"Why do you keep looking at me? Is there something on my face?" James finally put down his spoon when he couldn't stand the sight of Katherine staring at him.
After the incident in the restroom, they did go straight to the cafeteria to eat lunch and James finally allowed Katherine to sit with him after always refusing Katherine to sit with him or even just go without finishing his food because of Katherine's presence.
Come to think of it this is the second time they are sitting together like this.
"Handsome?" asked Katherine with a mischievous smile, which made James choke when he heard it.
"Stop playing around and just eat your food. Soon the bell will ring," said James who took his spoon back and continued eating.
Katherine just smiled when she saw James' behavior which was very cute. Even though it was obvious that he liked it from his slightly blushing face, he pretended to not like it.
While the old Javier wasn't the type to be shy and tease her a lot, this current Javier who got shy wasn't bad either.
Ah, is it because the current Javier has no experience?
"So… since you hugged me earlier, I assume that's the answer to my question this morning," said Katherine who was propping her chin up while looking at James.
"W-What do you mean? I didn't hug you!" said James, sounding embarrassed.
"Thank goodness… you're fine. You… Hmph," Katherine who was imitating James' voice earlier couldn't continue her words because James' hand suddenly covered her mouth.
"What are you doing! Stop it! That's embarrassing!" said James whose face turned red again and glared at the students who were watching them.
After seeing Katherine nod her head, James finally pulled back his hand and sat back in his chair.
"It seems you still remember it. So…" Katherine then leaned closer to James. "Now we're dating," she whispered in a low, slightly hoarse voice.
James' face turned red again when he heard that.
"Just do as you please," he said finally giving in.
James himself didn't know why he could worry and hugged the woman in front of him like that.
Was it because that woman had been in his life lately?
Or was it because she had confessed her feelings this morning?
James didn't know why he would do something like that, but it seemed better to just accept the woman, at least it wouldn't be a hassle, he guessed.
"But… do you always have to be watched over by your cousin?" James asked changing the subject. When he was glaring at the people around them, he saw the blonde-haired man who was her cousin staring at them like the other students. However, the man's view was slightly different. He looked like he was watching Katherine.
"Ahh… He's only worried about me. You know, a cousin's concern for his cousin, hehe," Katherine said awkwardly.
"Is that so? Looks like you two are quite close as cousins," James said quietly, his expression seeming sad.
Katherine frowned when she saw that, but the next second James looked so fine that Katherine wasn't sure if she was seeing him properly.
"Why don't you eat?" James' question brought Katherine back out of her thoughts.
"Actually… I don't really like the food here," Katherine whispered quietly, causing James to widen his eyes.
The food at Faith Alive academy cafeteria is so famous and delicious that every day the cafeteria is always full and the students barely get a seat.
This was the first time James had heard anyone say that the food in this cafeteria wasn't good.
Has Kate ever eaten anything better than this to the point where the food here is no longer to her taste?
***
James' suspicions of Kate continued after the two of them spent days together. Apart from Kate not wanting to eat the food in the cafeteria, that woman knows nothing, she's not like an innocent woman but really doesn't know anything about the Kingdom of Verte!
"By the way, why do you keep practicing the sword?" Katherine asked one day while sitting and watching James practice his sword behind the men's dormitory building.
"Of course because I want to be a royal knight," said James who had stopped swinging his sword and walked over to Katherine to get her drink.
"Royal knight?" asked Katherine looking confused. "What's that?"
James, who was drinking, looked at Katherine with a look as if she was joking, but seeing Katherine looking at him seriously made James believe she didn't know anything.
"An army that swore to serve the Verte Kingdom and go to war if needed. Hadn't this been told since first grade? After we graduate from school, students can choose to join as royal knights, I think all schools have explained that," James explained with a frown.
"Ah, yes, I forgot about it because I had no intention of becoming a royal knight," said Katherine, looking awkward.
"So your dream is to become a royal knight?" she continued so that James wouldn't ask further.
"Yeah, they're really cool and I intend to be one of them. How about you?" asked James who now took a seat next to Katherine.
"I?" asked Katherine.
James nodded.
"Yes, what was your dream?" James asked turning to Katherine.
"That… I don't know," Katherine said quietly. She had intended to mingle with humans and learn things about humans, but when it came to dreams… Katherine really didn't know.
Maybe before her dream was to find Christine and avenge her husband's death, but now her husband has come back to life. Katherine didn't know if she still wanted to find Christine or not.
"I see," said James, who was surprised again. When they first enter the academy, students are already asked what their dreams are about. Didn't Katherine's old school ask that question?
"Then what do you want to do after graduating from school? Continue the family business, or maybe start a business? I see you are good at studying," James asked again, deliberately saying business.
Katherine's cousin's appearance looks like a noble which meant that Katherine was most likely also a noble and usually after graduating from the academy, nobles often continued their family business.
James had always been curious about Katherine's family, but he was too shy to ask her directly.
"Hmm…" Katherine looked thoughtful for a moment. To be honest she still hasn't thought about what she will do after graduating from school.
"Marry you?" asked Katherine, smiling sweetly.
James choked again when he heard that. He looked at Katherine in disbelief.
"What do you mean? Don't joke like that!" said James with a red face.
"But I'm not joking. I like you and want to marry you. Don't you want to marry me?" asked Katherine looking serious.
James was silent when he heard that.