Eden wasn’t sure what she was watching.
Well, earlier she could still follow what was happening. But after the wall ca down, everything started getting weird. Really weird.
The wall? Sure, it was likely spiritual energy. She’d seen enough battlefields to know what a powerful burst looked like. So even with the caras all broken, it wasn’t much of a guessing ga.
But enough of that because that wasn’t really what perplexed her.
What she was wondering about was whether the Imperial Crown Prince and his adjutant had gone nuts.
Oh, and maybe the students, too. Definitely the students.
Still, she had a sliver of sympathy for the young cadets. After all, most of the soldiers, herself included, had gone a little bonkers after just one bite of spiritual food.
But what about those two future pillars of the Empire?
Were they possessed?
Possessed enough to maintain such close physical contact without bloodshed or soone being in a chokehold.
Worse, what were those smiles and weird googly eyes? If it hadn’t been for Jax looking and acting all Jax-like, Eden would’ve seriously thought they’d gone to hire actors for today.
Then again, that kid wasn’t exactly the most reliable benchmark, as that one had never been normal.
So just what was happening?
Now, Eden wasn’t naive, nor was she a hater, but more than anything, she wasn’t delusional.
And while that idiot Curtis would insist otherwise, she wasn’t about to just forget how Prince Aeric didn’t like being touched like that. Nor did he like opening his mouth unless necessary.
Then there’s Kyle. That boy was relatively normal, or as normal as he could be for soone of his stature. It was just that, like every single Nox, he had been married to his work, his eyes practically glued to his boss or his terminal.
So what was he doing carrying that cadet like a backpack while ignoring the fact that his boss was out there caressing soone’s ear?
"???"
But Eden’s questions were warranted, as she wasn’t the only one whose head kept tilting as they all tried to process this developnt.
If anything, what made the whole situation worse was how Princess Kira was the one who offered sympathetic looks to the little human brothers and sisters she’d grown fond of.
Those poor students were too shell-shocked to even record. And rightly so.
The dynamics had changed. Completely.
A few avid writers had already begun deleting drafts of their stories. Their beloved slow-burn enemy-to-lovers tale? Gone. Shattered. Replaced with...whatever this was.
Then Ollie Mylor ca crashing into the scene—literally.
He t them outside the cafeteria. Apparently, he’d gone to check on the heir of House Kyros first, then proceeded to chuck himself onto Kyle Nox’s back like it was completely normal.
"I’m so hungry," Ollie groaned. "And tired. And worried. And I think I forgot everything from class. Is this what aging feels like?"
Kyle didn’t even flinch. Instead, he just patted the leg he was now hoisting up while walking towards the cafeteria, which was only a few steps away.
"..."
There was never this kind of chaos before.
But their questions had to wait.
Because the group finally found a table and sat down.
Princess Kira and Ada approached next, asking if they could sit with the girls they hadn’t seen in a while.
Luca agreed with a warm smile. Then he handed them thermal bags and warned gently, "Careful with the cylinder. That one has hot soup."
That one line? It got the Orcs very excited.
And around them, the crowd buzzed.
"He said soup?" soone whispered.
"Was he planning on giving each person a bag?"
anwhile, Luca was already pulling out more thermal bags from his dungeon inventory, excited and completely unbothered by the attention.
See, he could’ve handed each lunch box directly to their respective owners, but the dishes he prepared were best served crispy. So, to maintain that, he used the dungeon inventory to keep everything exactly the way it had been stored.
Finally, he pulled out his own thermal pack—black and gold, shiny and new. His cheeks flushed with excitent. His parents had even gotten him a custom one.
The students watched with bated breath. The cafeteria line had slowed to a crawl as students used it as an excuse to move closer for a better vantage point without looking like creeps.
They watched, utterly entranced, as the group carefully unwrapped their packs and opened them.
Several tal boxes and canisters landed on the table with soft clinks.
"???"
Ollie was shaking. There were definitely more lunch boxes today than usual.
His brother was truly the best.
But before he looked at what his brother packed for them, he was also curious about what the Duke and Duchess prepared for his good brother.
Luca himself had a banana, a salad, and an egg sandwich for a snack, and fish with rice for lunch, accompanied by a matching jug of lemonade. All carefully packed and even labelled by his parents.
He’d carefully taken each item out before seeing a small note that had what looked like a drawing of him.
The drawing was a bit odd for soone who had clearly not used pen and paper in a long ti, but nonetheless, Luca appreciated it and had to make sure it was stored safely with Xavier’s note before going for the main event.
The unboxing.
Originally, he’d considered packing the sa dishes he’d prepared for everyone else. But then he rembered: his father had a tendency to fill his plate with food.
And he was right.
Because the mont he opened his lunch container, a hefty grilled fish stared right back at him.
The cafeteria stilled.
Everyone waited.
Waited for that sll that would eventually reach them if they were patient enough.
And when it ca—when the rich, fragrant aroma wafted through the air—a few people wobbled on their feet.
"Wow," soone whispered.
And just as Luca took a picture to commorate this event, the others who were seated could only wish to stand so they could see too.
Only this was just the beginning.
For it might have been better for their health and safety if they had opted to take a seat for the actual unveiling.
Because when the rest began opening their lunches, everything shifted.
Jax began ceremoniously arranging his lunch containers like a puzzle. Each piece had a place, and each lid opened with a sense of reverence.
First ca his favorite—Garden Salad. Just seeing the crisp greens and glistening dressing already brightened his mood.
Then he reached for a circular container.
"Careful," Luca reminded him like he did the Princess and Ada. "That one’s got hot soup."
Jax perked up. Soup? He’d had fish soup before, but this? When the lid ca off, a warm, rich tomato aroma hit him.
He blinked, then grinned. "Tomato soup?" he guessed.
Luca nodded, and the redhead rejoiced that he got it right.
Then ca the third container.
Crispy onion rings.
A generous portion.
Jax’s eyes lit up.
Ollie was going through a similar process, though he was clearly pacing himself, waiting to open the big boxes with Jax.
And when they did—when both boys opened the wide, boxed containers—they blinked.
Inside?
Hmmm?
They weren’t sure what it was, but if that part that they could see was an indication, this was likely made of bread!
Luca could see them struggle, so he had to finally tell them what it was.
"It’s a crispy chicken burger."
Crispy. Golden. Chicken.
"A burger?" Ollie asked, tilting his head.
Luca perked up. "Yes. It’s called a burger, which is also a type of sandwich that usually features a minced at patty. But for this one, I used chicken. You hold it with your hands and just...bite into it!"
Ollie blinked. "So no utensils?"
"Nope!" Luca said proudly. "It’s part of the experience. But you could always cut it up if you prefer that."
Ollie studied it. There was a thick slab of crunchy chicken nestled between layers of tomato, lettuce, sauce, and bread.
And then he tried it as instructed, testing his fate with this dish.
Crunch.
The sound echoed.
Those nearby—those watching—gulped.
A few looked away, fists clenched, trying not to drool.
Ollie was frozen, eyes wide. Then he slowly, ever so slowly, set the burger down, before calculating just how many bites it would take to finish it, so he could prolong it.
Luca, sensing the hesitation to dig in, gently inford, "I packed two for each person."
"Saint," Ollie whispered. "My brother’s a saint."
Jax nodded in solemn agreent.
anwhile, Princess Kira and Ada’s friends stared with shimring eyes.
Hopeful.
So very hopeful.
A very small bite would do.
Or a leaf.
They could even share a leaf!
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