Gabriel gave the menu to Avilia, regaining his composure. "If you want me to clarify the situation with the staff, I don't mind. I just didn't think it was a big deal what others thought."
"Don't fret over it." Avilia took the menu and went through it once. "They really have some nice things. Order the second, fourth, and the twelfth item along with the Seventh in the list of wines."
She returned the menu to Gabriel.
"Why aren't you ordering yourself?" Gabriel didn't understand why Avilia was adding these extra steps. She had the menu, and she knew what to order. She could've ordered herself.
Avilia didn't answer. She just moved forward and reached out her hand toward Gabriel's face.
Gabriel moved back at the same time, avoiding her hand.
"You're really careful, aren't you? Don't worry; I'm not going to hurt you," Avilia clarified. "The world would be quite boring if something happened to you. I won't let anyone harm you."
"What were you trying to do, then?" Gabriel asked, frowning. She suddenly reached out her hand. He really had to be on his guard.
"Come closer, and I'll let you know," the Holy Priestess of Summoning stated. From her expression, it didn't look like she was going to harm him. She had no killing intent either.
Moreover, she was a Summoner. Her own personal abilities shouldn't have been strong enough to hurt him without her beasts. Yet Gabriel couldn't lower his guards.
"Forget it then." Avilia moved back, sighing. "You don't have to."
Gabriel remained silent and didn't answer. He was ninety percent sure that the girl before him couldn't harm him without calling her beasts for support. If she wanted to attack him, it would've been much easier for her to use her Shadow Beast, which Gabriel was sure was hiding behind him in the chair's shadow.
Moreover, now that he had the support of his Grimoire and Two Ancestral Staff, mental attacks couldn't affect him either.
If she pulled something, he could teleport back right away. So it was safe. He was also curious about what she was trying to do. Based on his understanding of her, she would've used such sneaky tricks to kill him. Avilia was a person who fought the enemy head-on, especially now that she was so strong.
Eventually, Gabriel's curiosity took over as he decided what to do. He had the Wordless Chant of Teleportation ready if she pulled any trick and the mental protection, so he was slightly confident.
"Fine. I'll let you," he agreed.
Avilia moved forward once again as soon as Gabriel agreed. Surprisingly, at the same time, Gabriel also moved forward, not realizing that she was going to do the same.
Avilia was stunned. Even though Gabriel agreed to let her touch him, she still expected him to be hesitant. That's why she moved ahead, not expecting him to do the same.
As both of them moved forward at the same time, their faces were only a few inches away from each other.
"So what did you want?" Gabriel asked, having a clear view of Avilia's beautiful crimson eyes. At such closeness, he didn't lower his guard. He didn't let himself be distracted even though Avilia looked even more beautiful from such close proximity. His spell was also ready to be used at a moment's notice.
Avilia raised her hand. "I was about to do this..."
She placed her hand on Gabriel's cheeks and pinched them. "You really don't know how the world works, do you? They'll look down on you if I order for you. You're supposed to be the Prince. At least play the part. That's why I let you order."
After giving him the clarification, she sat back.
Gabriel also moved back, rubbing his cheeks. He expected her to try at least some mental attack or something else, but this was all that she wanted? This girl... He was getting more and more sure with time that this girl... She was quite unique. Sometimes she was a scary Demoness when someone offended her, and at other times, she was like a child.
He also sat down and called for the waitress, ordering the same dishes that Avilia told him.
At this dinner, he wasn't sure what he was going to be eating, but he really hoped that Avilia's taste in food wasn't bad.
****
After twenty minutes of waiting, the dishes started arriving one after another. Each of the dishes that Avilia selected was one of the most expensive dishes in this place that even an ordinary noble couldn't afford to eat regularly.
"There, use it to pay." After the waitress left, bringing every food item that they had offered, Avilia brought a small bag out of her storage space and gave Gabriel.
Gabriel opened the bag, noticing it had a few high-grade spirit stones.
Avilia had ordered all these items, but she didn't know if Gabriel had enough money for them. All these items were expensive. She gave him enough to pay for the food in advance so the Staff couldn't know that it was her who was paying.
Gabriel stood up and returned the bag to Avilia. However, this time, he moved closer and pinched her cheeks as if getting his revenge.
"You really don't know how the world works, do you? They'll look down on me if I take money from you to pay. I'm supposed to be the Prince. How can I take your things to pay?"
Avilia's eyes opened wide in surprise. For the first time in a long while, a person touched her face, and that too, the guy who was using her own tricks to bully her?
She didn't know what it was, but she felt really strange. She couldn't keep her composure this time. Her thoughts were jumbled. She couldn't even respond.
Gabriel had enough money already. If anything, he was richer than the Royal Family of Arecia now. How could he let the Holy Priestess of Summoning pay for him? He didn't want to owe her any favor for this.
The food on the table looked really delicious. There were three plates before each of them, each containing a different dish. Gabriel couldn't even recognize most of the ingredients used in the dishes, but it was clear that it was some kind of meat, along with some herbs and spices. Each dish was prepared and decorated properly.
"Mm?" He took the first bite, realizing that the dish didn't just look good. It also tasted great.
The two people were the only guests in the restaurant, eating at this time.
The waitress in the corner of the hall could only look at Avilia in jealousy. "That girl is so lucky. Her boyfriend is so wealthy. He ordered so many expensive dishes. I wish I were in her place."
"Stop dreaming," Another waitress chimed in. "How can we even get those wealthy guys? Our luck will never be that good."
"So, what are your plans for the future?" Gabriel asked the question that he had in his head for quite some time. "If you don't want to hurt me, then will you help me?"
"My plans for you? Well, I do have one...."
