After shouting like a madman, Victor stormed into a high-end restaurant, his steps exaggerated and arrogant, as if he owned the very ground he walked on.
His aura radiated a cold, almost unnatural energy… like he was literally releasing ice from his body, chilling the air around him.
The guards at the entrance and the receptionist stationed by the door didn’t even consider questioning him. They knew better than to block someone who looked like they could freeze them with just a glance and just by his clothes and arrogant nature they knew it was one of those Powerful Young Masters. Bowing their heads submissively, they let him pass without so much as a word.
Victor smirked to himself, satisfaction swelling in his chest. He strode confidently to a table by the window, taking a seat with a perfect view of the outside world. He relaxed into the chair, crossing his legs as he gazed out, taking in the vibrant cityscape.
Moments later, a nervous waiter approached, his hands clasped in front of him, “Good evening, sir. What may I get for you today?” His voice was laced with respect, though Victor noticed the slight tremor.
Victor didn’t even glance up. His eyes remained fixed on the outside view as he asked in a bored, almost dismissive tone, “What’s the most expensive dish you serve here?”
The waiter hesitated only for a split second before responding with well-practised efficiency, “That would be the Grand Velas Tacos, sir.”
Victor finally turned his head, casting a disinterested look at the waiter. “Bring that,” he said, waving his hand dismissively as if this was a trivial matter.
The waiter nodded quickly, relieved to have the order. “Right away, sir.” He scurried off, eager to fulfil the request as fast as possible.
As he waited, Victor leaned back in his chair, a smug smile playing on his lips. His eyes swept across the room, observing the other diners.
Many of them had been sneaking glances at him, curious and perhaps a little intimidated. But the moment he locked eyes with any of them, they immediately looked away, pretending to be deeply engrossed in their meals or conversations.
“Hehe…” His soft, low chuckle echoed in the room, unsettling everyone within earshot. He could practically feel the tension rising as people shifted uncomfortably in their seats.
To be honest, It’s not like Victor was a spendthrift like.. He wasn’t the type to throw his money around recklessly.
He wasn’t one of those wasteful heirs who splurged for the sake of it. But today… today he just wanted to live like one of those arrogant, pompous young masters.
Just once… like in the novels, he wanted to indulge in that cliche.
He wasn’t gambling it away like others, right?
‘It’s not like I’m wasting money at a casino or blowing it on something stupid,’ he thought to himself, ‘I’m buying food…. And an expensive meal is worth it, right?’
As the kitchen worked on his extravagant order, another waiter arrived with a bottle of fine wine. He poured a glass and set it on the table. But Victor’s eyes narrowed as he looked at it.
“No wine,” he said, his voice curt and final. “Bring me juice instead.”
The waiter blinked, momentarily taken aback. He clearly hadn’t expected such a request from a man who had just ordered the most expensive dish in the restaurant. However, after a brief pause, he quickly nodded and hurried off to fulfil the unusual request.
Victor leaned back once more, sighing internally, ‘I wish I had the skill to purify alcohol from my body instantly,’ he mused, imagining how convenient that would be, ‘Then I wouldn’t have to deal with all this nonsense.’
After what felt like an eternity but was really only about half an hour, the first waiter finally returned, carefully carrying a beautifully plated dish. With a flourish, he set it down in front of Victor.
“Your Grand Velas Tacos, sir. Please enjoy.”
Victor’s eyes widened slightly as he stared at the dish.
It was… small.
Far smaller than he had expected!!
The plate, artfully arranged, looked more like a piece of minimalist artwork than a meal. He couldn’t help but gulp, feeling a pit form in his stomach.
He cast a quick glance at the waiter, who was standing nearby, eagerly awaiting his reaction…. Clearly, they expected praise, admiration, and compliments.
Victor forced a smile, ‘Well, some gourmet dishes are like that… small but packed with flavour,’ he reassured himself, trying to ignore the fact that this portion wouldn’t even be enough to fill a child, let alone a grown man.
With deliberate elegance, Victor took his first bite. The creamy texture of the sauce spread across his tongue, and he nodded, “Hmmm…”
“Hmmm… Tasty,” he muttered.
The waiter exhaled in relief and turned to leave, convinced he had done a good job.
But before he could walk away, Victor suddenly asked, “How much is this dish?”
The waiter turned back, a proud smile on his face. “Just 100,000ˀ, sir,” he said confidently. “You see, the ingredients are sourced from various distant empires, and the preparation requires a high level of expertise—Y-Young Master? Are you… crying?”
Victor’s eyes widened as he felt the tears welling up behind his mask.
Damn it!
“Ahem…” He cleared his throat and quickly wiped his eyes, trying to regain his composure. “I-It’s nothing. The taste just… reminded me of my mother’s cooking. It’s very nostalgic, that’s all.”
The waiter’s expression softened, his admiration deepening. “Of course, sir. I’m glad to hear it. Please, enjoy your meal.” He bowed even lower, clearly convinced that he had just witnessed a touching moment.
As soon as the waiter left, Victor’s forced smile dropped, replaced by a look of utter horror.
Inside, he was screaming, ‘Don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry!’
But it was too late… His tears falling down!!
‘100,000ˀ?! For this shit?! Oh my fucking god, this is the worst thing I’ve ever eaten! What kind of monstrosity did I just waste my money on?!’ he thought, the disbelief hitting him like a punch to the gut, ‘Oh my fucking goodness!! Don’t cry, Don’t cry….’
