Chapter 98: A Nightmare and a Blind Date
[Defeated Kiana. Gained Experience: 12,000.]
A system prompt flashed in Rovel's vision, accompanied by a quiet, internal sigh. This was precisely why he was hesitant to spar with Kiana; he was trying to slow his level progression, just for a little while. This surplus of experience couldn't be banked or stored for later.
Still, it wasn't a critical issue. With his `Dead Force` skill, he could always just fire off a few rounds into the air when he was on the verge of leveling up, effectively burning away the excess experience.
This time felt a little better than the last. Kiana seemed to accept her defeat more readily, at least. She didn't just vanish in a huff the moment the match was called. She did, however, look thoroughly disgruntled, her cheeks puffed out as she shot him a suspicious glare. The look on her face clearly accused him of intentionally aiming for her chest during their final exchange.
But they had faced life-and-death situations together, forging a bond that went beyond simple sparring matches. Deep down, she still trusted him.
"Want to go grab something to eat?" Rovel offered, extending an olive branch. "My treat."
"Mm-hmm! I want ice cream!" The displeasure on Kiana's face evaporated in an instant. The grievance was immediately forgotten, replaced by the pure, unadulterated joy of a promised treat.
Hadn't she just eaten? Well, they had just gone through a rather intense fight. She had probably burned through all those calories already.
St. Freya Academy's cafeteria was a sprawling hall, offering a vast array of delicacies from around the world. It was impressive, though in Rovel's opinion, it still fell a bit short of Mei's home cooking.
He bought Kiana two large, towering cones of ice cream. Watching her attack the dessert with such unrestrained delight, a faint, unconscious smile touched his own lips.
"What are you smiling at?" Kiana asked, tilting her head with a puzzled look, a bit of vanilla ice cream dotting the corner of her mouth.
"Just watching you eat, I can't help but think you're quite cute. That's the feeling, I guess," Rovel explained, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
"Of course! This young lady is a natural-born beauty; it's only right that you find me cute," Kiana declared, tilting her head back with a proud sniff.
"Unbelievable," Rovel feigned a look of utter shock, his eyes wide. "Kiana actually knows how to use idioms."
"...I'll bite you!" Kiana hissed, baring her teeth in a mock snarl.
However, considering the two ice creams Rovel had so generously provided, she decided to forgive his insolence this time.
"By the way," Kiana began, as if a thought had just struck her, "Aunt Theresa said we need to submit our custom school uniform designs as soon as possible. Do you have any ideas?"
"I don't have any particular preference," Rovel said with a casual wave of his hand. "And since I've never touched the field of fashion design, I was planning to just ask Mei to help me."
He had complete faith in Mei's aesthetic sense. After all, the very clothes he was wearing had been coordinated by her.
"Eh?! You can do that?" Kiana froze, stunned. Why hadn't her brilliant brain considered the simple solution of asking someone else for help?
"Do you want Mei to design yours, too?" Rovel asked, looking at her.
Kiana opened her mouth, the word 'yes' poised to leap from her tongue, but it caught in her throat. Her pride kicked in.
"Forget it! I have my own ideas. I'm sure the one I design myself will be the best one!"
For someone who, like Rovel, had never studied fashion coordination, her source of this boundless confidence remained a complete mystery. Rovel didn't try to dampen her spirits, though. At least she was tackling it herself, which was more than he could say for his own approach.
When Rovel found Mei and explained his request, she appeared slightly hesitant, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of a magazine she was reading.
"Is it really okay? What if the style I design isn't something Mr. Ruobai likes..."
"Hmm? So that's what you're worried about?" Rovel chuckled, his voice warm and reassuring. "It's fine. Whatever style you like is the way I want to look."
He leaned in a little closer, his gaze softening. "As long as it's designed by you, Mei, I'll happily accept it, no matter what it looks like."
The sudden, sweet words sent a jolt through Mei's heart, making it skip a beat.
"This... Mr. Ruobai... that's cheating." A deep blush crept up her neck and colored her cheeks. She quickly lifted the magazine to hide her face, not daring to meet his intense gaze.
In the next moment, Rovel's entire weight suddenly slumped against her. Caught completely off guard, Mei was pushed backward, landing softly on the bed with him on top of her.
Their bodies were pressed tightly together. Before she could process what was happening, Rovel's head came to rest against her chest, his breath warm against her skin.
"!!!" Mei's expression instantly shifted from flustered embarrassment to wide-eyed panic.
'Could Mr. Ruobai want to... to do that?'
She... she wasn't mentally prepared yet!
"Ruo... Mr. Ruobai..." she stammered, her voice barely a whisper.
There was no response.
