Chapter 130: Special Taste
"It’s not like we’re dating," Lucius said with a sigh, leaning back on his headboard. "Our friendship is going to last a really long time."
His tone was lazy, but he was serious about it...
Since Esme was so innocent, he felt this strange sense of duty to protect her.
He was feeling very much like a saint, and since the woman was so innocent, he would protect her from the dread of the world... but could you really call someone that enjoyed horror innocen?
"Good," she said brightly, brushing a stray strand of her purple hair aside. "So... should I buy out the whole place again?"
Lucius blinked. "Wait, again?"
Before he could say more, Tinny, who was standing beside her lady, looked up with visible shock written across her face. "My lady, did you do that before?"
Esme tilted her head innocently. "Yes. It made things quieter."
Tinny pressed a hand to her temple.
"When watching movies at theatres, what makes it interesting are the other people there... so you can see their reactions, their screams and their laughter too. That’s part of the fun!"
She sighed.
This wasn’t the first time she’d had to say something like that.
Tinny had only accompanied her mistress to a theatre once before, and that single experience had been... unforgettable.
It had been a complicated night... good because she was with Esme, bad because of the movie Esme had chosen.
It wasn’t even horror.
It was some bizarre art film where a man fought ghosts with tax paperwork.
Tinny had spent the whole time trying not to question her life choices.
Still, she could sympathize with Lucius.
Not everyone could survive Esme’s eccentric taste in movies.
Esme crossed her arms, her lips pursing slightly.
"Yes, why not? It was Lucius’s first time watching a premiere with me, so I had to make it special. Besides, who cares about other people? As long as I have my movie buddy with me, everything’s okay."
Even Lucius had to admit... that sounded dangerously close to a confession.
"Alright, I’ll go," he said, sighing.
He’d given up trying to reason with her.
"Just send the tickets, the time, and the theatre location to my Stitch."
"Okay... and one last thing."
Lucius raised an eyebrow. "What now?"
Esme smiled, her cheeks growing pink.
Then she puckered her lips and blew him a kiss through the screen. "Sleep well."
Lucius blinked again.
’How did she know I was about to sleep?’
Was she some sort of seer or something?
Her voice softened as she smirked.
"I can see it in your eyes, fucker." Then, before he could reply, the screen went black.
He stared at his phone for a long second, still not entirely sure what just happened.
Finally, he sighed and dropped the phone beside him.
"Well that’s a problem for future me... I need some sleep..." he muttered.
He leaned back, staring at the ceiling.
The hum of the air conditioner filled the room.
Within minutes, his eyelids grew heavy, and he drifted into sleep.
Maybe, if he was lucky, he’d wake before dinner.
...
Four women sat quietly around the dinner table.
Their plates were empty, utensils perfectly arranged, but no one had started eating yet.
Well mostly because they hadn’t be served yet but still...
They were all waiting for one person... Lucius.
Vanessa sat at the head of the table, her fingers gently drumming against her plate.
She bit her lip, trying not to let her thoughts spiral.
She didn’t want to dwell on what had happened earlier... Lucius had fucked her silly beside her sister and she was wondering how Emilia’s reaction would be, they hadn’t talked since then.
Her eyes drifted toward her younger sister, Emilia.
Was she still fucked by Lucius?
Emilia, in contrast, looked completely unbothered.
She sat cross-legged, phone in hand, thumbs moving quickly as she typed something with a frown.
Sometimes Vanessa wondered if her sister was born without the ability to feel shame.
She almost envied that.
The kitchen door opened, and Villy stepped out carrying a steaming silver pot.
The smell that followed instantly filled the room.... It was mouth-watering.
"What’s for dinner?" Elara asked immediately, leaning forward.
The excitement in her eyes made her look like a hungry cat watching a fish.
She wanted to help Villy cook, but her mind was weighed down by guilt.
How exactly was she supposed to tell Vanessa that she might’ve... accidentally destroyed the training room earlier?
Not exactly an easy conversation to start.
Villy set the pot carefully on the table.
Steam curled upward, and the glistening surface of the stew shimmered under the golden lights.
"It’s a special meal tonight," she said with her usual gentle smile. "Crimson boar stew, slow-cooked with sun herbs, silver carrots, and flame peppers. The broth’s enriched with mana essence... it restores vitality after long days of training or working. It’s a Dwarven special."
