https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-698-Lanchi-Concedes-That-Thalia-Is-Adorable/12585112/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-700-Lunch-with-Lanchi-Turns-into-Dinner/12585114/
Chapter 699: The Longest Lunch of Lochie's Life
Chapter 699: The Longest Lunch of Lochie's Life
"How can there be such adorable girls in this world?"
Lochie laughed so hard that he had to pause and take a long drink of water. He felt like he could laugh all day.
Talia, on the other hand, trembled silently beside him.
The more she ignored him, the more amused he became.
This was all too entertaining!
"Hello, waiter."
Still brimming with excitement, Lochie raised his hand to flag down a passing waiter.
"May I help you with something?"
The waiter, dressed in a black waistcoat and a crisp white apron, approached them with an air of practiced politeness.
"Could we add a few more dishes? I'd like to make some changes to our previous order." Lochie requested.
"Of course, not a problem at all."
The waiter promptly retrieved a menu and presented it to them.
"Thank you."
Lochie felt that Talia's imitation of Cat Boss earlier had been so hilarious that it had even improved his own appetite. And he believed that no matter how much food they ordered, Talia would be able to finish it all.
This restaurant had brought him so much joy that he didn't mind spending the entire afternoon here with her.
"Talia, is that alright with you?"
Lochie sought her opinion.
"Go ahead," she muttered, still fuming.
As annoyed as she was, she couldn't refuse the prospect of more food.
She'd show this jerk!
"This one, and this one, and this one..."
Lochie flipped through the menu, casually selecting dishes as he spoke to the waiter.
Talia glanced at his choices and felt her mood sink even further. He was deliberately picking dishes she didn't particularly care for.
"Certainly, we can add the caviar with lobster jelly, foie gras mousse..."
The waiter noted each selection with a polite nod and a stroke of his silver pen.
"Actually, I meant to say that I don't want those. I'd like one of everything else on the menu, please," Lochie clarified with a confident smile.
The waiter's pen froze.
"Are... are you sure? Can the two of you even finish all that?" he asked, eyeing them doubtfully.
"Don't worry, we'll finish every last bite," Lochie assured him.
Talia was at a loss for words. She didn't know whether to be angry or impressed by Lochie's thorough knowledge of her tastes, but this was definitely taking things too far!
"Very well."
The waiter hesitated for a moment, then skillfully noted down the extravagant order and quietly withdrew. He just couldn't bring himself to believe that this young couple would be able to finish such an enormous feast.
Unless one of them had an extraordinary appetite.
Talia bowed her head, remaining silent. She now felt a bit embarrassed about the sheer amount of food they had ordered.
The Cologne Day Bridge Inn's restaurant had been a place she'd wanted to visit ever since reading about it in the Foodie Weekly. While she was thrilled at the prospect of indulging in a lengthy culinary journey, Lochie's antics made her feel self-conscious about spending an entire afternoon here.
They waited in silence for their dishes to arrive, a rare occurrence indeed.
"Don't you find it boring to spend the whole afternoon here with me?" Talia blurted out suddenly.
Only Lochie would be willing to spend so much time just eating with her, even wasting his time on something as mundane as "keeping her company." Time was especially precious for someone as talented and promising as him.
"Not at all," Lochie replied, his voice brimming with sincerity. "I never get bored when I'm with you."
"...”
Hearing his earnest words, Talia felt a mix of anger and uncertainty.
"Why are you holding my hand again?" Lochie asked, a smile in his voice.
Talia remained silent, not trusting herself to speak.
She was angry, but it wasn't because she wanted to let go of his hand. Even now, she found her emotions stirred by his presence.
Soon, a sommelier approached their table, carrying a crystal-clear decanter filled with a vibrant, ruby-red wine. With graceful movements, he poured the wine into a tall, slender glass, the liquid shimmering with a fruity aroma. Lochie took the glass and gently offered it to Talia, while he himself received a glass of grape juice from the attentive waiter.
They clinked their glasses together symbolically and took sips of their respective drinks.
The first appetizer arrived promptly.
"Talia, doesn't this look like Cat Boss?"
The restaurant's famous mini rye bread rolls, freshly baked and fragrant, were a popular choice for an appetizer. The soft, fluffy bread was studded with sesame seeds, and the avocado spread, made from the finest avocados imported from the Kingdom of Cambria in the Western lands, had a smooth texture and a delicate, nutty flavor.
