"Good job, everyone," I said, raising my glass slightly.
Arianne and Joseph followed suit, lifting theirs with small smiles before lowering them again.
Anathasia, on the other hand, simply sipped her juice, her gaze lingering on the food in front of her.
"Kyle," Joseph spoke up, pulling me out of my thoughts.
I turned to him.
"Thanks," he said, his hands clasped around his glass. "The way you broke my topic down, made it simpler, easier to understand…"
He hesitated, then continued more firmly.
"I really appreciate how you made sure I actually got everything, especially when I kept asking questions."
Arianne, seated beside him, nodded in agreement.
"I feel the same," she said warmly. "The way you summarized everything around the main points made expanding it a lot easier."
She raised her glass again, lightly clinking it against mine.
"I'd honestly love to work with everyone again if we get the chance."
I smiled, feeling the tension I hadn't realized I was holding finally ease.
"Yeah. Likewise," I replied.
Arianne smiled back. Her gaze lingered for a brief moment on Anathasia before returning to me.
Almost like she was observing her…
[Because she is.]
…Huh?
[She is keeping an eye on me. That's the point.]
I stayed silent, casually cutting a piece of food from my plate before taking a bite. Of course, I hadn't forgotten who we were dealing with.
An Auclait.
[Why is she keeping an eye on you anyway?]
Anathasia continued eating beside me as Arianne and Joseph drifted into talking about themselves. I only half-listened.
[It probably has something to do with Marianne,] she added. [Most likely.]
I kept eating, offering the occasional smile when the conversation drifted my way.
[Does she think we're connected to why Marianne turned out the way she did?]
Anathasia glanced at me, then gave a small nod before taking another spoonful of her food.
[I mean…]
She paused mid-motion, eyes dropping to her plate.
[The girl was obsessed with you,] she remarked. [That does make you prime suspect material.]
I froze for half a second.
Partly because of what she said.
Mostly because I was having this conversation entirely in my head.
[I mean… yeah. She was terrible,] I admitted. [And her obsession was—]
I stopped myself, shaking my head lightly before taking another bite.
[I don't want to talk about that.]
[Fair,] Anathasia replied.
Then, after a brief pause—
[Either way, it looks like Arianne's got her sights on me this time.]
[It's not like she knows you're an Outer God,] I replied silently.
Across the table, Arianne and Joseph continued chatting, occasionally glancing our way. None the wiser.
[She doesn't. That's exactly why she's keeping an eye on me.]
Anathasia simply responded, unperturbed.
[And people from high society, especially heiresses? They absolutely hate things they don't know or can't control.]
She added, stifling her own chuckle as she gently put down her spoon. Arianne immediately noticed and looked her way, smiling.
"Is there anything funny, Miss Dunaleff?" she asked softly. Her expression remained serene, almost amused.
Anathasia just shook her head in response.
"No, nothing like that. I just remembered something Kyle said back then," she gently picked up her glass, bringing it near her lips before taking a small sip.
She glanced at me, casually setting her glass down with a small smile.
"Right?"
I nodded in response, forcing another smile.
[My cheeks are starting to get tired here… also, you're getting more sly the more we spend time together…]
Her smile remained unperturbed as she looked at them, casually striking up a conversation.
[Nothing wrong with that, right? I'm just matching her energy.]
"I see," Arianne nodded, leaning in as she looked at Anathasia with interest.
"So, if it isn't too invasive…"
She hesitated briefly before continuing.
"How long have you two been living together, exactly?"
Anathasia paused, tapping a finger against her cheek as she leaned back into the chair.
"Hmm… about a year? Around the first week of August last year," she said thoughtfully.
"So… almost a year."
Arianne's eyes widened slightly.
Joseph looked at Anathasia for a moment. Then slowly turned to me.
"That's a long time…" Arianne said carefully.
"And the two of you only started dating five months ago?"
Anathasia nodded, glancing at me once before looking back at them.
"Actually," she added smoothly, "it was *his* parents' idea in the first place."
I saw her smile widen. Just a little.
"You could say his parents and my parents already consider us engaged."
I stiffened, nearly choking on my drink.
[Girl what the fu—]
[Chill,] her voice echoed calmly in my head.
[I'm leading them on. Alright?]
Arianne's expression froze, then slowly shifted as a quiet chuckle escaped her lips.
"I see… I'm happy for you both," she said, her gaze settling on me.
Anathasia, meanwhile—
[PFFT—AHAHAHAHAHAHA!
She actually bought it!]
Her cackle echoed inside my head, practically wheezing.
[So you can laugh like a maniac…]
She only laughed harder, while outwardly remaining perfectly calm and serene.
The self-control alone was impressive.
But this time… I wasn't sure if I should be relieved or concerned.
—
"Mhm, see you."
With a small wave, Arianne and Joseph headed off, leaving Anathasia and me standing outside the family restaurant.
"Alright," I said, stretching as I raised my arms over my head.
"Time to head home."
"Yeah…" Anathasia murmured beside me, her shoulders slumping.
"I think I've had enough fun for the day."
Considering she'd been laughing in my head for nearly forty minutes straight, I wasn't surprised.
I could still remember it, her voice echoing, unrestrained, completely unhinged.
The sky above was tinted orange as we walked, cars streaming past as rush hour settled in.
Anathasia yawned occasionally, her steps unhurried.
Guess messing with Arianne really did wear her out.
As we turned the corner, voices drifted toward us, sharp, low, and close.
"Yeah. Now pay up."
Two men stood in the alley ahead. Early twenties, maybe. One had a student pressed back against the wall. The other leaned nearby, blocking the exit with practiced ease.
"B—but I—"
"I said pay up. Or did you think you could just borrow money and walk away because you're still in school?"
His accomplice laughed quietly.
We walked past.
For a brief moment, the girl's eyes met mine, wide, searching. She was probably a senior, judging by the uniform.
I felt the hesitation rise. The instinct.
And then I let it go.
This isn't something I can afford to take on.
We kept walking.
I already have enough to deal with.
For once… I just want to think about myself.
For a while, the air around us stayed quiet. The steady rhythm of our steps carried us forward, our house already just a few blocks away.
Only then did Anathasia speak.
"Good choice," she said.
She shook her head lightly, running a hand through her hair before glancing at me.
"Getting involved with people like that is just trouble. We don't even know who that girl is, and it's not like you're a hero in some fantasy story with guaranteed happy endings."
She chuckled, stepping past me before looking back over her shoulder.
Her smile softened.
"Good job holding yourself back."
Her hand came to rest on my head, fingers brushing lightly through my hair, brief, reassuring.
"Knowing what to ignore," she said quietly, "and what actually matters."
She pulled back, clasping her hands behind her back as she looked at me.
"That's how people survive long enough to have peaceful lives."
She turned, taking a few steps toward the house before adding,
"You've done enough for others already."
A pause.
"It's okay to be selfish sometimes."
She glanced back at me, expression gentle.
"I think you've earned that much."