The smell was heavenly, and for a few seconds, even Vanessa forgot to worry.
Just then, the air rippled faintly... and in the blink of an eye, Lucius appeared in one of the empty chairs at the far end of the table.
He didn’t even bother to walk in.
He looked half-asleep, his dark hair tousled, his eyes half-lidded and glowing violet under the lights.
Somehow, even in his tired state, he still managed to look handsome... annoyingly so.
Vanessa envied it.
"Good evening, my lord," Villy said, setting the ladle down and bowing slightly. "Would you like dinner?"
Lucius stretched, yawning wide enough to make Emilia mimic him just out of habit.
"Yeah. What’s for dinner?"
He glanced around the table and noticed the steaming bowls. "Nice. One of my favorites."
Villy served him first, scooping the rich stew into a deep bowl.
The scent of spice and heat hit him instantly.
He lifted his spoon, about to dig in then paused.
His eyes drifted toward Elara, and a small crease formed on his brow.
He clearly remembered something.
"Vanessa."
Her shoulders tensed.
"Yes?" she asked quickly.
Lucius rubbed the back of his neck. "I may have... mistakenly wrecked your training room."
"How did you manage to do that?" Vanessa asked.
She really didn’t care about why he had wrecked it... she just wanted to know how.
"I was sparring with Elara and testing out a new spell," Lucius explained casually. "But I may have used space to induce an explosion with her plasma."
He scratched the back of his head.
Though Elara was technically the one who caused most of the destruction, he was the one who requested the spar... so he’d take the blame, at least this once.
"Okay... that’s not a problem," Vanessa said finally, trying to sound calm.
She picked up her spoon again and was about to eat when his voice interrupted her.
"Oh, yes... about space items."
Her eyes flicked up immediately.
That was something she had been meaning to ask him about for a while.
She didn’t want to pressure him, but Lucius needed to at least start producing something.
"I’ll work on it," he said, reading her thoughts almost instantly, "and I’ll have results before the day after tomorrow."
He started eating after saying that, as if he hadn’t just promised something monumental.
Vanessa nodded, though her heart was pounding slightly.
She wanted to ask what kind of item he planned to make, but she chose not to pry.
Lucius always worked better when left alone and besides, she trusted his brilliance, though she didn’t trust what he would do after he was done.
"How’s your drone coming along?" Vanessa asked, shifting her focus.
Luna stiffened immediately, caught off guard.
Her eyes darted toward Lucius, but he wasn’t even looking at her... he was busy with his food, pretending not to notice.
She sighed quietly and answered instead.
"I’ve finished that drone, but the site we launched for pre-orders has a hundred thousand-plus orders right now."
Vanessa’s spoon froze midair.
"A hundred thousand?!" she repeated, blinking rapidly. "Should I hire some workers to help you?"
The genuine concern in her tone made Luna smile.
Vanessa really did act like a big sister sometimes.
"No, Villy’s helping me with her magic," Luna explained quickly. "You don’t need to spend much... we’ll be done quickly."
Vanessa turned toward the dwarven maid, who was about to leave for the kitchen.
"Villy, are you sure you can handle this?" she asked.
Villy paused, straightened her posture, and nodded with quiet confidence.
"My lord requested it. I will be able to handle it."
Lucius smiled, amused.
"Alright then, Villy..." He gestured with a light pat on his lap. "Come here for your reward."
The others at the table watched as the dwarven maid’s cheeks flushed red.
She turned hurriedly, placed the pot she was holding back in the kitchen, and then quickly made her way to Lucius’s side.
She stopped in front of him, hesitating for only a second before sitting lightly on his lap.
"Yes, my lord?" she asked softly.
Vanessa stared, spoon frozen halfway to her lips.
She really had the feeling that Villy wanted her man or at least, that she enjoyed every opportunity to be close to him.
Lucius, of course, didn’t seem to notice or maybe he just didn’t care.
"Here," he said with a faint grin.
He scooped up a small portion of food from his plate, lifted the spoon, and held it close to her lips.
"Say ah."
Villy’s eyes widened slightly, her face glowing pink, but she obeyed. "Ah..."