Chapter 183: Katarina: My Competitive Spirit Has Been Aroused
Katarina stood by the table with a smile on her face, her seductive blue eyes looking at Luo En with interest.
A flicker of unconcealed surprise crossed Luo En's face.
He looked at the empty dining tables around him, then forced a poker face and said in an emotionless tone, "Madam, there are many empty seats around."
The waiter beside them stepped forward at the right moment, ready to speak, intending to politely offer to arrange a better seat for the beautiful lady.
In response, Katarina merely turned her head slightly and flashed a radiant smile at the waiter.
With just one smile, the waiter, who had been about to say something, instantly turned beet red and stood rooted to the spot like an idiot, his mouth slightly agape, unable to utter a single word.
Seeing this scene, Luo En's heart tightened.
Something isn't right…
Her charm is too overwhelming!
"Can't we eat together?" Katarina ignored the waiter and turned her gaze back to Luo En, speaking in a slightly coquettish tone, "Look at the gentlemen around us, they all have female companions, don't they? Only the two of us are alone."
As she spoke, she subtly glanced at the other gentlemen at other tables who were being drawn to her.
The female companions beside those gentlemen all, without exception, darkened their expressions.
Luo En sighed heavily in his heart. He knew that if he refused again, it would likely cause an even greater commotion. He could only nod expressionlessly.
"Wonderful!" Katarina immediately broke into a brilliant smile and, without ceremony, sat down in the seat opposite him. She picked up the menu, casually scanned it, and ordered a luxurious set meal worth dozens of pounds.
She's so rich, Luo En thought to himself.
Katarina returned the menu to the still-entranced waiter, then rested her chin on one hand and smiled at Luo En.
As a high-ranking Demoness, she already owned many profitable businesses. Moreover, when helping little Tracy submit that ship full of Beyonder materials, she had also "reasonably" kept a good portion as her "handling fee."
So, she was not short on cash at all right now. In a way, this could be considered thanks to this little guy in front of her.
"Would you like me to treat you?" Katarina suddenly asked, "Consider it… a thank you for helping me out the other day."
Her reason sounded perfectly plausible, leaving no room for flaws.
However, Luo En forcibly suppressed the slight stir in his heart caused by the free meal and refused in a cold tone, "No need, Madam. It was just a small favor."
Luo En had a premonition that if he agreed, this meal would probably be very troublesome.
"Oh?" Katarina leaned forward slightly, and the intoxicating fragrance that made one's heart flutter grew even stronger. "Do you think such a simple repayment isn't enough? Then… do you need me to do anything else?"
Her voice was full of innuendo. Luo En felt his heart rate uncontrollably quicken by a few beats. But fortunately, the powerful spiritual intuition of the Monster Pathway kicked in. A cold rationality forcibly suppressed his somewhat restless emotions.
A Monster is just different.
He leaned back in his chair, increasing the distance between them, and said in an almost rigid, gentlemanly tone, "As a gentleman, it is only right to offer assistance when seeing a lady in danger. Therefore, I do not require any form of repayment."
Hearing such a distant, almost ruthless tone, Katarina paused slightly, then the smile on her face became even more playful.
"You truly are… a real gentleman."
Soon, both their dishes were served.
Luo En cut a sizzling piece of beef short rib and tasted it.
The taste… was indeed acceptable, he thought to himself. It was much better than the steaks in ordinary taverns. But it was definitely not good enough to make him willingly spend ten pounds on it.
The ice cream next to it was good, though, with a rich milky flavor.
Katarina, on the other hand, behaved with extreme elegance. She skillfully cut a small piece of tender fish with her knife and fork, gently placed it in her mouth, and chewed it slowly. Every movement seemed meticulously designed, possessing a pleasing and unique aesthetic beauty.
Dining with a top beauty should have been a pleasant experience. But Luo En constantly felt an uneasy, prickly sensation, as if he had thorns in his back.
He quickly finished the food on his plate, drank the last sip of champagne, then immediately called the waiter and paid his portion of the bill.
He stood up, ready to leave.
However, Katarina stopped him at that moment.
"Wait," she said with a playful smile, "Gentleman, aren't you… forgetting something?"
"Forgetting what?" Luo En was a little confused.
Looking at Luo En's purely puzzled gaze, Katarina sighed slightly, as if instructing an ignorant child.
"Normally," she said, "as a gentleman, after such a pleasant shared meal, shouldn't you actively ask for my name?"
"Do you know—at some balls, a true gentleman would take a lady's hand, perform an elegant hand-kiss, then state his own name, and politely inquire about the lady's name."
As she spoke, she slowly extended her fair, slender, and flawless hand, like a work of art, towards Luo En.
Luo En subconsciously reached out to respond.
But just as his hand was halfway up, it suddenly clenched into a fist in mid-air.
The cold, gentlemanly poker face on his face suddenly vanished at this moment. In its place was a cold smile with a hint of mockery.
"I apologize, Madam," he said in a clear and ruthless tone.
"I belong to the abnormal kind of gentleman."
He didn't even bother to say "goodbye" and, under Katarina's slightly bewildered gaze, simply turned and strode out of the restaurant.
Katarina watched the unhesitatingly departing figure, the bewilderment on her face slowly transforming into a deeper, more intrigued smile.
It seems… he discovered some anomaly, but couldn't see the full picture.
And he was indeed affected by my charm, but in the end, he broke free by his own willpower—
"Interesting! Truly interesting!"
Katarina picked up the wine glass on the table and drained the expensive red wine inside.
"It's been a long time… since I've encountered such an interesting 'target'."
"My competitive spirit has also been aroused!"
"Huff… huff…"
Luo En walked down the street, breathing heavily.
His heart was beating fast, and his thoughts also seemed a bit…
Honestly, he really wanted a bottle of ice water right now to calm his agitation.
No, I can't! I can't go straight back like this.
It's too dangerous!
Luo En stopped and assessed his current location.
After a brief thought, he changed his route and headed towards Vitz Antique Shop.
The exchange at least has an obligation to protect its customers.