickly dodged and ran outside to the main building.

“Alright, everyone. Next is the main house tour!”

Grabbing the doorknob and announcing like a host, Lysian, who had been chasing me fiercely, slowed his pace.

He smiled resignedly and came alongside me.

Once Camilla, walking slowly as if observing us, caught up, I counted to ten and opened the door.

“…Seven, eight, nine, ten! Ta-da!”

Beyond the wide-open door, the foyer and hallway came into view.

“Wow, there’s a hallway this time.”

With a hallway, it finally felt like a real house.

The foyer was spacious, with a shoe cabinet and storage shelves.

Above all, the rustic interior of white walls and warm wooden floors drew admiration.

“This is amazing… it’s perfect.”

I looked around, marveling.

I had a feeling the living room, kitchen, bedroom, and utility rooms would be just as beautiful.

And my hunch was correct.

‘The living room is insane.’

The first thing in my view was a wide window spanning an entire wall.

The window frame was arched, as if maintaining the temple-like concept.

Through the clear glass, the backyard came into view, and not far off, the forest with Ninabel’s spring.

‘This is incredible. Absolutely insane.’

White chiffon curtains were tied back with ribbons but could be drawn anytime.

In one corner, a fireplace burned warmly on the logs.

The large carpet spread across the floor looked like a high-end import.

Another surprise: the old sofa and table were gone, replaced with even better ones!

“Woah… this is amazing.”

I flapped my arms like a penguin in joy, running around before collapsing onto the sofa.

The large sofa still had plenty of space even after I lay down.

‘The best…!’

A sparkling chandelier hung from the ceiling, radiating a soft glow.

I hadn’t even checked the kitchen or bedroom yet, but I already felt like I owned the world.

“I really did it…”

So this is why people love buying their own home.

Indeed, basic necessities are essential for an ethical life.

Besides the living room and kitchen, the first floor had a bathroom and a large room.

The second floor had two rooms and a utility room.

The larger room had a beautiful balcony, perfect for placing a tea table and enjoying outdoor tea time.

‘I need to open a shop and get something pretty right away!’

After excitedly spending all the coins I had saved and decorating the house, the sun was already setting.

“Ugh, I’m hungry.”

“Let’s eat first. I’ll make something.”

“Oh my…? Lysian niim…? Didn’t you decide to leave dinner to me today…? You two can flirt while I cook…”

“Fl-flirt…”

I felt my face heat up at the embarrassing word from Camilla.

My legs gave out, and I slumped onto the sofa, with Lysian quietly taking a seat next to me.

His golden eyes gazed at me intently, with a strange glimmer.

I tensed and asked,

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Muriel, are you happy?”

“…? Yeah.”

“What do you think would make you even happier?”

“Hmm… I want to raise chickens. A lot. So I can get plenty of eggs.”

“…Raising chickens is easy. Anything else?”

“I want to grow fruit trees and have an orchard. But running it with just you and me would be hard. Maybe we need to hire workers?”

“Just bring Dante and the guild guys.”

“St- Still, they need to be paid! You can’t just make others work like that…”

“And I make you work?”

“No, you…!”

I was momentarily speechless.

Come to think of it, I had been making Lysian work without proper pay…!

Even if he volunteered as a slave…!

‘Even with friends, you have to be clear about money!’

Lysian stared at me. I stammered before finally asking,

“Um… how much should I give you? I’m not really sure about this…”

“Puhuh…”

“…?”

“Hahaha… heh, hahaha!”

Lysian pursed his lips as if holding back laughter, then finally burst out laughing.

I blinked in disbelief. What’s so funny? I’m serious here.

“You… stop laughing.”

“Puh… Muriel, you were nervous because you weren’t giving me money?”

“I-I said I would! How much do you want?! How much?!”

~BGM auto-play: Autumn × Romance (Classic Drama)~

Music truly played from the floating system window. I was doubly amazed.

But Lysian’s next words weren’t “How much can you give me?”

“Muriel, do I look like I need money?”

“…….”

I paused, then answered.

“…No.”

Lysian gently reached over and fiddled with the golden couple ring on my left ring finger.

“What I want is something else.”

“…….”

“If you genuinely feel like giving it to me, then I’ll accept it.”