Chapter 68: A Very Domestic Evening

Actually, this was the first time anyone had ever gone out of their way to cook for Summer.

Back when her sense of taste was still abnormal, no one had ever cared enough to do something like this for her.

"What do you think?" Ilya asked as he set the food in front of her.

He had made a simple but filling dinner: grilled chicken with herbs, buttered vegetables, creamy mashed potatoes, and a light mushroom soup. There was also a small plate of sliced fruit on the side.

Summer stared at the table for a moment. It was not some fancy meal from an expensive restaurant, but somehow, that made it feel even more special.

"They look delicious," Summer replied.

"They’ll taste even better once you actually eat them," Ilya replied with a smile.

Not long after that, Archer finally walked into the dining room after taking a shower and changing his clothes.

He was wearing a simple black shirt and dark trousers, but somehow, the casual look made him even more attractive than his usual dark coat or military uniform.

Archer looked down at his plate and immediately frowned. "Why did you put carrots and broccoli in the mashed potatoes?"

Ilya clicked his tongue and pushed the plate toward him. "You’re not ten anymore. I’m not going to blend the vegetables just to trick you into eating them."

Archer slowly looked up at him in disbelief. Judging by his expression, this was probably the first time he had realized that Ilya used to secretly hide vegetables in his food.

"It’s really good!"

The moment Summer spoke, both Ilya and Archer turned to look at her.

She had taken a bite of the chicken together with some mashed potatoes, then quickly sipped the soup before swallowing. The mix of flavors spread across her tongue all at once, making her eyes light up.

Judging by the bright look on her face, she clearly wasn’t exaggerating.

"This is even better than restaurant food!" Summer said after finally swallowing everything.

Ilya smiled at her reaction. "I’m glad you like it. If you want, I can cook for you more often."

Summer’s eyes immediately brightened even more. She still wasn’t used to someone willingly doing something like this for her, especially something as simple and caring as making her a meal.

"I’d love that!" she exclaimed.

Ilya’s smile widened as he said, "Eat slowly. Don’t choke."

The three of them finally sat down and ate dinner together.

Summer ate happily and even went for a second bowl. Archer, meanwhile, sat beside her and kept trying to push the vegetables to the side of his plate, only for Ilya to put them right back.

After they finished eating, Archer took care of the dishes while Ilya and Summer started talking about the soul-binding agreement.

Just like the one Archer had made before, Ilya’s agreement said that he would pay Summer for every guiding session. However, he added one more thing: she could ask him for anything, not just money or property.

"Anything?" Summer asked. "Like punching someone to death?"

Ilya stared at her in silence for a few seconds before answering, "If that’s what you want, then yes. I can do that."

Summer frowned and raised her eyebrows. "No questions asked?"

"No questions asked," Ilya replied. Then he added, "But I want you to know that I don’t hurt or kill children."

Summer pressed her lips into a thin line because somehow, it reminded her of his trauma.

"No," she said after a moment. "I wouldn’t do that to children either, unless they were some kind of demon reincarnated as a kid."

She paused, thinking about it again. "Actually... we could probably just lock the demon kids in prison or something."

Summer read through everything Ilya had written in the agreement, but one line immediately caught her attention. "Ilya Noctis’s heart will stop beating if he harms his Guide, Summer Beaumont."

Summer stared at the sentence for a few seconds.

Honestly, she couldn’t tell whether these brothers were just suicidal or that confident that they would never hurt her.

Well, two things could be true at the same time anyway.

In the end, Summer decided not to question it anymore. She signed the agreement, and Ilya signed right after her.

He folded the paper, held it over the candle flame, and let it burn until only ash remained.

"Now the agreement is active," Ilya said as he brushed the ash from his fingers. "We’re officially Sentinel and Guide, and mates as well."

Summer still thought the whole thing sounded suspiciously like a wedding.

"About the vacation," Ilya continued, moving a little closer to her. "Where do you want to go? It’ll also be part of your training."

He opened his terminal and showed her several vacation spots. "There are a few safe zones made specifically for vacations, but they’re usually pretty quiet because they’re expensive."

"How expensive?" Summer asked.

"Don’t worry about it," Ilya replied. "It’s not that expensive for me."

Since he told her not to worry about it, Summer decided she really wasn’t going to worry about it.

"How about somewhere with a forest?" she asked. "There should be a lot of places there where I can train and face different challenges."

Ilya thought about it for a moment, then swiped through the screen a few times before turning to Archer.

"Didn’t you buy a small cabin somewhere?" he asked. "Which zone was it in?"

Archer, who had just finished drying the last plate, looked over at him. "Zone 18," he replied. "Near the northern forest."

Ilya tapped the screen again. "That might actually work."

Summer leaned closer to look at the terminal.

Zone 18 was listed as a low-risk safe zone with a large protected forest, several hiking routes, and a small lake near the mountain area.

The place was mostly used by wealthy visitors who wanted privacy, so there were only a few houses scattered across the entire zone.

"It looks peaceful," Summer said.

She wasn’t sure whether that place was more suitable for training or for a honeymoon instead.