The First Patriarch: Streaming My Cosmic Harem

Chapter 68: Chapter 68: Saving the Date

Rosalind stopped in her tracks, turning her head to look up at him.

A soft, knowing smile slowly curled her lips as her golden eyes danced with quiet amusement.

"Thank you," she murmured softly, before tilting her head.

"But you didn’t like it at all, did you?"

Azriel froze for a fraction of a second, his smooth, unshakeable composure fracturing under her direct, perceptive gaze.

"Ummm... yeah. Not gonna lie, Rose... it was a bit of a drag."

[LIVE CHAT]

[Sadistic69] (Red): AHAHAHA! CAUGHT RED-HANDED! He really thought his aggressive clapping convinced a GrandMaster!

[Nine_Tailed_Vixen] (Cyan): She knew the whole time! Hahahaha

[Moon_Priestess_99] (Cyan): Look at how gentle she is with him, though! She isn’t even mad, she just finds him adorable when he tries to pretend.

[Crimson_Fury] (Cyan): The Ultimate Simp is here, everyone, start clapping!!

Rosalind let out a light, musical chuckle, shaking her head.

"I knew it. Your eyes were literally glazed over during the second act. But don’t worry... you will definitely like the next place I am taking you."

She grabbed his hand again, leading him out to the sidewalk and walking toward the city’s grand cultural district.

Their second destination was the Royal Imperial Museum, a monumental, soaring structure filled with ancient relics, mana-infused artifacts, historical armor, and centuries of high-tier legacy displays.

For the first ten minutes, Azriel was genuinely interested.

Watching floating historical glyphs, ancient weapons from past realm wars, and legendary armor sets was cool enough to hold his attention.

But as the minutes ticked by and they moved into the endless, dry exhibits detailing ancient tax ledgers, diplomatic scrolls, and prehistoric pottery, the familiar, soul-crushing boredom returned with a vengeance.

Rosalind paused in front of a glass display housing a centuries-old imperial seal.

She glanced sideways at Azriel, taking in his subtle, desperate attempt to look deeply invested in a piece of ancient clay.

"You’re not liking it," Rosalind stated quietly, her feline ears drooping slightly.

Azriel immediately snapped to attention, flashing a bright, energetic grin.

"What? No, I’m loving it! Look at that... uh... very old pot. Incredible history!"

"No, you’re not liking it," she repeated, a genuinely sad, disappointed expression falling over her face as her tail trailed limply on the floor.

"I wanted today to be perfect for you. I thought since you would always read those books from the library, you would like the museum."

"Sigh, both of my ideas were complete failures..."

Seeing her crestfallen face and the genuine disappointment in her eyes, Azriel’s heart melted instantly.

He stepped close, cupping her face in his large, warm hands and lifting her gaze to meet his.

"Hey... it’s okay, Rose," he said gently, his voice soft and full of genuine warmth.

"It’s our very first date. It happens. We’re still figuring out what works for both of us."

"But—" Rosalind started, her golden eyes filled with rare hesitation.

"No buts," Azriel cut her off firmly with a tender smirk, kissing the tip of her nose.

"You tried, and that means more to me than any museum or opera ever could. Now... how about we ditch your official itinerary and go do something fun?"

Rosalind blinked, her golden eyes widening slightly as his thumb gently brushed against her cheek.

The lingering disappointment in her expression slowly dissolved, replaced by a soft, vulnerable warmth that made her white feline ears perk right back up.

"Ditch the itinerary?" she echoed softly, a subtle, mischievous tilt appearing at the corners of her lips.

"I spent three days approving those reservations, Azriel."

"And you spent the last two hours watching me suffer through high-society tax pots," Azriel teased, smoothly sliding his hand down from her face to lace his fingers with hers, pulling her toward the grand exit of the museum.

"It’s time I take the wheel."

[LIVE CHAT]

[Sadistic69] (Red): HE IS SAVING THE DATE IN REAL-TIME

[Nine_Tailed_Vixen] (Cyan): Look at her face... the feared Duchess is literally letting him drag her out of her own curated itinerary like a giddy schoolgirl!

[Boundless_Slacker] (Red): He’s taking her away from the high-brow noble stuff. Place your bets, sisters, where is he taking the Duchess?

[Frost_Queen_Elsa] (Cyan): Whatever it is, if it doesn’t involve ancient opera or broken pottery, it’s already a 10/10 upgrade.

They bypassed the bowing museum curators and stepped back out into the bright, warm afternoon sun.

Returning to the underground terminal, Azriel casually held out his hand.

"Keys," he demanded with a confident grin.

Rosalind didn’t even hesitate this time. She tossed him the circular obsidian disc, her eyes sparkling with quiet anticipation.

"If you crash my Phantom-V into a floating conduit, I am assigning you four extra white pillars tomorrow morning."

"Deal," Azriel laughed, sliding into the driver’s seat.

He pressed the disc into the center console, and the vehicle roared to life with a deep, resonant hum of concentrated mana.

The holographic matrices flared across the dashboard, highlighting street routes, energy levels, and gravity parameters.

Azriel engaged the gravity rings and launched the sleek white coupe out of the terminal.

Instead of staying on the high-altitude, noble-tier skyways where the elites traveled, Azriel immediately dipped the vehicle down toward the lower levels, heading straight for the central grand market district.

As they glided into the lower city, the atmosphere shifted completely.

The quiet, polished dignity of the upper sectors was replaced by the raw, energetic pulse of the common people.

The streets were lined with vibrant street-food stalls emitting mouth-watering aromas of grilled magical beasts and spiced meats, crowded arcade centers, open-air dueling arenas, and bustling merchant bazaars filled with music and laughter.

Azriel pulled the Phantom-V into a private parking bay near the edge of the central plaza, killing the engine.

He turned to Rosalind, who was staring out the dark-tinted window at the sheer chaos of the market with wide, curious eyes.

"When was the last time you actually walked through the lower markets, Rose?" Azriel asked, a crooked smile on his face.

Rosalind turned her head, her feline ears twitching as she took in the sights.

"Never," she confessed quietly, a faint, genuine smile breaking across her face. "I’ve only ever seen it from above whenever I passed through it."

"Then let’s go explore it."