Claire's lips trembled slightly as she held his gaze, the weight of his words hanging in the air. After a brief pause, she whispered softly, almost too quietly,

"…Yeah, I do."

Damien's smirk melted into something gentler. His lips curled into a warm smile, the kind that seemed to radiate a calm strength, and he slowly stepped closer to her.

The sound of his footsteps made Claire's heart flutter unexpectedly, and though she tried to remain composed, her body betrayed her.

A soft shiver ran through her, making her spine tingle, and her cheeks flushed red like ripened apples under his gaze.

From the side, Nora noticed the change immediately.

She had been staring at the meat, still clutching it in her arms, but when she glanced back toward Damien and Claire, the sight froze her in place.

Her face grew red all over again, her heart pounding as flashes from the previous night attacked her mind without mercy.

She bit her lip hard, trying to push the thoughts away, but it was useless.

Her body remembered too well. She turned her head quickly, attempting to calm her racing heart, but the more she tried, the worse it got.

Uncontrollable glances betrayed her again and again as her eyes drifted toward Damien. Her face darkened further, frustration mixed with embarrassment.

'He's not innocent…' she scolded herself, gripping the bag tighter. 'Don't be deceived! These two… they're…'

But she couldn't finish the thought. Her chest heaved softly as she struggled to steady herself, her gaze flickering between Damien and Claire.

Damien, however, was completely oblivious to Nora's inner turmoil.

His focus was solely on Claire. He raised his hand slowly, almost deliberately, and gently cupped her cheeks in his palm.

His thumb brushed lightly against her soft skin, tilting her face up so her eyes couldn't escape his. His voice came low, steady, and reassuring.

"It's just meat," he said softly. "You don't have to worry… about anything from now on mom."

Claire's eyes widened at his words. Her cheeks grew even redder, almost feverish, and to her own shock, her eyes grew moist.

She didn't even understand why—was it relief? Gratitude? Or something deeper she didn't dare name?

Her lips quivered, but no words came out at first. She just stared into his eyes, lost in their warmth, before finally nodding quickly.

She broke free of his hold, turning away as her face burned hotter and hotter.

"I-I'll make sure to cook something nice…" she stuttered out, clutching her skirt as though to anchor herself. "Thank you for this… Damien."

Her voice cracked slightly at the end, but she didn't linger long enough for him to respond. With quick steps, she retreated into the kitchen, almost fleeing, her back stiff and her head lowered.

Inside, her hands trembled as she set the meat down. Her cheeks still burned fiercely, the heat crawling down her neck, and she felt her chest tighten with emotions she couldn't explain.

She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, gripping the counter for support.

'What is wrong with me…?' she thought desperately. Why do I feel like this?

It was unbearable. She almost wished the ground would open up beneath her feet and swallow her whole.

Claire leaned against the counter, clutching the knife she'd just picked up, but her thoughts refused to calm down.

'I'm supposed to be the grown up here… but I was acting like a child.' The words echoed again and again in her head, almost making her dizzy.

She bit her lower lip, the corners of her mouth trembling as though mocking her. 'Why did I react that way? Why did my heart… race like that when he looked at me?'

Her face was already warm, but as the memory replayed — Damien's warm smile, the closeness of his presence, the way he had cupped her cheeks with such unshaken boldness — she felt the heat spread even further, blooming down her neck.

Claire shook her head hard, her brown hair swaying with the motion.

"No, no, no," she whispered under her breath, though it did nothing to settle her nerves.

If anything, the motion only made her more aware of the wild thumping in her chest. Yet no matter how she tried to will it away, the redness on her cheeks only seemed to deepen, as though her very body was mocking her attempts at composure.

She was Claire, the older one, the responsible one. She was supposed to be steady and mature. But right now? She felt as if she were no different from a nervous schoolgirl, flustered and restless from the attention of a boy she couldn't stop thinking about.

*

A few minutes later, the house carried a different air. The sound of oil sizzling in the pan filled the kitchen, and the rich, sweet aroma of fried meat began to spread outward, seeping into every corner.

In the sitting room, Damien sat lazily on the ground, his eyes half-lidded.

At first, he had been idly tracing the patterns on the floor, but as the scent grew stronger, his focus broke entirely.

His nostrils flared slightly, drinking in the tantalizing aroma, and his stomach gave a low, impatient growl.

"Damn…" he muttered under his breath, tilting his head back.

His mouth parted slightly, and if anyone had seen him at that moment, they'd have noticed the thin glimmer of saliva threatening to gather at the corner of his lips.

The savory perfume of spiced meat wrapped around him like invisible hands, teasing and tugging at his hunger until he almost wanted to rush into the kitchen himself.

His eyes lingered toward the doorway, and he had half a mind to stand up—

But then, the soft creak on the floor beside reminded him he wasn't alone.

Nora had been sitting beside him earlier, quietly observing, her expression unreadable.

Her presence had been steady, though her occasional glances at him betrayed something far less calm beneath her exterior.

Yet just as the smell of meat had reached its peak, Nora stirred. She rose abruptly, brushing down her skirt, her movements brisk.

"Ugh… I-i just remembered s-something," she muttered quickly, covering up her chest. "I'll be back."

And before Damien could question her, she was already retreating down the hallway, vanishing into the room without so much as another glance back.

The air shifted.

Damien's eyes followed her departure, narrowing slightly as though analyzing every detail of her sudden excuse.

Then, slowly, his lips curved upward. A smile — no, not just a smile. A crooked, shameless grin spread across his face, the kind of expression that made his thoughts all too clear without a single word being spoken.

'Heh… instead of wasting my time just sitting here, why don't I do something better?'

The thought slithered through his mind, and with it, his smirk deepened.

A faint, crisp chime echoed in his ears. His pupils sharpened, and right before his eyes, a familiar screen flickered into existence.

[New Quest: I want to eat you]

[Objective: Tease Claire while she's cooking]

[Reward: 200 Hunter Points]

For a moment, Damien simply stared at the words, his smirk freezing before twisting into something far more devilish.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.