Eulalia smiled faintly. "So, how do I look today? Is this outfit acceptable?"
Grey's gray eyes tightened, his lips pressing together as a strange discomfort stirred within him. "You still haven't answered."
"You little brat!" Eulalia snapped. "You see how much effort I put into dressing up, and you still have to ask? Of course, I have a date."
"With who?"
"You don't know him."
Grey curled the corner of his lip. "A man?"
"Of course," she said with an air of certainty, "It's a blind date, Grey. Wish me luck, I've worked hard for this! I've been dieting so hard!" She spoke as she typed a message on her phone, not noticing Grey's expression had shifted to indifference.
"You said you're losing weight to get slimmer, so what happens after you get slim?"
"Getting slim will make it easier to find a boyfriend, to be in a relationship," Eulalia said matter-of-factly. "Ah, I have to go now. If you're hungry, cook some meat yourself. I'll be back in the evening."
"Okay." Grey nodded, his face impassive as he stepped aside. Eulalia, in her high heels, quickly hurried away, her footsteps echoing as she pressed the elevator button.
Grey glanced at her. She was staring at the elevator numbers, her eyes slightly narrowed, a face full of anticipation.
He pursed his lips and entered the house.
Losing weight, getting slimmer, finding a boyfriend.
This was her ultimate goal.
Now he understood. And now that he knew, he wondered why he felt so angry for some reason?
All that determination, the struggle to get out of bed every day, eating bad food, was all for finding a boyfriend, for finding another man.
Why does she want to find a boyfriend so badly?
Is she lonely?
Would she still be lonely if she lived with him?
But... living with her had brought him a kind of warmth and peace he had never felt before. The kind of peace that settled both his body and his mind.
For most of his life, he had been constantly on edge—on alert in the forest for predators, and on guard in the human world for (some) humans.
This place was different, and she... was different too.
He also relaxed at Luna Palace, but the relaxation here felt different, though he couldn't pinpoint how.
Grey sat on the tile floor, doing nothing, his thoughts empty.
If... if her blind date was successful, would that mean... another human man would be in her life?
Would she turn those eyes that had always been for him toward that man instead?
Grey lowered his gaze, clenching his fist, a self-deprecating smile tugging at his lips. After living with this woman for months, was it possible that he had developed some possessiveness?
She... was not his.
She never had been, from the very start.
Five hours later, Eulalia returned, and Grey, looking a bit disheveled, walked back in.
She wearily opened the door.
Grey sat in the center of the living room floor, motionless like a statue, his head lowered, unmoving.
Eulalia let out a wail, "Boo-Woo, Grey! My blind date was a failure!"
Grey suddenly looked up, his eyes brightening, and he subtly curled his lips into a smile. "Is that so? That's a shame."
"Right? Right? I even spent an hour getting ready!" Eulalia kicked off her high heels, sulking with her cute round face, tossing her bag onto the couch.
Grey quickly got up from the floor, fetched a cup of hot water, and handed it to her. "How did it fail?"
Eulalia took a sip of water and sighed. "He was too short, even shorter than me."
She's 5.3 feet tall!!
"You like someone tall?" Grey raised an eyebrow.
"At least taller than me."
For some reason, Grey's mood brightened.
Then, Eulalia added, "I don't like guys younger than me either."
Grey paused, pressing his lips together. "Why?"
"I like mature men."
Grey let out a soft "oh," his tone somewhat flat.
"It's fine!" Eulalia perked up. "I have another blind date tomorrow. Maybe I'll meet someone I like!"
Grey fell silent, not saying a word.
After a moment, he asked, "Why do you want to find a mate so badly?"
Eulalia rested her face in her hands, speaking slowly. "Well... I feel a bit lonely. If I had a mate, I could do a lot of things."
"For example?"
When it came to this, Eulalia, who had never been in a relationship, suddenly became more animated. "Like going to the amusement park together, eating cotton candy, going to a couples' restaurant, wearing matching outfits, and going into a haunted house! You wouldn't believe it, but I've never been to one. I'm too scared to go alone, and even more scared with a female friend. Yeah, I want a braver partner."
Grey listened and his eyes flickered slightly. "If it's just those things, you don't necessarily need a mate, right?"
He stared at her. "I can accompany you for anything you want to do."
"No way." Eulalia waved her hand. "The haunted house and amusement park are fine, but what about the couples' restaurant and matching outfits? You want to pretend to be my mate? No way."
"Why not?" Grey asked calmly. "You haven't found someone you like yet, right? Why not go and try it? After the experience, maybe you'll see it's no big deal and won't feel the need to rush into blind dates..."
She just wanted to do these things, there was no need to actively seek out a mate, was there?
It wasn't like he couldn't do it.
Seeing Eulalia hesitate, he knew she was considering it.
His sharp, upturned eyes softened slightly. Grey's eyes softened. "So, if you've never found someone, you'll never go? Those places are just consumer spots anyway."
Eulalia gave him a thumbs up and nodded decisively. "I think you make a lot of sense!"
Grey didn't know why, but he let out a sigh of relief.
Then, he wasn't sure what he was doing anymore.
He didn't want her to go on blind dates...
He wanted to fulfill what she needed.
He wanted to keep things as they were.
He didn't want anyone to come and break it.
At this moment, Eulalia had taken the time to do her makeup, not wanting to take it off. She sat there, tilting her head this way and that, taking selfies. She was so comfortable in front of Grey that she didn't feel awkward at all.
Grey stared at her for a long while before lowering his gaze and rubbing the tip of his nose.
He liked this moment.
He liked the space that only belonged to the two of them.
