The Spider Queen

(Alpha Star System- Planet Gaia)

(Volteren City- Inner Region)

"Wow… I need to send these to Cleo later," Sophie muttered to herself as she looked at the pictures saved on her wrist communicator.

The petting zoo turned out to be an even better experience than she anticipated. 

Sophie smiled as she saw a picture of herself surrounding by small furry bundles of joy.

These cute animals were called 'Cree' and they were a native species to a planet in the Hydra Star System.

Sophie continued to look at the pictures while walking in the direction of the nearest restaurant. 

It was now around two o' clock in the afternoon and truthfully she was feeling a little bit hungry. 

There were vials of nutrient solution in her storage ring, but Sophie wanted to treat herself to a proper meal.

"Okay… take a left… then a right… then go straight," Sophie whispered as she pulled up a map of the city on her wrist communicator.

Soon an enormous three storied building came into view with a signboard hanging from the entrance.

The sign had the name of the restaurant written down on its surface. 

This restaurant was called 'The Golden Bite' and according to the Virtual Net it was a five-star establishment.

Sophie confidently walked through the open door and was greeted by a distinguished older gentleman wearing a black suit.

"Greetings honoured guest and welcome to 'The Golden Bite'," the man cheerfully spoke.

"May I please see a piece of ID to determine which floor would best suit your needs?"

Sophie reached into her storage ring and pulled out her identity card which she handed over to the man.

The waiter placed the card on the reader to verify its legitimacy. Sophie waited patiently as the elderly waiter finished checking her ID.

"Ahh… Miss Peterlor it is truly our pleasure to have the daughter of a duke visit our humble establishment," the waiter flattered.

The fake smile on his face became more genuine as he realised that this was potentially a customer with deep pockets.

"I would like to invite you to our top floor where only the most esteemed guests are allowed to dine," the waiter boasted proudly.

Sophie appreciated his frank attitude and replied with a small smile, "Dining on the third-floor sounds like a wonderful experience."

The waiter clapped his hands together in excitement and led Sophie towards the elevator that was a few feet away from his desk.

Sophie entered the elevator, and it only took around forty-five seconds to travel up to the third floor of the building.

The glass walls in the elevator were transparent so Sophie could see the situation outside the walls as she travelled upwards.

The first floor of the restaurant was like a casual bar with plenty of guests sitting down and bonding over the steady flow of drinks.

The second floor on the other hand was more of a casual dining experience with separate tables for each set of guests.

Sophie exited the elevator and saw a completely different atmosphere from the previous two floors.

The third floor was exclusively a fine dining experience with tables placed several feet apart in order to give the guests plenty of space.

A magnificent crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling and the floor was polished until one could see their reflections staring back at them.

This floor had the least number of guests, but it was still decently packed. 

Sophie noticed that there were a lot of young people around her age wearing fancy clothing and expensive accessories.

"Ahh… it seems as though there is a table available by the window," the waiter spoke.

Sophie followed behind him and they passed several tables on their way to the far end of the room.

A handsome young man surrounded by a group of similarly well-dressed nobles called out to Sophie as she walked by.

"Oy… who the fuck let a hybrid bitch in here?" he yelled loudly with a drunken slur to his words. 

Sophie froze in place as she heard the laughter coming from his friends. 

Empty bottles were scattered across their table and the heavy scent of alcohol could be smelled from a distance.

Sophie turned her head towards the rude group of nobles and spoke clearly enough for the rest of the room to hear,

"Excuse me… I must be hard of hearing… but can you repeat that again?" 

"Um… why… why is that hybrid talking to me?" the young man asked his friends with a fake expression of bewilderment on his face.

"Don't you know that I'm Charles Oryett… the one and only son of Count Oryett. My dad owns an entire moon colony," the young man boasted proudly.

Sophie smiled sweetly and her tone was deceptively innocent and kind, "Tell me… Charles of House Oryett…"

Sophie's voice dropped to a whisper as she approached the arrogant young man with her bladed appendages extended outwards.

"Where did you get the confidence to disrespect the daughter of a duke?" Sophie hoarsely growled.

Sophie's golden eyes darkened, and a sudden pressure erupted from her body. 

The nobles at the table who moments earlier were mocking her appearance were now forced to their knees.

