I grow stronger by making my wife happy.

Chapter 58: 58:Offer.

Several answers immediately appeared.

Because you’re one of the strongest characters in the novel.

Because your soul capacity is ridiculous.

Because I’ll make sure the future practically bends around you.

Instead, he settled on something simpler.

"Because you’re stubborn."

She stared at him then rolled her eyes.

"That’s not a compliment."

"It absolutely is."

"Is it?"

"Yes."

That earned him another real smile. Silver couldn’t help but notice how effortlessly beautiful she looked.

The system immediately noticed too.

[Target Emotional State Improved.]

The system never missed anything.

Eventually, another thought occurred to him, one that seemed increasingly important.

"You know you still need a beast."

Ravenna nodded, her expression became slightly frustrated.

"I know but I can’t seem to find the right one."

The problem was obvious. Without a tattoo, she couldn’t truly begin progressing, no matter how talented she was. A contractor without a beast remained incomplete.

Silver thought for a moment then spoke.

"Come with me."

Ravenna blinked.

"Where?"

"The Green Zones."

Understanding slowly appeared then surprise.

"The hunting grounds?"

Silver nodded.

"We’ll start with the green zones then the Yellow Zones later."

Now she looked genuinely shocked.

"The Yellow Zones?"

"Mmh... Eventually."

Ravenna stared at him in shock. She was probably wondering whether he was insane, which was fair. Most people avoided Yellow Zones until they possessed experienced teams.

Silver continued.

"You need a beast, experience, and money. Those places have all three."

Silence followed. Ravenna looked away as she thought and considered what he said. She was clearly not rushing her response.

Silver appreciated that. Eventually, she asked.

"You’d really help me?"

The question sounded strangely cautious, as though she wasn’t accustomed to asking for assistance.

Silver nodded.

"Of course. Why wouldn’t I?"

There was a small pause as the words hung in the air. Then, she spoke in a lowered voice.

"Why?"

That was a surprisingly difficult question because he couldn’t exactly answer honestly. There were countless things she didn’t know and he was dreading when he would eventually have to bring that up.

So he answered simply.

"Because I want to."

Ravenna stared at him, long enough that Silver almost became uncomfortable. Then she looked away.

"...Okay."

Silver sat up straighter.

"Okay?"

"I’ll go."

’That was easy?’

The decision settled between them naturally, almost comfortably, as though neither found it strange.

The remainder of dinner passed surprisingly quickly. Their conversation flowed. They spoke about the academy, contractors, different sanctuaries, and childhood memories.

Just random stories and small things. This was a discussion that showed they genuinely wanted to know about each other.

And before either realized it, the evening had ended.

.

. ƒгeewebnovёl.com

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The ride back felt quieter. The city lights passed beyond the windows. Eventually, the Contractors Hotel appeared. The vehicle stopped.

Silver stepped out first then offered his hand. Ravenna accepted it automatically. A small thing, yet somehow intimate.

The hotel entrance stood only a few meters away. Mallory had clearly been waiting, watching suspiciously from inside.

Silver almost laughed. Some things never changed.

"Well."

He rubbed the back of his neck.

"I should probably go."

Ravenna nodded but neither moved. A brief silence followed. Silver began wondering if he should say something, then Ravenna suddenly spoke.

"Wait."

He paused.

"What?"

For the first time all evening she looked actually nervous, she awkwardly tucked a loose hair behind her ear. Silver immediately became curious. Ravenna avoided eye contact, which somehow made it worse.

Finally, she spoke.

"...Aren’t you forgetting something?"

Silver was slightly confused.

"What?"

Now she looked offended, genuinely offended.

"Seriously?"

"I’m trying to think about it."

Ravenna sighed dramatically.

’You’re completely clueless’

She muttered a second later, "goodbye hug."

Silver froze. The request was so unexpected that his brain stalled for several seconds.

Understanding finally arrived.

"Oh."

Ravenna immediately looked away, clearly regretting asking which made it strangely endearing.

Silver smiled and opened his arms without hesitation. He didn’t want to tease her or make things weird. This was just straight forward acceptance.

Ravenna looked surprised then stepped forward. The hug lasted only a few seconds. It was nothing romantic just comforting warm and human. For a brief moment, Silver felt her relax slightly as though some invisible weight had lifted. Then they separated.

Both of them were a little embarrassed but pretended not to notice. Silver cleared his throat.

"Goodnight."

Ravenna nodded, a small smile appearing.

"Goodnight."

She disappeared inside, leaving Silver standing beneath the hotel lights watching the door close.

Silver stood there for a few moments, longer than necessary. Long enough for the night breeze to brush against his face and realize he was smiling.

"..."

He immediately stopped smiling. He hoped that the driver definitely hadn’t seen that. Silver climbed back into the vehicle. The door shut and the car pulled away from the curb.

Delta-3’s lights slid past the windows. For several minutes, silence filled the car.

Then the system activated.

[Date Event Concluded.]

Silver sat up slightly.

’Here it comes’

The familiar blue screens unfolded one after another, far more than usual.

[Evaluation Complete.] frёewebnoѵēl.com

Date Success Rating: A

’Not S?’

Silver was happy but still a little disappointed. Then another screen appeared.

[Reasoning:]

The host displayed excessive nervousness during multiple interactions which the target noticed.

"..."

Silver felt personally attacked.

[However.]

• Host remained genuine.

• Target response highly positive.

• Penalty reduced.

"That’s better."

[Reward Granted.]

+150 Affection Points

Silver’s eyes widened slightly. That was significantly more than he had expected. The number was immediately updated.

Current Affection Points: 438

’Not bad, it’s actually very good’

The system wasn’t finished. Another notification appeared.

[Hidden Achievement Unlocked]

First Successful Date

Reward:

+25 Affection Points

Current Total: 463

Silver leaned back. He now had more than four hundred points. Only a few days ago he hadn’t possessed any. The growth felt absurd.

The next notification appeared.

[Target Trust Increased]

Rare Event Detected

Silver frowned.

’Rare?’

The system explained.

• Target disclosed personal trauma.

• Target revealed long-term goals.

• Target voluntarily accepted future cooperation.

• Target requested physical contact.

Silver looked on in surprise and disbelief. When listed like that... the evening sounded far more significant than he’d realized.

The system continued.

[Analysis]

The target personality profile indicates unusually high caution.

Trust development speed classified as: Rare

That was actually interesting, it matched what he’d observed. Ravenna didn’t open up easily. She questioned motives, doubted intentions, and expected disappointment. The fact that she’d spoken about her family at all was probably meaningful.

A new screen appeared.

Reward:

+100 Affection Points

Current Total: 563

Silver nearly laughed. More than five hundred points. The date was turning into an economic stimulus package. But then came the truly important notification.

[Affection Increase Detected]

Ravenna Arkland.

10 → 13

Silver instantly paid attention. These were usually the best rewards.