Lucifer: Godless Reawakening-Chapter 255: Exclusive chef

"This... is messed up. I really do not want you to go," Emma said after hearing the full situation.

She had been informed about what was happening in the North. Her father had personally told them about the two blazing regions of Gahalia, both suffering under the relentless assault of the Hell Dwellers.

William exhaled and drew her closer. Their feet kept moving, though their pace slowed as they walked through the quiet stretch of the dormitory grounds.

"Emma... we both knew this was coming."

"I knew it was coming. You told me not to worry about it," she corrected him.

William gave a sheepish grin. "I genuinely thought they would believe the lie."

"Oh, they did. But you forgot they are the Central Ministry. Of course they would contact every single church in the nation to verify a miraculous cure to humanity’s most glaring problem."

He could tell she was upset. Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he leaned closer and said in a playful tone, "I am sorry, Emma. I just thought the longer it took for those bastards to show up, the more monsters you would have to fight. And the longer we would remain apart."

She knew exactly what he was doing. And the frustratingly sweet part was that it was working.

Emma huffed but leaned into him anyway. "I understand. But soon, the secret will spread to other parts of the world. People will start coming to you, begging for help. And not just that. Revealing yourself to the Death Sinks increases the chance that an Underworld Dweller might recognize you."

Their greatest concern was his secret.

Once the world discovered that William was the only one capable of wielding both Aether and Nyx, there was no telling how violently his life would change.

People feared what they did not understand. History had proven that again and again.

The small steps he had taken, all with the pure intention of protecting his people, would inevitably raise questions.

What truly made him different from everyone else?

William sighed and stopped, turning fully toward her. His hands remained on her shoulders as he looked into her calm blue eyes.

"I know you are worried. But we both understand that one day, we will not be able to hide this from the world."

Emma lowered her head, her fist tightening at her side. That inevitable future was exactly what frightened her most.

He lifted a hand and gently cupped her cheek. "We promised not to drown in what might happen. We said we would live in the present, remember?"

The silver-haired girl nodded slowly. "Yes... sorry." She inhaled deeply, then met his gaze again. "I will accompany you tomorrow. I doubt the Chief Strategist will object."

William did not like the idea of her going anywhere near that region. But he also knew arguing would be pointless. When Emma made up her mind about something like this, she did not waver.

He gave a small shrug. "Alright. I will speak with him."

They resumed walking toward the common hall for dinner.

As they approached the entrance, a voice called out, "Emma."

Both of them turned.

A familiar raven-haired boy stood there, looking slightly awkward.

Emma blinked. "Kevin?"

Kevin’s gaze briefly shifted to William before returning to her. "Can I talk to you? It will not take long."

Emma glanced at William. He simply shrugged. "I will wait inside."

He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, cast Kevin one last measured look, then walked toward the hall.

He understood that whatever Kevin wanted to say would not be spoken in his presence. And since Emma appeared comfortable, there was no need to intrude.

Kevin watched William leave, surprise flickering across his face. "I did not expect him to let you speak with me alone."

Emma exhaled. "He is not insecure."

Kevin gave a faint, crooked smile at that, then shifted to the real matter.

"Did something happen with Brutus during the mission?"

Emma tilted her head slightly. "You could say that. Why?"

Kevin’s brows drew together. "From the moment he arrived, I felt his attention was fixed on you. I could never figure out what he wanted, but he is not an honest man. When I heard you were assigned to a mission with him, I was worried."

Emma nodded. "Natalie warned me too. Thank you for looking out for me."

Kevin’s shoulders eased at her response.

It had been months since she had spoken to him this normally. For a brief moment, it almost felt like the old days, when conversations between them carried no distance or restraint.

Lowering his head, Kevin gave a faint smile. "Do not worry. I have always got your back."

....

Inside the common hall, William stepped into the privileged section and immediately spotted someone he had not expected to see there.

"Umm... hey." Lizel gave him an awkward wave, seated alone at one of the tables.

William did not question how she had gained access. He simply walked past her and entered the kitchen area.

