Chapter Sixteen

Three people were materialized from thin air, their feet touched the ground as the bright membrane around them dissipated.

Kyle held back his anger, glaring at the person responsible for their arrival here. Unfortunately, the stern-looking woman didn't pay any heed to his wrath.

Loine inserted her hand into her right pocket and fished out a black badge. She inserted the badge into the gap on the gate they were facing and turned it gently. Permitting the gate to split open.

[Creak…]

The yellow lights spilled as the sound of an opening gate resounded.

Although the gate opened in the direction they were facing, it didn't carry the black medal with it, leaving the black-haired woman to put it back in her pocket.

Walking towards the wide-open gate, their shoes met the soft fabric laid on every corner of the huge room.

It was filled with tables that almost reached both ends of the room. Chairs are periodically located throughout the tables, giving an idea of the usage of the table.

Chandeliers filled with candles hung from the ceiling, illuminating the room with a yellow light. The walls themselves were decorated with colorful fabrics, taking one's breath.

These decorations were beautiful, and that's coming from Kyle.

"What's for dinner today?" Karan asked while twirling his hair.

"Patience," his question was answered with an order.

Rolling his eyes, Karan approached Kyle and bumped his shoulder. In a distracted state of mind, Kyle glared at Karan, slightly irritated. He still held grudges to this pair of siblings that interrupted his work.

Without speaking to Kyle, Karan raised both of his hands and retreated slowly. All the while complaining to both of them.

"Okay okay. Geez, everyone's so grumpy tonight."

The stern-looking woman glanced back to Karan and hmphed softly. The room was void of other people, and their voices echoed slightly.

With familiar movements, all of them moved to the table on the left. All of them took seats that neared the entrance. Kyle took the seat on the left of the table while the other two sat on the opposing side.

Kyle's brain spun as he thought about this situation. 'This is the dining hall, I assume,' before slowing down almost immediately.

He put his left elbow on the long table and laid his face on his knuckles, waiting for something to occur.

With the sound of Karan's shoes repeatedly tapping the floor, something finally occurred.

The entrance to the room opened, and a group of people dressed in chef uniforms entered, rolling a serving cart with them.

As their white top hat and double-breasted jacket entered the room, the people who were dragging the cart noticed the trio.

Karan stood up and waved at them with a smile, while Loine and Kyle nodded their heads towards the group of chefs.

The group of people appeared accustomed to these three visitors and greeted them back. The sound of squeaking became louder as they approached the table.

Impatient, the baby-faced man walked towards them and peeked at the food they were carrying. His eyes brightened and he gulped audibly.

He was about to reach out with his hands before Loine grabbed his back and dragged him back to their seat.

"Ah—!" He exclaimed as he opened his mouth wide. He tried to retaliate, but the set of fingers on his back were too tough to be shaken. He was placed in his seat soon enough.

"Manners, Karan," the woman exclaimed as she rubbed her right hand.

At the sidelines, Kyle just observed their banter. Although faint, he still felt comfort and happiness at this moment.

'The emotion of this body?' The youth grasped his chest and fell into contemplation. He felt guilty that he had come to this place.

'In a sense, I've stolen everything that "he" had,' he thought.

Finally arriving at the table, they lifted the cover of the food, revealing the appetizing and mouth-watering contents.

They had brought an array of cuisine. Ranging from the light and savory bread to the heavy and fulfilling meat covered with a coat of gravy.

The baby-faced man stared at the cart intensely, he grabbed the white sleeve of a person near him and glared fiercely.

"I'll have a bite of everything please!" He said with a serious tone.

Beside him, the black-haired woman didn't stop his behavior. With a finger on her chin, she thought for a while before speaking calmly.

"The same, please," she said.

With a resigned look on their face, the people in chef uniforms scooped out pieces from every plate and served them.

With the corners of his mouth raised, Kyle put his palm to his lips. His shoulders shook every now and then until he finally managed to calm down.

"Have you decided on what to eat?" Loine asked while taking the plate from the group of people.

Her plate was abundant, it was filled with all kinds of meat and vegetables. Although filled with colors, all of them still appeared appetizing and delicious.

Beside her, Karan was already digging into his plate. His mouth was moving hastily and his eyes turned into small moons.

Kyle glanced at Karan with disgust and turned to the mature-looking woman. At the receiving end of his gaze, she shrugged and proceeded to start her dinner.

He then swept his gaze over the food cart and squinted his eyes. With his face still placed on his knuckled, he tapped the table with his right hand. Eventually, he stopped and spoke.

"Also a bit of everything," The youth commanded.

Ignoring the stare from everybody, he closed his eyes and continued drumming his fingers.

'I've never seen some of these delicacies before. It's not because I'm greedy nor hungry, it's just that it would be a waste for me not to try all of them. That's right, no one could assure me that I am going to stay here forever, and it's not like I would wish to stay here for the rest of my life. This is just a precaution, yes, a precaution…'

After being served his portion, Kyle took a random scoop out of his plate. In his spoon was a tender piece of meat covered with corn-covered gravy. He took a quick whiff, and the aroma of beef stew struck his nostrils.

Saliva unknowingly pooled in his mouth, and he ate the tempting chunk of meat.

Kyle's eyes widened as he clenched his grip on the spoon.

The meat melted as if it was butter in his mouth, and the thick gravy was laced with hints of sourness and savory. The small pieces of corn bounded everything together in a sweet and comforting taste.

"Oh my…" He let out a gasp unknowingly.

These foods were at least a level higher than the foods he used to eat. He now understood why even the mature-looking Loine opted to take a piece of every single dish for dinner.

He was about to continue eating when he noticed that no one else had entered the room, even after they began to eat.

Putting down his silverware, Kyle pointed downward and casually asked, "Why are we alone here? Is everyone eating somewhere else?"

Opposite from him, Loine put down her spoon and looked at him in confusion. Karan noticed her bewilderment and spoke with his face buried on his plate.

"Don't mind it, he's been like that since this morning, probably hit his head last night," he spoke through his bulging mouth.

Kyle's body stiffened, he didn't expect them to realize his abnormality this quickly.

'Asking questions was a landmine…!'

If they decided to ask him about matters of the past, the fact that he was clueless about everything would be exposed. Looking that Authority was common here, there is a high chance for some to have a memory-related Authority.

Then, the fact that he wasn't their Kyle would be exposed.

'These two appeared close to the old Kyle. One is a formidable companion and the other is a team leader of her own, I'll get beaten the truth is revealed!'

Unaware of his anxiousness, Loine stared at his head and spoke softly.

"Should we check your health in the Health Department?" She spoke worriedly.

"No. Don't worry, the memories are coming back slowly to me as we speak," Kyle feigned confidence.

"It's good then," Loine sighed.

After that, she took out the medal she used to open the gate earlier. Thrusting it towards his face, she spoke unhurriedly.

"I used my rights as the captain to enter the dining hall earlier. The others would have to wait for another hour to use the dining hall"

Without even blinking, she said it with zero traces of guilt in her tone. In response, the youth opened his mouth slightly, but no words came out from his lips.

'As a leader, are you not ashamed of abusing your privilege?'

She seemed to be able to guess his thoughts, as she continued, "Don't worry, the higher-ups will close their eyes to insignificant matters such as these. Even the others would do this sometimes as well."

Awed by her confidence, Kyle shook his head and resumed his dinner.