Chapter 124: A Proper Date

By the time Vincent left Lysandra's room, the little Dragon had fallen asleep against her.

Linda remained behind while Vivienne went to arrange the records he had requested.

Vincent returned to the drawing room and found Leona sitting beside the window. The Restoration Seal lay on a clean cloth in front of her, surrounded by several sheets of paper.

She wasn't touching it.

Instead, she was looking between the character on its surface and something she had drawn.

"Any progress?" he asked.

Leona glanced up.

"Enough to know I shouldn't try taking it apart."

Vincent pulled out the chair beside her.

"Please don't."

"I heard you the first time, darling."

She covered the seal before turning toward him properly.

"How is our guest?"

"Her child hatched."

Leona's eyebrows rose.

"Already?"

Vincent nodded and briefly explained what had happened. She listened with a small smile, asking about the little Dragon's appearance and whether Lysandra could hold him.

"With some help," Vincent answered. "She's still quite weak."

Leona looked toward the map left on the other end of the table.

"So you're preparing to enter the forest?"

"Once I've gone through what Mom brings. We need to know more before leaving."

He watched her reach for her pen again.

"But I'm taking you out first."

Her hand stopped.

"Out?"

"On a date. You asked me for one."

Leona looked at the papers, then back at him.

"Now?"

"Unless you'd prefer another time."

She put the pen down.

"Give me twenty minutes."

…

Vincent waited near the manor's entrance with his coat already buttoned.

He had informed the servants where they were going and asked for the records to be left in the drawing room. Nothing required him to depart immediately, and Leona shouldn't have to wait until every problem in the county was solved.

Otherwise, they would probably celebrate their tenth wedding anniversary before having their first date.

Footsteps sounded on the stairs.

Leona appeared in a dark green dress, carrying a small hat in one hand. There were no tools at her waist and no papers tucked beneath her arm.

Vincent straightened.

She noticed him looking and slowed near the last step.

"Well?"

"You look beautiful."

Her smile grew slightly.

"You answered rather quickly."

"Should I take longer?"

"No. That was fine."

She handed him her hat while fastening one glove. He held it carefully, then helped her settle it over her hair.

It ended up crooked.

Leona adjusted it herself without commenting and took his arm.

…

Copper Town was considerably busier than it had been that morning.

Carriages passed beneath the iron lamps, and shopkeepers had brought their signs onto the pavement. A baker was arguing with a delivery boy over a basket of damaged loaves while someone hammered a loose shutter back into place across the street.

Vincent slowed whenever Leona paused at a window.

At first, he assumed she was looking at the jewelry displayed behind the glass.

Then he followed her gaze.

"You're looking at the hinges."

"They're badly fitted."

"I see."

"The cabinet will sag."

Vincent looked at the display again.

'Well, at least I know what she likes.'

A few shops later, Leona caught him studying a florist's stand.

"You can buy them," she said.

"I wasn't sure whether you'd prefer a better hinge."

She laughed and pulled him closer to the flowers.

He chose a small bunch that she could comfortably carry, asking the woman behind the stand to wrap the stems.

Leona accepted them with both hands.

She spent a moment arranging the paper before slipping her arm through his again.

"Thank you."

Vincent looked at her smile and decided that had been a good purchase.

They eventually entered a tea shop with tall windows and small round tables. He chose a place near the back, where they could see the street without sitting directly beside it.

Leona laid the flowers on the empty chair.

When the waitress arrived, Vincent looked toward his fiancée instead of ordering for both of them.

She chose tea and an apple tart.

He ordered the same, then leaned back once they were alone.

"Did you get any rest after breakfast?"

"I sat down to examine your seal."

"That doesn't sound like rest."

"It was very interesting."

Vincent shook his head, smiling.

"You can tell me about it."

"On our date?"

"You clearly want to."

Leona's fingers moved against the tablecloth as she considered where to begin.

"If I repaired a shattered cup, I'd need the pieces. If some were missing, I'd need more material. Your seal doesn't seem to require either."

"That's what makes it special."

"Yes, but merely making another cup wouldn't be restoring the first one. Especially if the first had inscriptions or some unique property."

Vincent nodded slowly.

She leaned forward a little.

"I want to understand how it knows what belonged there."

"Can you?"

"Not yet. I've only looked at it for a short while."

The waitress brought their order, and Leona waited until she left before continuing.

"I won't promise you another seal. But there may be something I can learn that improves my own work."

"That's why I gave it to you."

She looked at him over her cup.

Vincent broke off a piece of tart.

"Although if you do figure out how to repair godly artifacts, please remember your poor fiancé."

"Poor?"

"I'm eating one tart when I could be eating two."

Leona pushed her plate toward him.

He immediately pushed it back.

"That wasn't what I meant."

She smiled and took a bite while he called the waitress over again.

For a while, they talked about the shops they had passed and the strange experience of seeing Copper Town return to its usual business.

Then Leona looked through the window.

"I want to choose something for our wedding myself."

Vincent set his fork down.

"Of course. What is it?"

"Our rings. I'd like to make them."

He glanced at her hands.

"Both?"

"Both. And before you ask, I haven't decided what they should do."

"I wasn't going to ask that."

She gave him a doubtful look.

"I was wondering whether I'd get to help."

Leona became quiet for a moment.

Then she reached across the table and took his left hand, turning it slightly as though already considering the fit.

"You can. But you'll have to follow my instructions."

"I can manage that."

Her thumb moved over his knuckle.

"And you'll need to be there. You can't send someone with your measurements."

Vincent heard the meaning beneath the practical instruction.

He turned his hand and held hers properly.

"Then tell me when to come. I'll be there."

Leona nodded, keeping her hand in his until the waitress returned with his second tart.

…

They walked back more slowly.

Near a narrow side street, a cart stood outside a workshop with several damaged piercers strapped to its bed.

Leona stopped.

Vincent followed her gaze and recognized the weapons.

A workman was checking them against a list. When Leona approached, he straightened and hurriedly lowered his pencil.

"Lady Leona."

"These came back from the fighting?"

"Yes, my lady. We're sorting what can be repaired."

She handed Vincent her flowers and examined the nearest weapon.

Her expression changed as she turned its damaged housing toward the light.

"Were all three used by the same crew?"

The man checked his list.

"Different crews, my lady."

Leona examined the other two before setting them down.

"Keep these together. Don't strip them for parts yet. I'll inspect them properly later."

"Of course."

Vincent waited until they had moved away before asking what she had found.

"The same support bent in all three. I need to check the others before deciding whether to change the design."

"Can you make them stronger?"

"I should be able to. But strengthening one part can move the strain somewhere else. I'll test it first."

He nodded. She had already helped stop a monster tide, and she was thinking about what her weapons would need for the next one.

Leona took her flowers back.

"I've interrupted our date."

"For a few minutes. I think I'll survive."

She stepped closer and kissed his cheek.

Vincent turned, caught her hand, and kissed her properly before she could move away.

When they separated, she looked briefly toward the street, then squeezed his fingers.

"You could have waited until we got home."

"Would you have preferred that?"

"No."

They continued toward the manor together.

The records would be waiting when they returned. Vincent meant to read them with Leona beside him.

…

An hour later, the flowers stood in a vase beside the map.

Vincent had worked through several hunting reports when he found a letter folded between two sheets.

He checked the date.

It had been sent weeks before the monster tide.

"Leona, look at this."

She leaned closer as he spread it flat.

An expedition from the Empire had requested permission to enter the Dark Forest. Attached was a list of equipment and provisions intended for a prolonged stay.

Vincent's finger stopped beneath one particular entry.

Excavation equipment.

He reached for the next sheet, looking for the response.