Evren knelt beside the sofa, looking softly into Amber’s flushed, tear-streaked face as his thumbs gently wiped away the happy tears streaming down her cheeks.
"I promised you, didn’t I?" Evren smiled softly. "Step by step, you’re going to get all your strength back."
Amber sniffled, her small hands still gripping his forearms tightly.
The soothing warmth from the Glacial Thermal Elixir was still coursing through her lower body, pulsing with steady life and sensation.
For six long months, her legs had felt like two heavy blocks of frozen stone. Now, she could clearly feel the texture of Evren’s sleeves, the firm press of his fingers against her thigh muscles, and the pleasant heat radiating from his hands.
"Thank you, Evren..." Amber whispered. "I don’t even know how I can ever repay you for what you did today."
"You don’t need to repay me for anything," Evren replied gently, giving her thigh a reassuring pat.
GURRRRRRRRLE.
Right in the middle of the tender moment, Amber’s stomach let out a loud, echoing growl.
Amber froze.
Her eyes widened in pure horror, and her face instantly turned as red as a ripe tomato. She quickly brought both hands down to cover her stomach, curling her shoulders in embarrassment.
"I-I’m so sorry!" Amber stammered in a flustered panic. "I... I was so worried about you today that I completely forgot to eat lunch or dinner... I didn’t mean to make that noise!"
Evren blinked for a second, then burst into hearty, genuine laughter.
"There’s nothing to apologize for," Evren chuckled, standing up and brushing off his trousers. "You’ve been running on empty all day while your body absorbed high-grade medicine. No wonder you’re starving."
"I can just order room service from the terminal," Amber mumbled softly, her cheeks still burning with a shy blush. "You’ve been out all day... you should rest."
"Penthouse room service is fine, but tonight calls for a real home-cooked meal," Evren said, smiling warmly at her. "How about we go grocery shopping together?"
Amber looked up at him in surprise. "G-Grocery shopping? Right now?"
"Why not?" Evren replied. "There’s a twenty-four-hour gourmet market right downstairs on the plaza promenade. Come on."
Amber’s eyes sparkled with a childlike wonder that Evren hadn’t seen on her face before.
Ever since her spinal injury, she had been locked away in sterile hospital wards and abandoned rooms. She hadn’t set foot inside a normal, bustling grocery store in over a year.
Ten minutes later, Evren wrapped Amber in a soft white cashmere coat and draped a thick woolen scarf around her neck.
He helped her settle comfortably into her anti-gravity wheelchair and pushed her into the private VIP elevator, heading down to the ground level.
The cool night air greeted them as they stepped onto the illuminated cobblestone promenade of Apex Plaza.
A two-minute walk brought them to the glass entrance of The Verdant Pantry, a high-end, twenty-four-hour artisanal market glowing with warm yellow lights.
The automatic sliding doors chimed pleasantly as they entered.
The comforting scent of fresh-baked sourdough bread, ripe citrus, and roasted coffee beans filled the air. Classical music played softly through the ceiling speakers, and the wide marble aisles were peaceful, with only a few late-night shoppers strolling around.
Evren pushed the wheelchair with one hand while holding a red shopping basket in the other.
Amber looked around in awe, her eyes darting from shelf to shelf like a kid in a candy store.
"What looks good to you?" Evren asked, slowing his pace beside the fresh produce section.
"Can we get these?" Amber pointed shyly to a basket of plump, deep-red organic cherry tomatoes and fresh sweet corn. "And maybe some garlic and fresh rosemary?"
"Whatever you want," Evren smiled.
He grabbed the best boxes of tomatoes, sweet corn, baby potatoes, and fresh herbs, placing them in the basket.
As they walked past the butcher counter, Amber’s gaze lingered on a thick cut of A5 marbled ribeye steak resting on a bed of shaved ice.
Evren caught her look immediately. He waved to the butcher behind the glass.
"Two thick-cut prime ribeyes, please," Evren ordered cleanly.
"Wait, Evren, those are really expensive..." Amber started to protest in a hushed whisper.
"Good food heals the body faster," Evren interrupted with a wink. "Consider it doctor’s orders."