The third floor of the restaurant instantly went silent as the other diners watched in fear as Sophie unleashed a trace of her killing intent.

No… don't lost control… stay focused… 

This was supposed to be a demonstration of her strength but going too far would have an adverse effect.

Sophie took a deep breath and withdrew her spiritual pressure. She was not a monster. She was not a beast.

The faint red mist that was beginning to spread from the corners of her eyes vanished.

Sophie took one last look at the shivering nobles and then gestured towards the waiter to lead the way to her table.

"Right this way Lady Peterlor," the waiter politely spoke. 

He appeared to be unfazed by Sophie's sudden display of strength, but the hybrid girl could see that his hands were trembling slightly.

Sophie made a mental note to herself to learn how to control her spiritual pressure so that she would be able to concentrate it in a certain area.

It was a bit inconvenient that her spiritual pressure would affect everything in her immediate surroundings.

The waiter led Sophie to a table near a window and then withdrew with a polite nod. Sophie thanked him and then sat down on the chair.

She glanced out of the window and saw the wishing fountain in the distance. 

There were couples still lingering around the water. It was quite the romantic spot, Sophie couldn't wait to one day come back to the city and bring Cleo with her.

Exploring the city by herself was a fun experience so far but it would surely be better with her girlfriend by her side.

Sophie let out a light sigh and then turned her attention to the tablet that was placed on the table. 

She pressed a button on the side of the device and a menu appeared on the screen.

"Hmm… what should I try?" Sophie whispered to herself as she browsed the different options.

'The Golden Bite' specialised in cuisines from a region on planet Gaia known for their seafood industry.

Sophie was in the mood to try new dishes, so she ordered several bowls of soup, fried fish dumplings, crispy potato skins and seafood medley.

The hybrid girl tapped her card against the surface of the tablet and a loud bleeping sound was heard as her payment was being processed.

The conversation on the third floor had resumed but it was much quieter than before. 

Stares were occasionally directed towards Sophie's table, but the hybrid girl did not pay them any mind.

Being the daughter of Duke Peterlor as well as being a hybrid meant that she would probably be the center of attention in any setting.

It was annoying but it was something that she would just have to get used to. 

Sophie raised up her wrist communicator and took a few pictures of the scenery outside the window.

A large blue squid-like creature glided past the window and headed towards the fountain. It circled the air above the fountain twice before diving inside with a dull splash.

The couples lingering near the fountain had to take several steps back to avoid water droplets from landing on their clothes.

"Here is your order ma'am," a warm voice suddenly spoke. 

Sophie turned away from the window and saw another waiter standing there with multiple plates on a tray.

This time the waiter was a young man in his early twenties with dirty blonde hair and a wide infectious smile.

"Thank you," Sophie replied calmly. She maintained her elegant appearance as the plates were carefully set down on the table.

One plate… two plates… three plates…

The entire table was covered in food and Sophie's mouth began to water as she smelled the seductive aroma of freshly cooked meat.

It was time to dig in!

Sophie calmly picked up a spoon and dipped it into the nearest bowl of soup. She blew on the soup twice and then put the spoon in her mouth.

She had no idea which dish this was, but it packed quite the spicy punch! 

Sophie reached for a glass of water and took a small sip. She dipped the spoon once more in the soup and repeated the process.

When eating in public it was important to maintain both her manners and appearance since she represented House Peterlor.

Sophie ate much slower than usual and took about an hour before the last morsel of food entered her stomach.

The hybrid girl smiled gracefully and then picked up a napkin to wipe the corners of her mouth.

Should she go for desert as well? 

No… she had already wasted too much time on lunch.

There were still parts of the city that Sophie was eager to visit so she left a few credits on the table as a tip and then left.

Sophie did not even spare a glance at the arrogant noble youths. 

That indifferent attitude would probably bother them a lot more than going up to them for a second time.

Sophie left the restaurant and tapped the screen on her wrist communicator. She pulled up a map of the city and decided to search for other attractions.

There was apparently a place only twenty minutes away where tourist could dress in skimpy outfits and dance on each other.

Staff members would throw coloured dyes into the crowd and the music was provided by a world class DJ.

Sophie wasn't interested in participating but she figured that it won't hurt to go there and take a look.