RISE OF EROS

The day went smoothly and soon it was time to meet Candice. Andrew and the others had already made all the necessary preparations, although they believed that nothing would go wrong.

Since it was an important event and they were going to a high-class restaurant, Andrew could not walk there as he usually did when he left the Heavenly Palace, so he took a carriage with Oliver.

Marie followed them in the shadows, but when they arrived at the restaurant The Thousand Delights, the girl lost her purpose, because it was impossible for her to infiltrate the restaurant.

When Oliver arrived, he noticed at least 5 experts of Castor's level and one close to his level. While none of them could defeat him, if they all joined together, Oliver wouldn't stand a chance.

When Oliver told this to Andrew, he couldn't help but be surprised at the strength that resided in the restaurant and his expression was serious, as he didn't know if Candice was planning any tricks.

Andrew didn't think Candice would attack him by taking advantage of these experts, but he couldn't rule out the possibility, so he kept his guard up. As he entered the restaurant, he was greeted by a rather nice young lady who smilingly asked, "Do you gentlemen have reservations?"

"I am a guest of Miss Candice, I don't know if she notified you?" replied Andrew politely. The girl looked through a book she had with her and after a few seconds spoke again without losing the smile on her face, "Mr. Andrew?".

"That's right," Andrew replied and the girl waving her hand said, "Follow me this way please." Although only Andrew's name was on the list, Oliver had no problem walking in, as apparently, it was not abnormal for diners to bring along any bodyguards.

As safe as the place was, at some point, they would have to leave and the nobles and wealthy who visited this restaurant, would not walk unprotected, so the entrance of a companion was allowed, although Andrew and Oliver did not know this.

The girl led them to a room on the second floor and pointing to the door the girl said, "This is the room reserved by Miss Candice. She hasn't arrived yet, but you can wait for her inside."

Andrew thanked her and entered the room next to Oliver. The room was not very large, but luxurious and comfortable. There was a round table that could easily seat 6 people, but there were only 2 chairs.

There was also a set of luxurious-looking furniture and a small tea table. Andrew examined the room superficially and asked, "Anything strange?" to which Oliver replied by shaking his head.

Receiving Oliver's response, Andrew sat down on the furniture and poured himself some tea while he waited. He didn't know how the restaurant found out he would be arriving at this hour, but there was a pot of hot tea on the small table, so Andrew poured himself some.

Andrew and Oliver talked about unimportant matters while they waited for Candice. Like any self-respecting woman, she kept him waiting, for half an hour of the appointed time.

Accompanied by Gaston, Candice entered the room and Andrew could only marvel at her beauty. Although she still retained an aura of distrust, she did not seem to have bad intentions and the feelings for Andrew were still there.

This relaxed Andrew because he understood that Candice only wanted to know the truth and did not hold a grudge. She was wearing a tight-fitting low-cut black dress that Andrew immediately identified as one of the variants of one of his designs.

"Good afternoon Miss Candice. You look beautiful," Andrew greeted in a relaxed tone and Candice played along, "Thank you. Mr. Andrew is looking cheerful today as well."

Andrew walked over to her, leaned down a little, took her hand, and kissed it simulating the gentlemanly etiquette he had seen in some movie in his previous life. Gaston had an uncomfortable expression, but Candice just smiled as she always did.

After the gentlemanly welcome Andrew did not let go of her hand and escorted her to the seat where, pulling back the chair, he helped her to sit down. Although Candice was still wary of Andrew, she liked the attention he gave her.

Once they were seated Candice rang a small silver bell perched on the table and minutes later there was a knock at the door. Gaston opened it and there stood a young man neatly dressed like the butlers of noble families.

"Welcome to The Thousand Delights, I will be in charge of serving you tonight, how can I help you?" said the young waiter very politely as he bowed a little.

Since Andrew was unfamiliar with the place, he let Candice handle the situation. "We would like the menu for two for the day please." The waiter nodded and said, "Understood, please wait a few minutes and I will bring your food."

After the young man left, Candice started the conversation, "Mr. Andrew will enjoy the dinner, believe me very few restaurants can beat what is served here."

Andrew was a little surprised that Candice didn't immediately initiate asking for the truth about yesterday's brilliance, but he hid it well and replied, "Then, I guess I'll thank Miss Candice in advance for introducing me to the place."

After the polite words, they began to talk about unimportant topics, just making small talk while waiting for the food, but it was obvious that neither of them was interested in that conversation.

Gaston and Oliver could also see their awkwardness, but they said nothing and kept to themselves. About 10 minutes later, again there was a knock at the door and Gaston opened the door.

There stood the young waiter pushing a cart with several plates of food. He approached the table and apologetically began to serve the dishes. Once he finished he bowed and excused himself to leave the room.

Among the dishes served were 3 plates for each of them, a soup, a green salad, and what looked like a tenderloin sautéed in vegetables. The food looked appetizing and the aroma it gave off made their mouths salivate.

Without much preamble, they began to eat. Andrew had no dining etiquette but tried to act as neat as he could, but compared to Candice's elegance, he looked like a hick in a Michelin restaurant.

Candice could sense Andrew's discomfort and thought it was cute, to the point that she couldn't hold back her smile and say, "Mr. Andrew doesn't have to look so self-conscious, eat without worrying about etiquette."

"Miss Candice is very kind. Thank you for not laughing at my lack of manners," Andrew said pretending to be calm, but his cheeks red with embarrassment gave him away, causing Candice to laugh again.

They spoke little during the meal and when they finished, the silver bell rang again and the young waiter arrived to remove the dishes. He also replaced the teapot with a new one and Candice invited Andrew to sit on the furniture to enjoy the tea.

Once seated, they said nothing as they enjoyed the tea, but Candice just took a small sip and placing the cup on the table placed a serious expression and said, "Well, Mr. Andrew, I think it's time for you to be honest with me."

Andrew smiled bitterly at Candice's comment. While he had made up his mind to tell her, he was still a little anxious. "No problem, however, I will need Mr. Gaston and Oliver to step outside," Andrew said after a deep breath.

Gaston immediately changed his expression. He didn't want to leave Candice alone, although his presence there didn't add much defensive value either. Candice was also a little uncomfortable at the request but still agreed.

Although reluctant, Gaston left the room with Oliver. "Well, we're alone now," Candice said with a serious expression. Andrew sighed resignedly and from his pocket pulled out a parchment that emitted a golden glow.

Candice upon seeing the glowing parchment was immediately on guard, but Andrew reassured her by saying, "There is no danger, this is just to prove my honesty to you."

Although his words did not relax the lady, she nodded her head implying that he could proceed and Andrew unrolled the parchment and passed it to Candice.

She received it and began to read it. She sensed that it was a binding contract of souls, but the strange glow made her uneasy because she had never seen such a contract glow.

The contract didn't say much, only that it guaranteed that Andrew would answer her questions truthfully for the next half hour, and if he lied, he would suffer soul-tearing.

This surprised her, as soul-tearing was a rather painful form of torture. As the name implies, it was as if your soul was being cut out, which was pain beyond any physical harm.

Candice at that moment understood that Andrew planned to tell her everything and relaxed. She handed the parchment back and Andrew without hesitation cut his finger and spilled a small drop of blood on the parchment.

It glowed brightly and immediately they both felt their souls bond, proving that the contract had taken effect, then Andrew said, "Well, Miss Candice, you have 30 minutes, ask what you want to know."

WORDS OF THE AUTHOR

Sorry I didn't post yesterday, but I suffered a little food poisoning and couldn't write.

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