Chapter 98: No Dignity Lost

Two waiters in white uniforms pushed a silver cart out onto the terrace. They set the dishes down on the large wooden table, lifted the metal covers, and bowed before quietly stepping away.

The mouth-watering smell of fresh seafood immediately filled the evening air.

There were giant platters of butter-poached reef lobster, huge tiger prawns grilled over charcoal, bowls of cold tropical fruit salad, and a basket of warm garlic bread. In the center of the table sat a tall glass pitcher of cold mango juice packed with crushed ice.

The sun had already gone down, leaving the sky a deep purple. Down below the cliff, the private white beach glowed softly with blue light from the gentle ocean waves.

Amber was sitting barefoot on the sofa with her legs tucked under her, happily spreading butter onto a slice of bread.

"This looks amazing," Amber said, taking a bite and smiling. "I didn’t realize how hungry I was until I smelled the garlic."

Beside her, Zephyra was sitting stiff as a board.

She was still wearing the soft white silk bathrobe, tied tightly around her waist. Her silver-ash hair hung loose over her shoulders, still a little damp from the sea air.

She stared down at the giant platter of lobster like it was an unexploded bomb.

Evren sat down in the chair across from them, smiling as he watched her. "If you keep glaring at the food like that, Z, it’s going to get cold," Evren said.

Zephyra looked up, narrowing her violet eyes slightly at the array of tiny silver picks, shell crackers, and dipping bowls.

"At the manor, Arthur always carves the meat before bringing it to the table," Zephyra mumbled, blushing slightly. "These utensils are completely impractical. I could split this shell in two seconds with a combat dagger, but these thin silver forks are just too... flimsy."

Amber burst out laughing. "Arthur spoiled us at home, Z. You’re not supposed to assassinate the lobster with a dagger. You use the crackers to break the joints, then slide the tail meat out."

Zephyra frowned at the spiny red shell, her fingers hesitating over the unfamiliar silver tools.

Her hands had healed, but using these fancy seafood tools felt strange. She was used to holding weapons, not silverwares that looked foreign.

"Here," Evren said with a warm smile. "Let me."

He picked up the silver crackers and a small fork, cracked open the lobster tail, cleanly separating a thick, succulent piece of white meat from the shell. He then dipped it into the warm bowl of garlic butter, coating it thoroughly.

He blew on it once to make sure it wasn’t too hot.

Then, leaning across the table, Evren held the fork right in front of Zephyra’s mouth.

"Here," Evren said softly. "Open up."

Zephyra’s heart gave a hard thump against her ribs.

She trusted Evren with her life. He had pulled her out of that underground death cage, spent millions to heal her shattered veins, and sheltered her under his roof for weeks.

But she had never, in her entire life, had someone feed her by hand.

To an assassin who had always lived as a solitary shadow, being pampered like a fragile, beloved lady right in front of Amber was intensely intimate. It made her chest tighten with a strange, dizzying warmth.

She looked at the steaming piece of lobster on the fork, then up at Evren’s calm, patient gaze.

"No dignity lost, Z," Evren said in a quiet, reassuring voice. "Consider it executive room service. Just take a bite."

Zephyra’s face instantly went red.

The blush spread from her neck all the way to the tips of her ears. Her hands gripped the silk fabric on her lap. She glanced at Amber, who gave her an encouraging little nod.

Slowly, carefully, Zephyra leaned forward.

She opened her mouth and took the bite off the fork.

The lobster was sweet, rich, and melted in her mouth like warm butter. The garlic and herbs hit her tongue, completely wiping away the memory of the tasteless dried rations and dirty prison water she had lived on for years.

Zephyra’s violet eyes went wide with shock.

Without meaning to, she let out a soft, happy hum.

Amber burst out laughing, clapping her hands. "Look at her! Evren, I think you just broke our deadly shadowblade with a piece of lobster."

Zephyra quickly swallowed, her face burning so hot she looked straight down at the floor.

"It is... very good," Zephyra mumbled under her breath, pulling her collar up a bit. "It does not taste like poison at all."

