CHAPTER 81: ICE-CREAM!

The carriage wheels hummed against the cobbled road as Rin sat back, watching the academy gates slowly disappear behind them. His chin rested on his palm, eyes flicking between the passing scenery and the endless sky. For once, he could breathe. He never thought he would leave the academy just to have lunch with Ezra. He had thought Ezra was taking him to the school canteen, but he headed straight to the carriage and now... They’ve left the academy.

He turned his head slightly, catching Ezra out of the corner of his eye.

"...You’re staring at me," Rin said without looking directly at him.

Ezra didn’t flinch, didn’t even try to deny it.

"I am."

"That’s creepy as fuck." Rin’s gaze shifted back to the window, but the tips of his ears warmed. "You could at least blink once in a while."

Ezra’s expression remained unreadable.

"I was thinking."

"That must be exhausting for you."

Ezra’s lips twitched... maybe amusement, maybe irritation. "Why do you always assume my thoughts are negative?"

"Because you’ve spent weeks throwing verbal daggers at me. And actual daggers once when I was outside Silas’s lab," Rin muttered. "Anyway, where are we even going? You just dragged me into this carriage like some kidnapper."

Ezra leaned back, hands resting neatly on his knees. "We’re going to eat."

"Eat? There’s the canteen at the academy, you know..."

"The academy’s food is... unworthy of me." He said proudly without even realising.

Rin slowly turned his head, narrowing his eyes.

"...You’re such a spoiled brat."

Ezra arched a brow.

"And you look at me like you’ve never been spoiled in your life."

"That’s because I haven’t," Rin said flatly, turning away again. "But don’t mind me. Just keep feeding me, and I might consider upgrading your brat title to... tolerable noble."

Ezra huffed, almost a laugh.

"Don’t look at me like that again."

"I’ll look however I want," Rin said with a sly grin, then shifted to focus his attention on the scenery, pretending the conversation was over.

Ezra’s gaze still didn’t shift from Rin. He never thought that there would be a day he would spend time with a half-demon. His first impression of Rin was bad. He thought Rin had something to do with both Lucien Vortellion and his father, the Duke. But now, he knows that Rin is the one trying to get away from them.

Rin was different from the Omegas and Betas that he had met before. Rin was... Pure.

Pure? Ezra smiled at the thought of that. He never thought he would call a half-demon ’pure’.

’Something is really wrong with me,’

.

.

The carriage stopped in front of a building so large it could’ve been a noble’s estate. A golden sign swung gently above the entrance, letters engraved so finely even Rin’s untrained eyes could tell they screamed money.

Inside, a delicate chime announced their arrival, and immediately Rin felt the shift. Heads turned, eyes followed. It wasn’t the subtle curiosity he was used to... it was something heavier, stickier.

He hated the way they looked at him with that flushed face, watery mouth and lewd eyes. He looked uncomfortable. He shut his eyes, trying not to imagine the stares. Then...

Ezra’s arm slid around Rin’s shoulders in one smooth motion, pulling him close like a shield. "VIP room," he said curtly to the nearest waiter.

Rin’s eyes opened and all he could see was Ezra’s white robe pressing his face.

The man nodded quickly, leading them through a hallway with walls polished enough to see their reflections. Once inside the quiet room, Rin exhaled like he’d been holding his breath for minutes as he pulled away from Ezra.

"Have a seat," Ezra pointed.

"...Thanks," Rin said quietly, picking up the menu before scanning it.

Ezra didn’t answer immediately. He was watching Rin again with soft eyes, and Rin didn’t even notice his stare. He was just focused on what was on the menu, thinking of what to pick.

Ezra just smiled once in a while, seeing how cute Rin was.

A knock at the door broke Ezra’s thoughts. The waiter came in carrying a glass bowl big enough to drown a squirrel in. Ice cream... cold, glossy, swirled with chocolate ribbons.

Rin’s eyes lit up instantly.

"Oh. My. God."

Ezra didn’t need anyone to tell him that the next few seconds would be dangerous. Rin scooped a spoonful, took a bite, and let out a soft, blissful sound that definitely wasn’t appropriate for public places.

Ezra’s gaze flicked past him, catching the waiter’s face. That look... hungry, lewd. His jaw tightened.

"...Why are you still here?"

The waiter blinked. "Ah... I was waiting for your order, sir."

"Bring me the usual," Ezra said coldly.

The man’s eyes lingered on Rin before he finally left. Ezra’s stare followed him until the door shut.

’That...’

.

.

