Chapter 96 | S-so Warm! [4th GT]
The jewelry was dazzling.
Selene and Lyra stared at the display, slightly overwhelmed. But rather than reaching for the jewelry, they simply took the necklaces Dexter had handed them, stood up from the couch, and walked to the bedroom without a word.
They didn’t take anything else. They didn’t say thank you. They didn’t say anything at all.
Dexter watched them go, noting the shift in their demeanor. Their mood had soured visibly and the warmth and curiosity from moments ago had evaporated as they appeared more distant.
’Weren’t we just making progress?’
Mira smirked from her wheelchair, watching Dexter’s expression shift as realization dawned on him.
"You think you’re trying too hard. " she said, indifferently.
Dexter blinked, then sighed. "The vendor forced me to buy all of this," he muttered. "I just wanted to get a few things, and the vendor practically shoved the rest at me."
Mira shrugged. "Do what you want."
Her spectral arm extended slowly, trembling slightly with the effort, and gripped the wheel of her chair. She began rolling herself forward toward the bedroom. She didn’t ask Dexter to push her even though she could barely control the Mana arms.
Dexter watched her go, her wheelchair creaking slowly across the floor. He opened his mouth as if to offer assistance, then thought better of it and closed it.
He simply stood there as the last of the three girls disappeared into the bedroom.
He shrugged to himself and turned toward the kitchen.
The moment he stepped inside, the source of the smoke became apparent.
The girls had attempted to make noodles and somehow, impossibly, they had burnt even that.
Dexter chuckled in amusement. The fact that they had tried to cook for him was really nice.
But it also meant he had work to do.
He sighed and rolled up his sleeves.
As he cleaned the kitchen, scrubbing the burnt pot, wiping down the counters, clearing the smoke, then he noticed that the food he had cooked that morning for the girls had also run out. They had eaten everything, or rather Lyra had eaten everything.
So he pulled out the ingredients he had purchased earlier, spread everything across the counter and set to work.
He didn’t use the Diamond rice this time. He already planned on using them once a day.
So he made spaghetti, incorporated with heavenly materials like the cosmic star origin Necter and other herbs that elevated it beyond a simple meal.
Moreover, he used his Heavenly Flame: Emperor Void Flames to make the dish.
The pure white flames cooked the food rapidly.
By the time he finished, a massive pot of steaming plates of beautifully crafted spaghetti sat on the counter.
[Name: MoonFire Pasta]
[Grade: 2 Arcane Meal]
[Effect: Restores 25% of stamina and 15% of mana over five minutes. Increases mana recovery by 10% for the next 30 minutes.]
[Special Effect: Moonfire Warmth — Grants immunity to cold environments below 0°C and increases Fire-attribute spell power by 5% for 20 minutes.]
The aroma filled the kitchen—rich, savory, inviting.
He looked up.
Selene was standing in the doorway of the bedroom, staring directly at him.
He chuckled and thought she was staring at him.
"Are you hungry?" But she didn’t answer and stared at his chest instead, reluctance and hesitation on her face.
Beside her stood Lyra. But Lyra wasn’t looking at Dexter. Her gaze was locked firmly on the food, her attention captured entirely by the plates of spaghetti on the counter.
Two girls. Two very different stares. And Dexter stood between them, spatula in hand, wondering what either of them was thinking.
Dexter raised an eyebrow, looking between the two girls standing in the doorway.
"Are you girls hungry? Do you want to eat?" He glanced at the clock on the wall. "It’s still afternoon and a bit early for dinner. But if you want, I can give you a portion of what I made."
Lyra nodded immediately. Her mouth was already watering, with her eyes fixed on the steaming plates of spaghetti.
Dexter could feel her voice echoing in his mind
’Give me. Give me. Give me. Give me.’
Over and over, like a hungry child begging for treats.
Dexter chuckled. "So cute," he said—not in his mind, but out loud.
Lyra froze. Her neck flushed a deep crimson that crept up to her ears. But the embarrassment lasted only a fraction of a second before the pull of the food overpowered it.
She remained rooted in place, eyes locked on the plates, waiting with barely contained patience as Dexter scooped a generous portion onto a plate and handed it to her.
Lyra immediately took it and disappeared.
Selene, however, hadn’t moved.
She was still standing there, her white eyes fixed on Dexter.
Dexter frowned slightly and met her gaze spoke gently.
"You can tell me if you need something. I’ll get it for you. Do you also want a portion of the food?"
She slowly shook her head.
Dexter raised an eyebrow. "Then what is it?"
She hesitated. Her lips parted, then closed. Then parted again.
"I..." Her voice was barely audible. "Can I touch you?"
Dexter blinked.
Touch him?
This was the girl who had always avoided contact, kept her distance, always shied away from him but now she was asking to touch him?
He chuckled at the irony. "Sure," he said. "You can—"
He hadn’t even finished the sentence before her hands shot out and grabbed his arm.
She held on to his left arm tightly.
Her fingers wrapped around his forearm and locked there, squeezing as though she feared he might vanish at any moment.
She closed her eyes, pressing herself closer, and took in the warmth radiating from his skin.
"So warm," she whispered unconsciously, her voice soft and dreamy. She sighed a gentle, contented sound that came out like the purr of a kitten. "So warm. Very warm."
Dexter smiled. She was really beautiful. Her white eyes, her delicate features, the way her expression softened when she let her guard down.
It was so stunning it blew Dexter’s mind away for a split second before he recovered.