As soon as he had taken that first bite, his only thought was, ‘YUCK!!’
Yeah, He didn’t like the food at all!! He had asked for the price out of… small fear, but now he was trapped as his fear came true, knowing he had paid a fortune for something so revolting!!!
Much more,
He forced another bite down, his body practically revolting against him, ‘I-I have to finish this. I-I paid a fortune for it… Celestia would kill me if she knew what I did!! I can’t just leave it! My fucking MONEY!!’
He regretted it now!!
With trembling lips, he chewed and swallowed, each bite more painful than the last. ‘Am I being punished for indulging myself?’ he wondered miserably, ‘Is this my karmic retribution for trying to live like one of those rich, arrogant young masters?’
As he wallowed in his despair, his eyes drifted to the window… and then he froze.
“FUCK!!” he screamed, startling everyone around him.
Outside, a grey-haired girl was pressed against the glass, her face smooshed against it as drool dripped from her lips…. Her grey eyes were glued to his plate, filled with hunger and desire.
“S-Stella?” Victor muttered, barely believing what he was seeing.
[+10000 AP]
Stella grinned, flashing him a thumbs-up from the other side of the window.
…..
….
“Hmmm… Hmm… Hmm… This is really delicious, Aeth—”
“Ahem!”
Stella quickly glanced up, blinking innocently as she stuffed the 100,000ˀ food into her mouth like it was nothing,
“Oh! V-Victor, right?” she said as if she hadn’t just called him by another name.
Her eyes twinkled with playful innocence, even as she casually devoured the expensive meal.
Victor stared at her, completely blank. Stella had appeared out of nowhere, and even though he was in disguise, she had identified him as easily as if he were wearing a name tag. He sighed in exasperation, running a hand through his hair.
“How did you find me?” he asked, already knowing it was probably something annoyingly simple.
Stella smiled softly, pointing a delicate finger at his white inner shirt. “My sister’s enchantment,” she said, as if that explained everything.
“Oh…” Victor nodded, his shoulders slumping slightly in resignation. Of course, it was something as ridiculous as that. He scratched his head awkwardly, trying to regain his composure. “So… how are you? It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
At his question, Stella paused mid-bite, her gaze locking onto his with those large, innocent grey eyes of hers. Her cheeks flushed slightly, and a soft smile curled at the corners of her lips. “Yes, it has been a while,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “How are you, Ae—uh, I mean, Victor?”
[+10000 AP]
Victor shook his head slightly at the notification, a small smirk tugging at his lips. He was getting used to these by now. In a way, he even felt like he deserved this strange affection she had for him.
It no longer bothered him as it once did…. He wondered why!
“I’m fine,” he replied, his eyes lingering on hers. Stella’s grey eyes shimmered with a gentle innocence, a stark contrast to someone else he knew.
Her blush deepened as she lowered her head shyly, clearly flustered under his gaze. Victor’s smirk widened, amusement bubbling inside him as he decided to indulge in a bit of conversation. “So… how’s life been? What brings you here?” he asked, his tone soft, almost teasing.
Stella didn’t meet his eyes as she continued to fiddle with the plate, her fingers tracing the edges absentmindedly. “I’m doing fine,” she said quietly. “Just came here to organize a few temple meetings… although, there’s a bit of an issue that some random bitc—” She quickly coughed, cutting herself off. “Ahem, I mean, there’s someone… blocking my way, but I’m managing fine.”
Victor’s brow furrowed in concern. “Is someone giving you trouble?” he asked, his voice taking on a sharper, more protective edge.
[+10000 AP]
Stella’s cheeks flushed a deeper shade of pink as she quickly shook her head.
“O-Of course not!”
“Are you sure?”
Stella puffed out her cheeks slightly, her lips curling into a pout, “Yes, I am! Stop worrying so much!” she said, trying to sound stern but failing miserably. Her smile softened almost immediately as she leaned a little closer to him, her gaze tender, “You haven’t changed that much… Really You’re such a worrywart,” she teased, though her voice was warm with affection. “But… how are you doing?”
Victor leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest, “Well, I’m doing fi—”
“I heard you and Helena are dating.”
Her voice, once soft and sweet, suddenly turned cold.
It was like a switch had flipped.
Victor froze, flinching as the entire atmosphere around them shifted. The once innocent and gentle Stella was replaced by someone darker, and more intense. Her grey eyes, previously warm, now stared at him with a chilling, almost emotionless gaze.
The temperature in the restaurant seemed to drop several degrees. The others in the restaurant stiffened, sensing the sudden shift. Everyone glanced nervously at Stella, clearly wondering what this young master had done to upset such a beautiful girl.
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However,
‘Hehe…’ Victor chuckled inwardly, finding her cute little bout of ‘Jealousy’ amusing.
‘She’s adorable~’ he thought with a wide grin, but then blinked, suddenly feeling that something was off, ‘Hmm… Why am I enjoying this so much?’ As he continued to observe her, the intensity of her jealous reaction only made his lips curl into an even broader smile. ‘There’s definitely something wrong with me…’ he mused, though the warmth growing inside him suggested otherwise.
Finally, he decided to respond “Well… yeah,” he said with deliberate slowness, watching her reaction closely.
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