Egor's mood did not change with the arrival of the next day. He also ignored Klaus in every possible way and was extremely polite to Lilith, which did not fit with Pouoka's statement yesterday.
"They still get along great," the prince addressed his grandmother at breakfast. "Your stew is really the best!"
"Of course you would like it! I spent half the night and all morning messing around with it," the old woman grumbled with a satisfied face.
"What are your plans for today? As far as I know, the documents will be ready only tomorrow? So you have a completely free day," Pouoka started the conversation, but everyone silently stared at their plates.
"Okay, okay. If you don't know what to do, then I'll help you decide. I'm taking Lilith with me. It's time to learn to live in this world, and you two can get some fresh air."
"No need," Egor spoke up. "I'm not going to force him to spend time with me. He probably has more important things to do. For example, Alexander."
'Stop acting like a child," Klaus said. "You see," he turned to Pouoka, "how can you even talk to him about anything?"
'You really are guilty," she cut Klaus off, "but what are you doing?" she turned her gaze to Egor. "Yesterday it seemed to me that you wanted to be closer to the impudent prince."
"Grandma," Egor cried out, blushing, and cast a quick glance at Klaus.
"So, will you join me? Let's go shopping, buy some things to take with us."
"Wait, you said take? That is," Egor turned his wide-open eyes to Pouoka, and she nodded slightly, smiling.
'So what?"
"Yes, yes! Let's go, of course, let's go," Egor cheered up.
"Wait, sir! But what about me?"
"Lilith, you are in another world now and you are completely safe here. Pouoka will take care of you. You like it here, right?"
"Yes, but what about me without you? I can't..."
"Lilith, you are no longer a slave. Didn't I promise to show you another life? Yes, you will be without me for now, but you don't need to worry. Egor and I will come as often as possible, and when I ascend the throne, you can return or stay here forever. The choice will be yours alone."
"Are you really coming back? Lilith doesn't want to lose her master forever..."
"I promised, so it will be so."
"Okay," the girl agreed hesitantly and Pouoka immediately took her away.
Yesterday, Sasha gave Klaus some cash "for small expenses" as a farewell. He didn't want to take the money, especially after the man promised to pay for Lilith's documents, but in the end, he had to take the money.
Today he planned to spend most of it on shopping. Klaus had already decided that he simply needed cigarettes, and also underwear, which he was so used to, razors were also more convenient than a knife, and a few more souvenirs for Gorald, August and Pritik.
He also wanted to check something in relation to Egor, and his idea also required money, so now he was even glad of Sasha's generosity.
"Let's go?" - he called Egor, who had noticeably perked up.
The fair-haired guy had spent the whole day in high spirits. He enthusiastically chose various little things for himself, helped Klaus decide on the color of his underwear, and was talkative. Klaus had not even imagined that a simple return from a carefree world to cruel Isorobia could please someone so much, but seeing his friend's shining face, the prince's lips involuntarily stretched into a smile.
"Where are we going now?" Egor asked, pushing away the empty pizza plate.
"Let's drop off the groceries at home and go on a date."
"What?" It seemed that the fair-haired guy's eyes were about to pop out of their sockets.
"Isn't that what you wanted?"
"Yes, but... a date? Seriously? You want to ask me out on a date? What's changed?"
"Let's just say I decided I was unfair to you and want to ask for forgiveness in this way. Will that answer satisfy you?"
"Absolutely. So a date?" The young man's cheeks turned red, his lips stretched into a smile. "Then let's go quickly and drop all this off at home."
Pouoka and Lilith were enthusiastically busy with something. Klaus didn't even have time to ask what they were doing, as Egor, having thrown all the groceries on the prince's bed, had already left the room and dragged Klaus towards the exit.
"Grandma, we left."
"What? You just got back! When should we expect you? Will you be back for dinner?"
"We'll have dinner in town. Don't wait for us." Klaus answered.
