Chapter 119

Alex quickly caught up to her, matching her stride and said.

"Come on, everyone likes sweets. Especially when you’re walking through a city like this at night. Is it a diet thing? Because let’s be honest, your figure is already perfect.

"It’s not a diet thing,"

"Then tell me why you don’t like sweets?"

"Why are you so fixated on knowing?"

"Because I’m your man, remember. And it’s my job to know more about my woman."

Nyx looked conflicted before finally giving a small sigh. She looked straight ahead at the neon lit path before replying calmly.

"As you might have guessed from Silas, that day at the docks, my family is an aristocratic family with strict... Teachings. So ever since I was small we were taught that power and discipline is everything. Sugar and a lot of things were considered a form of distraction, a weakness that dulled the senses. Eventually, my palate simply adapted, and I lost any desire for it. So just eat your treat and drop the subject."

Beside him, the chibi instantly popped up, floating dramatically with a handkerchief in her tiny hands.

[Awww, what a tragic childhood backstory! Alex, this is your moment! Show her the sweetness of love!]

Alex internally rolled his eyes at the mischievous system, but he completely agreed with the sentiment. He wasn’t going to let her wallow in some depressing childhood memory on their very first night out together.

Stopping abruptly in the middle of the sidewalk, Alex stepped right into Nyx’s path, forcing her to come to a halt. Before she could ask what he was doing, Alex held up the bright red, glistening Tanghulu sweet, bringing it right toward her soft, beautifully shaped lips.

"Not a chance," Alex said while locking his green eyes against hers with stubborn persistence. "That aristocratic family of yours isn’t here tonight, and you’re not a kid who can still be controlled by them anymore. You’re out on a walk which might as well be a date with your man. So you have to at least try it. Just one taste."

Nyx leaned her head back slightly, and narrowed her beautiful amber eyes as she stared at the candied fruit hovering just inches away from her face.

"Alex, stop being ridiculous. We are in public. Take it away."

"No. I’m not moving an inch until you take a bite, or at least a lick," Alex pestered shamelessly while pushing the sweet a bit closer.

"C’mon, beautiful. Just one tiny taste won’t kill your ice queen image. Don’t make me stand here and look like a fool in front of all these Korean citizens."

Nyx stared at him intently, searching his forest green eyes for any signs of backing down. But all she found was an absolute, unyielding sense of stubbornness.

Several passerby were already glancing at them with amused smiles, clearly finding the bickering, attractive foreign couple endearing.

Most of the young women nearby smiled knowingly while nudging their friends because of how Alex held a Tanghulu to a very beautiful woman with gentle eyes. They occasionally cheered at the very beautiful woman to accept the handsome oppa’s request.

Realizing that Alex was genuinely thick-skinned enough to hold the position until morning, Nyx let out a sharp, irritated breath.

"You are incredibly annoying," she muttered under her breath.

Finally relenting, she leaned forward slightly. Her beautiful pink lips then parted a bit as she delicately extended her tongue and took a slow, cautious lick of the sweet, glistening glaze of the Tanghulu fruit.

The sharp, sugary taste mixed with tart flavor of the fruit burst across her tongue. She immediately pulled back, swallowing quietly before glaring at him with an icy, albeit blushing, expression.

"There. I tried it. Are you happy now?"

[+5 Desire Energy Gained]

[+10 Desire Points Gained]

Alex’s smile widened into a triumphant, radiant grin that caused a burst of awwwn.

"Yeah I’m really happy now," he said softly.

Without breaking eye contact, Alex casually brought the exact same Tanghulu sweet back to his own lips. Right on the very spot where the glistening trace of her moisture still lingered on the red glaze, Alex shamelessly took a deep, deliberate lick, savoring the sweet and tart flavor with absolute relish.

If anything, when he was feeling the cold fingers of death in his heart told him, it was that he should enjoy every peaceful moment with his women. So this evening was all about developing his relationship with Nyx even if he had to look shameless in her eyes.

Nyx froze entirely. Her beautiful amber eyes widened in sheer shock as she watched him react so naturally, completely bypassing any sense of hesitation.

The realization that they had just practically shared an indirect kiss right there in the middle of a crowded Seoul street hit her like a sudden wave.

Before she could even process a retort or rebut him coldly, a sudden, unmistakable flush of deep red rapidly bloomed across her cheeks, turning her entire face a beautiful, faint shade of red before she quickly turned her head away, trying to hide it in the dark night.

[+8 Desire Energy Gained]

[+12 Desire Points Gained]

Alex was genuinely shocked by the second set of notifications before he finally gave a small laugh.

A few weeks ago, he couldn’t imagine someone like Nyx blushing over something this small.

Nyx was horrified by the blush. Since when did she, a woman without feelings start to blush like a little girl over something as mundane as sharing a sweet. Her face immediately turned cold, this time even more icy than usual.

