The restaurant was nestled on a cobbled street corner. A modest wooden sign hung above the entrance, painted with swirls of dancing vegetables and a steaming roast.
The Roasted Boar.
Inside, the walls were warmly lit by floating lanterns drifting lazily overhead, casting soft light across polished wooden tables and ivory tablecloths.
’This feels like a certain movie I watched back when I was alive...’
Kai had never seen Vepice smile so freely.
He had to admit, it felt... nice.
With all the coin he’d gained from Orlin, and the absurd amounts he’d been rewarded with from the Adventurer’s League, this was the first time he’d spent anything for pleasure.
He wasn’t even sure if Sala, the next continent he might end up on, used the same currency, or if he’d be laughed at trying to trade royal crowns for foreign apples. So why not enjoy himself while he still could?
They ordered a full three-course meal, something decadent, something filling, and something sweet.
Vepice’s first course was a creamy chicken, garlic and herb soup with a slice of fresh buttered bread. She had one spoonful and immediately said, "This is my new favourite food."
Kai smiled and tried it, his barrier magic struggling to coat a liquid, but he managed. It was hearty meal.
When the roast boar with glazed apple sauce and rosemary potatoes came out, she gasped softly and changed her mind about her favourite food.
And when dessert came, warm cinnamon-spiced pear tart with crushed hazelnuts and vanilla cream, she gripped her fork like a sacred artifact, tears almost forming in her eyes. "This. This is my favourite food."
Kai had chuckled quietly behind his napkin. "You said that about the soup. And the boar."
She glanced at him with a playful glare. "Well, that was before I discovered this."
She waved around some tart on her fork.
He’d never seen anyone take such joy in something as simple as eating.
’I want to see more of that smile.’
After they finished their meal, and Kai covered the hefty tab, he stood and extended a hand toward her.
"Come on," he said. "I’m not done spoiling you yet."
"What do you mean?"
"We’re going shopping. Accessories. Your pick."
She blinked. "What? You don’t have to-"
Kai just pulled her along and grinned. "I want to."
---
Kai led her through the market district and looked at several stalls on the way through.
On the way, Vepice and Kai walked around two groups of inquisitors patrolling the streets.
’They just won’t give up. I guess I killed the king, even if indirectly...’
They ended up at a small stall between two potion shops.
It was run by a middle-aged woman with grey in her hair and wisdom in her eyes. She sold handcrafted jewellery: beaded bracelets, threaded necklaces, delicate pins shaped like birds and flowers.
Vepice’s eyes were immediately drawn to a small jade butterfly hairclip, its wings veined with silver and gold inlays. It shimmered faintly in the light.
She gasped softly. "It’s... pretty."
Kai saw the way her fingers hovered near it, almost afraid to touch it.
"Try it on," he said.
She did, fumbling to get it into her hair properly. She secured it, but only succeeded in making it sit at an awkward angle.
The shopkeep stepped out from behind the stall and, without hesitation, reached forward to adjust it herself. Her hands were careful, warm, practiced. Even when her fingers brushed against the illusion of Vepice’s ’hair’, she didn’t so much as pause.
"You two make a cute couple," the shopkeeper said kindly.
Vepice’s eyes lit up. "Thank you!"
Kai blinked. "Oh, it’s not... well, we’re not-"
Vepice just smiled and turned, the butterfly clip now perfectly pinned above her ear.
"It looks great on you. Probably even better on the real you."
When they returned to the inn, Kai asked the innkeeper if they could move to a room with a double bed instead of two singles.
"It’s a cheaper room, actually," the innkeeper replied. "Less space, but more... intimate."
The innkeep looked between them with a cheeky smile.
Kai didn’t respond to that. Just accepted the coins returned to him.
They walked to their new room. First one on the left after walking up the stairs.
"I really liked today, Kai!"
"I’m happy you did. It was a nice change of pace."
That night, Kai lay on his back in the centre of the bed, staring at the wooden ceiling beams.
Vepice had changed into nightwear this time. A long, soft tunic he’d found for her the day before from in his shadow space. She curled up beside him like a cat.
He actually slept.
It wasn’t a dreamless sleep, his mind still wandered to shadows, to long roads ahead, and to Orlin, but it wasn’t the haunted rest of a fugitive or the twitchy doze of a soldier on the run.
Whether it was the draining fight from earlier or just the comfort of Vepice’s warmth nearby, he didn’t know.
He was comfortable.
---
In the morning, though... it was gone.
The tunic lay at the foot of the bed, and Vepice lay draped over his chest instead, completely bare.
Kai turned bright red, eyes wide.
"Why... why are you naked again?"
"Mmm." She rubbed her cheek against him sleepily. "Got hot."
"You! Why not just take off the blanket then?"
She blinked slowly up at him. "Because it’s warm... and you’re warm... and you’re soft, Kai."
He swallowed thickly. "Vepice, you can’t just... some men would take advantage of you if you did this."
She tilted her head. "Would you?"
"No!"
"Then I don’t mind." She smiled and kissed his jaw before nuzzling into his neck again. "Even if you did... I wouldn’t be against it."
Kai short-circuited.
He cleared his throat violently, face flushed with heat. "I’m going to... go. Training. Watch a few matches. Check the new lineup."
He swung his legs out of bed and scrambled for his boots and coat. "Just... please, wear something today."
Vepice giggled under the covers.
"I liked last night," she said softly as he reached for the door. "You make me feel safe."
Kai paused for a moment, just a heartbeat.
’That makes me happier than I’d expect.’
Then he left the room with the image smile of hers echoing in his mind.
’Even if this was celebrating early, it was worth it. Even if I lose tomorrow, I’ll remember today.’