Harem Online: My Party Is Full of Beautiful Celebrities

Martin led her back toward the central academy. The Light Tree dominated more of the sky with every path they crossed, its luminous canopy spreading above the surrounding buildings like a second night sky.

By the time they reached its base, the enormous trunk filled most of Alexandra’s view before disappearing into the golden leaves far above them.

She glanced around. "Are we meeting someone?"

"No."

"Another hidden platform?"

"Higher."

Alexandra followed his gaze toward the branches.

Martin pointed up. "We’re climbing."

She turned to him. "Players can’t climb the Light Tree. It rejects anyone who tries."

"Most players."

"And we’re different?"

"Rangar spoke to the higher-ups. They gave us permission to approach it, but the tree still has to accept us."

"That is much less reassuring."

"He said an old hunter route would reveal itself if it did. If nothing happens, we leave."

Alexandra looked up again. "So you brought me here without knowing whether this would work."

"I knew there was a chance."

"How large a chance?"

Martin hesitated.

Alexandra narrowed her eyes. "Martin."

"Large enough."

"That is not a number."

"It’s the only answer you’re getting."

She studied him for another moment, then approached the trunk and placed her palm against the bark.

Nothing happened.

Martin’s stomach tightened.

Alexandra glanced at him without removing her hand. "Should I pretend this is dramatic silence?"

"Give it a second."

"You said that very quickly."

Warmth spread beneath her palm.

Thin golden lines traveled upward through the trunk, branching into glowing footholds and ledges. Vines shifted aside, uncovering shallow grooves hidden beneath moss, while a thick root rose behind them and formed the beginning of an old climbing route.

Alexandra stared at the illuminated path.

Martin released the breath he had been holding. "See? We’re welcome."

She did not answer.

"In Three Empires Dawn," Martin said, "Marika doesn’t wait at the bottom of the Sacred Tower for the priests to decide whether she belongs there. They lock the doors, so she climbs the outside."

Alexandra turned toward him slowly. "You read it."

"Some of it."

"How much?"

"The Chapters around the tower and enough summaries to understand what was happening. Fans online spoiled most of the rest."

Her gaze stayed fixed on him. "Why?"

"You talk about Marika often enough. I wanted to understand why that scene mattered so much."

"Then tell me."

"She was told she had no place there, so she climbed high enough to make everyone look up at her anyway."

Alexandra’s fingers remained against the bark.

"That’s what she did," she said. "It isn’t the whole reason I love it."

Martin waited.

"The priests had already decided what kind of woman she was. The nobles had too. Even the people claiming to support her only wanted the version of Marika they found useful."

"They thought they understood her before she spoke."

"They thought listening was unnecessary."

Alexandra looked up at the glowing route rather than at him.

"The tower wasn’t only about proving that they couldn’t stop her. She forced them to look at her again. Not the villain they had invented or the political tool they wanted. Her."

Martin thought about the interviews he had watched while researching Alexandra. The questions rarely changed. People asked about her beauty, her movies, her sister, and whatever rumor had appeared that week. They spoke as if watching her on a screen meant they already knew her.

"People do that to you," he said.

Alexandra finally looked at him.

"They know the actress before they meet you," Martin continued. "Or they know Katherine’s younger sister. They’ve already decided which Alexandra they’re talking to."

"Most of them don’t realize they’re doing it."

"And the ones who do?"

"They usually think they’re clever enough to hide it."

Martin nodded toward the golden path. "That’s why the tower matters."

"Partly." A faint smile touched her lips. "Marika reaches the top without becoming what they wanted. She doesn’t beg them to understand her. She makes them deal with the woman who was there all along."

"That sounds like you."

"I assumed you would say she sounded exhausting."

"She does."

Alexandra’s eyes narrowed.

"So do you," Martin added. "That doesn’t mean I’m wrong."

A quiet laugh escaped her.

Martin stepped closer to the trunk. "I knew you’d hate it if I copied the whole scene. You aren’t Marika, this isn’t the Sacred Tower, and becoming an enemy of the academy would make the rest of my life here difficult."

"That last part was your greatest concern?"

"It was high on the list."

"So I asked permission. You get the climb without us being chased out of Forest Hidden afterward."