Lizel slowly lowered her hand. Being ignored would have stung if it were anyone else. But this was William.

After a moment, she turned slightly toward him. "How are you? I heard you recently fought a ranked devil."

William responded with a quiet hum and nothing more. He had already begun selecting vegetables and cuts of meat for the meal.

Before Lizel could say anything else, Natalie’s voice cut in.

"Stop bothering him if he is not interested in talking, Liz."

Lizel’s shoulders drooped. "I... I just wanted to..."

The short-haired girl sighed, then shifted her attention to William. "Hey, Loid is your roommate, right?"

William paused before nodding. "Yeah. What about him?"

Natalie moved to sit beside Lizel. "He was just taken to the infirmary."

William stilled.

Their earlier conversation echoed in his mind. He was the one who had encouraged Loid to approach her.

His eyes narrowed slightly. "You did not have to hurt him. You could have just rejected him normally."

Natalie blinked. "What are you talking about?"

She crossed her arms. "He walked up to me and said I looked pretty. I smiled and thanked him. I wasn’t rude, I repeat. Then he turned red like a boiled crab and fainted on the spot."

William dragged a hand down his face.

’That idiot...’

Who would have thought Loid could be defeated by a single smile from his crush?

With a sigh, William muttered, "Do not mind him. He is just shy."

"And hopelessly in love with you," a new voice added from behind.

William instantly stiffened. He turned and raised his privilege card defensively. "I am not giving this back, Gizel. We had a bet."

Some time ago, after being freed from the curse, Gizel had challenged him to a spar. She had lost and handed over her privilege card as promised.

Seeing her here, he assumed she had come to reclaim it.

Gizel gave him a crooked smile. "Relax. I am not here for your card."

She lifted her hand and flashed a silver card between her fingers. "I got my own."

William blinked. "How?"

"Everyone selected for the special training program who performed exceptionally was granted one by the Headmaster," she explained. "So now, we both belong here."

William gave a low hum of acknowledgment, his guard easing just slightly.

Then, William’s gaze instinctively shifted toward Lizel.

Natalie caught it immediately. "Do not look at her like she does not belong here. While we were away, the academy was attacked by devils. During that time, Lizel stepped up. She saved several underclassmen."

William had already heard about the Death Sink that had formed near the academy entrance. Still, Natalie’s explanation did little to change his expression. Whether Lizel had acted bravely or not did not concern him.

He simply shook his head and returned to chopping vegetables.

Lizel’s shoulders sank when he did not even bother to ask whether she was fine.

Natalie gently patted her back. "It is fine. He only reacts when something involves Emma."

Lizel sniffed quietly and nodded.

Just then, Kevin and Emma entered the privileged section. They walked a few steps apart. Kevin was accompanied by Mia, while Emma’s eyes searched for someone else entirely.

William noticed her first and waved with a faint smile before resuming his work.

Emma walked straight toward him and stepped into the kitchen area.

She glanced at Lizel, who was sitting nearby with Natalie, then said lightly, "Look who is here. Your dear childhood friend."

William let out a small chuckle. "You and your endless jealousy." He continued slicing. "So, what would you like for dinner?"

Emma looked over the ingredients laid out before them and hummed thoughtfully.

Then she smiled. "How about I cook tonight?"

Natalie caught those words instantly. "Emma’s cooking? Now that I want to taste."

Emma turned slightly and noticed Gizel and Mia looking just as interested.

Before she could respond, William stepped closer and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.

"Sorry," he said calmly, glancing at the others, "this chef serves exclusively for me. You will have to find someone else."

Natalie groaned dramatically. "Selfish."

Gizel smirked. "Possessive."

Mia simply laughed under her breath.

Emma felt the warmth of his embrace and tried to keep a straight face, though the corners of her lips betrayed her. She lightly nudged him with her elbow. "You are impossible."

William rested his chin briefly near her shoulder. "And yet, you offered."

Unbothered by what future awaited them, the duo enjoyed a good time.

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A/N:- Thanks for reading. If you have enjoyed the story so far, drop a comment. It keeps me motivated.