CHAPTER 26: A ONE-MONTH ANNIVERSARY BEYOND ALL HIS EXPECTATIONS

«Here’s your Wagyu steak, sir. And for the lady, Kobe beef bites. Enjoy your meal, and have a wonderful evening,» the waiter says with impeccable elegance and composure as he serves Aoshi and Eliss, seated at their table in Cordesol Meat, an upscale restaurant in downtown Nagano.It’s part of a world-famous luxury chain managed by the renowned chef Santiago Cordesol — the kind of place Aoshi would never have imagined setting foot in, let alone actually eating at, not even in his most optimistic fantasies.

«A-Are you sure we can afford to eat stuff like this...?» Aoshi mutters, sounding both suspicious and anxious. He can’t even enjoy his meal, haunted by the thought of how much it must cost — every bite feels like he’s chewing through an entire day’s wages.

«I wouldn’t have brought you here to celebrate our one-month anniversary if I couldn’t afford it!» Eliss grumbles , happily devouring her dish without the slightest trace of guilt. «That gentleman, Mr. Tobita — when he found out today was our anniversary, not only did he pay me in advance, he even threw in a little bonus and gave me the night off to celebrate! He may be a bit of a pervert, but he’s actually a really nice man.»

Yeah, I can already picture it. Eliss looking at him with those sweet, irresistible eyes, and him going, «But of course, my goddess — anything for you! Here’s your salary, and here’s a little bonus so you can take that idiot boyfriend of yours somewhere decent for dinner, because with what he makes, the best he can offer you is a burger joint. Oh, and don’t forget — celebrating late brings bad luck, so take the evening off too. Anything for you!»

He probably said something exactly like that... And now that I think about it, I didn’t get any advance pay, or a bonus, or even a day off for that matter. In fact, I’m pretty sure if it were up to him, I’d be working right now. But I guess even his empty head managed to realize it’d be kinda hard for Eliss to celebrate with me if I were stuck at work. Still... smells a lot like favoritism.

«My sweet Aoshi, your steak looks so delicious — can I have a bite?» Eliss asks, her face lit up with a bright, excited smile.

«Of course, take as much as you want,» Aoshi replies, gently sliding the plate toward her.

A gesture that Eliss clearly doesn’t appreciate — her cheeks puff up in annoyance.

«Haven’t you learned any manners? I can’t just stick my fork into your plate — you’re supposed to feed me!»

«Ah, right... I keep forgetting you’re a princess where you come from,» Aoshi mutters, embarrassed.

He picks up the fork, ready to spear a piece of meat and offer it to her — but Eliss’s face puffs up even more, her expression turning indignant.

«W-What do you think you’re doing with that fork?!»

Aoshi freezes, confused, mouth half-open.

«B-But you just told me to feed you... Where did I go wrong this time?»

Her face turns bright red — though not from anger this time.

«W-Well, um...» she mumbles, lowering her gaze to her plate. «I-I’d rather you didn’t use the fork to feed me...»

«Oh, you want me to use my hands? Sure, that’s no problem. I mean, a lot of the customers around us are eating with their hands anyway — maybe it even tastes better that way.»

«Not your hands either! I want you to feed me... with your mouth.»

And in an instant, Aoshi’s face turns even redder than hers.

«W-With my mouth?! T-That’s disgusting! It’d be like a mama bird vomiting food into her chicks’ mouths!» he blurts out, horrified.

«Idiot! You’re not supposed to chew it!» she snaps. «You just hold the piece of meat between your teeth, lean toward me, and I’ll take it using my teeth. It’s a very romantic gesture in Ravessia, you know? A deep symbol of love between an incubus and his succubus — far more meaningful than an ordinary kiss. It’s something I’ve always dreamed of doing... and you’d be my first time,» she murmurs shyly.

«W-Well, if it means that much to you... then I’ll do it,» Aoshi replies, sounding determined — though his tone doesn’t exactly match his expression. He glances around the room quickly to make sure no one’s watching.

I-It might be considered romantic in Ravessia, but here it’s probably just disgusting to look at — especially in a high-end restaurant like this. Let’s just hope the waiters don’t kick us out after a few complaints from those stuck-up snobs with their noses in the air...