By the time they reached the snack aisle, Amber had completely loosened up.
She picked out a box of honey-butter crackers and a basket of fresh greenhouse strawberries, laughing softly as Evren playfully tossed three extra chocolate bars into the pile on her lap.
At the checkout counter, the cashier scanned their items.
"That will be twenty-five hundred dollars, sir," the cashier said politely.
Evren tapped his VIP Black Card against the payment terminal.
BEEP.
A translucent golden system screen flared in his peripheral vision:
[DING! Heroine Nutrition & Care Expenditure Completed!]
[Amount Spent: $2,500.00]
[100x System Rebate Multiplier Applied!]
[Cash Reward Deposited: +$250,000.00!]
[Current Bank Balance: $173,597,542.50!]
Evren smiled faintly, picking up the two heavy grocery bags with one hand while steering Amber’s wheelchair back toward the elevator with the other.
Back in the Crown Penthouse, the kitchen looked bright and welcoming.
A large white marble island stood at the center, complete with built-in burners, a sink, and polished stainless-steel cookware.
Evren set the grocery bags down on the counter. He looked down at Amber sitting in her wheelchair, noticing that the countertop was too high for her to see the cutting board from below.
"Here," Evren said softly. "Let me help you up."
Before Amber could ask what he meant, Evren leaned down, slid his arms gently under her shoulders and knees, and lifted her into the air.
"Ah!" Amber let out a tiny gasp, her hands instinctively wrapping around his neck.
Evren smiled and gently set her down right on top of the wide marble island counter, sitting her securely beside the prep station.
Amber’s bare legs dangled over the edge of the smooth marble.
Sitting on the counter placed her at exact eye-level with Evren.
Being this close to him made Amber’s heart race. Her face flushed a radiant pink, but she didn’t move away. Instead, a sweet, shy smile spread across her lips as she smoothed down her cashmere coat.
"There," Evren said, handing her a wooden bowl and a container of cherry tomatoes. "Now you have front-row seats. You’re in charge of washing the produce and seasoning the potatoes."
"Yes, Chef Evren," Amber giggled.
For the next forty minutes, the penthouse kitchen was filled with warmth, laughter, and the mouth-watering sizzle of food.
Amber diligently rinsed the sweet tomatoes and tossed the baby potatoes in olive oil and rosemary, passing the bowls to Evren like a seasoned kitchen assistant.
Evren seasoned the thick ribeye steaks, searing them on a heavy cast-iron skillet. The rich aroma of sizzling beef, melted garlic butter, and fresh rosemary filled every corner of the penthouse.
Evren dipped a wooden spoon into the simmering tomato-herb reduction, blew on it gently to cool it down, and held the spoon to Amber’s lips.
"Taste test," Evren said softly. "More salt or more pepper?"
Amber leaned forward, parting her lips to taste the sauce.
The rich, savory flavors exploded on her tongue.
"It’s incredible..." Amber whispered, looking directly into his eyes with genuine admiration. "Evren, how are you so good at cooking?"
"When you spend years living on a tight budget, you learn how to make simple ingredients taste good," Evren chuckled, dishing the sliced golden-seared steak, roasted potatoes, and sweet corn onto two large porcelain plates.
Instead of moving to the formal dining table, they ate right there at the kitchen island.
Amber sat comfortably on the counter, her legs resting gently over the edge as she savored every single bite of the steak, letting out little hums of delight. They shared food from each other’s plates, laughing over funny stories from Evren’s delivery days and Amber’s clumsy moments during her early sword training.
It was just the two of them, enjoying a warm, quiet midnight meal in their home.
After dinner, Evren rinsed the plates in the sink while Amber sat on the marble counter, watching the city lights twinkle far below through the glass walls.
Amber leaned her head gently against Evren’s shoulder as he dried his hands on a towel.
"Evren..." Amber spoke softly, her voice filled with a peace she hadn’t known in years. "I’ve never felt this happy in my entire life."
Evren looked down at her serene face, feeling the gentle warmth of her head resting against him.
He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her a little closer.
"This is just the beginning, Amber," Evren murmured into the quiet room. "I promise."