A few seconds ticked by, and Raiden Mei quickly realized something was terribly wrong. Rovel wasn't moving. It was as if he had... fainted?
"Mr. Ruobai?!"
"Why won't you let me see Xiao Bai? He's my child!"
A woman's scream, raw and desperate, echoed through a cold, sterile hallway.
"Apologies. Young Master Ruobai is currently studying. The Head of the House has ordered that no one is to disturb him until he completes today's assigned lessons."
"Please do not make things difficult for me."
A servant in a crisp uniform indifferently brushed the woman's hand off her sleeve. With a subtle nod, she signaled to the guards beside her, who moved to restrain the woman.
"Give my Xiao Bai back to me! Give him back!" The woman struggled, her cries filled with anguish, but she was powerless against their hold.
The servant walked over to a nearby sink and began to carefully wash the spot on her arm the woman had touched, her face a mask of uncontrollable disgust as she stared at her reflection.
'A mere village woman,'she thought with a sneer.'Lucky enough to latch onto a branch of the Zhou Family and give birth to a genius like Young Master Ruobai...'
"Don't say things you shouldn't say."
A calm, measured voice spoke from directly behind her. The butler had appeared without a sound.
"Yes!" The servant startled, snapping to attention.
"The Head has ordered that Young Master Ruobai is to undergo etiquette training during this period. Try to limit her contact with him. If he picks up any of her bad habits, they will be very difficult to correct." The butler spoke softly, his tone devoid of any emotion.
"I understand what to do," the servant nodded. "But... Young Master Ruobai has also been saying he wants to see her lately. What should we do about that?"
"Don't worry," the butler said dismissively. "It's just a lingering dependency that hasn't faded yet. It will pass with time."
His footsteps gradually receded, each step perfectly spaced, a rhythm practiced thousands of times.
In the dream, the sound of those precise footsteps skillfully transitioned into the steady ticking of a clock in the real world.
Rovel's eyes shot open. He sat bolt upright, gasping for breath, his heart hammering against his ribs. That familiar, suffocating pressure from the dream seemed to have followed him into the waking world. He clutched his head, his brow furrowed in pain and confusion.
Why did he dream of his childhood again? This was the second time...
"Where... is this?" he murmured, his gaze sweeping over the unfamiliar, sterile white room.
"The infirmary of St. Freya Academy."
Himeko appeared at the door, leaning against the frame with her arms crossed as she stated his location.
"Wasn't I just with Mei?" Rovel tried to recall the moments before everything went dark.
"You suddenly passed out this afternoon. Scared Mei half to death, so she rushed you here." Himeko pushed herself off the doorframe and walked closer. "But looking at you now, it seems you had a nightmare?" she guessed, noting the lingering fear on his face.
"I suppose... you could call it that," Rovel conceded, not denying it.
"Mind sharing it with your caring big sister?" Himeko asked, a hint of genuine concern beneath her teasing tone.
"...It was just some things that happened in my world. It's nothing. It's all in the past." Rovel shook his head, a clear sign he didn't want to revisit that particular memory.
Himeko didn't push. Instead, she strode right up to his bed and, with surprising strength, hoisted him to his feet.
"?" Rovel swayed, dazed by the sudden movement. "I'm at least half a patient right now, aren't I?"
"Cut the crap," Himeko said, her voice a low growl of frustration. "I was supposed to have a blind date tonight, but Theresa dragged me in to cover a shift. Now, you have to compensate me."
She seriously suspected Theresa had orchestrated this. The principal had said several people would take turns watching over Rovel, but it just so happened that Himeko's turn landed precisely when her date was scheduled.
"Compensate?" Rovel retorted with a wry smirk. "What, you want me to go on the blind date with you?"
"...I was originally going to make you drink with me," Himeko mused, a dangerous glint in her eyes. "But now that you mention it... that's not out of the question." She reached out, pinching Rovel's chin and tilting his head from side to side, appraising him like a piece of art.
Truth be told, this face was actually quite easy on the eyes.
If she were just a few years younger, Himeko thought, she definitely wouldn't let a boy like this get away.
[Inorin's Note:
Enjoying the story? Dropping a quick review, comment, or Power Stone means the world to me and keeps these daily updates flowing!
Want to read 50 chapters ahead or just want to help keep a shameless translator alive? (My livelihood actually depends on this, haha 😭). You can support me directly here:
(P.S. Just remove the brackets and replace the [.] with a regular dot . to use the links!)
✨ Patreon (50 Advanced Chapters): patreon[.]com/InorinTL
☕ Ko-fi (Support / Sponsor): ko-fi[.]com/InorinTL
Thank you so much for reading and keeping this project alive!]