CHAPTER 30: CHAPTER 30: AN ENVIABLE LUCK

At the food court.

Zayden and Catherine were sitting on a bench for two.

"Weren’t you scared?" Zayden asked, holding her free hand.

"Not at all. If I were alone, of course, I’d be shaking with fear, after all, the man deserved to be called ’Big Bear’... But, strangely, I didn’t feel like I needed to be afraid while you were with me. I just knew that if something happened, you’d protect me~"

Catherine stirred the straw in her strawberry Bubble Tea while answering without losing her smile.

That level of trust she had in him surprised him a bit.

Well, she certainly had the look and personality of a heroine.

"Changing the subject," Zayden asked, "What did you think of the movie?"

Her purple eyes gained a unique sparkle: "In a few words: A captivating story. I especially liked the Wizard’s devotion to his beloved. I even cried a little..."

"Well, the part showing her death was pretty sad indeed," he said. "Seeing her get sick and the man becoming a wizard to try to find a cure was pretty cool. Unfortunately, he didn’t succeed in time, and the Wizard’s regret and sadness were touching."

"Yes, yes!" Catherine agreed and sighed.

She seemed to stare into space, as if recalling the movie scene.

Taking a sip of her Bubble Tea, she added: "I did some research about the movie and saw that the story comes from a book. The story doesn’t end with him becoming the Wizard. There’s more to it. I didn’t dig deeper to avoid spoilers, but it seems the Wizard tries to revive Aiko. But some say she had a twin sister..."

"Is the book’s story the same as the movie’s version?" Zayden asked.

"It seems so." Catherine didn’t seem sure of it.

"I’m interested. I’ll buy the digital book," Zayden said, grabbing his smartphone.

"That’s not fair! I’m getting it too~" Catherine did the same.

**

**

Night arrived, and with it came the rain.

The sound of thunder grew even louder on the first floor.

The sound echoed through the garage, like the roar of a ferocious beast.

*BOOM!*

"Kyahhhhhhhhh!"

When a particularly loud sound echoed, several screams followed.

"That one must’ve struck close by..."

Catherine, who didn’t even fear a large man who looked like a bear, was now gripping Zayden’s arm tightly.

"It’s okay," Zayden said in a gentle tone.

"I just don’t like thunder very much," Catherine said. "In fact, my father almost died once after being struck by lightning..."

"I see..." Hearing this, Zayden understood the reason for her fear. The fact that she shared this with him also said a lot about the level of trust she now had in him.

Her affection index for him had already reached 89.

At that moment, his smartphone vibrated.

"It’s probably Wilson," he said, grabbing the smartphone with his free hand.

Wilson: [Boss, I’m here. I’m at XXB]

Zayden: [Okay, we’re on our way.]

Looking at Catherine, he kissed her cheek and said, "Our ride’s here, shall we?"

The moment she received the kiss on her cheek, she revealed a beautiful smile.

"Yes, let’s go~" She used her other hand to also hold his arm, seeming genuinely happy.

───────────

[For the first time, a person of the opposite sex has reached an Affection Index of 90!]

You received two [Bronze Mysterious Gift Boxes].

───────────

Zayden gave Catherine a sidelong glance and saw that it was her affection index for him that had reached 90.

’Was it the kiss on the cheek?’ he wondered, curious.

Whatever it was, he was obviously happy. Whether for the reward or because the girl he liked was growing even fonder of him.

...

In moments, they reached the spot where the car was parked, waiting for them.

As they approached, the door locks were unlocked.

Zayden opened the door for Catherine.

Before Zayden could walk around, Catherine slid to the middle of the seat and patted the window seat: "Get in."

The moment he got in and closed the door, Catherine took his arm, hugging it between her breasts.

"Let’s put on the seatbelt first," Zayden warned. Even with her pouting, he still insisted.

"Okay~"

If an accident happened, he might be fine, but the same couldn’t be said for Catherine if she wasn’t wearing a seatbelt.

"Go ahead, Wilson," Zayden said.

"Okay, Mr. Zayden."

Reaching over, Zayden wrapped his arm around Catherine.

She looked at him with a slight air of surprise, flashing a touching smile as she leaned against him and closed her eyes.

The sounds of thunder at that moment seemed to have no effect on her anymore.

...

With her head on his shoulder, Catherine felt very relaxed and happy.

Whether it was his warmth or his scent, she loved everything about him.

She placed her right leg over his left. She purred softly when she felt his hand caress her thigh.

His simple touch sent waves of very pleasant electric currents through her.

’If I feel this good just being like this with him, when we make love... I think I wouldn’t be able to handle so much joy and would die...’ She blushed at her own thought. But inevitably, a smile adorned her red lips.

**

**

After dropping Catherine off at home, Zayden returned to his penthouse.

’She was so cute today,’ Zayden chuckled a bit, especially remembering her reluctance to get out of the car, wanting to spend more time with him.

Sitting on the couch, he opened his inventory. In one of the slots, he saw the two gift boxes.

Clicking, he chose the option to open both at the same time.

───────────

You opened the [Bronze Mysterious Gift Boxes] and gained: 1x [Attribute Potion: Increases 1 to 3 attributes randomly when consumed]

You opened the [Bronze Mysterious Gift Boxes] and gained: Skill [Reference]

[Reference]: With hard work, you can become a reference in what you do.

───────────

"What the hell...!"

Zayden cursed loudly.

His hands clenched into fists.

Honestly, the potential of this skill was almost too good to be true.

’Catherine is my lucky star!’

If she were there, he’d want to shower her with kisses.

Although it says he needs to work hard to become a reference, the fact that he has the potential to become one says a lot!