Chapter 58: The Otherworldly Swimming Pool, Beautiful Scenery
Time flew by. The beautiful royal envoy had been at Dark Night Manor for two days already. Donald, the host, treated her so well that she almost forgot the purpose of her visit.
The countess seemed equally captivated by everything at Donald’s place, forgetting the main reason for her trip. Ever since tasting the delicious food at Donald’s manor, she became addicted to it. The cooking methods Donald had devised were incomparable to the monotonous ways of cooking in this world. Even her afternoon tea had changed to black tea and Emerald Leaf tea, with sweet pastries prepared by the maids, replacing her favorite rich milk tea from the palace.
She particularly loved two cold drinks invented by Donald: Iced Black Tea and Iced Emerald. Sweet maple syrup was mixed with slightly sour fruit juice, then combined with the brewed teas and chilled with ice. It was refreshing and sweet, a taste that truly challenged her taste buds.
Although the North County wasn’t as hot as the south, the weather at the end of summer was still sunny and somewhat hot. That’s why Donald remembered drinks like Iced Black Tea, which were already common in his past life. Unexpectedly, the countess fell in love with these two cold drinks, to the point of being obsessed with them. However, eating too much cold food could cause digestive problems, and drinking too much tea could disrupt the body’s nutritional balance. So he limited the amount of each drink to a small pot per day, giving half to himself, leaving little for the countess. As a result, she always looked at him with a resentful expression, as if she owed him emotional debt.
Today, as noon approached, Countess Zeta, the royal envoy, waited early in the small dining room on the second floor of the villa without needing her servants to remind her. She sat quietly and composedly, like a statue of a noble lady, with only the fleeting expressions in her eyes revealing her eagerness.
Over the past two days, having tasted the delicious food from the Merlin family, the countess would wait in the dining room before each meal, pretending to be a noble lady. Donald had grown used to this by now.
“Catherine, you’re here early!”
Shortly after, Donald arrived in the small dining room followed by his butler, teasing her lightly. After getting to know her better, Donald understood her temperament—appropriate jokes could actually strengthen their relationship.
Sure enough, although the countess remained expressionless, a faint blush on her cheeks was suspiciously noticeable.
This small restaurant was also designed by Donald based on his memories from his past life. The banquet hall on the first floor, large enough to accommodate a hundred people, seemed too spacious since he usually lived alone, with only one or two guests visiting at a time. Thus, he asked the architect to add a small restaurant on the second floor. Though called a small restaurant, its area was roughly equivalent to the 100-square-meter residence in his past life. It had a fully equipped bar with a crystal wine cabinet filled with various colored wines, which looked especially dazzling under the sunlight streaming through the windows. Although Donald didn’t drink much, the sight was still pleasing to the eye. Sir Jesse, on the other hand, fell in love with this wine cabinet and bar after visiting it a few days ago, wishing he could sleep there all day long! In this world, nobles didn’t lack land, and Donald didn’t want his residence to be as cramped as in his past life. Thus, the area around the villa alone was as large as two mu, using the standard measurement from his past life. If the actual floor area was taken into account, this three-story duplex villa could compare to the tennis court in his past life’s residential complex. After lunch, Countess Catherine, who rarely relaxed, lazily leaned back in a leather chair in the lounge on the second floor, placing a hand on her barely protruding belly and sighing, “I really wish I could stay here forever! Neither the palace nor the three famous estates of the kingdom are as comfortable as this place!” The Mystery Manor was filled with mystery, leaving even Catherine, accustomed to the luxury of the royal family and high nobility, in awe. Hearing this, Donald, who was reading a book on magic nearby, chuckled and said, “If you like it, Catherine, you can stay here for a few more days!” “No! His Majesty the King is waiting for me to return and report on resolving your reward issue! These three days are already the limit; I must leave early tomorrow!” Catherine was also very troubled. Although she was officially a distant relative of the royal family and a court noblewoman in charge of internal affairs, highly trusted by the king and queen, in reality, she was a maid who had followed the queen from the continent to Celt all those years ago, coming from a humble court noble family. It was only because of her generations of service to the queen’s family that she had received such honors. The queen sent this countess out out of self-interest. Catherine had been married to Celt from the Principality of Siren together with the queen for over a decade, back when she was just an eleven-year-old girl.