"So, where are we going?" Egor asked in anticipation.
"Let's have dinner first. I know a hotel, there's a great restaurant there."
"I wonder how you know about the hotels in our city?"
"Don't start a conversation that you won't like the rest of. Don't ruin the evening before it starts."
Egor didn't answer. He really didn't want to know who Klaus was with in that hotel. He already knew, but he tried to push the unpleasant thoughts into the background. Today, something happened that he hadn't even hoped to get. Klaus himself invited him on a date. Not a friendly meeting, but a date!
The restaurant was small but cozy. On a weekday, there weren't many people here and, despite the fact that they hadn't booked a table in advance, there were no problems getting one.
"You make your order in the meantime, and I'll be gone for a couple of minutes," Klaus said and disappeared before Egor could answer.
He opened the menu on meat dishes and began choosing steaks for the prince. Since this was their first date, he decided to order several interesting-looking, but unfamiliar dishes. Egor managed to make an order and even choose a wine before Klaus returned.
Egor watched as the prince walked to his table. As interested glances followed him. Egor was used to the excessive attention that the heir to the throne was always and everywhere surrounded by, but now it didn't anger him. This handsome and attractive young man was walking towards him. He was smiling only at him. And it was he who invited Egor on a date.
"So," Klaus spoke, sitting down at the table. "What do people usually do on a date?"
This question stunned Egor.
"How should I know?" the fair-haired man answered offendedly. "This is my first date."
Klaus laughed.
"Mine too, so I can't promise a perfect date. Tell me, how do dates usually go in your world?"
"Well," Egor thought. "Usually on a first date they talk about all sorts of nonsense, get to know each other, try to make an impression."
"And how are you going to impress me?" the prince whispered, leaning closer to Egor, with a sly smile on his face, which made Egor flush.
"Who said that I should impress you? You invited me, so this is your task!"
"Okay, I'll think of something."
The waiter brought wine and snacks. Egor exhaled with relief. His heart was ready to jump out of his chest. Was Klaus flirting with him now? Or had he completely lost his mind from an excess of feelings and imagined all this?
"Tell me something about yourself."
"My life is not as interesting as that of the heir to the throne in a country where there is magic."
"That's exactly why I'm interested in finding out how your childhood was."
"Nothing special. I wasn't popular at school, but I wasn't an outcast either. I had friends I spent time with, but not close enough to continue communicating after graduation."
"What are you interested in? What do you dream about?"
"This looks like an interrogation," Egor was indignant.
"Yeah? And I thought I was following the rules of a first date, getting to know you better."
"Let's skip that part. It seems kind of silly to me, considering how much we've been through together."
"But I'm really curious about how you saw your life before. Before we met."
"Before I met you, I saw my future as gray and uninteresting. A stable job, maybe a wife and kids. I wasn't happy with that life, but I knew that nothing else was waiting for me. Things are different now."
"So, if I hadn't shown up, would you have gotten married and lived a quiet life? Raised children, got a dog, went on vacation and made family plans?"
"Maybe yes, or maybe I would have been a recluse at home, or maybe even got hit by a car. Why guess how my life would have turned out if it definitely won't be like that?"
'That's the problem, I would like your life to be so quiet, ordinary, and most importantly, safe."
"Don't start again, Klaus. I've never felt so alive as I do now. I can no longer imagine my life without the world of magic, grueling sword training, and you. You know how I feel about you, and yet you continue to push me away even now, when you yourself asked me out on a date."
"So you won't change your mind?"
"No, even if you push me away, it won't change my feelings. I can't just stop loving you! How can you not understand that?"
"Okay. Just don't regret your decision later."
"Later?"
"Yes, when the second part of our date comes."
"And there will be a second part?" Egor was inspired. "And what will we do?"
The predatory smile that Klaus used to scare off enemies blossomed on the prince's lips, but it did not frighten Egor, on the contrary, it made his heart beat faster and his cheeks burn brighter.