The Cursed King

The man looked at Elise deeply as he spoke sincerely, "I'm lucky because I have found you, Elise. I wouldn't mind living dirt poor as long as I could always be with you… but now that I think about it, I don't want to be poor either, because I would want to provide the best life for you."

"And you already do." Elise looked around the plane some more. "I don't think most people can afford this… even if I were to collect all my salary for ten years, I think I could only buy the wings."

"Which you don't have to do at all, because I'm with you." Loriel chuckled. "I will give you whatever things you want in this world. You just have to say the word."

Elise looked at him with a determined look. "Next time, I'll be the one taking us on a fancy trip like this one."

"I'll be looking forward to that."

***

Their first destination in Europe turned out to be Paris.

Elise and Loriel walked hand in hand together to take in the beautiful ambiance of the city. They went over a still present brick bridge that showed off the diverse heritage that France managed to keep throughout the passage of time.

"Welcome to the City of Lights, Elise," Loriel told her with a small smile. 

He wanted to say something like the city didn't light up as much as she did… but he was slightly nervous if she'd thought that was too much and didn't come out as romantic. 

Instead, he chose to deliver some interesting facts about the city.

"We're currently at the most well-known boulevard landscaped by André Le Nôtre back in the 17th century. A century later, the Parisian city planner Baron Haussman was the one in charge of the buildings we still see today."

"I can understand why this is the number one destination in Europe," Elise said with a smile. "There is a certain charm to it."

It was like a dream come true. 

Elise's gaze settled on the River Seine that passed through the city, it was a beautiful stream of water that made the city come to life. There was the Eiffel Tower that everyone looked forward to, but that wasn't the only thing present.

The streets of Paris were filled with world-renowned stately museums, centuries-old churches, and architectural structures that remained until today. 

"I'm pretty sure that Chef Lucy would find it funny that we're here in his home city," Elise said and took out her phone.

"Oh, really?" Loriel smiled a little. He really had to hold back not to roll his eyes at the mention of Lucius' name.

"We should take a picture! I'll send it to him," Elise gushed.

"Okay."

Now that he was married to Elise, albeit he still didn't enjoy that chef's presence, Loriel could tolerate the guy slightly better.

"After this, would you like to visit a cafe? I know that you've learned a lot during your time studying with him, but there are more authentic pastries here too." Loriel pointed to one of the open cafes. "Eating outside is a common thing, an alfresco breakfast."

"I would love to do that with you." 

Both Elise and Loriel enjoyed breakfast in one of the Parisian cafes before they went their way to visit more tourist spots in the city. 

Similar to Japan, the two of them particularly enjoyed just traveling on foot. Exploring different places from the Musée du Louvre and taking note of the beautiful art collection. 

The two enjoyed the sight of the famous paintings in the Louvre and the also wonderful arts like the ancient Venus de Milo sculpture, the monumental Victory of Samothrace, and other notable works.

Maybe Loriel would someday be able to show off his own art collection to Elise when the time came. While those available in the museums were fantastic, he also had his own private museum from both artistic pieces to even antiques from the past.

It was impossible to go to Paris and not climb up the Eiffel Tower themselves. 

This was once believed to be an ugly tower by the French, but now it was the most sought-after landmark and made the city a beloved destination.

Elise thought that was a silly thought when Loriel told her about that historical fact. 

How could they think that this tower was anything less than a grand and magnificent place to be? Elise's gaze wandered to many others like her and Loriel, couples that were walking hand-in-hand and enjoying the sights.

A place that was perfect for couples in love.

Elise couldn't believe that she actually got to be here and be with the love of her life. 

Loriel and Elise strolled together with their hands intertwined together, only to have Elise be surprised that a part of the area was closed out for the public. Loriel however insisted that they continued.

"I think they closed off some of the area, Loriel," Elise whispered and watched other people walk past them to return to the base of the tower.

"Do not worry about that, honey. Leave it to me." Loriel told her with a smile. "I can handle it."

"If you say so," Elise said with a hint of suspicion in her tone. 

What did Loriel plan this time? 

Elise told her husband that she wanted a simple wedding and he gave her just that, however, for the honeymoon… Loriel was the one who took care of everything.

This time, Loriel wanted to give her an unforgettable honeymoon because this was actually a new idea that was only formed recently in his eyes.

Elise was right to believe that he did have something special.

There was someone keeping every other visitor away from reaching the higher parts of the tower, but once the man saw Loriel, he allowed them to pass through without a hint of reservation.

"What's this?" One of the people complained. 

"This is so unfair!"

Loriel didn't pay any heed to them at all. 

Yes, it was rare and almost unimaginable for some that the Eiffel Tower could be kept away from the others, however, Loriel could afford it and they could not.

There was a lovely candle-lit dinner waiting for them at the top. 

The night sky's stars paled in comparison to the Eiffel Tower's own sparkling lights that filled them with a sense of grandeur. 

It was a romantic and hopeful atmosphere that welcomed the newly wedded couple into the very top of the Eiffel Tower, now rearranged to fit Loriel's ideal dinner date in one of the most romantic spots in the entire world.

"You really did this, Loriel? How much did it cost to have an entire evening to ourselves?" Elise asked in surprise.

Once again, soft music played in the background, an accompaniment of piano and violins. Loriel brought Elise to their seats and helped her take a seat.

"I hope you didn't think that I overdid it," Loriel admitted with a nervous laugh as he sat down and they were served by some servers. 

"... well, you did this for me," Elise said with a blush. "I'm glad that you did your best to make me happy because I already am. Thank you for your efforts, I really appreciate it."

"Then it was worth it." Loriel grinned at her. 

Elise smiled at her silly husband. Loriel didn't need to go this far to make her happy, but the fact that he still did it made Elise incredibly happy. Her gaze then looked down at their main dish.

"What's this?" Elise asked as she picked up her utensils. 

The waft of the meal was mouth-watering and she was excited to take a bite as their servers poured them some wine.

"Filet Mignon with Bordelaise Sauce," one of the servers responded politely.

Loriel took the chance to explain it to Elise better and whet her appetite. "It's luscious, wine-enriched bordelaise sauce paired with hanger steak, shell steak, and tender filet mignon."

The French servers were surprised that this wealthy person they assumed to be a tycoon was all aware of one of their cuisine. 

However, one of the servers took the chance to proudly present their desserts.

"We would also like to present our special creme brulee, a recipe garnered to us by one of our world-renowned chefs, Chef Lucius. He would have prepared this dish, but he is currently preoccupied with—"

Elise blinked and looked at the creme brulee. She recalled the same exact recipe taught to her but still wanted to be sure.

Elise took out her phone and took a picture. "This can't be my teacher, can he? I need to ask Chef Lucy when I get back."

Loriel noticed the gawking expression of the servers and he signaled them to take their leave. While he was less jealous now of Elise's teacher, if Loriel was going to hear the guy's name here in France, well, even he would get slightly annoyed.

But before Elise could do that, she placed her phone away and smiled at her husband.

Now wasn't the time to be focused on her teacher when her husband did all of this for her. Instead, Elise was curious about getting to know Loriel some more.

It felt like Loriel knew a lot about Elise but it didn't apply the other way around.

Loriel had seen Elise's family, both the good and the bad, but she really didn't have a clue as to his family or even friends. He didn't have anyone else in his life, did he?

She looked at her husband with an enquiring gaze. Maybe, it's time to get to know his past better?

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