Chapter 236: Moments of Sweetness

Chapter 236: Moments of Sweetness



Alister watched Cinder for a moment, initially caught off guard by her response, causing him to pause as he simply gazed at her.

Her playful tone, combined with the faint blush on her cheeks, intrigued him. He'd never seen her so flustered before.

Just as she noticed the look on his face, she raised her hand to clear her throat, composing herself and trying to act all calm and serious.

"It's good," she stated, her voice soft as she turned her gaze away, a touch of warmth still coloring her cheeks.

"I, um, actually like this delicacy."

"Chocolate..."

The way she admitted it surprised him. "Really? I didn't expect that..." he said, a playful smile creeping across his face.

Cinder glanced at him from the corner of her eye, her expression softening as she continued, "Perhaps humans aren't that bad after all."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

As she spoke, they all paused again, letting the words hang in the air. Suddenly, Alister chuckled softly, clearly finding all this entertaining.

Feeling a bit attacked by the levity of the moment, Cinder crossed her arms and shot Alister a pointed look.

"What is so funny, my lord?" she asked, her tone stern yet filled with curiosity. "I'm being serious."

Alister raised an eyebrow, trying to contain his amusement. "It's just... I never thought I'd hear you say that. It seemed so out of place for you..."

"Was it bad then..." Cinder asked, her gaze lowering as if feeling she had disappointed him.

"No, certainly not... but let's just say it was refreshing." He leaned back in his seat, his expression thoughtful.

Cinder looked away, her cheeks still tinted with the faint blush from his words. "Understood... My lord..." she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

Alister, sensing the change in the atmosphere, stood up and stretched slightly. "Since we're done here, we should begin to head back," he said, glancing at both of them.

Lila agreed as she stood up as well, brushing off crumbs from her outfit. "Yeah, it's probably a good idea to get back since you have a big day tomorrow."

Just as they were about to leave, Cinder hesitated for a moment before reaching out and grabbing Alister's hand.

The sudden contact sent a jolt of surprise through him. With a soft blush creeping across her cheeks, she looked up at him, her eyes earnest.

"Is it possible for me to... take some chocolate along as we go back?"

"My lord..."

Alister blinked in surprise; he didn't know she already liked the dessert that much, causing him to pause for a moment.

"Of course, Cinder," he replied, a gentle smile spreading across his face.

"We can get some for the road."

Realizing what she had said, Lila's face went red. She turned on her heel, practically

stumbling over her own feet as she ran toward the guild doors.

"J-just f-forget what I just said!" she called over her shoulder, her voice high and flustered.

Alister stood there, his gaze following her retreating figure, a touch of surprise and amusement in his expression. He shook his head slightly, chuckling to himself as he turned

back to Cinder.

Cinder simply raised an eyebrow, finishing off her chocolate pop with a final crunch. "She's... an interesting human," she murmured, her voice had a small touch of irritation.

Alister sighed, smiling as he chose to completely pull off the black face mask as he said, "Yes,

she is..."

"She is indeed."

...

Lila darted through the guild's main building, her footsteps echoing off the polished metal floor, her cheeks still blazing with embarrassment.

Around her, the guild was as lively as ever, members and visitors alike milling about in groups

or stationed at tables.

The grand hall was bustling with chatter, the hum of voices mixing with the distant clinks of armor and clatter of weapons.

Lights embedded in the ceiling cast a soft glow, illuminating the reflective surfaces that lined

the walls, giving everything an almost soft sheen.

As she weaved past a crowd of guild members, the swirl of her own thoughts nearly

overwhelmed her.

'What was I thinking?'

'Did I really just ask him that? I must've sounded so dumb... and selfish!'

Her heart pounded in her chest, both from her sprint and from the flood of emotions swirling

within her.

She could only imagine what Alister must be thinking after that slip-up, and each new

thought seemed to tighten the knot in her stomach.

'What if he thinks I'm childish? Or worse... clingy?'