Later, a steaming steak and a glass of deep red wine appeared before Ezra. Rin was still busy attacking the ice cream.

"You’re enjoying it too much," Ezra said. "The ice-cream, I mean,"

"Well, I didn’t think I’d see ice cream in this world," Rin said casually.

Ezra raised a brow.

"In this world?"

Rin froze, then forced a laugh.

"Uh... I mean, in our world. You know, the one we both live in." He immediately changed the subject. "Isn’t it weird for a priest to drink wine?"

"It’s fruit wine," Ezra said, swirling the glass. "No alcohol. Want to try?"

"I’m loyal to my ice cream," Rin replied, spoon in his mouth.

"Hmmm... The ice cream seems expensive. How much does it cost?"

"It’s five gold coins for one bowl," Ezra responded with a casual look on his face.

Rin nearly choked. He did a quick mental calculation of his old world’s currency and immediately thanked Ezra. Five gold coins for just a bowl of ice cream?

"Why don’t you take care of yourself with your own money?" Ezra asked suddenly.

Rin shrugged. "I don’t have money."

"What about your salary?"

That question stopped him cold. Salary? He realised he’d been working at the clinic since the moment he dropped into this cursed world, but now that he thought about it... He’d never been paid a single coin.

"...How do I even get it?"

Ezra reached into his robe and pulled out a sleek card. It had his name and gender on it. Both primary and secondary gender.

"The academy sends salaries here. A magic card..."

"Oh! So it’s like a bank account." Rin mumbled and rubbed his chin. ’I wonder if I have something like that. Even if I have, where is it?’

The system’s voice chimed in Rin’s head.

DING!

[System Alert: Your card is in the locked drawer in the room. Your omega gender is listed on it. Caution is advised.]

Rin’s eyes narrowed. Thought so. That was why the card had to stay hidden. He sighed and stood up.

"...What’s wrong?" Ezra asked.

Rin looked at him, scratching his head.

"Bathroom," Rin said quickly.

"Should I come along?"

"What? I’m not a kid. I’ll be back before you know it," he waved his hand as he left

.

.

The restaurant’s toilet wasn’t modern, but it was clean, with a polished sink and a large mirror. Rin was washing his hands when his reflection revealed a man in a black-and-white uniform behind him, eyes burning with hunger.

DING!

[Pervert Alert.]

’Of course, perverts’

Rin turned slowly, drying his hands.

"Aren’t you the waiter from them? What do you want?"

The man smirked, unzipping his pants.

"A taste of you, that’s all,"

Rin’s lips curved into something cold.

"Come and try, then. I’ll make you taste something else,"

.

Meanwhile, Ezra was sipping his wine, but unease gnawed at him. Rin was taking too long. He held the glass in his hand, thinking of going to visit Rin, but he didn’t want to be seen as a pervert.

Just as he was about to take another sip from the glass, the waiter’s earlier expression flashed in his mind, and that was enough. He left the VIP room and strode toward the toilets, only to find a crowd gathering.

Pushing through, he finally saw Rin... straddling the half-dead waiter, blood dripping from his knuckles.

Ezra’s shoulders relaxed in relief.

"That’s enough, Rin," he said, walking over.

"He tried to force himself on me," Rin replied, still gripping the man’s collar.

"I’m not saying stop because of him," Ezra said, kneeling to take Rin’s bleeding hand. "I meant your hand’s bleeding. Doesn’t it hurt?"

The restaurant manager rushed in, ready to scold whoever was the cause of the scene... until he saw Ezra. His tone flipped instantly into panic and apology.

He bowed repeatedly to Ezra, rubbing his sweaty palms together.

"If this kind of man stays in your restaurant," Ezra said coldly, letting a thin wave of Alpha pheromones slip into the air, "you’ll lose my patronage."

The staff scrambled to drag the unconscious waiter away. The pheromones barely brushed Rin, like Ezra had deliberately shielded him.

Rin’s cheek flushed red.

.

Back in the carriage, Rin sat comfortably as the scenery rolled by.

"I didn’t know you could fight," Ezra said.

"I learned," Rin replied. "Don’t worry. I’ll protect you one day."

Ezra’s lips twitched into a small smile.

"I look forward to it."

"By the way," Rin said, "why did you say I’d regret not going to the party?"

Ezra shook his head.

"Just to get your attention. It doesn’t matter if you go or not."

Rin grinned at that, turning back to the window. Ezra kept looking at him, wondering if Rin would love to work at the temple as his personal doctor. Just a way to get him away from the Vortellions.