Chapter 377 Gift Giving

Fôll0w current novÊls on n/o/(v)/3l/b((in).(co/m)

Walking in through the front door amidst the shenanigans of the Dragonhearts, the golden-haired bumpkin entered with chopped wood under each of his arms.

"Sounds like something interesting happened! Give me the details, Emilio!" Everett said with a laugh before setting the firewood by the fireplace.

Such overwhelming nosiness made him feel like a kid again, having to hide a crush from those around him. Though, he composed himself, remembering one important factor:

'I am a man!' He thought.

"Come on, guys. It's not like that—it was just a nice picnic with an old acquaintance," he said calmly.

—It was a total lie; even he didn't believe that it was simply a normal, uneventful picnic. There was no denying that it felt like, and was, a date.

"Is that so? Well, I'd really like grandkids before too long..." Treyna quietly sighed.

"Hate to break it to you, but I don't even have my own home yet. Grandkids are a few steps away," Emilio scratched his head.

"You know that excuse isn't gonna work," Julius laughed, patting his son on the back, "You know better than anybody that your Mother wants a thousand little Dragonhearts running around."

"That would be lovely," Tryena smiled.

"Ack..." Emilio let out, finding himself still somehow surprised by his unorthodox family.

Fortunately it was only after such a questionable conversation that Celly returned from upstairs, no longer carrying the mysterious box with her.

"Hey, Celly! Long time no see. I didn't catch ya when you first got here—did you have fun on your date with Emilio?" Julius asked outright.

"Date...?" Celly repeated.

"Date!?" Emilio repeated.

It didn't take more than a second for the half-elf's pale face to darken with a flustered shade of red as she pulled on her hat in a failed attempt to hide her face.

"...It was nice," Celly quietly said.

The answer and lack of rejection of the mention of the "date" brought pause to everyone for a moment, even making Emilio surprised as he thought the date was a one-sided feeling.

It seemed that the archmage's words incited an excitement from Treyna, who to Emilio, was scarily invested in the idea of Emilio finding a partner.

"I'm going to get dinner ready!" Treyna excitedly said, holding her hands together before going into the kitchen.

Due to the growing cold weather as autumn bordered on winter, Everett got the fireplace ready as the home quickly became nice and toasty.

Emilio brought the ingredients he grabbed while into the kitchen where Treyna was happily getting things ready, placing the fresh vegetables down.

"Are you feeling alright, Emilio? You've been quiet since we got back," Celly asked.

He gulped, having to stand up to bring his face away from the girl's as he found his own already heating up, "Yeah, I'm fine. Totally A-Okay!"

"Hmm..." Celly looked suspicious, "Well, alright. I'll be waiting upstairs to show you."

As Celly left the room to go upstairs, Emilio couldn't help but let out a breath of relief, feeling his heart thumping in his chest in a way that was only rivaled by the heat of extraordinary battle.

'Just what the hell is going on today? Why am I feeling this way? It's making me feel like a kid all over again,' he thought.

After a couple minutes, he went upstairs, stopping in front of the guest room that Celly was staying in, though finding himself hesitant to turn the doorknob. Even now, he found his mind racing from the simplest of things.

What got him now was the fact that the door to the room was closed, causing him to stop and begin questioning everything once again.

'Why is it closed? If she was just inviting me to see the box, then she'd leave the door open, right? Otherwise...is she trying to keep it private? Why? What for?' He thought.

This line of thinking was something he thought he'd have abandoned after maturing, though it was unavoidable after the things his parents had been saying. Gulping down his thoughts, he lightly knocked his hand against the wooden door.

Knock. Knock.

As he stood there, he found himself engrossed in every little detail about the moment, listening to the light footsteps approach from the otherside of the door, not knowing what he'd find on the other side before–it opened.

"Celly," he said, somewhat surprised that she was dressed.

The archmage was now wearing a light-blue nightgown; it was rare to see her without her cloak and hat, though her silver hair naturally cascading down her shoulders was a sight to behold.

"Emilio," she said before walking back into the room, "Come on in. Oh, I'd suggest closing the door."

"Err, okay," he nodded, closing the door behind him as he walked in.

The mysterious box was occupying the center of the room, which the half-elf sat down beside, looking over at him as if gesturing for him to sit as well. He sat down across from her, on the other side of the unknown box.

"You were curious as to what was in the box, right?" Celly asked.

He nodded, "Yeah. I still am."

"Good," the archmage smiled before grabbing the cloth that covered the mysterious item, "I'll show it to you, then."

As the obscuring cloth was pulled away, the box itself was revealed to be carefully secured as if containing something either fragile or expensive inside, or both.

Watching Celly begin to undo the clips that kept the box seals, he found himself watching her expression: she had a genuine smile of her own in regards to the excitement of whatever it was that was in the crate. He found himself somewhat relieved by this, able to relax himself as well.

'...I've been such an idiot today. Of course, Celly isn't like that. If something were to happen between us, I'd imagine it would take years to bloom, or I would need to take the leap. But right now, it's not time for that–not while I'm an adventurer with many journeys ahead of me,' he thought.

"There it is," Celly said, lifting the lid from the box.

What sat inside of the containment was a spherical item that laid on a velvet cushion; it resembled an oversized marble the size of his own head.

"What...is it?" He questioned.