Their hands remained intertwined on the table when the waiter returned, placing down the first dish, an elegantly shaped crystal bowl filled with luminous broth that seemed to swirl with constellations.
Aestrea stared at it.
"…This soup alone is worth half a Perfect-Grade Crystal, isn't it?"
"Yes," Lunara replied, completely unbothered by how expensive it actually was.
He wanted to sob.
But when he looked at Lunara, at the little tilt of excitement in her eyebrows, at the small proud smile she tried so hard to hide, at the way she kept glancing at him as if afraid he would disappear.
'...Hah...'
He stared at the soup in contemplation, not knowing if this indeed was worth half a Perfect-Grade Divine Crystal...
Then, he lifted the crystalline spoon, half-expecting to taste disappointment… or maybe the flavor of financial ruin.
The broth shimmered like melted starlight, soft constellations swirling lazily inside.
He hesitated, but then took a sip.
