Herman recalled the Identity Exclusive Mission tied to the identity of the All-Seeing Eye.
He couldn't help but feel a wave of emotion. It seemed that the All-Seeing Eye understood his preferences even better than he did himself.
"Do you like curry chicken? My mom made some today—it's her specialty. Oh, and she even tried a recipe to make some authentic Chinese Mapo Tofu."
Gwen Stacy led Herman into the house, her tone full of anticipation as she asked.
"Curry chicken? That's a great dish. I can't think of any reason not to like it."
Herman had never been picky about good food.
Besides, this wasn't the kind of curry chicken bought from some street vendor in India. He didn't believe Gwen Stacy's mother would mix chicken and curry with unwashed hands after using the bathroom.
"Mom! He's here! This is Herman I told you about!"
Gwen brought Herman into the living room, then hurried toward the hallway, calling out to the kitchen at the far end of the house.
That explained why Herman had been standing at the door talking to Gwen for so long without hearing any sound inside—the kitchen was far from the entrance.
Gwen's mother had been busy cooking. When she heard her daughter's voice, a middle-aged woman wearing a kitchen apron emerged, wiping her hands with a paper towel as she came out.
She looked to be in her forties. Judging from how beautiful Gwen was, it was clear her mother had once possessed the same kind of grace and charm.
Though time had left fine lines at the corners of her eyes and across her forehead, true beauty lies in the bones, not the skin. The elegance of Gwen's mother remained, untouched by the years.
"Good evening, ma'am. I'm Herman. I'm sorry to intrude on you."
Herman greeted her politely, his tone humble and respectful.
"So you're the one who tricked my Gwen into getting engaged?"
Gwen's mother gave him a quick once-over. Apparently satisfied with what she saw, her tone was playful rather than stern.
"I didn't think things through properly. It was my mistake—too young and inexperienced. I should have come to ask for your blessing before proposing."
Herman handled the situation with practiced ease. He wasn't much older than Gwen, so claiming youthful recklessness wasn't unreasonable. Young people often acted on impulse, and in a moment of passion, he had proposed.
That kind of explanation made it easier to accept. Seeing his sincerity, Gwen's mother's smile softened.
"You really didn't think it through... but as long as Gwen's happy, we have no objections. She's always been a girl with her own mind."
"We trust Gwen wouldn't choose the wrong person."
Her smile deepened. After all, this was Gwen's first love, and they were already engaged. As her mother, she didn't want to see any unpleasantness between them. As for Gwen not yet being of age—well, in some countries, that wasn't considered such a big deal. Many started dating or even having children early, as long as they were mature enough.
To her, Herman seemed like an ideal fiancé—far better than some aimless boy who couldn't take care of himself.
It was a classic case of a mother-in-law admiring her future son-in-law—the more she looked, the happier she felt. Standing tall at 187 centimeters with a solid, reassuring build, handsome features, and a polite, composed demeanor, Herman left her thoroughly impressed.
"Herman even brought you gifts!"
Noticing her mother's satisfaction, Gwen grinned with delight and quickly mentioned the gifts Herman had brought along.
"Did you bring gifts?"
Gwen's mother's eyes sparkled with anticipation.
"It's my first time visiting, so I couldn't possibly come empty-handed."
Herman immediately walked back to Gwen's living room and carried the three gifts he had brought into the hallway.
"You really went out of your way—buying all this… and wine? If Gwen's dad comes back, he'll probably be grinning from ear to ear."
"That man loves his wine."
Gwen's mother accepted the gifts happily. She didn't check the boxes right away and could only tell from the packaging that one of them contained wine. She wasn't particularly familiar with wine brands.
"You don't need to bring so much next time. You're still young—there are other things you'll need money for."
Hmm, it seemed Gwen's mother wasn't entirely aware of Herman's background.
From the information he'd gathered earlier about Gwen Stacy's family, Herman recalled that Gwen's mother was a traditional homemaker who rarely went out or chatted with neighbors. Her biggest pastime was watching family soap operas.