The two had spent many years together in this foreign land, acting like sisters in private. Now that Catherine was approaching thirty, the queen still hadn’t considered arranging her marriage. Catherine disdained the dissolute sons of the capital nobility, but marrying one of the younger sons of powerful families was also an option—though she feared Catherine might suffer as a result, especially since she still had no favorite suitor. It was said that the genius mage who had achieved the greatest military feats was only seventeen, at the prime of his youth, handsome, a hereditary noble, and about to receive lands. More importantly, he possessed the talent and potential to become a high-ranking mage. If Catherine could win over that young mage’s heart with her charm, she could become a noble lady, far away from the complexities of the capital, while also gaining the status of a spellcaster. Publicly, it would allow the royal family to secure a future high-ranking mage—undoubtedly the best outcome. Having spent nearly twenty years with the queen since childhood, Catherine naturally understood her intentions behind this arrangement. At first, she felt uneasy, but upon further reflection, she realized it might be the best fate for her. This situation made her seriously consider her future. She didn’t want to end up like some noblewomen who indulged in their youth without pursuing happiness, only to resort to marrying an old man just to make a living when they grew older, facing hostility from his children and struggling to secure their inheritance. She couldn’t hope to marry a noble heir or a royal prince—such men would only take her as a lover; their legitimate wives had to be noble princesses or daughters of high-ranking nobles, otherwise they wouldn’t be recognized by their families and might even lose their inheritance rights. Thus, a young, talented, and promising noble lord was undoubtedly an excellent choice for her. Still, she needed to assess his appearance and character before making a decision. She would rather remain unmarried than compromise and suffer! At worst, she could stay by the queen’s side for life. It wasn’t until she arrived at this small estate that she was filled with wonder at its mystery. The young noble mage not only had an attractive appearance but also a humble and polite character, full of youthful innocence and warmth—completely unlike the gloomy demeanor and complex personalities of the capital’s noble youths.
And most importantly, this young mage was by no means as rigid and dull as the mages she had seen before, nor did he lack an appreciation for the pleasures of life. As for the style and facilities of the villa, even the royal palaces couldn’t match such ingenious design—truly befitting a mysterious and powerful mage, with even his living environment being of such excellence. Moreover, he was willing to spend tens of thousands of gold sols to create such a villa, showing a deep understanding of cuisine and art. What’s more remarkable is that his strength hadn’t been affected by other factors. As the greatest mage genius in the North County, at just seventeen he already possessed the potential to become a mid-level Black Iron mage—truly an unparalleled man. The countess had no idea that even other mages, even those of the Golden Clip rank, couldn’t possess Donald’s forward-thinking mindset. After all, habits from past lives are hard to change, and his belief that all technology should serve life far exceeded the limitations of this world’s thinking. This was still after Donald had tried his best not to cause any disruption to this world. Otherwise, if he were to spread some of the other concepts and designs he knew, it might take just a few years to change the world’s landscape. But Donald feared that even before he could change the world’s order, he would be punished by the gods and destroyed, leaving not even a trace of his soul! Seeing Catherine’s reluctant expression and the way she looked at him, Donald thought to himself that this countess must be quite interested in him. So he smiled and said, “Since you’re leaving tomorrow, Catherine, let’s make the most of today and enjoy some time together. Come with me!” With that, he invited the countess to the platform behind the villa. There, they saw a pool of clear water, 300 meters long and 200 meters wide, built on a platform extending from the back half of the villa’s second floor. The balcony was surrounded by carved railings, along with sunshades and tables and chairs for resting. The bottom of the pool was covered with light blue stone slabs, while the edges were made of patterned marble. Under the sunlight, gold and blue created a delightful contrast—a truly picturesque scene, comparable to the sunny beaches of Hawaii. Such a design wasn’t unusual in Donald’s modern past life; most wealthy people’s mansions had similar facilities. But for Catherine, a noblewoman with an already broad perspective in this native world, it was a luxury akin to that of emperors or even gods. How could ordinary people ever have seen such a sight? “By the goddess, Donald, you actually built a pond right above your own villa…” It took the countess a while to recover from her shock.
