NOVEL NEXT Chapter 72: [72] Date
—Isn't that the daughter of the famous beast tamer Sky Piercer?
—Her mother was amazing, I can't wait to see how her daughter will do.
—She's a genius, of course. Can't you tell? The apple doesn't fall too far from the tree.
"Hii, I'm Annie. You are Jasmine, right?" a girl asked, a bright smile on her face.
Jasmine returned her smile. "Yes, but have we met?"
"No, not really, but I hear your mother is a famous knight! Can you teach me to be like her? You must be great as well!"
Jasmine nervously laughed. "Not really… I'm not that great."
"Nonsense! Don't try to be humble, teach me, pretty please!"
All her life, Jasmine had grown up around people who praised her mother's feats more than they even saw her.
Wherever she went, the reputation of her mother followed like a shadow, clinging on to her at all times.
She did not hate that people admired her mother, Jasmine admired her as well.
Growing up, she had been her hero, and she wanted more than anyone else to be just like her. But sadly, with the admiration… with the many eyes that were constantly on her, came expectation, and she was nothing like her mother.
She was weaker, couldn't fight well enough, and had the worst coordination with her beast.
She was useless…
And yet, the expectations piled upon her shoulders like impossible weights.
She managed to push herself through the knight exams, barely surviving the ordeal, and now that she had managed to climb her way to the final months of first year, she was facing yet another problem.
Her beast was rejecting her.
She rolled in her bed, hugging her pillow tightly, then screamed into the feathery sack, letting all her frustrations out into her yell.
It was rare, so rare that no one even worried about it anymore. Of course someone like her would manage to mess up her contract.
This expedition was Kael's final mercy to her. If she failed to tame her beast within this time, then she would be expelled from the academy.
And yet, three months had passed, and she had made zero progress.
Jasmine left her bed and walked into the bathroom to splash water on her face, then sighed tiredly.
She needed someone to talk to, but no one came to mind. She didn't want Kael to know the current state of affairs.
He was her teacher, but he was her examiner as well. Telling him that she was still at the same place she had been since the start of the expedition was not exactly the best move.
Eurus was most likely in the forest training; she wouldn't see him till morning.
There was only one person she could think of, the only other person she knew in the city.
And so she put on some clothes and hurried to his room, but when she got to his door, she hesitated.
Her hand simply hung close to the wood, unable to make a decision.
Would he understand her? Or would he chastise her?
Jasmine was unsure of what would happen if this talk did not go well. She was already at her lowest, it wouldn't take much to push her off the edge at this point.
But as she waited, unsure of what to do, the door was suddenly pulled open, shocking her.
Stark was on the other side of the door, his expression as impassive as usual. His long grey hair was wet—glued together like a braid and clinging to his moist skin like vines, revealing his short pointy ears.
Unlike a few months ago, Jasmine could tell that Stark had grown stronger just from a glance.
Not only had his figure become more imposing, there was this quiet confidence that rested in his eyes as well, confidence that she so desperately needed.
As he locked his aloof gaze on her, Jasmine panicked, forgetting what she came for in the moment and blurted out the first thing she thought of.
"Are you up for a date?"
Jasmine cursed inwardly and ran her hand over her face. She was about to correct herself when Stark walked back into the room.
'Look at what you've done, Jasmine! I must have creeped him out with that sudden request!'
All she wanted to do was talk, and yet here she was, messing things up again…
But to her surprise, Stark stepped out a moment later holding a walking stick in one hand and a wallet in the other.
"Shall we?"
•••
Meeting Jasmine had not been on the list of things Stark expected to happen today, but the day seemed to be filled with surprises.
When she made him an offer, Stark went back inside not just to grab his stick but to check for Jade through the window.
But she was nowhere in sight. If she was walking normally, then he should have spotted her somewhere in the streets, but it seemed she had left in haste.
Stark's initial plan was to go after her, but finding Jade when she did not want to be found was next to impossible.
He glanced at his door and then sighed.
Since he now had no reason to reject Jasmine's proposal, and he was sure there was another motive behind her request—Stark stepped out of the room to meet her.
Now both of them were walking through the streets side by side, taking in the sights, neither of them eager to start a conversation.
Stark already knew the entire 'date' thing was a hoax. With the way she was looking, there was no way a date was what she had in mind.
She most likely needed something else…
They continued walking for a few more minutes, and when Stark was beginning to believe he would have to be the one to break the ice—Jasmine suddenly stopped, her fists tightening. Then she turned to Stark and smiled.
"You know, I wasn't really interested in a date with you." As though she realised how wrongly her words could be interpreted, she lifted her hands in defence.
"Wait, I don't mean you're not good enough or anything! You're very handsome and I can't say I have not looked at you that way but—God, what am I saying?"
Her cheeks flushed pink as she struggled for the right words to say, but she eventually gave up and covered her face with both hands.
Stark laughed as he watched her. She reminded him of how his nieces used to behave.
He then turned to look at the environment, and pointed at a small shack by the side of the road.
"I hear they sell the best noodles in this town. Let's grab a meal,you can tell me what's bothering you as we eat."