“Lyte, why aren’t you eating? Is it not to your taste?”
In an upscale themed restaurant, Deta had booked the most expensive private room, just to ensure their first candlelight dinner was formal enough.
At the same time, she wanted to prevent Lyte from going back hungry and having dinner with Noi, taking this chance to fill him up so there’d be no opportunity for them to get closer.
The black-haired boy sitting across from her only picked at the high-quality steak brought in by Mosod, looking listless.
He poked at the meat with his fork, lacking any energy.
“It’s fine. Thanks for bringing my Space Ring. Eat a bit faster, I’ll go pay the bill later.”
He wanted a drink, but found it was lemon water, which he hated.
Deta still remembered him as the kid who used to pretend to like it.
“No need, no need, I’ll pay. It’s all the restaurant’s fault, really. Small towns just don’t have anything special. Lyte, let’s hurry back to the Imperial Capital. They have everything there, and the services are much better.”
She pushed all the blame onto the restaurant, criticizing its service and food quality, trying to pull Lyte into the conversation.
But his mind was obviously elsewhere.
He only mumbled a few responses, which made Deta more anxious and annoyed the more she talked.
Her eyes darted around.
With Little Blue’s remote prompt in her earpiece, she “accidentally” knocked over a glass of rich red wine onto the floor.
“Crash!”
“Ouch, my hand hurts so much.”
Deta clutched her finger pitifully, as if she’d been cut by the glass.
Only then did Lyte perk up a bit, his sword-like eyes narrowing.
In an instant, he could tell she was acting.
When it came to acting, the reborn Lyte was an expert too.
Even if he cared inside, his tone remained flat, as if Deta had just dropped a coin.
“It’s not serious. When we get back, we’ll have Noi use a Healing Spell. Here take these tissues a simple wrap will do.”
“……”
Deta was speechless, completely defeated by Lyte.
The candlelight dinner she had dreamed of was so awkward it could wring water from the air—this was not what she wanted.
She finished the not-so-warm dinner in silence, but Lyte, with his Space Ring back, still paid the bill.
Afterward, following Little Blue’s Plan B, Deta headed to the jewelry store.
The clerk saw a man and woman together, but their auras clashed, and there was a subtle tension between them.
Unsure of their relationship, the clerk cautiously asked:
“May I help you with something?”
Spending money was her forte.
Deta waved her hand grandly, instructing the clerk to show them the best Wedding Rings in the store.
Once they arrived, the clerk tried to introduce the meaning and design of the rings, but still couldn’t figure out the relationship between the two, so she asked again:
“May I ask what your relationship is?”
A golden opportunity!
Deta wanted to use this chance to establish how outsiders would address them, but Lyte was even sharper.
Under the pressure of his sword-like presence, she couldn’t get a word out.
“A female friend helping me out. I asked her to help me pick a Wedding Ring for my girlfriend, that’s all. If you pry too much, my girlfriend will be very upset.”
“Yes, yes, of course. This way, please…”
The clerk suddenly understood and, after confirming their relationship, led the paying customer Lyte away, leaving Deta standing there, at a complete loss.
She hadn’t expected Lyte to be so resolute.
“This one is our store’s treasure. Pure as a blooming lily, its simple lines reveal an extraordinary aura. It’s perfect for a gentle, beautiful, and generous lady. What do you think?”
As soon as the clerk finished the pitch, Deta glanced at the ring and snorted in disdain.
“Tch, you dare sell such a plain ring? Your spiel just describes some clueless country bumpkin woman who only knows how to take care of a home. You might fool some dumb men, but I don’t like this type at all.”
Deta’s sarcasm was a hint for Lyte not to waste any more time on the ring.
But he deliberately did the opposite.
“I’ll take this one. Wrap it up, please. I think she’d like a simple, understated ring. Simplicity is the real deal.”
“Yes, yes, sir, you have excellent taste.”
A paying customer is always right.
The clerk nodded eagerly, carefully wrapping the ring and placing it in a box.
After paying, Lyte said, “I’m heading back to the church,” and walked out the door, completely ignoring the stunned Deta.
The Dog-headed Strategist sighed in her earpiece, “Give it up, both Plan A and Plan B have failed.”
“No way, if I can’t win Lyte over, I still have to stop them from sleeping together tonight.”
“It’s pointless. The more you do this, the worse your position will be.”
Little Blue’s subtext was clear: Lyte would never like her type, so she should stop pestering him.
“Damn it…”
Deta watched Lyte walk away, unwilling to accept it.
The strongest hero she was determined to win, her tool for competing for the imperial throne, was being snatched away by an unknown woman.
She’d been scheming since childhood, making Lyte obey her every whim, always gentle and considerate, even restraining his anger when upset.
But now, after being tempted by Noi, he could hide his feelings.
She couldn’t read him anymore, and he even subtly mocked her.
“Your Highness, let’s find a place to rest for now. We’ll fight again another day.”
Little Blue yawned in her earpiece, a bit tired from rushing to Wagner Town overnight.
“You’re right. I’ll definitely come back next time!”
Deta cheered herself up, letting Noi enjoy her moment.
When she returned in full force, she’d win Lyte back.
***
“Here, have some tea.”
In the church dining hall, Noi bowed slightly and served a cup of tea.
After adding some spices, the flavor became much richer.
With another dose of painkillers and restorative medicine, her B-rank constitution was gradually adapting to her body’s changes, and Noi could move normally again.
“Isn’t it good? I secretly remembered the spices you like lately. This is my first time making it for you.”
Seeing the girl’s pure smile, Lyte couldn’t help but smile himself.
This was something Deta could never do.
She claimed to love him more than anyone, but didn’t even know what he liked to drink.
“Noi, what’s your ideal in life?” Lyte took a sip of tea and asked.
“My ideal in life…”
Her memory involuntarily drifted back to when she first transmigrated to Tria Planet, in the Goblin Village, listening to Simon and Xing Chen talk about dreams, and her own confusion.
But reality quickly replaced the memory.
Lyte was sitting across from her, holding his teacup, quietly waiting for her answer.
“I want to stay by your side, be a good wife and mother, raise some cute pets, plant flowers and trees, and just live a simple life… It’s ordinary, right…”
Hearing Noi’s answer, Lyte smiled, finished his tea, and pushed the cup across the table so she could feel the lingering warmth.
“It’s very ordinary, but isn’t that what living is about? Always chasing excitement just wears you out. It’s thrilling, sure, but if you push yourself too far, everything becomes dull and meaningless.”
This was why Lyte chose Noi.
The ambitious princess could never agree with his views, and even among the noble ladies, few could accept such an ordinary life.
Maybe there were many women whose thoughts matched Lyte’s, but only Noi had ever truly come to him.
One is enough.
He would help Noi become even better, rather than blindly searching for someone “better” than her.
“Let’s try going on a date tomorrow, as practice for your birthday.”
“Okay.”
Noi nodded, her smile blooming like a flower.