"You researched my favorite trilogy and convinced the academy to let us approach its sacred tree."

"Rangar handled most of the convincing."

"You were the one who asked."

Martin rubbed the back of his neck. "I wanted to show you something you couldn’t get from a movie set."

Alexandra lowered her hand from the bark.

"Why?"

Martin looked at her rather than the glowing route.

"I wasn’t planning this for the actress or Katherine’s sister," he said. "I planned it for you."

Alexandra had no quick answer this time.

"People hear me talk all day," she said. "They don’t usually listen."

"I’m trying."

"You did more than try."

Martin smiled. "I also read twelve paragraphs about the symbolic meaning of a window."

"It was an important window."

"I’m beginning to regret mentioning it."

Alexandra caught the front of his shirt and pulled him into a kiss.

Martin stumbled before catching her waist. Her mouth pressed firmly against his, but the kiss was unhurried. She relaxed against him, letting the moment last without trying to turn it into another challenge.

When she drew back, his hand remained around her waist.

"That was for listening," she whispered.

"Do I get another one at the top?"

"Earn it."

She released his shirt and stepped onto the raised root. Before climbing farther, she looked back at him over her shoulder.

"Want me to go first?" she asked. "You’ll get an even better view."

Martin’s gaze dropped to the high slit in her dress and the full shape of her thighs.

"Yes, please."

Alexandra laughed and began climbing. "At least you’re honest when it matters."

Martin followed close behind.

The glowing marks made the route look easier than it was. Broad ridges offered comfortable footing at first, but the path soon narrowed into small holds and thick vines they had to grip.

The bark scraped their palms, and every long reach pulled at Martin’s shoulders. The higher they climbed, the thinner the academy paths looked below.

Alexandra moved ahead with more confidence than he expected. The slit in her dress gave her enough freedom to lift her legs, and every step drew the fabric tighter across her thighs.

Martin tried to concentrate on the glowing holds. Having Alexandra directly above him made that difficult, which had clearly been her intention.

She glanced down and caught him looking.

"Any regrets about letting me go first?"

"None."

"No hesitation this time."

"I’m learning."

"You admitted it twice tonight."

"I’ve never pretended to know everything."

Alexandra looked down at him with open disbelief.

"Keep climbing," Martin said.

Her laugh drifted through the leaves as she continued upward.

The route curved around the trunk and crossed beneath a massive branch. Old hunters had carved shallow handholds into the bark, but wide gaps remained between them, forcing both of them to stretch farther than was comfortable.

Alexandra reached a narrow ledge and pulled herself onto it.

Martin followed, but a loose piece of bark broke beneath his right foot.

He dropped.

Alexandra caught his wrist with both hands before he fell far. Martin slammed against the trunk and seized the nearest vine before his full weight could drag her from the ledge.

"You can let go," he said. "I have the vine."

"I know."

She did not release him.

Martin found another foothold and pulled himself level with her. Alexandra kept both hands around his wrist until his weight was safely back against the trunk.

Only then did she let go.

Her hands were trembling.

"You all right?" Martin asked.

"I caught you."

"Your hands are shaking."

Alexandra looked down at them.

"I know you would have respawned," she said. "I still hated not knowing whether I could reach you."

The humor left his face. "I didn’t mean to scare you."

"Then don’t do that again."

"I’ll inform the loose bark."

Alexandra caught the front of his shirt and pulled him closer.

"I’m serious."

Martin met her eyes. "I know."

For a moment, neither of them moved. Her grip remained tight, and her breathing had not settled.

"I didn’t want our first date to end because I couldn’t hold on to you," she said.

"I’d come back."

"That isn’t the point."

"No." Martin placed his hand over hers. "It isn’t."

Her fingers loosened slightly.

Martin had stopped thinking much about death in the game. Alexandra’s shaking hands made it feel less harmless.

"I’ll be more careful."

"You’d better."

"I didn’t know you were this attached already."

Her eyes narrowed, but the fear had faded. "You’re heavier than you look."

"That sounds more like you."

Alexandra pushed past him and continued upward.

Martin followed close enough to catch her if the next piece of bark failed. After several steps, she slowed until they were climbing beside each other.