"That’s because it’s not," Evren smiled.

He grabbed a clean white cloth napkin, leaned forward, and gently wiped a tiny drop of butter from the corner of her mouth.

Zephyra froze again, her breath hitching as his fingers brushed near her cheek. Evren just tossed the napkin onto the table and poured himself a glass of mango juice.

Amber leaned back against the sofa cushions, stretching out her legs with a relaxed sigh.

She looked over the glass railing down at the private white beach below. The sound of the waves crashing softly against the rocks was peaceful.

"Tomorrow morning, we are going down to that sand," Amber said with excitement in her dark-brown eyes. "I want to get right into the water, Evren. I want to feel real saltwater on my skin."

"The whole beach is ours," Evren said, resting his hand over hers on the cushion. "No other guests, no reporters, and no meetings."

Amber smiled, then turned to look at Zephyra with an amused smirk.

"Which brings me to our biggest problem for tomorrow," Amber said.

Zephyra immediately sat up straight, her sharp eyes scanning the terrace. "A problem? Is there an intruder on the beach?"

"No, Zephyra, not an intruder," Amber giggled, shaking her head. "I’m talking about clothes. We already know what you packed back at the manor. Two sets of dark combat leathers, three heavy undershirts, and a big kitchen knife from the pantry."

Zephyra’s ears turned pink again. "That knife was well balanced..."

"Yes, but you can’t go swimming in a leather combat suit with a kitchen knife," Amber laughed. "And to make things worse, in my rush to get out of the city, I only packed summer dresses and sleep shirts. Neither of us has a swimsuit."

Zephyra blinked, tilting her head. "A... swimsuit?"

"Swimwear, Z," Evren said with a grin. "Bikinis. Bathing suits. Things you wear in the ocean so your clothes don’t get soaked and drag you down to the bottom."

Zephyra looked between them with complete, deadpan seriousness.

"In the shadow corps, any mission involving water required a pressurized black diving suit with lead weights and a rebreather mask," Zephyra said plainly. "I do not own clothes meant for exposing skin to water."

Amber dropped her head onto Evren’s shoulder, groaning with laughter. "Evren, please! We rented a twenty-million-dollar private beach villa, and our girl thinks swimming means strapping on lead weights and an oxygen tank!"

Evren laughed out loud, shaking his head. "Alright, don’t worry about it. We can handle this right now."

He pulled out his phone and tapped the speed-dial for the resort’s front desk.

The call barely made a sound before Gerard’s eager, breathless voice came through the speaker. "Chairman Evren! Good evening, sir! Is the dinner to your liking? Does the villa need anything at all?"

"The food is great, Gerard," Evren said smoothly. "But we have a small issue. The ladies don’t have any swimsuits for the beach tomorrow morning."

"Say no more, Chairman Evren!" Gerard answered right away. "Our private resort boutique, Aura Azur Boutique, is right down on the marina promenade. It carries the top designer beachwear, silk wraps, and custom swimsuits from the Capital."

"I don’t want a crowd around," Evren said. "I want the whole store cleared."

"Of course, Chairman! Absolutely!" Gerard replied without missing a beat. "I will have the boutique opened exclusively for your private party at nine o’clock tomorrow morning. Our master stylists and tailor will be there just for you. Nobody else will be allowed through the gate until you are completely finished."

"Good. Have a private cart waiting outside the villa at eight-forty-five."

"It will be there on the dot, Chairman Evren! Have a wonderful evening, and enjoy your stay!"

Evren hung up and put his phone back in his pocket.

Amber was already smiling from ear to ear, clearly excited about shopping for new clothes in the morning.

Across the table, Zephyra sat quietly in her silk robe. Her violet eyes were wide with genuine nervousness, like the idea of trying on swimsuits was ten times scarier than fighting an S-Rank monster.

Evren looked at them both, chuckling to himself.

"Get some sleep tonight," Evren said with a warm smile, standing up from the table. "Tomorrow morning is going to be fun."