Because Gwen's father was a police officer, her mother avoided the news, afraid she might see something terrible happen to him.
After all, in America—especially in New York—being a cop was a dangerous job. She was probably among the few who didn't know that Herman was the Homeland, or that he was a billionaire.
Then again, it wasn't surprising. She'd likely never imagined her daughter would get engaged to someone famous. Otherwise, a simple online search would have revealed everything about him.
Gwen's mother could tell just from the packaging that the gifts weren't cheap.
"They're not too expensive. It doesn't affect my finances," Herman said gently. He didn't want to brag about his wealth, so he simply implied he was doing well.
"You, you…"
Gwen's mother's smile grew even brighter.
Suddenly—
"I've got soup simmering on the stove!"
Remembering the kitchen, she quickly set the gifts aside and hurried back toward it.
"Gwen, take your fiancé to the living room and let him sit for a bit. I've still got a few dishes to finish, and your father should be home soon."
She didn't forget to remind Gwen to take care of Herman.
She even referred to him as Gwen's fiancé, a clear sign that he had passed her approval—acknowledging his place in Gwen's life.
"Maybe I should help? My cooking's actually pretty good."
Herman knew perfectly well that Gwen's family wouldn't let him into the kitchen, but asking was just good manners. It was the kind of polite gesture anyone who had met their partner's parents understood.
"No need, no need! My mom's cooking is delicious. If you're hungry, you can have some bear-shaped cookies first."
Gwen led Herman back to the living room and rummaged through a bag of cookies—her favorite snack.
"If I fill up now, how will I perform at the dinner table later? I have to save room so your mom knows how much I love her cooking."
Herman teased with a grin.
With his Sky Father–level digestion, he could eat ten thousand cows and still never feel bloated.
"I didn't know you cared so much about my mom's opinion."
Gwen's cheeks flushed pink, her expression full of happiness. Knowing that Herman cared about her family made her feel truly blessed.
"Of course. She's my future mother-in-law, after all."
Herman's straight-faced reply made Gwen's ears turn red with shyness.
"Thank you!"
Gwen threw her arms around him, giving him a big, heartfelt hug. Soft warmth and the light fragrance of her hair surrounded him.
"Maybe… we could take things further?"
Moved by emotion, Gwen became unexpectedly bold. Though her voice trembled like a whisper, she bravely sat down on Herman's lap.
Seated on the sofa, Herman suddenly found himself caught off guard by Gwen's lips pressing against his.
Warm.
Soft.
Lacking experience, Gwen's kiss was clumsy yet full of feeling. Herman, a seasoned veteran, knew exactly how to guide her.
While her mother cooked in the kitchen, he was in the living room holding her daughter, kissing her—it was hard not to find the situation a little thrilling.
[Identity Exclusive Mission Completed!]
Just as Herman was guiding Gwen, a sudden prompt appeared in his mind from the [All-Seeing Eye].
"What the hell?"
Still lost in the moment, Herman froze when he heard the notification. He quickly checked the details of Gwen's Identity Exclusive Mission.
[Identity Exclusive Mission: Claim Your Fiancée's First!]
[Mission Reward: Extraordinary Charm!]
The mission was now marked as completed, and Herman instantly received the reward.
The extraordinary charm that enhanced his allure toward women quietly settled upon him, leaving Herman with complicated emotions.
"So… a first kiss counts as the first time too…"
Herman felt a wave of indescribable emotion wash over him, though his hands didn't stop exploring.
"When I become… we'll… we'll…" Gwen Stacy was still too shy to finish her sentence, unable to say aloud what she truly meant.
In this situation, Herman didn't even need to read her mind to know exactly what she wanted to say.
She was talking about something far more intimate—a true battle of passion.
That was perfectly fine with him.
"It's not that I'm thinking indecent thoughts," Herman silently justified to himself. "I just don't want to disappoint a young girl."
Facing Gwen's blushing expression, he nodded naturally.