"...”
Talia chose to ignore him and began eating in silence. The mere mention of "cat" now seemed to carry a double meaning, thanks to Lochie.
Indulging in the exquisite cuisine helped her momentarily forget her troubles.
As they ate, more dishes were brought to their table, each a culinary masterpiece.
The most eye-catching dish was Chef Bogues' signature dessert, a caramel apple tart with vanilla custard. The crisp, golden crust was topped with a glossy layer of caramel, complementing the perfectly balanced sweet-tart apples. The addition of creamy vanilla ice cream elevated this dessert to new heights.
The small plate was devoured in under a minute.
Soon, Talia encountered a challenge.
Holding hands with Lanchi meant she couldn't use her right hand to eat comfortably.
Using her left hand with the cutlery felt awkward and cumbersome.
Lanchi noticed Talia's decreased eating efficiency as well.
He observed her, feeling a twinge of discomfort as he saw her struggling to enjoy the meal before her.
Her awkward dining posture made him feel as if there was a Cat Boss clawing at his heart.
Talia, sensing his gaze, looked up at him.
Her confused expression seemed to ask, "What are you looking at?"
She couldn't help but focus her attention on deciphering his thoughts at that moment.
"Maybe we should let go of hands for now. Holding your right hand is affecting your dining experience," Lanchi suggested, offering a truce.
After a whole day of their silent competition, it didn't seem feasible to continue holding hands for the rest of the meal.
Although he had a strong desire to feed Talia directly, he knew she would never agree to it.
Hearing her meow earlier had already made his day, and he would forever cherish the memory of this happy day.
If Talia were to ever turn into a little cat, he imagined he would adore her and feed her nonstop.
"You... want to feed me directly?"
Talia's mind buzzed as she inadvertently read Lanchi's thoughts, and she blurted them out loud before she could stop herself.
As for the latter half of his thought...
"!!!"
She clapped her hand over her mouth, her eyes wide with shock, doing her best not to voice it out loud.
Lanchi... he wanted to... pick her up and feed her?
Talia felt her face heating up, her expression a mix of fear and embarrassment as she scooted slightly away from Lanchi, as if worried he might actually act on his thought.
Their little exchange drew the attention of the surrounding customers.
"..."
Lanchi was taken aback by Talia's reaction.
Her intermittent mind-reading ability had activated again, and its side effect of voicing her thoughts out loud seemed to be getting stronger.
Was her reaction a bit over the top?
After all, she should be able to guess her own thoughts.
The last time he had fed her was a long time ago.
Back then, when Talia had injured her hand in South Vanatina, Lanchi had taken care of her diligently, feeding her every day.
After their heart-to-heart at the Golden Bee Amusement Park, they had a better understanding of each other's thoughts.
However, that understanding remained solely in their thoughts.
As fully capable adults, their sense of shame prevented them from ever acting on such impulses.
"Yes."
Lanchi admitted it outright. Since Talia had already read his mind, denying it now would only make him seem like a circus performer, and he knew she would ridicule him for it.
"Let me feed you."
Lanchi looked at Talia intently, his request sincere.
He was betting on the fact that Talia would never agree to it.
If she refused in a flustered state, it wouldn't be his problem anymore.
"No, no, no..."
Talia, for once, was completely clear-headed as she shook her head vigorously.
The idea of being fed by him in public was simply too much.
She would never, under any circumstances, agree to something like that!
And then, the little girl looked over at her again.
Her innocent gaze felt like a form of torture.
Only children needed to be fed by adults. She had lived for so long; she was well past the age of being fed!
"Ah."
Lanchi sighed and released Talia's hand.
It was a sigh of resignation, yet also one of relief.
As he lifted his eyebrows again, a smile of satisfaction played on his lips, tinged with a hint of regret and pity.
Talia's adorable reaction was the highlight of his day, a memory to savor.
Like an 800-year-old vintage wine, each recollection would offer a unique flavor.
"!!!"
Talia immediately understood the contemptible look on Lanchi's face and the psychological game he was playing.
It was her suggestion to refuse.
Now, even if Lanchi took the initiative to let go, it would be out of respect for her wishes, essentially declaring her the loser in this unspoken contest.
