For Romantic Superpowers - Chapter 38 - Goddess Of Spring Festival (5)
#38. Goddess Of Spring Festival (5)
The taste of the dishes that came out of Asura’s kitchen was unique in every way. It was a taste Lia had never imagined. Watching Lia admire it with every bite, Perth quietly smiled. However, he didn’t expect Lia to finish all the food. He thought he had ordered quite a lot, but the plates were almost clean. Even the waiter passing by seemed quite surprised as he looked at the table.
“Did I eat too much?”
Lia, noticing Perth and the waiter’s expressions, felt embarrassed. She was the one who had eaten most of the food. Since he had only seen her eat the predetermined amount given in the dining hall before, he hadn’t thought she would eat this well.
“Did you enjoy the meal?”
“Yes! Very much.”
“I should thank the person who introduced this when we get back.”
Perth picked up the napkin and gently wiped Lia’s mouth. There seemed to be a spot she hadn’t wiped yet. Feeling embarrassed, Lia slightly leaned back, then leaned forward again. Perth carefully wiped her mouth to avoid rubbing too hard.
“Hehe. Thank you.”
“No problem.”
As they went to pay, the waiter alternately looked at them and smiled. Between their banter, he offered a small cookie as a service.
“When you break the middle, a fortune will come out.”
“Wow. That’s an interesting cookie.”
They each split a cookie in half. There was a crispy sound as they did so. Inside the empty cookie was a thin, long piece of paper.
“It says, ‘It will be a day full of happiness’?”
“Mine says, ‘Memories to cherish for a lifetime.'”
Both Lia’s and Perth’s fortunes were similar. The waiter handed them their change with a smile.
“It seems like both of you will have a special day.”
It seemed like he deliberately put in only pleasant words. Even if it was flattery, Lia didn’t feel bad.
“Thank you!”
“Enjoy your day.”
Lia left the store, putting the leftover cookie crumbs in her mouth. It didn’t have any particular taste. It seemed like the cookie was made more for fun than for taste.
“This cookie is nice. It somehow makes me want to come again next time.”
“The store seems exceptional.”
“The exotic atmosphere makes it feel unfamiliar, but the food is delicious, and the staff are friendly.”
“Yes, will we come again next time?”
The word ‘next’ made her heart flutter unnecessarily. Would they meet again like this? She didn’t know when it would be, but even then, it seemed like it would be very enjoyable.
“Yes! Let’s come again for sure, us.”
* * *
They entered back into the crowd on the street. At a glance, Lia dashed towards the center of the square.
“Let’s go together, Lady Lia!”
Perth pushed through the crowd to not lose sight of her. Even though he didn’t want to touch, he unavoidably brushed against people’s bodies. Normally, he wouldn’t even set foot in such places.
“Mr. Perth!”
From afar, he heard her calling him. He tried to push through, but it was difficult to escape the crowd. Then it happened. A hand appeared through the crowd, grabbing his wrist tightly. For a moment, he thought it was skin-to-skin contact and felt flustered, but fortunately, it was over his clothes.
Then the hand began to pull him with great force. Perth squeezed through the crowd, following the lead. Just when he thought he was about to escape, he found himself standing in the middle of the square. It was Lia who held his wrist. It was her guidance that led him to the center of the stage.
“Thank you all for participating! We will now begin the Goddess of Spring Festival Couples’ Ability Competition!”
“Wow!”
“Lady Lia, what is this about?”
“Why, it’s fun, isn’t it? Give it a try. There are prizes, too.”
“But this…”
“Shh. Just pretend to be a couple for now.”
Lia arrived at the center of the square first and, upon hearing about the competition, dragged Perth along. Despite his objections, she signed them up for the game without his consent. Her sole purpose was the prize.
Perth was suddenly thrust into the game and was bewildered. All events at the festival had been arranged by him. But he never thought he would end up participating. Besides them, there were several other couples proudly sticking close together, showing off their relationships. Seeing this, Lia cautiously asked Perth.
“Mr. Perth, can we pretend to be a couple just for now?”
“You’re asking for my consent now?”
“It seems like we should do as the other couples are doing. Can I have your permission for a moment?”
“Feel free to.”
It was almost a resigned response. He had already been signed up, so there was little room for refusal. The host was greeting and introducing each couple one by one. It was almost Lia and Perth’s turn.
“Well then, let’s excuse ourselves.”
Lia linked arms with Perth, who stiffened unexpectedly at the unexpected gesture. Lia whispered into his ear, urging him not to show any signs of discomfort.
He wasn’t uncomfortable. It was just the sudden closeness that caught him off guard. He could feel her warmth through his tightly held arm. Though he tried to maintain a neutral expression, controlling the flush that rose to his ears proved difficult.
