Chapter 215 | Want to Try Something…

Chapter 215: 215 | Want to Try Something...

Dexter’s face remained impassive.

"What is Harvest Homes?" he asked. His voice carried the perfect blend of ignorance and disinterest. "Some kind of store? And why would it be my business either way?"

Then he shrugged and changed the subject smoothly.

"How many containers did you bring this time?"

Tessa gazed at Dexter for what seem to be an uncomfortable about if time before she suddenly smiled and spoke.

"I brought one hundred this time," she said.

Dexter was stunned.

"One hundred?"

"One hundred," Tessa confirmed, hefting two large bags onto the gate post. "Customers have already pre-ordered twenty meals for tomorrow. So one hundred is the minimum to make enough sales for the day."

Dexter blinked.

One hundred portions was a bit much and required even more preparations.

Which meant waking up at 3 AM instead of 5.

He sighed.

"Alright then," he said, accepting the bags. "I guess I’ll have to wake up very early tomorrow morning."

Tessa grinned. Then her expression turned soft.

"So," she said. "Have you made your decision about the festival? It’s next tomorrow, you know."

Dexter looked at her and frowned. He had almost forgotten about the festival and wouldn’t have gone if the girls hadn’t decided to come.

"Alright. I’ll come."

The smile that broke across Tessa’s face was astonishing as dimples lit up in her cheeks, and radiated outward with enough warmth to melt the sun itself.

"Perfect!" she squealed. "I can’t wait to introduce you to the other neighbors!"

Dexter held up a warning finger.

"Don’t get any ideas."

Tessa placed both hands over her heart with exaggerated innocence. "Of course not. I’m a very good girl."

Dexter snorted. "Good night, Tessa."

"Good night, Dexter!"

She chuckled and then turned back and Dexter watched as she skipped down the sidewalk as she waved at him.

Dexter closed the gate and then locked it as he back inside.

---

Mira was still in the parlor, cultivating and even when he walked past her, she didn’t say anything like she always did.

He didn’t say anything as he entered the kitchen and placed the bags of containers on the counter, organized them neatly, and confirmed that he had sufficient ingredients in his spatial storage to produce one hundred portions of Grade One Enchanted Meal.

Then he walked to his room, closed the door, and sat cross-legged on his bed as he began cultivating the mana hurricane around his house was starting to erupt when suddenly a ding rang out in his mind.

’Finally! The system notification.’

He was a bit excited about it because with more power, he could oppress his enemies which he silent increased after today and maybe when the Ashford family might come after him this time.

’[Ding!]

The notification materialized in his mind as a golden text hovered in the darkness behind his closed eyelids.

He was about to read it when he heard footsteps drectly in front of his door.

Dexter’s Enhanced Hearing focused and he isolated the heartbeat. Then he realized that heartbeat was familiar but also not familiar.

He knew Lyra’s heartbeat as he heard it every day as he knew it the way he knew his own pulse. Intimately.

This heartbeat was close to Lyra’s and had the same base rhythm and the same general pattern. But there were subtle differences that even confused Dexter. It was faster than usual.m this time, faster than when Lyra had always been nervous to asked for extra meals.

It was Lyra’s heartbeat and also not quite.

Dexter’s hand moved toward his spatial storage. His fingers twitched, ready to summon the Void Star Saber at a moment’s notice but then the scent reached him and he immediately knew who it was. At that split second, the door suddenly opened.

A tall, dark-haired woman stepped into the room. As she stepped into the room, she turnd and then closed the door behind her.

Then she suddenly turned around and to Dexter’s confirmation, it was Lyra.

Dexter smiled as he projected his thoughts to her.

"Is something the matter? Do you need something?"

Lyra nodded, then she shook her head and then nodded again.

Dexter was confused but then he smile as he fliped his hand and a chip oppress in his hand.

Lyra quickly end forward as she snatched it in her hands.

She at on his bed and started to eat it but then she passed as she stared at Dexter.

"Do you want more or do you need something?"

"I..." Lyra’s telepathic voice stuttered. The tremor was back. Stronger than before. "I want to try something."

Dexter blinked. "What do you want to try?"

Lyra’s blush deepened and she looked down at the chips in her lap in embarrassment as her fingers tightened around the bag, crinkling the plastic.

Then she shook her head.

"No, nothing, forget it."

She reached for another chip and began eating again but even faster this time.

Dexter watched her for a moment then he flipped his hand and a Celestial Pastry appeared as he held it out toward her.

Lyra saw the pastry and her eyes widened as she looked at the pastry then at Dexter, then at the pastry again.

And with speed even shockjng to Dexter, she snatched it from his hand with the speed of a striking cobra.

Then she looked at him with a deep blush spreading from her cheeks to her ears to the visible skin above the collar of her shirt.

"I wanted to try this," she said.

She placed the chips on the bed beside her. Both hands free as she straightened her posture and drew in a breath.

"You’ve been so good to me," she said. Her telepathic voice was barely above a whisper. "And I feel I should do something for you."

In in that split second, she leaned forward.

Dexter’s mind processed the approaching motion. He expected her lips to touch his cheek. The same gesture she had performed that morning in the kitchen, when the chips and pastries had overwhelmed her gratitude and her body had acted before her brain could intervene.

A cheek kiss. That was what he was preparing for. A brief, warm, slightly awkward press of lips against skin that would leave him flustered and her blushing and both of them pretending it hadn’t happened.

Her lips didn’t touch his cheek.

They touched his lips.

Dexter’s eyes widened.

His entire body went into shock like what was actually happening was an hallucination instead as his heart skipped two solid beats!