Vergil set his phone aside, leaving Ada's last ssage unanswered. Instead, he simply sat there, observing Raphaeline with a more attentive, more… present gaze.
She continued savoring her ran, lost in the simple pleasure of enjoying her al. The steam rose gently from the bowl, and her eyes—usually sharp and naturally commanding—seed a little softer now. It was almost as if she were reliving sothing… sothing distant.
He didn't say anything. He just picked up his chopsticks and resud eating, but without taking his eyes off her.
The silence between them wasn't uncomfortable. In fact, it was a peaceful pause, sothing rare in the chaotic lives they led.
Raphaeline, however, noticed before long. She chewed her noodles slowly and, without lifting her head, cast a sidelong glance at him.
"You're staring at too much." Her voice was light, almost playful, but tinged with curiosity.
Vergil didn't look away. He simply took a sip of the broth and rested his elbow on the table, propping his chin on his hand. "Am I?"
"Yes." She set her chopsticks down and crossed her arms on the table, leaning forward slightly. Her lilac eyes t his with an inquisitive glimr. "What is it? Do I have sothing on my face?"
Vergil smirked slightly but didn't respond right away.
"If you don't tell , I'll start thinking I'm drooling broth or sothing." Raphaeline frowned.
He let out a short, quiet chuckle, a sound so rare that her eyes widened slightly in surprise.
Vergil simply shrugged. "It's nothing. I'm just… enjoying the view."
Raphaeline blinked a few tis, clearly caught off guard. Then, slowly, a soft blush crept up her face.
She averted her gaze, picking up the glass of water beside her and taking a sip to mask her reaction.
Vergil noticed and found it amusing that, despite her dominant presence and ever-poised deanor, she could still be so easily flustered.
"Hmph." She cleared her throat and picked up her chopsticks again, murmuring, "If you wanted to complint , you could've done it in a less direct way…"
"I didn't complint you," he remarked.
She froze mid-movent, chopsticks still in the air. Then, she turned to him with a slightly indignant expression. "What do you an you didn't?"
"I said I was enjoying the view. You interpreted it however you wanted."
Raphaeline stared at him in silence for a mont, as if trying to decipher whether he was joking or not.
Finally, she scoffed, a small smile forming. "Tsk… you really enjoy provoking , don't you?" she said.
"You didn't even look back. What a sha." Vergil smirked and resud eating.
She then turned around… the so-called 'view'… didn't exist. After all, they were in a private, enclosed room. Sure, the walls were nice, but… he wouldn't be staring at them and calling it a view… right?
'He…' she started to think but chose not to follow that thought any further. She simply observed for another mont before returning to her al.
But this ti, her smile didn't fade so quickly.
Maybe this date wasn't such a bad idea after all.
After finishing their ran, Raphaeline stretched her arms with a satisfied sigh, a slight gleam of joy in her eyes.
"Alright! Now that we've eaten well, let's continue our walk!" She stood up and extended her hand to Vergil, who raised an eyebrow.
"You're way too excited," Vergil said with a smirk.
"And you're not excited enough." She insisted, grabbing his hand and pulling him along, intertwining their fingers.
Vergil didn't resist. Not because he was being dragged by force, but because, strangely, he saw no reason to refuse.
Tokyo at night was vibrant. Neon lights painted the city in shades of blue, purple, and red, reflecting off the glass buildings and the asphalt dampened by the humidity. The steady movent of people wasn't irritating; instead, it gave off an oddly welcoming sensation.
Raphaeline led him through the streets as if she already had a destination in mind. They passed by flashy storefronts, electronics shops, thed cafés, and even a few stalls selling traditional sweets.
"Hm, should I buy sothing for Ada?" she murmured to herself, eyeing a display filled with ani character keychains.
'She's thinking about Ada… that's new… very new…' Vergil thought, watching how differently she was acting. When he first t her, Raphaeline had been far too arrogant. Now… she seed like just a peaceful, happy, and balanced woman.
So, for her sake—and for Ada's—he would do whatever it took to keep this version of Raphaeline.
"You want to carry it?" Vergil asked, crossing his arms.
"Hah, you're really embracing the boyfriend role now, huh?" She teased with a mischievous smile, as if she had finally won sothing.
He didn't reply, simply looking to the side.
Raphaeline laughed, but then sothing caught her attention. "Ohhh! Look at that!"
Vergil followed her gaze and saw a gachapon machine—the kind that dispensed random capsule toys.
"You're really interested in that?" he asked, unable to hide his mild surprise. 'And there goes the thousand-year-old demon queen…' he thought, watching the excitent in the woman—or rather, the girl.