●A few moments earlier●

«I still can’t believe that a broke good-for-nothing like Aoshi Toya is actually eating in a place like this... and Wagyu, of all things! Where the hell did he get the money to eat something that costs more than his monthly salary? Something about this really stinks...» Miori Yukinaga mutters, sitting at a table a few rows behind Aoshi — four tables away, to be exact. Far enough that neither he nor Eliss could possibly notice her, and Miori herself only spotted them because she was already seated when the two walked in.

«Y-Yeah, you’re right, Miori – munch, munch – it’s crazy that a penniless loser like him’s hanging out in a place like this – munch, munch,» Renji Kurotani replies, sitting across from her, tearing into a slab of steak with his fork still stuck in it, chewing noisily like an animal.

«How many times have I told you to— oh, forget it. You’re a lost cause. At least no one I know seems to be here tonight...» Miori sighs, glaring at him with a mix of resignation and disgust. Then her eyes drop to her phone screen, open to a search page. «Eliss Narkhalis...» she mutters thoughtfully.

Narkhalis...Nothing comes up online. And if she belonged to an important family, I’d definitely know. My father would’ve at least mentioned that surname. So she’s not from any wealthy or notable lineage — that much is obvious. And yet, if she’s here, she’s clearly loaded. I’d bet anything she’s the one footing the bill for Aoshi too. Eliss Narkhalis... who the hell are you? Why would someone like you be with a loser like him? And more importantly... where the hell did you come from? You showed up out of nowhere right after I dumped that idiot, and I know he didn’t talk to any girls while we were "together". There’s no way he met someone like her and got her to move in with him that fast. Eliss... you’re definitely hiding something.

Her thoughts come to a screeching halt when her eyes — which have spent more time glued to Aoshi’s table than to her own plate — widen in shock.

Right before her, Aoshi leans forward, a tiny piece of steak held delicately between his teeth, and Eliss leans toward him, taking it between her own lips before eating it.

«R-Renji... did you just see what Aoshi did?!» Miori whispers.

«N-No – munch, munch – what happened?» he mumbles, still chewing.

Miori exhales sharply and shakes her head in exasperation.

«Figures... even if an earthquake hit right now, you wouldn’t notice! Aoshi just fed that girl with his mouth!»

«Ugh, gross! Don’t tell me stuff like that while I’m eating — I’m gonna throw up!» Renji grumbles, disgusted.

«You really don’t understand a damn thing! That was the most romantic gesture I’ve ever seen in my life — something so unique, special, intimate... I never imagined that that useless idiot could do something so full of sweetness and meaning. When he was with me he wouldn’t even carry my bag unless I asked! Did Eliss make him change like this...? Or maybe it’s a natural shift because ever since that slut started walking him to university in the mornings his popularity’s shot through the roof, even surpassing what he had when he was with me. Hm... the more I think about it, the more I’m sure those two are hiding something. Yes, I absolutely have to start investigating this before — I can’t let a stupid nobody and his tramp steal my spotlight. And if necessary, I’ll cut the problem out at the root. Yeah, and that problem has a name: Eliss Narkhalis — she’s the mastermind behind all of this. It’s her fault I didn’t get to enjoy Aoshi’s pathetic loser image after I dumped him, ruining a month of gruelling, humiliating preparation I put myself through pretending to be his girlfriend! Listen, Renji, I want you to do something for me tomorrow, and I won’t accept no for an answer — otherwise I’ll spill that embarrassing secret of yours.»

Renji stiffens at her words — cold sweat breaks out on him. He knows that whenever Miori uses that particular blackmail tactic, it’s usually something he would have refused outright. He clenches his left fist under the table, visibly upset and irritated by her manner. And yet, even if he wanted to, he can’t stop her. He’s bound to Miori by a much more human — and at the same time darker and more powerful — tie than the one tying Aoshi to Eliss: a bond he would avoid like a rat avoids a cat if he could go back. But it’s too late for regrets now — Renji is perfectly aware that just as she raised him to become one of the university’s most prominent and envied students, she could destroy him with the same ease, dragging him back into the nightmare of loneliness and anonymity he wallowed in before meeting her or even worse, because of that secret she holds over him. Renji is willing to do anything to prevent that fate, indulging the most absurd whims of the woman who — in effect — is not his girlfriend but his mistress.

«Tell me what you want, Miori — I’ll do whatever you ask.»