“I accompanied the queen to Fairwater Manor, one of the three great manors in the kingdom. It’s the volcanic hot springs there that allow for such large bathing pools in the manors, but even those are built on natural springs. Where does the water here come from? From the sky?”
Watching the countess ask in astonishment after astonishment, Donald smiled and pointed ahead at the villa. “Catherine, have you forgotten the fountain pool in front of the villa? This swimming pool also operates based on the same alchemical principles! The water storage area is actually underground, so it doesn’t affect the appearance of the villa.”
The countess clapped her hands in delight. “I’m so surprised! I forgot about the magical tricks of your mages! You call this pond a swimming pool—so it’s not for bathing but specifically for swimming?”
“That’s right. The purpose of a swimming pool is for fun and relaxation. Look, over there there are two rooms—those are the real bathrooms. They’re built with waterproof materials, so there’s no worry about water seeping in. Taking a hot bath before bed makes one feel refreshed, relieves the fatigue of the day, and ensures a good night’s sleep. It’s also very helpful for mages who focus on spiritual cultivation!”
Catherine marveled again. “You really know how to enjoy life!”
“Then, beautiful Miss Catherine, would you like to swim with me?”
Donald took the opportunity to invite the countess to join him in the water. In this world, there were no bikini swimsuits—people generally swam naked. He couldn’t wait to see the countess naked.
The pool, made of white marble and shimmering with blue light in the sunlight, was absolutely beautiful, making one want to strip down and jump in at first sight.
The nobility in this world had a tradition of mixed-gender bathing, but it wasn’t the kind of lewd situation Donald had imagined. Generally, sexual activity didn’t occur in bathrooms, and there was little physical contact between men and women. However, eye contact and public flirting were allowed. Female nobles would show off their beautiful figures to men, while male nobles would display their strong physiques and certain abilities.
The main purpose of bathing together was to find a suitable lifelong partner in the future, after which the elders of both families would formally discuss the marriage. After all, no one wanted their future spouse to have any physical defects.
Besides pairing young men and women, such occasions also gave widows and single men the chance to find a suitable lover for a one-night affair.
Of course, infidelity occasionally occurred, but after satisfying their desires, they would never have any further involvement with each other, nor would it affect their own families or interests. Donald appreciated this open and liberal custom—it was far better than those who pretended to be moral on the surface while secretly engaging in immoral acts. When the servants left and the two began to undress, the countess stared intently at Donald’s body, as if touching it from head to toe. It was because Donald was now handsome and had the unique, mysterious aura of a spellcaster—which girl wouldn’t like that? In this world, aside from tall and handsome knights, the most sought-after by young women were the mysterious and powerful spellcasters. Their rarity only made them more noticeable. Especially for a woman like Catherine, who was used to men, a young and fresh guy like Donald was undoubtedly her favorite. Her gaze seemed to want to devour him. In this life, Donald’s physique was much better than in his previous life—tall, nearly 185 cm, above the average height in this world. Though lean and not as muscled as a strongman, his transformation into a Demon Hunter had made him more well-proportioned and strong. Combined with his somewhat youthful handsome face, he appeared elegant and charming, exuding the vitality and appeal of youth. After removing his last piece of clothing, Donald stood naked under the countess’s scrutinizing gaze. Unluckily, he held his head high and chest out. The countess seemed satisfied with his physique and smiled at him, a mix of temptation and shyness in her eyes. At first, Donald was a bit reserved, but he couldn’t control his body’s natural reactions, so he simply stood proudly, allowing the beautiful woman to admire him—after all, it wouldn’t hurt to show off a little. The countess, after glancing at him twice, chuckled and removed her last silk robe, revealing her perfectly curved body. She then stepped lightly into the swimming pool. Seeing this, Donald hurriedly followed into the water to avoid any further awkward moments. The water, warmed by the sun all morning, was pleasantly warm rather than cold. Moreover, the environment in this world was excellent—free from dust or trash, and the pool water remained clean at all times. The countess swam a few laps comfortably in the water before resting against the smooth marble edge of the pool.
