Chapter 27: I have been waiting for this for a long time

After entering the villa, they were directly greeted by Harold. He asked, "Master Smith, the tailor has already arrived and is waiting for you. What are your instructions for now?"

​After a brief moment of thought, Smith replied, "We will meet him after cleaning ourselves up." ℯℯ𝘭.

​With that, Smith headed to the master bedroom. He found that several changes of clothes had already been laid out in the bathroom for him, saving him time and effort. He took a quick shower and changed into a pair of fresh clothes he had recently purchased from the mall.

​When he walked out into the living room, he found Velvet and his aunt already waiting for him. The tailor’s technology was remarkably advanced; the measuring instrument looked like an ordinary frame with a human standing in the middle. The customer simply stood inside while a light scanned their entire body. After a brief pause, the tailor said, "Okay, you can step out now. The measurements are complete."

​As evening was approaching, Smith asked Harold to prepare dinner. They remained in the living room watching the large television. Smith sat with Velvet beside him, seeing this, his aunt smiled slightly and sat on the opposite sofa alone. They browsed through the channels without anything specific in mind to watch.

​After some time, Harold announced that dinner was ready. After switching off the television, they headed to the dining room. Since it was just an ordinary dinner, Smith had asked Harold not to make it overly lavish. He also instructed Harold to invite Diana to sit at the same table.

​Smith sat at the head of the table, with Velvet on his left and his aunt on his right. A moment later, Diana came inside and sat next to his aunt. Once everyone was properly settled, Harold clapped his hands, and the servants began serving the food. Though simple, the meal was delicious, and they enjoyed small talk as they ate.

​After dinner, as they still had time to digest before going to sleep, they decided to return to the living room. Before heading over, Smith called out, "Hey Diana, could you help me get in contact with Young Master Peter? I want to ask for materials related to the world of Chess Players to fill a few gaps in my knowledge."

​Diana replied smoothly, "Don’t worry, I will try my best to contact him as soon as possible."

​They spent some quiet leisure time in the living room. As it began to get late, Smith decided to call it a night after a long, exhausting day. He went to the master bedroom, took another relaxing shower, changed into his night pajamas, and got into bed.

​Resting his head on the pillow, Smith pondered several things. He had already secured a honorary guests position, but he knew this was merely the beginning. Factions like these would bring a lot of complex tasks, so he needed to be thoroughly prepared. That was why he had requested the study materials from Young Master Peter—he needed to eliminate any blind spots in his knowledge before heading out.

​As Smith was lost in thought, the door to the master bedroom gently opened. Usually, even at his old home, he rarely locked his bedroom door so his aunt could reach him quickly in an emergency, and that habit had stayed with him.

​Judging from the light, soft footsteps, Smith knew who it was. The room was mostly dark, illuminated only by the faint moonlight streaming through the balcony window. Because Smith was lying on his side facing away from the door, his back was exposed.

​Without saying a word, Velvet climbed onto the bed, pulled back the sheets, and hugged Smith gently from behind. Smith could feel the smooth, soft contact of her body pressing against his back, her warm breath close to his ear. Even though they were both wearing pajamas, the thin fabric made it feel as though there was no distance between them at all.

​His body tensed up at the sudden intimacy. Turning his body around, he faced Velvet. They were now lying face to face, only an inch apart.

​Smith reflected on how, inside the trial space, only a week had passed for him, and barely a day had passed since he summoned Velvet. But for Velvet, she had waited for him for over eight years. That driving force and love had sustained her, leading her through countless sacrifices. He knew her feelings were genuine, and he felt a deep warmth and empathy for her.

​As if guided by an unspoken pull, Smith reached out, pulled Velvet close by her slim waist, and pressed his lips to hers.

​Velvet’s breath hitched for a second before she wrapped her arms tightly around Smith’s neck, deepening the kiss. As their chests pressed together, Smith could feel the rapid rhythm of her beating heart and the rising heat between them.

​When they finally broke the kiss, Velvet buried her face into Smith’s chest and whispered softly, "Brother... I have waited for this for a very long time. Can we just stay like this until morning?"

​Smith let out a soft, affectionate hum of agreement. He wrapped his arms around her, and the tension in his body finally melted away. Overcome by the day’s exhaustion, he soon drifted into a deep sleep with Velvet in his arms.

​Early the next morning, as the first rays of sunlight illuminated the room, a groggy Smith opened his eyes. He found Velvet still resting comfortably on his chest. Seeing the slight flutter of her eyelids and her calm breathing, he realized she was already awake but simply enjoying the moment.

​Not wanting to put her on the spot, Smith smiled, kissed her forehead, and whispered near her ear, "Okay dear, time to wake up. Let’s go get ready for breakfast—we still have things to do today."

​Velvet stretched and put on a sleepy act, asking softly, "Is it morning already?"

​Smith chuckled. "Okay, sleepyhead, let’s get up. I know Aunt is already awake, and she’ll come knocking any minute."

​Right on cue, a sharp knock sounded at the door, followed by his aunt’s voice from outside: "Smith, wake up! Breakfast is already prepared, so don’t keep me waiting. If you don’t get up soon, I’m coming in!"

​Fearing that Smith’s aunt might actually open the door, Velvet sprang out of bed with a flurry of movement and darted straight into the bathroom to get ready. Smith chuckled at her sudden speed and began getting ready himself.

​Once dressed, they walked down to the dining room, where his aunt and Diana were already seated. Smith and Velvet took their places, and the servants immediately began serving a warm, delicious breakfast.

​Amidst their conversation, Diana brought up the topic from the previous night. "Regarding the study materials you asked about—I’ve already communicated with Young Master Peter’s side. They said they will send someone over to assist you today."

​Smith nodded appreciatively. "Thank you, Diana."

​"It’s my responsibility," she replied with a polite nod.

​By the time they finished breakfast, it was nearly 9:00 AM. Since Smith didn’t have any immediate outside errands, he stayed inside the villa and headed back toward the main living area.

​Just as they walked into the living room, Harold approached Smith respectfully. "Master Smith, someone claiming to be sent by Young Master Peter has arrived to see you."

​Knowing that Peter was efficient, Smith immediately went down to the first level of the villa. Standing there was a middle-aged man wearing a crisp, formal suit. Although he looked ordinary at first glance, the faint, pressure radiating from him subtly revealed that he was also a chess player.

​When the man saw Smith approaching, he stepped forward and extended his hand with a polite smile. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Smith. My name is Alex. I was sent by Young Master Peter regarding the request you made previously."

​Smith shook Alex’s firmly. "It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Alex."

​With introductions complete, Smith gestured toward the stairs, leading Alex directly up to his private study on the second level to discuss the matter in detail.