Chapter 159: A Noble’s Carnivore
After being hurried along by Mr. Vundo, who was scolding him while Louis tugged at the master’s arm, he somehow found himself receiving disapproving glares from Lyon and the others. Louis didn’t understand. He was trying his best.
The match resumed under the magical barrier, but Mr. Vundo’s intense focus was intimidating. The way Shiao Yi floated throwing knives and swords into the air in a fan-shaped formation was even more terrifying.
But what followed—the creation of the red crystal—was completely beyond Louis’s understanding. He couldn’t even comprehend what had just happened.
Mr. Vundo became unusually excited, and the captain’s previously lifted spirits began to decline. To make matters worse, the sudden intrusion of Aaron made the captain even more irritable.
Everyone thought the mission had failed and felt ready to collapse in disappointment. But then, Aaron presented a new suggestion to the captain.
As expected of Aaron. Finally, it looked like a real, proper date. There had been some sort of whispered exchange of conditions, but Louis decided to ignore that this time. Inner peace was more important.
To complete the mission of the Dating Operation, the members of the Second Division stationed themselves at key points in the city.
They blocked anyone regardless of gender who might interfere with the captain or Shiao Yi, sometimes using force to remove threats.
That much went without saying.
Because of their efforts, the captain had given the Second Division a long-awaited day off the next day.
Their hard work today had not been in vain.
Shiao Yi! Do your best tonight!
As the red sunset bathed the city, Louis and the rest of the squad silently cheered the two of them on from behind while watching Shiao Yi and the captain walk home together, hand in hand.
...
Relieved that at least it had turned into something like a proper date, Shiao Yi and Dominic returned to the mansion together.
Dominic’s mood was good, and Shiao Yi thought maybe this would meet the expectations of Brunagum and the others as well.
As soon as they stepped into the dining room next to the kitchen on the first floor, Dominic didn’t let go of Shiao Yi’s hand.
Instead, he lifted him straight into his lap.
Sometimes Dominic behaved like this—acting sweet and clingy.
Shiao Yi could never forget the shocked expressions on everyone’s faces the first time it happened in this mansion.
Even Jude, the kind of gentleman who usually remained calm no matter what happened, had worn that startled look.
Shiao Yi had ended up staring harder at Jude than the man stared at them, just because it was so rare to see him like that.
"Well, well, my young master! How heartwarming this is!"
Eline had raised her voice happily back then, and even now, when Shiao Yi turned his head and their eyes met—Eline’s face beaming with a wide smile.
Yes, she was about to say it again.
He had gotten so used to it back at the fortress that he had forgotten how strange it must look.
Habit was terrifying.
At the fortress, people had stiffened in fear as if they were seeing something dreadful and carefully trying not to look directly at them.
But here, having familiar faces watching warmly felt just as embarrassing.
It made him restless.
Shiao Yi wriggled a little, trying to get down, but Dominic’s arms locked him in place with unshakable strength.
That brute strength of his hadn’t changed at all.
Whenever Dominic held him on his lap like this, Shiao Yi looked no different than a little child.
And he had said it before, but he would say it again—he was nineteen! He’s a grown man already!
The dining room itself was not small.
At its center stood a long elegant table, solid and impressive.
On each side of it, ten sturdy chairs faced each other.
At the far ends of the table, there were four more chairs, two on each side, clearly for formal gatherings.
It was extravagantly large, the kind of thing only nobles would bother with.
Paintings of past lords and ladies hung on the walls.
The columns seemed to rise directly from the wall itself and decorated candleholders were fixed into them which giving the whole room a heavy, dignified atmosphere.
But sitting at the end of that huge table, perched on a single chair, on Dominic’s lap no less, made Shiao Yi feel absurdly out of place.
Wasn’t there a smaller room they could use?
Even a corner of the kitchen would be better than this.
The rest of the household seemed to eat together in a smaller room connected to the kitchen.
Shiao Yi thought to himself that he would have preferred to join them there instead.
While he was thinking that, Dominic’s breath brushed against his neck, followed by soft kisses along his hair and ear.
Looking up, Shiao Yi met Dominic’s face, smiling down at him with such happiness.
That’s right—this was still part of their date.
Sharing dinner with more affection and closeness than usual, and after that...
His chest began to beating hard.
Surely that was what the date was leading toward.
Damn, it was embarrassing.
Why was he blushing now of all times? Was he acting like some maiden or something?
As he tried to reach out awkwardly for the food laid out in front of him from his cramped position, Dominic lifted a spoonful of stew toward his mouth.
"Here, Shiao Yi," Dominic said.
Almost by reflex, Shiao Yi opened his mouth and took the spoonful and chewing it without thinking.
Just how much had he been conditioned to being fed like this?
While munching, he shot Dominic a glare, but in return Dominic only gave him a soft, sweet smile.
—Thump!
But that look in Dominic’s eyes wasn’t sweet at all.
The sparkle in those blue eyes was the gleam of a predator.
Dominic wasn’t just a man who liked to eat meat and finish huge portions in one sitting.
No—he was a perfect carnivore in every sense.