She quickened her pace and tried to put some distance between herself and the maddening man beside her. Alex simply chucked the double stick Tanghulu into a nearby trash bin after finishing it, and gave a satisfied smirk as he effortlessly matched her steps, thoroughly enjoying this rare moment.

After passing through a few more streets filled with endless chatter of Seoul nightlife, Alex finally found what he was looking for.

A traditional popular hotspot restaurant filled with customers. The rich aroma of simmering broths, garlic, chili oil, and grilled meats wafted through the air the moment they stepped inside.

"Now this just looks perfect."

Nyx glanced around calmly before giving a small nod.

"It seems acceptable."

Soon, they were led to a cozy, somewhat secluded booth near the back, where a large, circular metal burner was embedded directly into the center of the table.

Within minutes, a steaming split pot of hotpot was set over the fire, with one side bubbling with a rich, fiery red spicy brother and the other a clear, fragrant bone soup, surrounded by a colorful array of thinly sliced meats, fresh vegetables, mushrooms, and some other side dishes.

Alex immediately grabbed a pair of chopsticks. Now this was more like it. After watching countless soap operas and K-dramas because of the girl he thought was his daughter in his past life. Now he was finally going to eat some good old hotpot.

He swirled a piece of marbled beef into the boiling, spicy red broth. After doing that he popped the cap off a green glass bottle of soju and poured himself a glass.

After letting the meat cook for a few seconds, he used his chopsticks to pick it up, blew on it slightly and stuffed it into his mouth.

Alex instantly let out a loud sigh of satisfaction as the rich, fiery taste burst across his tongue before immediately throwing back the shot of soju to wash it down.

"Damn. That’s good! It’s way better than spicy hot wings!"

Nyx sat across from him and looked at the bubbling red broth with a slight, skeptical tilt of her head, before glancing at Alex, who was already heartily reaching for another slice of pork.

For a woman like her who was raised on strict diets and meticulously prepared dishes, this communal, steam filled environment was entirely foreign to her.

Yet, watching him eat with such genuine relish, caused a flicker of curiosity to finally overcome her hesitation. Elegantly picking up her own set of chopsticks, she deliberately picked up a piece of cooked mushroom from the milder side of the pot, and blew on it gently before placing it past her lips.

At that moment her beautiful amber eyes widened for a second, showing that the dish had clearly taken her by surprise. It wasn’t the most delicious dish she had ever eaten but it wasn’t far off.

Without saying a word, she began to eat, her movements gracefully and elegant as she continued to sample the dishes.

"See? I told you it’s amazing," Alex grinned, leaning forward and pouring a shot of the cold drink into the small glass in front of her.

"Now, you have to try it with this. It’s soju. I know it probably doesn’t compare to the ridiculously expensive vintage wines you’re used to taking back home, but trust me, it’s the perfect match for a heavy, spicy meal like this."

Nyx glanced at the small glass, then lifted her gaze to meet his expectant grin. Maintaining her calm, unbothered facade, she picked up the glass and took a small sip.

At first It caused her throat to burn slightly from the sharp alcohol, but then it instantly cut through the richness of the food, leaving a clean, crisp aftertaste.

She set the glass down with a soft click, showing no emotion, and simply continued her elegant pace through the meal, occasionally taking another calm sip from her glass.

As the night progressed and the bubbling pot began to turn empty, the green bottles on the corner of their table slowly multiplied. Alex watched her closely while downing his fifth or was it the sixth bottle of soju? He couldn’t remember, but his mind was still clear as before.

He figured that it probably had something to do with his enhanced body. That meant his metabolism must now be much stronger than that of any mundane human, since he had also eaten five more portions of hotpot, before feeling satisfied.

Right now Nyx had just finished her second bottle of soju. But then, a subtle shift occured. She suddenly closed her eyes for a brief moment and lightly pressed delicate fingers against her temple as a tiny, almost imperceptible furrow formed between her brows.

Alex thought it was just because of the alcohol but then his smile vanished instantly as he watched her face turn increasingly flushed by the minute.

Something was terribly wrong. He knew that he now possessed an incredibly fast metabolism that rapidly neutralized most drinks, except in heavily concentrated form, meaning he couldn’t feel the effect of a standard drink unless its alcohol content was absurdly high.

But a strange feeling entered his mind. His heartbeat was still steady and his mind was as clear as ever, but a faint sensation lingered beneath everything. It was as if something foreign had entered his system before it vanished almost immediately.

Besides that, he also remembered that someone like Nyx wouldn’t just get drunk from something like two bottles of soju, after all she must have built a decent amount of tolerance to alcohol after all the business meetings and occasions she had to attend as a high person in society.

That meant only one thing. Someone here had drugged them!

Keeping his composure entirely locked down so as not to alert whoever it was, Alex casually leaned back in his seat, and let his gaze subtly drift past Nyx’s shoulder to scan the crowded restaurant.

A/N:

So for all of my generous readers who have been with me until now, I want to give you a fan gift back gift.

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