A Thanks for what?[2]

As I took my seat, my gaze instinctively rose, leading me to lock eyes with a pair of captivating golden orbs, brimming with a hint of mischief.

Her lips, coated in a shade of crimson that effortlessly complemented the natural rosy hue of her cheeks, accentuating her fair complexion and flawlessy, milky skin.

The sight of her left me with only one thought in my mind: 'beautiful!'

"If you're done appraising my appearance," Emily spoke, gracefully lifting her tea cup, her little finger extended in perfect etiquette.

"I wasn't staring," I retorted, attempting to downplay my admiration. Byt, she paid little mind to my response, continuing with her own.

"Although I wouldn't advise shaking my hand, I am pleased that you've decided to join me," she replied, taking another sip from her cup.

'Yea...I have no intentions of talking to you, let alone shaking your hand. Not that I hate you...infact you're quite charming but...thats the issue. A fucking main cast, and last thing I wanna do is die a side character's death.'

I did make a pact with myself not to involve with the main characters. Maybe in future I will change that decision?

But whatever happened during the dungeon trial was a mistake—a necessity.

Establishing any kind of connection with them was the last thing on my mind, and I wanted to make that abundantly clear during this meeting.

Before I could express my thoughts, the waiter interrupted our exchange.

"May I take your order, sir?" he asked politely.

"Feel free to order 'anything' you desire," she smiled cryptically."It's on me." Emily graciously added as she placed her teacup onto the beautiful golden clay plate with a resounding— 𝒄𝒍𝒖𝒑! sound.

I raised a brow, 'Why is she being so generous?'

It is true, I wasn't exactly rich before, but things have changed—drastically.

I refused to accept any offerings like a beggar!

I have my own pride, after all.

I maintained a composed demeanor and withheld any outward expressions.

Instead of replying to her, I turned towards the waiter and firmly stated, "Bring me the most expensive beverage."

The waiter nodded curtly and departed to fulfill the request.

"Not one to shy away, are we?" she remarked, the sunlight streaming through the window, creating a striking glow on her beautiful face. Damn... she was so fucking beautiful.

'How come Aeravat never fell for her? Oh well...the bastard does lacks some form humanity...love really wasn't his thing. Its too early...'

But I had to agree...the red frock on Emily was...just—'Dafuq are you doing Noah!'

'Stay focused, Noah! This is sooo wrong!' I scolded myself internally, determined to not be swayed by her beauty.

I gestured with my right hand, signaling her to get to the point. "Please, tell me why you've called me here."

"I wanted to say thanks for what you did during the dungeon trials," she replied.

I raised an eyebrow, puzzled by her words.

A thanks for what?

Her gaze shifted down, to the delicate porcelain of her tea cup. I couldn't help but notice the wisps of steam dancing in the air, swirling around like ethereal spirits.

After a moment of hesitation, she mustered the courage to speak. "You know, back during the dungeon trials, when you saved me from Karthik?"

Ah, yes. The memory flickered in my mind, like a fleeting flame.

"You were right," she continued softly. "If I had only listened to your advice, I wouldn't have faced elimination. You were also the one who helped us find that dungeon...I did wasted your efforts in a way..."

A surge of mixed emotions welled up in me. Gratitude, perhaps? Or maybe a hint of surprise?

And then, the unexpected happened.

Emily took a deep breath closing her eyes and opened them with an exhale,"So I want to thank you. Thank you Noah Grey, you really did open my eyes to a new perspective. Ask for any reward you wish."

She thanked me? Offering me anything I desired in return?

I smirked, almost amused by the notion.

Was she truly giving so much significance to such a small, seemingly inconsequential act?

But then again, in the novel she was an eccentric one. One who paid heed to the most peculiar of details.

And perhaps from her point of view, my help really was big? In my view, I never really cared much...

With a gentle sweep of my arm and a genuine smile, I replied, "There is no need for thanks. We were a team, after all. I simply did what I had to do."

With graceful steps, the waiter returned, politely interrupting our conversation. "Here's your Kopi Luwak, sir," he announced, placing a deep black liquid, which I presumed to be coffee, on the sturdy wooden table.

An enchanting vapor rose from the cup, caressing my nostrils and infusing the air with a tangy hint of lemon and a delicate, alluring aroma.

'Hmm, it smelled rather...how should I express it?enticing.'

Though I wasn't particularly fond of coffee, a part of me couldn't resist the temptation.

𝒄𝒍𝒖𝒑!—My fingers delicately gripped the coffee cup, bringing it closer to my awaiting lips. With a gentle sip, the coffee was inhaled into my mouth, enveloping my senses in a whirlwind of flavors.

"Mmhm," an involuntary sound escaped me, my joy controlling my sense of expression.

The earthly and musty taste swirled with subtle notes of caramel and chocolate, tantalizing my palate. And the texture—oh, it was simply heavenly!

We didn't had this type of coffee...in...my....world...

A mischievous smile danced on Emily's lips while she asked, "You like it?"

"Ahem!" With a cough, I replied, not willing to entertain her playful banter.

She persisted though, her words flowing like some enchantress. "And don't undermine the fact that you were the one who discovered Freya's true identity. Your cognitive intelligence truly impressed me," she said, sincerely. But there was also something else to her expression...it almost seemed like she withheld herself from something?

A faint sigh escaped my lips.

She was determined to express her gratitude, no matter my attempts to downplay it.

Perhaps I should ask for something, putting an end to this matter.

But what should I ask?

Money wasn't an issue at the moment, so I should ask something else.

"Give me a moment to think," I replied, deliberately avoiding her beautiful gaze as I took another sip of the invigorating coffee. Its rich flavors danced on my tongue, providing solace and distraction.

Something money cannot buy, hm? As I thought, a conversation from a few weeks ago unexpectedly darted into my consciousness.

In the past, Riley had once inquired about where I would choose to hunt monsters when I asked him to help me with hunting some dungeons. I asked him for a later time to consider my response.

Visiting a high-level dungeon required permission, which was one of the reasons why venturing into a real monster-infested forest was typically prohibited.

But, it struck me then—didn't Emily's father hold some influence over district 2?

"Could you possibly secure permission for my team to explore the forests in district 2? If I'm not mistaken, your father has authority in that area."

I proposed to Emily.

Emily gazed at me with a perplexed expression, undoubtedly taken aback by the peculiarity of my appeal.