As the mysterious person walked inside, their figure was slowly illuminated by the lamp's light.
Audrey's actions stiffened as she met the man's gaze, his brown eyes locking onto her beautiful emerald green eyes.
How could she not recognize this face?
"Klein?"
This face was unmistakably Klein's!
Klein slowly approached her, his black coat fluttering in the air as if it were being pushed back by the wind. Totally not being done on purpose by Klein himself.
He stood in front of her, leaned slightly forward, and extended his right arm as if inviting her to dance.
"Why the surprised face?" he smirked. "I thought we both agreed on a date on this beautiful evening."
"B-but I—" Audrey was completely puzzled. She tried to reason how all of this was possible.
Klein? But how? Why? He's supposed to be in The Forsaken Land of the Gods, right? Did he finally escape? That's unlikely—It would be a total miracle if he did escape so quickly... but with Mr. Fool's help then... Audrey focus!
If he's here, then that means he either escaped thanks to Mr. Fool's blessing or he was summoned by someone else. But who else?... Miss Magician, right? Right, she's the owner of Leymano's Travels, though others could've also borrowed it to summon Klein here...
Is he here on a mission? No, he said it's our date, but then—
"Audrey?"
She was immediately snapped back to reality at the mention of her name. She blinked a few times, her cheeks flushing slightly as she realized she had been staring, lost in her own analysis.
"Ah, my apologies, Klein. I was just..." She trailed off, glancing at the hand he still had extended. "How are you here? I didn't summon you. Did Miss Magician...?"
Klein's smirk remained, and he lowered his arm. "Miss Magician? Now, why would she need to summon me anymore when I can simply appear here at will?"
At will? Audrey thought. Wait, what?!
"D-do you mean, you've escaped the Forsaken Land of the Gods?!"
"Mmm, more like: I returned it to the present era." A slow, knowing smirk spread across his face, as if he were sharing an inside joke that only he understood. "I'm planning on reporting it in tomorrow's meeting."
"Wh-what?! How?! I mean, how did you manage to do all that? You're really here?!" She reached in and put both of her hands on Klein's cheeks, feeling up every inch of his face as if to verify if he was the real deal.
He grabbed her wrists. "Yes, I'm here. I'll explain it all tomorrow at 3 pm, but as of right now, don't worry about it." He pulled her closer. "Today it's just us."
Audrey's face turned slightly pink. "Y-you're right, what do you have in mind?"
"It's better if I just show you. Are you ready to go now?"
"Ah, yes." She grabbed the coat that was neatly placed on her bed and wore it. "Where are we going? Should I call for a carriage—"
Klein, still holding her close, grabbed her by the waist and pulled her even closer than before, their bodies basically touching.
"!?"
"That won't be necessary."
Before Audrey could react, her surroundings turned blurry. The color of the world seemed to swirl around, mixing with other colors, as if it were a watercolor painting. By the time she processed what had happened, the colors returned to their normal state, and her vision became clear once again.
They were now in the middle of a crowded street. Nobles and their families were walking around with carefree expressions—clearly distracting themselves from the war. On the other side of the street, there was a high-end restaurant. The perfect restaurant for a romantic date.
The nobles on the street paid no attention to Klein and Audrey—it was as if they were invisible.
"Let's go inside, Audrey," Klein said, leading her by the hand.
As they entered the establishment, Klein dispelled the illusion he had conjured, and both he and Audrey became visible again. Why an illusion? He couldn't just teleport to a busy street and expect no one to bat an eye!
After they were seated, the waiter took their order and left.
In the corner, a pianist played a slow, quiet song. The peaceful music drifted through the room, making it easy for everyone to talk privately. The other guests spoke in quiet, low voices, and their soft talking was mixed with the gentle sounds of forks and plates. Each table was covered with a thick white tablecloth and a candle in the middle. It felt like every table was its own cozy, private space. This allowed Klein and Audrey to feel utterly alone together.
This... this is one of the places I noted down in the notebook that I gave Klein. Did he take me here because of the notebook? Aww, how cute~!
Oblivious to Audrey having seen right through him, Klein remained composed even when his nervous heart palpitated so loudly that others could hear it.