"Of course! These machines are addictive!" She approached enthusiastically and started checking out the available prizes.
Vergil glanced at the side of the machine. The the was from an ani he definitely recognized—the one with the Honored One he often compared to his mother… who, well, got split in two, so maybe that comparison wasn't valid anymore. A lineup of characters was displayed, along with their rarity descriptions.
Raphaeline pulled out so coins and inserted them into the machine.
"I want that one!" She pointed at a specific character with white hair and blue eyes.
We all know him from another dium that, honestly, I'd rather not get sued over.
"You do realize this is random, right?" Vergil questioned. He was never really a fan of gacha.
"Yes, but I'm lucky," she said excitedly.
Vergil crossed his arms, skeptical.
She turned the crank, and a capsule dropped. Anxiously, she opened it quickly, but as soon as she saw the contents, she pouted.
"Hah… I got a common character," she said, looking at a boy with white hair and a salmon drawing beside him.
Vergil took the miniature from her hand and examined it. "I don't see any difference between this one and the other you wanted," he said, trying not to give it too much importance. After all, he had no intention of suddenly getting into an ani discussion. So, he remained a good man of no culture… or at least, he tried.
"That's because you don't understand the significance of this!" She sighed dramatically.
Vergil raised an eyebrow. "Then try again."
"I will!" She huffed.
She inserted more coins and turned the crank again. The capsule dropped, she opened it… and once again, it wasn't what she wanted.
"No!" she exclaid.
"Your luck isn't that great after all." Vergil let out a low chuckle.
She glanced at him sideways, suspicious.
"You think you can do better?" she challenged.
"It's just a machine. Anyone can turn it," he shrugged.
"Then prove it," she said.
She crossed her arms, challenging him.
Vergil sighed but grabbed so coins and put them into the machine. He turned the crank calmly.
The capsule dropped. He picked it up and opened it.
The mont she saw what was inside, Raphaeline's eyes widened.
"…No way… The Honored One…" she muttered, almost in disbelief.
He had gotten exactly the character she wanted.
Vergil looked at the miniature and then at her. "This is good, right?"
"Are you kidding ?! I spent so many coins, and you got it on your first try?!"
He handed the miniature to her. "Here."
She took it, still shocked, but then smiled and held the tiny figure with exaggerated affection.
"Hah! Now I have him!"
Vergil watched the way she celebrated and shook his head. It was a little childish… but at the sa ti, kind of adorable.
"So, what now?" he asked.
Raphaeline clutched the miniature to her chest and smiled at him.
"How about we continue our date and see where the night takes us?"
He took a deep breath and, without realizing it, ended up giving a small smile.
"Hm… I guess I have no choice."
She laughed and grabbed his arm, pulling him toward their next destination.
Hours passed, and Vergil found himself caught up in everything they had been doing. But then… where was he?
Vergil blinked slowly, analyzing his surroundings. The lights were soft and warm, the air carried a subtle floral scent, and the decor… well, it definitely didn't look like an ordinary hotel.
He narrowed his eyes.
"…Raphaeline."
The woman beside him, who had been distractedly playing with the small gacha keychain he had won for her, looked up innocently. "Yes, dear?"
"…Where exactly are we?"
"A motel, of course." She smiled.
The silence that followed was almost comical. Vergil just stared at her, blinking a few tis as he tried to process her shalessly direct answer.
He ran a hand over his face, sighing. "I should've realized it sooner."
Raphaeline tilted her head, still smiling.
"What are you talking about? I just thought that after such a wonderful date, it would be a waste not to enjoy the night." She teased.
He crossed his arms.
"You blackmailed into a date, dragged around the city, made play a gacha machine… and now you brought to a motel." He listed off each point.
"Exactly!" She confird cheerfully.
Vergil glanced at the spacious bed in the center of the room, then at the strategically romantic lighting, and finally, at the jacuzzi in the corner. "You planned this from the beginning, didn't you?"
She placed a hand over her chest, feigning indignation.
"How could you think that of ? I am a lady!" She tried to defend herself, but she was already blushing too much to be taken seriously.
"Raphaeline." Vergil called her na.
She laughed, finally giving up the act. "Alright, alright. Maybe I had a goal from the start..."
Vergil sighed again, but there was sothing in his expression that suggested he wasn't exactly bothered by it.
He looked at her, and she now gazed back at him intently, her eyes shining with a mix of anticipation and… sothing more.
"Well… since we're already here." He murmured.
"Finally, you're starting to get it." Raphaeline smiled, triumphant.
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