They both understood without needing to speak.
Just then, the sound of a key turning in the lock echoed faintly from the front door.
It was barely audible—something a normal person would never have noticed.
However, neither of them were ordinary. Both possessed extraordinary hearing, and they immediately caught the sound.
"It's my dad! He's home!"
Like a startled rabbit, Gwen instantly jumped off Herman's lap and hurriedly straightened her clothes, flustered and panicked.
"..."
Herman felt a little unsatisfied, though he could only watch regretfully as she fixed her appearance.
How should he put it?
Having his good moment interrupted definitely ruined the mood.
Still, it wasn't like he could confront the person responsible—after all, the one interrupting him was Gwen's father, Officer George.
Even from across several walls, Herman could clearly see through the house that the man entering the door was indeed her father.
Getting handsy with someone's daughter in their home was definitely not something to brag about.
...
"What a lousy day. Those FBI guys just can't stop sticking their noses into our work. I don't know what they're so proud of."
Like most middle-aged men, Officer George began venting about work the moment he got home, dragging his uniform jacket along the hallway as he grumbled.
"So what if they've got higher clearance? It's not like their agents are any better than us. I've never seen them actually solve more cases!"
Just as he hung up his coat, he noticed Gwen walking out of the living room.
"Dad! Today I… my boyfriend came over! Could you not start complaining about work the moment you get home?" Gwen said with exasperation.
"I almost forgot. Damn FB—" Officer George froze mid-sentence, about to keep complaining when he noticed Herman following right behind Gwen.
The words died in his throat, and his expression instantly shifted to a more formal tone.
"My apologies, old habits. I'm George, Gwen's father. This must be our first time meeting."
"Should I call you Herman Chu, or the famous Homelander?" Officer George stepped forward with a polite smile and extended his hand.
Clearly, he wasn't as out of touch as Gwen's mother. As a police officer, there was no way he wouldn't investigate the man who had suddenly become his daughter's fiancé.
When he first discovered Herman's identity, he had been stunned. Whether it was the billionaire status or the "Homelander" persona, it all felt surreal. How could his daughter possibly have such a fiancé?
Even as a seasoned police chief, George didn't know for a long while whether to feel proud of his daughter's judgment or worried about what that meant.
Fortunately, Herman had no criminal record or scandals in the media. After some time to process it all, George came to terms with reality—his daughter's fiancé was the most powerful man on Earth, and they were already engaged.
"Just call me Herman. I don't really like the title 'Homelander.' It's just a character I played in a TV series."
Herman gave a wry smile as he shook George's hand.
"Everyone says it's your autobiography."
George chuckled teasingly.
Facing the man rumored by the media to be powerful enough to withstand a nuclear blast, George couldn't help but feel some pressure. But Herman's calm, unassuming demeanor eased his nerves.
"Actually… that's not true. People just like to exaggerate for headlines." Herman replied patiently, maintaining a composed tone with Gwen's father.
"I figured as much. You don't seem like the reckless type. At least in all these years, I've never heard of you abusing your powers."
"Look at that playboy Tony Stark. He builds a fancy suit of armor, and next thing you know, he wants the whole world to know he's a superhero."
"You're much better than him."
George had already formed his own opinion of Herman. A man who had lived quietly for so many years clearly wasn't the boastful type.
You really couldn't underestimate a middle-aged cop with years of experience. Listening to George's words, Herman couldn't help but feel that he'd finally met someone who understood him.
"Dinner's ready!"
Just then, Gwen's mother called out from the kitchen.
Everyone stopped talking and headed to the dining room. The meal was rich and warm, and the atmosphere was surprisingly harmonious. Herman got along well with Gwen's parents, and the dinner went smoothly.
"By the way, Herman, do you know Spider-Man?"
While discussing New York's recent safety issues, George suddenly asked the question.
The moment he did, Gwen—who had been happily eating her curry chicken—froze mid-bite.
Her body stiffened, every hair on her body standing on end as her Spider-sense flared.