After an hour of horseback riding, a few laps around the racecourse, and a breath of fresh air, Blaine and Gali left.
After they departed, the owner of the racecourse, who had long suspected something unusual about the black horse, decided to ride it himself to see if he could tame it as easily as Gali had.
The result was predictable—before he could even get onto the horse's back, he was thrown off and nearly suffered serious injuries from the impact.
Fortunately, the dark horse didn't attack further, likely because the man was his caretaker. Otherwise, the outcome might have been much worse.
Back at home, Blaine had already ordered takeaway while still at the racecourse.
"Sir, are there only two of you in the house?"
The deliveryman who came to deliver the food looked at Blaine, sweat beading on his forehead.
That's because this delivery had nearly depleted the inventory of their high-end Western restaurant. All the chefs and kitchen staff had been working nonstop for over an hour—just for this one order.
Everything was delivered by truck, as if it were meant for a banquet of at least a hundred people.
"Mind your own business."
Blaine coughed dryly, glared at the man, and handed him a generous tip. "Just bring the food inside the villa—we'll handle the rest."
"Thank you, sir."
The man's eyes widened at the tip. He nodded repeatedly, then unloaded the truck with newfound enthusiasm.
Meanwhile, Gali, who had been waiting patiently, was practically starving.
Steak, foie gras, salad, salmon, lobster, fish soup, roast turkey…
The quantities were inconsistent, of course. Since it was the restaurant's entire stock, items they sold more frequently came in larger amounts. Uniformity wasn't possible.
Gali really wanted to use her superpowers to move everything inside at once and start eating.
But Blaine had advised her not to use supernatural abilities in front of ordinary people, which made her hesitate.
Ten minutes passed.
The truckload of food was finally moved indoors.
"I wish sir and miss a pleasant meal. We'll take our leave now."
The villa's dining table was completely covered in food.
Thankfully, the living room was large enough—otherwise, it wouldn't have been able to hold it all.
"Dear God…"
Blaine stood in the living room and took a deep breath.
The aroma of countless dishes filled the air, and his stomach began to growl.
"Can I start eating now?"
Gali looked at Blaine eagerly. She had been holding back for a long time. Though she had consumed two planets recently, they had no real flavor.
This, however, smelled far more enticing.
"Go ahead."
Blaine rubbed Gali's head and smiled dotingly.
"Yay!"
Gali jumped up and down like a child and began to devour the feast.
She didn't consume everything in a single gulp like she had done with the Destroyer, but instead ate in small, delicate bites—like cherries.
It was Blaine who had taught her that life should be enjoyed slowly.
Some things aren't meant to be rushed.
And food was one of them.
In this regard, Gali completely agreed.
She, too, found slow eating more enjoyable.
Especially with such a wide variety of ingredients tonight.
Blaine poured himself some red wine and watched a movie while eating slowly.
From time to time, he would sip his wine and glance fondly at Gali, who was eating happily—like a father watching over his daughter.
Half an hour passed.
Only half the food was gone.
Then, Gali—who had been enjoying herself—suddenly changed. Her expression turned cold. With a soft snort, the room's temperature seemed to drop to freezing. A flash of purple light gleamed in her eyes.
But soon, she resumed eating.
Blaine noticed everything.
He was about to ask what happened, but seeing how much she was enjoying herself, he held back his curiosity.
Another half hour passed.
The entire truckload of food—steak, foie gras, lobster, and all the other gourmet dishes—had been devoured.
Content and full, Gali patted her belly, then flopped onto the sofa like Blaine had shown her, half-closing her eyes as if ready to nap.
"Gali."
Blaine walked over, rubbed her head, and gently asked,
"What happened just now? Why didn't you tell me?"
"What do you mean?"
Gali looked genuinely puzzled, as if she had forgotten.
Blaine frowned. "I mean what happened when you were halfway through eating."
"Oh! That!"
Gali suddenly remembered and huffed, "Someone tried to kill us. Their murderous intent interrupted my dinner—unforgivable! So I… well, you don't blame me, do you?"
She didn't finish the sentence, but Blaine understood her perfectly.
He gently stroked her soft black hair and said,
"How could I blame you for killing people who wanted to harm us? But next time, let me know beforehand, okay?"
"Uh-huh."
Gali nodded obediently.
She had acted out of anger. For a foodie like her, being disturbed while eating was practically a death sentence—unless it was someone very dear to her.
But since Blaine had spoken, she would restrain herself next time.
"All right. Now take me to see those unlucky bastards you took care of."
Blaine held Gali's small hand.
"Let's go!"
With that Gali teleported them to a tree about 300 meters from the villa.
There, five figures dressed in dark red ninja garb lay silently on the ground.
So close…
Blaine scratched his head, a little embarrassed.
To think they had gotten within 300 meters without him noticing. Gali had sensed them through their killing intent, while he'd been too relaxed, caught up in their time together.
This served as a wake-up call.
Gali's powers were hers—not his.
In the Marvel world, one must always remain alert.
Of course, being alert doesn't mean living like a certain paranoid lunatic.
It just means staying aware of your surroundings.
And Blaine knew that was something he could—and must—quietly work on.
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