Chapter 146: Date (2)
Chapter 146: Date (2)
Initially, Laysia hadn't felt much of a need to understand Earth's culture.
Immediately after being summoned to Earth by Han Shin, she hadn't been completely head-over-heels for him. Her only thought had been to serve the Proxy of Tiamat faithfully and defeat the demons.
However, as she gradually fell for Han Shin, her mindset changed. She began making an effort to familiarize herself with Earth's culture. Now, she wanted to live her life with him, and to do that, she needed to be able to share his thoughts and live alongside him without any discomfort.
In the process, Laysia developed an interest in cats.
These small, cute animals didn't exist in Bürg, the world she came from. Laysia realized for the first time that she actually liked small, adorable creatures. Back in Bürg, she’d never had the luxury to care about such things. She had spent most of her time practicing and teaching Body Arts, and her social standing didn't allow her the time to indulge in such interests.
While learning various things after arriving on Earth, she happened to see a cat by chance, and her curiosity was piqued.
Kang Yujin had bought and gifted tablets to both Grace and Laysia to help them adapt and find information more easily. While searching for things on her tablet, Laysia came across cats and fell completely in love with their cuteness, collecting every photo and video she could find.
"A cat cafe?"
"Yes, I'd like to go there."
Since this was his first date with Laysia, Han Shin had been agonizing over where to take her and whether he should be the one to decide. This was his first time going on a proper date with a woman, so his lack of experience left him without a clue.
In the midst of his dilemma, Laysia had cautiously asked if they could go to a cat cafe. Han Shin, who had been struggling to find a destination, immediately agreed since it was somewhere she wanted to go.
"Sure, let's do that."
Laysia's joy was visible. Han Shin looked warmly at her, dressed in an ivory dress with a slightly low-cut neckline.
Since it was her first date with Han Shin, it was only natural that Laysia had put a lot of effort into her appearance. She didn't bother trying to hide her large breasts, which she usually kept well-covered. She already knew that Han Shin liked her large breasts, and she felt the need to emphasize her strengths—strengths she had once considered cumbersome—to him.
The neckline was cut in a subtle line that was neither too provocative nor too plain, where the fair skin of her breasts formed a deep valley, tracing an elegant curve. With her light red hair flowing down to her chest, Laysia’s appearance was bound to monopolize the attention of everyone around them.
However, when Laysia and Han Shin left the house and appeared in public, no one paid them any mind.
Thanks to the Perception Distortion Artifact, Han Shin and Laysia’s appearances were perceived as ordinary faces one might commonly see on the street. Unless they did something particularly attention-grabbing, most people wouldn't give them a second glance.
The two of them, walking quietly toward the cat cafe with their fingers interlocked, had no reason to act out.
For both Han Shin and Laysia, the warmth felt through their joined hands conveyed their affection for one another. Simply walking through the city center together felt like a fresh and delightful experience.
Soon, the cat cafe they had decided on came into view. It was a two-story building with large glass windows, a place famous among locals and cat lovers alike. It was quite large, with the entire two-story building dedicated to the cafe.
As Laysia stepped into the cafe with Han Shin, she became visibly excited at the prospect of seeing and touching the cats in person.
The cafe was furnished with chairs and tables like any other, but its main feature was, of course, the cats everywhere. Cat towers and boxes were placed unobtrusively throughout the space, and cats of all shapes and colors were scattered about.
As soon as Han Shin and Laysia took their seats, several cats that had been lounging nearby strangely showed interest and began to wander over to them.
Meow~
While the cats in the cafe were generally friendly "dog-like" cats that got along well with strangers, it was rare for them to show such immediate interest the moment someone sat down.
This was Laysia's first time seeing a cat in person, and she was overjoyed that they approached her first.
Han Shin watched as the cats rubbed their heads against Laysia's legs as she sat in her chair. One of them, a white Persian cat, hopped up and settled right onto Laysia's lap, making itself at home.
Laysia’s eyes widened in surprise, and she carefully reached out to stroke the white Persian cat.
"I think they like you, Laysia."
At Han Shin's words, Laysia gave a gentle smile. As she stroked the white cat on her lap, she enjoyed the warm, soft sensation against her fingers.
"What would you like to drink?"
"Oh... I'll go order..."
"No, you've got cats all over you. I'll go."
"Okay..."
Laysia had offered to order, but Han Shin pointed out her current situation with a smile and said he would go instead, which she accepted.
Han Shin didn't need to ask what she wanted because he knew well that Laysia liked lemonade. Just as Laysia put effort into caring for and loving Han Shin, Han Shin also tried to learn and take care of every little detail about her. He wasn't particularly picky about drinks himself and also liked lemonade, so he ordered two glasses to share with her.
A short while later, Han Shin returned to the table with the drinks.
Laysia, who had been smiling at the cat's purring response to her petting, thanked Han Shin as he brought the lemonade.
"Thank you. I'll enjoy it."
Since they were in a cafe with other people, Laysia couldn't address him as "Lord Han Shin." Although they were using the Perception Distortion Artifact, it didn't block out their voices, so she had to be careful in case anyone nearby overheard.
The cats began to show interest in Han Shin as well. He wondered if these creatures were always this friendly.
Hmm... Is it because of the Divine Power of Tiamat?
Reflecting on his life so far, Han Shin recalled that he hadn't exactly been popular with animals. Back at the orphanage, the dogs they kept or the stray cats on the street hadn't been particularly fond of him.
He considered asking Laysia about it, but decided it wasn't a question that needed to be asked right now. Seeing the cats climbing onto Laysia and begging for her attention, he didn't want to ruin the moment with a tactless question.
The cats eventually turned their full attention to Han Shin as well. Previously, they had focused more on Laysia because Han Shin had immediately gone to order drinks, but once he sat down, they began to slink toward him.
"Ah..."
Some of the cats that had been at Laysia's feet moved toward Han Shin, and Laysia let out an involuntary sound of disappointment.
Han Shin couldn't help but smile at her reaction. He spent the time stroking the cats that clung to him, enjoying the atmosphere with Laysia without a single worry or stray thought.
In the process, Han Shin realized that Laysia liked cats even more than he had imagined.
When he offhandedly asked, "I wonder what breed this cat is?" Laysia gave him a very detailed explanation. Han Shin was surprised that Laysia, who had only recently arrived and was still learning Earth's culture, knew so much more about cats than he did.
After explaining for a while, Laysia realized she might have been over-enthusiastic and lowered her head with a blush. Han Shin found it refreshing to see this new side of her.
Han Shin had originally looked up some good movies beforehand, thinking he might take her to the cinema if she got bored or wanted to go somewhere else.
But that turned out to be unnecessary.
The two of them, who had entered the cat cafe in the morning, didn't leave until the sun began to set.
I guess we'll have to come back here again later.
Seeing how much Laysia liked cats, Han Shin asked if she wanted to raise one, but she shook her head. She said they weren't in an environment where they could properly care for a cat yet, and that she wouldn't keep one until their circumstances improved.
Han Shin nodded in agreement, realizing once again just how much she cared about cats. He decided that they should come here often whenever the two of them went on a date.