Free Web NovelChapter 20: First Date?
Luke and Valeria sat across from a sharp-dressed man, his most striking feature being a well-groomed beard. The man sat comfortably in a desk chair, while Amanda sat on a swivel stool.
The headmaster broke the silence.
"First of all, I should congratulate you on your marriage."
Luke just nodded, while Valeria couldn’t hear anything he said.
"I’ll make this short, as I’m sure you want to rest after this ordeal. The academy is prepared to provide adequate compensation for this error."
The headmaster paused briefly, analyzing Luke’s facial expressions.
"Once you graduate in a few days, you will be given priority to enter Awakened rifts in the academy’s rift park. Since you have already managed to clear one before your graduation, the board finds this reward more than satisfactory."
"Additionally, you will be allowed to keep the spellbook you obtained from the rift. There was a particular professor who opposed this idea, but the matter has been sorted."
Luke didn’t know whether he should be grateful or outraged by the reward. Sure, it would make his progress significantly faster, but it felt like it was meant to mock him. He had almost just died in a rift and the reward only helps him enter another one.
He sighed inwardly and put on a fake smile.
"I appreciate the reward, Headmaster, but do you know why I ended up in an awakened rift? Aren’t all rifts supposed to be entered before assigned to students?"
The headmaster rubbed his nose and silently groaned.
"They are supposed to be cleared by explorers, but the team that was meant to clear your rift had entered the wrong rift. This information was withheld so that they wouldn’t be found liable. The academy is very sorry for the inconvenience, but unless we could rewind time there isn’t anything we can do about it."
"I understand, Headmaster. Thank you for the explanation."
"It’s the least I could do. I’m sure I will see you around."
With that both men stood up and respectfully shook hands, before Amanda walked the headmaster out of the infirmary.
When she came back, Amanda led Luke to a box of spare uniforms they had and he changed into an intact uniform.
Valeria and Luke walked out of the infirmary, waving to the healer as they left. Valeria led him through the building and out an exit.
The crisp afternoon air finally made everything feel real. He was alive.
They walked through campus. Luke had never felt happier to take a stroll. Students swarmed the quad, excitedly explaining their heroic feats and injuries.
Luke wasn’t interested in the exaggerated stories of students, instead he thought about the comfortable couch that sat in the living room. It beckoned him with the promise of sleep, but he would have to make it home first.
Valeria and Luke made their way to the train platform. The rune-propelled train promptly pulled in a few minutes after them. The train car was packed with parents, some of which were coming to see their kids after the practical, others meeting their kids when they returned home.
The train ride was short and quiet, as they exited a single stop later. Luke pushed the wheelchair through the town, his hunger had started to catch up to him. He couldn’t help but eye the small restaurants that lined the streets.
For a second, he thought he started to drool.
At some point, Valeria had noticed and started to write on the notepad.
Do you want eat at a restaurant.
Luke almost agreed, before realizing he didn’t have a single coin to his name.
We have food at home. I’ll cook.
Valeria’s brows creased, angrily.
Nope. We are going to a restaurant.
Before he could protest, Valeria had already pointed to a steakhouse.
Luke helped Valeria get through the door and they entered into the reception area.
"Hi, table for two?"
"Yes."
The waiter at the counter grabbed two menus and gestured for them to follow. They moved through tables, families and couples dined as they passed.
They were seated by the window, Luke moved a chair out of the way so Valeria could sit across from him.
"Could I start you guys off with some drinks?"
"Water, please."
Valeria noticed the waiter asked a question, and wrote on the notepad.
Tea.
"Absolutely, I will be right back with that."
Valeria and Luke quietly sat across from each other, reading the menu options. She finished scanning the menu first.
Do you know what you are getting?
I’m not sure yet, but you know I don’t have any money on me, right?
Luke was nervous about the bill, he didn’t want to be stuck washing dishes to make up for the meal.
Don’t worry about it.
He just nodded, assuming that her confidence wasn’t unfounded.
When the water came back with their drinks, they placed an order.
Luke got a ribeye steak, while Valeria ordered a filet mignon.
They silently sat across from each other, Valeria seemed to study him unlike their usual meals at home.
Looking around, Luke mostly couples at the tables nearby. A reality sank in.
Technically they were on a date, even though they were married. Which meant it was their first date.
Something about the realization made him flustered. He started looking at Valeria in a whole different light. Not as the woman he had been living with for three days, but the woman that he was married to.
He started to notice her beauty, something that he hadn’t spent time thinking about.
His ears started to turn red, as the awkwardness set in. He had never been on a date before and he didn’t imagine his first date would be after he got married.
Valeria continued staring at him. His hands shook slightly as he lifted the cup to drink.
Are you still injured?
Luke signed back to her.
No.
She looked a little confused, but didn’t ask again.
The waiter came over with their food and the couple began to eat. A usual silence swept over the table.
Luke ate quickly, filling his empty stomach. Valeria slowly savored the food, watching as Luke finished before she took a third bite.
His heart thumped every time he looked at Valeria. It was a foreign feeling that he didn’t want to welcome. A feeling that he only heard described by other people.
Luke did his best to draw his attention to other topics, but his eyes always landed back on Valeria.
She wasn’t the legendary SSS-Rank explorer.
She wasn’t the academy professor.
She was simply Valeria.
Even though she was the same person as she had been for the past three days, something felt different.
He didn’t know when it had happened.
All he knew was that looking away had become harder than fighting the Spitter Queen.
Trying to calm himself, Luke took a sip of water and immediately started choking.
[Hidden Achievement: Budding Feelings]
