After Stealing Hero's Mother, I Reincarnated in the Fantasy World!

"..."

In the nearly empty hall, their gazes met in silent confrontation.

Olivia stared at him silently for a few seconds before speaking.

"I invited you here to celebrate your semi-final appearance...?"

She looked at him strangely.

'...That's it?'

Rain looked at her with reasonable doubt. But it didn't look like she was joking or lying.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but it was quite a surprise to see you, who barely have time to breathe, inviting me over just to eat food."

"It's not just food. It's gratitude."

She corrected him as a faint, almost bitter smile touched her lips.

"You have no idea the high expectations the Academy has for the Elite Class and how often I hear about how our results could have been better."

Her fingers tightened, unconsciously tugging at the hem of her sleeve.

"I wanted to produce results. Solid results, proving that we earned our place. I would have done it myself, but... for some reason I wasn't allowed to participate in this year's Academy Tournament."

She finally met his eyes, the expression on her face was sincere.

"So, thank you, Rain."

"You must have been through a lot to get to this point."

She still remembered him as someone who was incapable of such accomplishments.

"So, as class president… and as your friend, I decided to celebrate and thank you."

After a moment of silence hung between them, the waiter returned with their dishes and with a quiet bow placed them on the table.

The food was exquisite – expensive grilled steak, baked with vegetables and served with several specialty sauces. The aroma alone was enough to make one's mouth water.

It all looked very appetizing, but Rain was still thinking about what Olivia had told him.

"You know, you're pretty concerned about the state of our class."

Olivia took the cutlery and began to cut the meat with careful movements.

"It's the bare minimum I have to do as class president."

Seeing her tremendous dedication to her work, Rain sensed something in her that she had in common with him.

'It seems that for the sake of her cause, she is as willing to give her all as I am.'

He looked at her as if finding his soulmate in her.

'We could have been the perfect couple...'

"Is there something on my face?"

She ran her hand over her fair cheek, wondering why he looked at her like that.

"No, it's just that after what you said, I felt my soulmate in you."

"Do you help other people too?"

"Yeah, something like that. So if you have any problems, just reach out to me."

The offer, well-intended, seemed to strike a nerve. Her eyes quivered, losing their usual light, and her hands, cutting the meat with graceful movements, froze. When she looked up at him, her gaze was complex, hiding something in herself.

"It's a promise, Rain."

She finally said in a serious voice, not taking her eyes off him.

Rain met her gaze without hesitation.

"Sure, you can come see me anytime."

With these words, he began to cut the meat on his plate with gusto. It really did look worthy of the place.

No matter how much he ate now, his Dragon bloodline would have digested it all before the next fight even started, so he didn't hold back.

The grilled steak was perfectly cooked, its juices were tender and flavorful. The vegetables were crisp and fresh, creating a nice contrast to the steak. All of this was further complemented by the signature sauces, adding a touch of spice to the dish. Discover hidden content at empire

With a big appetite, Rain quickly finished with his portion.

'When was the last time I had such a good meal?'

They say it's not what you eat, but who you eat it with. And Rain agreed with those words.

He looked at Olivia, who had started eating before him, but had not yet eaten half of her meal. She cut the steak in an unhurried, aristocratic manner and put it in her mouth.

Even watching it was a pleasure.

Feeling his gaze on her, she raised her head and met his eyes.

"You've changed a lot. When I first heard about your results, I wondered about that, but now I'm sure."

"Was it that bad?"

"...Past you couldn't look me in the eye and always avoided my gaze, despite all the time we spent together."

Rain grinned bitterly. He had no excuse for this.

"Can I take that as a compliment?"

"One hundred percent."

She carefully cut another slice of steak and dipped it in a certain order into several sauces in succession. When she was satisfied with it, she rose slightly from her seat and held it out to him.

"Taste it. That's the way its true flavor is revealed."

Even in this awkward pose, her every curve looked sinfully delicious.

Rain tasted it.

A subtle sourness was added to the succulent flavor of the cooked meat, perfectly complementing its rich taste and pleasant texture.

The taste, texture and aroma were so well matched that Rain felt bliss with his whole body.

'Is this what they call a gastronomic orgasm? Wonderful, though I still prefer the real thing.'

Resuming what he felt, Rain exhaled contentedly.

"It's really good."

A faint smile appeared on Olivia's lips.

"I'm glad you liked it."

Soon after, she also finished her portion and they got ready to leave. As soon as they stood up, the waiter came over and said politely.

"I hope you enjoyed your meal, it was a pleasure serving you both."

Olivia nodded slightly.

"The food was excellent. We appreciate your service."

The waiter bowed respectfully at the end, seemingly completely oblivious to the fact that Rain wasn't supposed to be here.

'This is the power of the best student? It's terrifying.'

He raised his estimation of her higher in his mind, after which glanced at her ass in her tight black skirt and raised it even higher.

As they moved away from the faculty dining room, Olivia added.

"Seeing how hungry you were, the tournament really should have exhausted you."

She remembered all those empty plates he had left behind in the nobles' dining room, and the appetite with which he had just eaten.

Rain paused for a second, muttering with a wry smile.

"More mentally than physically..."

"...?"

"You wouldn't understand."

Rain grinned to himself, remembering all the weirdos he'd met and all the nonsense he'd heard during his fights.

"By the way, your next opponent won't be so easy."

Olivia's words caught Rain's interest.

"The next opponent? Do you know him?"

"Not that I know... but he's pretty famous. You'll understand once you see him."

Rain got an uneasy feeling from her words and could only pray it wasn't another freak.

Taking his silence as nerves before the upcoming duel, Olivia said jokingly, trying to lift his spirits.

"If you manage to win the tournament, I don't mind taking you there again."

However, contrary to her expectations, Rain instantly refused.

"No. This will no longer satisfy my appetite. I want something more."

"Something more...?"

He continued to stare at her, hunger in his eyes as he pondered whether to say "you" or not.

The bed in his storage ring was always ready to find a new target...

Olivia thought, as if she'd never seriously considered the option of his victory before. After a while, she came to a decision, smiling weakly.

"If you really win... I'll give you everything to satisfy your appetite."

"It's a promise, Olivia."

Said Rain in a serious voice.

"Sure."

After saying goodbye to her, he watched her receding gorgeous and graceful figure for a while longer before licking his lips.

Now he was definitely convinced.

'I'm obliged to make her mine.'

***

Thanks for reading, everyone.