After the pool water cooled him slightly, Donald’s desire subsided as well. He leaned comfortably against the countess, sipping the refreshing drinks brought by the servants.
“My little mage, you’re so adorable. Surely this isn’t your first time seeing a woman’s body?”
The countess leaned in, deliberately pressing her body against Donald’s shoulder, her expression full of temptation as she spoke playfully.
“Of course. Catherine, you’re the first woman I’ve ever met. I’ve been curious about women’s bodies for a long time!”
Donald was telling the truth. Not to mention this life, in his past life as a semi-recluse, he had plenty of experience online, having watched many mysterious videos from East and West. Though he hadn’t put it into practice much, his understanding of women was greater than most men in this world.
It had been a month since he arrived in this world, and under the pressure of survival, he hadn’t had time to think about such things. But facing Catherine’s tempting allure, his long-suppressed passion surged again.
This time, Donald wasn’t embarrassed at all. Instead, he boldly reciprocated the countess’s temptation.
Yet Catherine, who seemed bold and unrestrained, became shy instead. She stepped back, retreating like a mermaid.
“So Catherine, you can be shy too! You pretended to be so bold just now!” Saying this, he swam after her, playing and joking with her in the water.
Although Donald was eager, he wasn’t impulsive. He still had some sense of gentlemanly behavior. He realized that Catherine was the type who appeared open-minded on the outside but was actually somewhat conservative. It wouldn’t be hard to get close to her, but to truly win her heart, he needed to show genuine sincerity and affection. Otherwise, it would just be a one-night affair, unable to develop a real emotional bond, and might even lead to hostility.
He didn’t have much experience in pursuing women, but in his past life, he had learned a few tactics from a friend who claimed to be a romantic master. Besides, he wanted her true heart, not to toy with her. With such sincere pursuit, the results should be even better.
“Stop… uh…”
They played in the water together, filled with laughter and joy, the atmosphere intimate but not excessive. After playing like young lovers for over half an hour, the countess, drenched in sweat, swam back to the shore to rest.
She sighed, “Thank you, my little mage. This is the happiest moment I’ve had in years!”
Donald swam closer and asked concerningly, “What’s wrong? Not happy in the capital? Then come stay with me often—the doors of the Merlin family are always open to you!” Hearing this, the female countess was moved and couldn’t help but lean in to give Donald a light kiss, then press herself against him as he was intoxicated. Faced with such temptation, even Donald, who always maintained his composure, couldn’t help but feel a flame ignite within him. How could he resist? He quickly embraced the female countess and began to caress her. Sensing her enthusiastic response, Donald became even more unrestrained, and the pool was filled with passion. The warmth of her body stirred his blood, driving him to pursue ecstasy in that untamed realm until he brought her to climax three times before finally releasing his own passion. Experiencing such an indescribably wonderful sensation, Donald’s nerves, which had been tense since arriving in this world, finally relaxed. His mental energy surged dramatically, not only stabilizing his mage rank, which had risen due to his transformation into a hero, but also greatly enhancing his mental strength for second-level spells. He was now at the peak of black iron rank, close to breaking through to bronze. Once he mastered the relevant spells and their principles, he could smoothly advance to the upper levels of black iron rank, with bronze mage being the next step. This unexpected blessing filled Donald with fantasies—could frequenting beautiful women help him reach the rank of ninth-level archmage? So that very night, he put his idea into practice, but reality was disappointing. Although the experience still felt wonderful, his mental energy didn’t change much afterward, leaving Donald’s desire to practice with beautiful women unfulfilled.