This guy had anticipated that she wouldn't dare continue this silent wager!
She couldn't... She just couldn't...
A faint blush dusted her cheeks, betraying her embarrassment, and she bit her lip, regretting her defeat.
Unable to contain her anger any longer, Talia decided to take a bold step. She scooted closer to Lanchi and, in a surprising move, climbed onto his lap, ready to let him feed her.
It was a challenge, a test of courage, and she was determined to see who would back down first. "Go ahead, hug me if you want. Let's see if you dare!" she whispered into Lanchi's ear, her face flushed with embarrassment and defiance.
Talia was prepared for the consequences, embracing the possibility of mutual destruction.
Lanchi was stunned into silence. His mind drew a blank as he processed what was happening.
Outside the restaurant, on the serene waters of the Selina River, a small wooden boat glided gracefully, its prow arched gracefully like a swan about to take flight.
Aetio sat at the back of the boat, her hands gripping the wooden oar as she guided the boat with gentle strokes. Rosalinda, on the other hand, sat at the front, her eyes glued to the distant restaurant's glass wall, a telescope in hand.
All was peaceful until...
"Waaaaah!" Rosalinda exclaimed, her face flushed with excitement. She couldn't believe what she was witnessing—Talia and Lanchi, in a public display of affection, seemingly unbothered by the stares of those around them!
Even Cat Boss was startled, leaping into the air with a startled "Meow!"
"Cat Boss, do they do this kind of thing in your restaurant too?" Rosalinda asked, her face reddening.
"How is that possible? Wait..." Cat Boss began to refute the idea but then recalled the series of incidents that had occurred. Each time, Talia and Lanchi seemed to be taking their games to more extreme levels.
Something was definitely going on between them, some sort of misunderstanding that Cat Boss couldn't quite grasp. All he knew was that left unattended, these two strong-willed individuals would keep pushing the boundaries, and their antics might just blow up in their faces!
Aetio, meanwhile, continued to snap pictures, capturing these precious moments. She knew that one day, when they looked back on these photos, their feelings would be altogether different.
...
Back inside the Cologne Day Bridge Inn's restaurant, Lanchi's brain finally rebooted, and he realized that Talia might have only read the latter part of his thoughts. She knew he wanted to hold her and feed her, but she didn't know the full extent of his thoughts.
Lanchi started sweating profusely. If he were to explain the truth to Talia now, she might very well drag him down with her in her fury. His story might very well come to an end here.
[The End of the Book]
Lanchi felt like he was falling into a hallucination. As he struggled to process what was happening, his life flashed before his eyes, from the origins of the universe to a summary of his own life.
Finally, coming to terms with the situation, Lanchi, faced with the absolute crisis of death, tremblingly picked up the caramel apple tart with vanilla custard and brought it to Talia's lips as she sat on his lap.
Talia, equally nervous, began to nibble on the pastry that Lanchi was feeding her.
And so, Lanchi ended up in jail.
His face turned red, too, from embarrassment. This was the only way he could feed Talia now.
"Mommy, did Daddy feed you like this too?" asked a little girl nearby.
"Shh!" Her mother quickly covered her mouth, her eyes now filled with both apology and fear that this unusual display might give the children ideas.
Normal people just didn't do such things. Even though today was a festival day in the Kingdom of Bosen, this seemed a bit too much.
"...!"
Both Lanchi and Talia's faces turned scarlet. The little girl's innocent question had the effect of a meteorite landing in a calm lake, stirring up a tumult in their hearts.
Their bodies stiffened, their gazes darting anxiously before quickly averting, struck by the purity of the child's inquiry that had hit them in their most vulnerable spot.
Talia admitted to herself that she had fantasized about being fed by Lanchi in the Kingdom of Bosen, but never had she imagined it would turn out like this... so absurd and ridiculous!
All she could do now was quickly eat the pastry Lanchi was feeding her, playing along to bring this lunch to a swift conclusion.
If they continued like this, neither of them would be able to take it anymore.
However, it seemed like this lunch was going to last for another three to four hours.
Sitting so close to each other, their hearts pounding with embarrassment and anguish, they suddenly came to the same realization—
Wouldn't it be better to just have a normal, honest date like they usually did?!
Why were they doing this to themselves?
Nevertheless, whatever happened today would remain a secret they would take to their graves.
(End of Chapter)
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