There were many places to visit in London, but to Noah and Hermione, the scenery of the ordinary world always felt like it was missing something.
When they were younger, both of them had carried heavy academic burdens.
Whether it was Noah or Hermione, they were top-tier students.
For people like them, learning was always more interesting than wandering around aimlessly.
Of course, Noah's thoughts were usually occupied by another problem-what to do when facing that terrifying big boss, Thanos, in the future.
Because of that, he rarely had time for sightseeing.
The one time he went to Los Angeles, he ended up being used as a pawn by the American Magic Association.
Still, the gains from that trip spoke for themselves.
All things considered, Noah had never truly explored London properly, despite being a full-blooded Brit in this life.
Hermione wasn't much different.
So choosing where to go turned out to be easy.
After changing out of their wizard robes, they put on ordinary clothes and followed the flow of tourists, roaming freely through Westminster.
There was a saying-if you wanted to capture all the scenes most commonly found on London postcards in one go, Westminster was the place to be.
Buckingham Palace.
The British royal residence.
Guards in black bearskin hats and red uniforms.
The majestic Houses of Parliament.
The deep, resonant Big Ben.
And the Thames, the lifeblood of London.
All of it was here.
Naturally, their first stop was Buckingham Palace.
Looking at the palace before him, Noah felt a quiet sense of emotion.
Things he had only seen in history textbooks in his previous life were now right in front of him.
Standing in the square, the Victoria Memorial rose atop its marble pedestal, bathed in golden light, as if it were about to descend from the sky.
Both Noah and Hermione were in good spirits.
Especially when the King's Guard performed their drills to the sound of music and commands, ending with the rifle salute.
The sense of royal ceremony was undeniable.
"I really didn't expect that after living here for so many years, we never properly explored these places," Hermione said softly, holding Noah's arm.
"It's fine," Noah smiled and nodded.
"Even if I haven't been here much, I did some homework."
"Homework?" Hermione tilted her head.
"Like what?"
"For example," Noah said, pointing at the flag flying atop the palace,
"see the Royal Standard up there? If it's flying, it means the Queen is inside. If it's not, she's out."
He smiled.
"The most popular attraction here is the Changing of the Guard at 11:30. Those black bearskin hats and red uniforms are basically one of Britain's symbols."
It had to be said-Noah really had done his research.
Back when he'd first arrived in this world, he'd imagined coming here one day and looked up plenty of information.
Fate, however, had other plans.
He later poured all his energy into magic.
But the knowledge stayed with him.
Even if he wanted to forget it, he probably couldn't.
"Not bad," Hermione smiled.
"I didn't expect you to know this much. So what about the palace itself?"
Her interest was clearly piqued now.
Noah spread his hands casually.
"That's easy, my dear. But if I explain it, I think I deserve a reward."
"What kind of reward?" Hermione tilted her head.
She clearly knew what he meant-and showed no embarrassment at all.
"Do you want me to kiss you?"
"A perfect reward," Noah laughed.
Then he pointed ahead.
"Buckingham Palace was built in 1703. It was originally called Buckingham House. In 1837, Queen Victoria moved in, and it's been the royal residence ever since."
"Mhm," Hermione leaned a little closer.
"What else?"
"Currently, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh live there, along with around fifty royal staff members."
Noah leaned closer as well.
"It's a four-story square building with more than six hundred rooms-state rooms, a music room, a ballroom, a picture gallery. And the Royal Garden is said to be filled with flowers."
Before he could finish, Hermione lightly kissed his cheek.
The warmth lingered for a moment.
Even Noah, a so-called veteran, was briefly dazed.
But it passed quickly.
Hermione had already pulled back, smiling, her attention once again on the palace.
As if nothing had happened.
"I'd say that was a foul," Noah said, rubbing his cheek with mock dissatisfaction.
"And you kissed the wrong place."
"Oh?" Hermione smiled.
"Was it wrong? I don't think so..."
She didn't finish her sentence.
Because Noah leaned in close.
Hermione simply closed her eyes.
Everything happened naturally.
No one around paid them any special attention.
To the surrounding tourists, it was just another ordinary couple.
They offered silent blessings and moved on.
After Buckingham Palace, Noah took Hermione to St. James's Park.
It was the most beautiful park in central London, and the best place to relax.
Facing Buckingham Palace directly, the park was full of people sunbathing, walking, and picnicking.
It was also known as the duck park.
The long lake in the center was filled with ducks of every kind.
Some spread their wings across the water, leaving ripples behind.
There were swans, birds, pheasants, and many protected species.
The most beautiful view was from the bridge, looking across the lake toward Buckingham Palace.
Especially at night.
But it wasn't night yet.
That didn't dampen their mood.
Like other couples, they took out their phones and snapped photos.
As a souvenir, Noah even uploaded the photos to his private WeChat.
As the only social software in the magical world, WeChat's reach was absurd.
Nearly every wizard used it.
And as its owner, Noah's follower count was terrifying.
Combined with his many identities, it was hard to find a wizard who didn't follow him.
Unfortunately, Noah hadn't posted anything personal in a very long time.
Years, even.
Until today.
On this very ordinary day, Noah's WeChat updated.
At first, people assumed it was just another system push.
But when wizards opened it, they froze.
Staring at the affectionate couple on their screens-
And realizing who they were-
The magical world exploded.
Noah Finniel.
That Noah Finniel.
Posting a public photo?
And with a girlfriend?
Curiosity turned into shock when people realized who the girl was.
The one from the movies.
Noah had no idea how much chaos his casual post had caused.
Nor did he know how many hearts were breaking at that moment.
He only knew one thing.
He was happy.
Walking slowly with Hermione, they passed through Whitehall, from Trafalgar Square to the Houses of Parliament.
They stopped by 10 Downing Street.
Then they went to the Thames.
Standing by the river, they admired the golden glow of Parliament and the precision of Big Ben.
The area was crowded all day.
But the best time was after sunset, when the sky dimmed but hadn't yet turned dark.
From the opposite bank, the reflection made the scene solemn and magnificent.
Finally, at sunset, Noah took Hermione to the Millennium Wheel.
The London Eye.
They bought tickets and sat inside a capsule.
As it rose and fell slowly, the sun dipped toward the horizon, casting golden light across the Thames.
The atmosphere was indescribable.
"It's beautiful," Hermione said softly, leaning against Noah.
"Different from before. This is the most beautiful sunset I've ever seen."
"Yes," Noah said quietly, holding her close.
"It really is beautiful."
He took a breath.
"Do you think I'll have the honor of watching the sunrise with this beautiful lady?"