What exactly am I supposed to do on a date?! I've read countless romance webnovels back home, but most of them were explicit ones! How did the main characters manage to get through their dates? Why were those parts always skipped?! Klein, having no romantic experience, felt ridiculously nervous. He had experience inviting and dancing with nobles, but an actual date was a first for him. His knowledge from the webnovels back home was limited to the awkward hand-holding, the dramatic first kiss, and then abruptly skipping straight to the scenes that required a premium membership.
None of that was helpful for the actual conversation part of the date.
He felt Audrey's gaze on him, her emerald eyes soft in the candlelight. She was smiling, clearly waiting for him to speak.
Klein cleared his throat, forcing his Clown powers to plaster a relaxed, steady smile onto his face to hide his panic. "The pianist is quite skilled," he offered, grasping at the most obvious, safest topic.
Damn it, Klein, that's the best you can do? He inwardly lampooned.
Audrey's smile widened, her Spectator abilities easily picking up the nervousness he was trying so hard to hide beneath his calm facade. She found the contrast between the Sequence 2 Angel, who had just achieved a miracle to bring her here, and the nervous man struggling with small talk utterly endearing.
"He is," she agreed softly, deciding to help him out. "But I'm much more impressed by the restaurant choice, Klein. It's almost as if you had access to a specialized guide detailing all of Backlund's most romantic locations," she teased.
"..."
Oh Klein~ how cute~!
Before Klein could retaliate from the teasing, the waiter came back with their meal.
Their conversation faded, replaced by the simple, shared comfort of the meal. The serene piano music continued to play, wrapping their table in an intimate, quiet bubble. Klein, finally relaxed, found himself simply enjoying the sight of Audrey across from him in the candlelight, watching the way her eyes lit up when she smiled. He forgot entirely about how one "should" act during a date and instead just remained present.
Audrey, likewise, simply enjoyed his company, appreciating the rare moment of peace they were sharing.
As the waiter cleared the last of their plates, Klein met Audrey's gaze. He stood and offered her his hand.
"Would you like to go for a walk?"
Audrey smiled and took it.
Klein left the payment on the table. The moment they stepped past the restaurant's threshold, he reactivated the illusion around himself and Audrey. To the nobles on the street, they were invisible ghosts, allowing them to walk unseen, alone together under the setting sun's light.
The warmth of the restaurant faded, replaced by the damp chill of the evening, but Klein did not let go of her hand.
Audrey kept stealing glances at Klein's profile, and as a Spectator, she easily noticed he was doing the same.
Eventually, their timing matched perfectly. Their eyes met, and after a moment of surprised silence, both of them broke into a soft laugh.
It was in these moments that Klein truly realized just how much of a blessing Audrey was. She was the girl who had been there for him since the very start, providing support wholeheartedly.
She's one of my biggest anchors... He thought as his fingers intertwined with Audrey's.
He could feel the coldness of his godhood being repelled by his humanity, thanks to Audrey's presence.
They stopped at a bridge and admired the view for a few minutes before Klein finally broke the silence.
"I must admit, Audrey," he began, his voice laced with the playful confidence of Dwayne Dantès, "you are full of surprises."
Audrey tilted her head. "Oh? How so?"
"Back at the party, my invitation was merely for a dance. I don't recall the engagement being part of the program," he teased. "Fiancé, wasn't it? That escalated rather quickly." A smirk made its way to his face.
Audrey's cheeks flushed brightly.
"That was for a reason!" she protested."My Aunt Cassandra was ambushing me. She was lining up suitors. It was... a ruse! The fastest way to stop the interrogation."
"A ruse?" Klein placed a hand over his heart in disappointment. "And here I was, preparing myself to ask your father for your hand. I suppose I should cancel my appointment at the tailor, right?"
"Klein!" she said, lightly swatting his arm. "You know perfectly well that part was a ruse. But..."
Her expression softened as she lifted her gaze to look at Klein. "What we said in the garden... just before your time ran out. That wasn't a ruse."
Klein's playful smirk melted away, replaced by a genuine, earnest expression. He took her hand again, his thumb brushing lightly over her glove.
"No," he said softly. "That wasn't a ruse at all."