It wasn’t entirely unjustified. Both Nyx and Bastet looked stunning in their gorgeous dresses, yet their behavior betrayed them.
Bastet was a recently subjugated monster girl whose concept of etiquette was in the beginning phases of development. Nyx, on the other hand, didn’t have the luxury of learning decorum. She’d spent her youth being scammed inside Maximilian’s scam "academy," where proper manners hadn’t been on the syllabus.
Still, lack of refinement didn’t mean lack of depth.
Nyx caught Vaelira’s look, held it a moment, then turned back to the feast. She wouldn’t apologize for being hungry. If having her stomach growl for a single second was enough to be looked down upon, then so be it. She didn’t care one bit what the sassy blond bitch thought.
"Good," Talia nodded, and just like that, everyone got seated. "I’m not going to hold a grand speech or anything boring like that. I prepared this table to celebrate your survival and recovery. Please enjoy."
Bastet’s head snapped toward Kaiden the instant Talia finished speaking. Her golden eyes were wide and glistening, pupils dilated into round orbs. The turbo-sexy felinid woman with immensely generous feminine proportions looked like a begging kitten that had waited far too long outside the treat jar.
Her fork and knife were already poised as she practically vibrated in place, silently pleading.
Kaiden let out a quiet laugh under his breath. It was a warm and fond sound. He gave her a small nod paired with an indulgent smile.
That was all she needed.
Bastet lit up as if someone had just unlocked her personal heaven. She took the first piece of mana-rich sashimi and brought it to her lips. She didn’t just eat; she savored.
Her eyes fluttered half-shut as she chewed slowly, thoughtfully, appreciating the delicate balance of texture and elemental essence. She murmured something no one understood.
Another slice vanished. Then another. Her tail flicked behind her endlessly. Even when she reached for the next piece, she dabbed her lips with a napkin first, clearly trying to act as refined as possible. She was failing—adorably—but the attempt alone softened the judgmental air around the table. The feral gleam in her eyes never left, but she was doing her best not to disgrace her master.
Seeing his needy kitten was placated, Kaiden turned his attention to Talia and inclined his head politely. "Thank you, Miss Talia. I appreciate the gesture. After everything, a warm gesture like this means more than you might realize."
Hearing that he wasn’t outright spiteful—at least not on the surface—made Talia feel a bit more at ease. Yes, Kaiden and his team had willingly signed the contract and entered the dungeon with full knowledge of the risks, but humans were fickle creatures. Cold logic didn’t always reign supreme, especially when it came to a man who almost lost his lover(s) in a single nightmare expedition.
The feast began just like that.
Though Vaelira, Sasha, and Jack had ridiculed Nyx and Bastet for their overt reactions to the food, that mockery didn’t last long. One taste of the mana-rich sashimi, and their poise melted with alarming speed. Sasha’s pinky dropped. Vaelira forgot to dab her lips. Even Jack gave a gruff grunt of approval as he reached for a second bite faster than was strictly dignified.
Across the table, Leon sat stiffly in his seat, trying very hard not to glower. He wasn’t the kind of man to begrudge another’s success, but this? This was just showing off on a level of being plain rude.
Kaiden wasn’t even allowed to touch his own utensils.
Luna, draped in an elegant violet gown, took charge of the sashimi platter. She carefully selected each piece with a pair of chopsticks she’d learned to use due to sometimes having sushi cravings after watching anime.
She tapped the food against her lips in a gentle kiss before leaning in and offering the bite to Kaiden with a teasing smirk.
Aria, not to be outdone when it came to being the perfect, loving girlfriend, fed Kaiden slower, more sensually. Though Luna’s sashimi-kiss play threw her for a loop, not expecting the gamer girl to be so brazen.
While it was true Luna had a loose mouth and little reservation, she often acted a bit shy when it came to showing off the fact that not only was she in a relationship but a harem as well.
But it seemed she was over any such feelings. At least in front of this audience.
As for the feeding session... Between them, the two women had formed a perfect rhythm with Luna being playful and bold, Aria graceful and sly. One giggled as she wiped a nonexistent smear from his cheek, the other leaned in just a little too close when whispering something only he was meant to hear.
They weren’t just beautiful women; they were devoted lovers, practically glowing with affection as they doted on him as if feeding their man like this was the most natural thing in the world.
And Kaiden? The bastard just sat there with that modest smile, accepting it all.
Leon finally tore his gaze away and stabbed his own sashimi with a little more force than necessary.
"Unreal..." he muttered. "I feel like a miserable loser just by being in his mere presence... And he’s supposed to be the F-tier nobody!"
...
The food was heavenly; the sashimi melted on the tongue, the grilled cuts were made with perfect char, and the desserts outright glowed with magic-sweetened delight.
The company, too, was amazing... at least after they collectively decided to mentally mute Vaelira and her entourage. It was surprisingly easy, once the laughter started flowing, and the clinking of glasses began to fill the gaps between teasing remarks and affectionate gestures. For a moment, it felt almost like a celebration.
But celebrations never lasted.
As the plates began to clear and the warmth of the meal gave way to the weight of anticipation, a quiet tension settled over the table.
Because no matter how gentle-hearted Talia might be, no one prepared a feast this elaborate simply because a few mercenaries her guild contracted for a dungeon run got injured.
This wasn’t about kindness.
It was time to talk about the real reason they’d been invited.