Before the game began, the host greeted and introduced each couple. Lia had prepared her responses by checking what the previous couples had been asked. Perth had to try his best to ignore the sensations in his arm.
“Now, let’s meet the last couple who signed up. Hello!”
“Hello!”
Lia responded energetically, while Perth merely nodded stoically. At a glance, one might misunderstand his silence as displeasure, but it was just nerves. He was always used to working behind the scenes, not stepping forward like this.
“What are your names?”
“I’m Lia, and this is my lover, Perth.”
“Lover..”
Perth was about to retort unknowingly, but he shut his mouth under Lia’s sharp gaze. The host alternated between the two, then smiled.
“How long have you two been together?”
“It’s only been two months now.”
They literally just met. Lia muttered to herself. Perth looked down at her and inwardly shook his head. If he showed even the slightest hint of discomfort, he might get scolded by her.
“Oh! You’re in the heat of the moment. How did you two meet?”
“He heard about me and came to my house. It was love at first sight and we’ve been seeing each other ever since.”
There was a cunning mix of truth and lies. Perth did indeed go to Lia’s house and meet her for the first time. But falling in love at first sight…
“Wow, the man was quite proactive. Yet here on stage, you seem to show a passive attitude. She said your name is Perth. What’s so great about Lia?”
Perth didn’t quickly come up with a lie like Lia did. After pondering for a while, he began to speak haltingly.
“Being honest is good, and I admired how she strives to achieve her dreams. When she smiles brightly… she looks pretty. And she eats well…”
As Perth’s words dragged on, the host intervened.
“Yes! In short, everything about her is adorable, right?”
His face flushed at the host’s words. Adorable. He had never used such a word. But due to Lia poking him in the side, he reflexively responded.
“Yes, yes. That’s right…”
“Such a chicken-hearted couple you are. I’m embarrassed just listening to you.”
It seemed like the host’s misunderstanding was deepening. Even the onlookers began to whistle. Feeling a bit embarrassed, Perth covered his face with one hand.
“You did well.”
Lia whispered into his ear again to comfort him. But it didn’t comfort him at all. In an instant, he became an overly loving partner, loving the one next to him too much.
“Now let’s start the actual game. The first game is guessing'”
The way guessing worked was simple. A question was asked, and you had to shout out your lover’s nickname and answer it. The couple with the most points would win.
“Guessing! If that’s the case, it’s a piece of cake for Mr. Perth, right? It’s easy, isn’t it?”
“But we have to call each other by nicknames.”
Neither of them had nicknames. The question from another couple about just using their names had already been rejected. It meant they had to come up with a nickname quickly, even though Perth felt it was irrational at this moment.
Lia liked the couple’s game. It was obvious that Perth, who was as knowledgeable as an aide, would be adept at common sense. This game was entirely in their favor. However, they were stuck on what nickname to use. To win the game, it had to be easy to pronounce and suitable as a nickname.
“Mr. Perth, do you have any nicknames you used for your previous lover?”
“What? I’ve never had a lover before.”
Perth inadvertently revealed his past, leaving an impression. Perhaps she was considering a nickname. But he’d never had a lover, so it was unlikely he’d ever called anyone by a nickname.
“Oh, I see. Same here.”
In a way, it was expected. Neither of them had ever felt genuine ‘liking’ emotions.
“Then, Prince Alfonse! When he calls his lover, what nickname does he usually use?”
He wasn’t particularly interested in what that person called his partner. But if he had met numerous women, he would have used various nicknames.
“Well, in recent times, for biological terms, there’s ‘my little bird,’ ‘nightingale,’ ‘night rain,’ ‘puppy,’ for inanimate objects, there’s ‘jewel,’ ‘sugar,’ for intangible things, there’s ‘love,’ ‘miracle,’ and so on.”
“So many…”
Unintentionally, a complaint slipped out. She knew Alfonse was a ladies’ man, but the sheer number of nicknames surprised her.
“Then, which one should we use from those?”
“I don’t feel like hearing any of them. Hmm… what should we go with?”
As Lia scrutinized the other couples, it seemed that aside from the questioning couple, most had some kind of nickname. Even among married couples, there were many nicknames to match Alfonse’s. ‘Sweetie,’ ‘darling,’ ‘baby,’ etc., were at the ordinary level. In addition, they mostly included compliments that the other person would like to hear. After contemplating for a while, Lia looked at Perth seriously.
“You have to listen carefully to what I’m about to say.”
“Yes? Okay.”
How serious could her nickname suggestion be? Perth swallowed dryly out of nervousness. Lia’s expression was so serious that if he were to object, he felt like he might get scolded.
“From now on, please call me ‘cutie.'”