I grow stronger by making my wife happy.

Chapter 56: 56:Date II

”Why wouldn’t it be?” He calmly said,” I’ve been wondering how to broach the subject. I wanted to know if you’d like to come with me, I’ll make sure you enter the academy. I found that there is a way to enter without the need for recommendations.”

She perked up, her face lighting.

”Really. ”

Silver nodded.

”Just trust me on this one.”

That earned a small pause then a tiny but genuine smile.

”I’ll hold you to that.”

The conversation continued. Silver spoke about himself, not everything though but just enough. He spoke about his parents on earth, how he grew up, their expectations of him, and the loneliness after losing them.

Ravenna listened quietly without interrupting or judging him. When he finished, she became unusually silent.

Silver noticed and then waited. He knew he’d probably talked a little too much but he couldn’t stop himself when he started. It felt good to talk to someone even though he had to substitute some information to match the Former Silver’s experience and age since he’d lost his parents way younger than him.

Eventually, she sighed.

”I suppose it’s only fair.”

He raised an eyebrow.

”What is?”

”Telling you mine.”

The smile disappeared, not completely. The change was immediate. Silver straightened slightly and Ravenna began speaking.

”My mother died when I was young.”

The words came calmly as though repeated many times before.

”My father remarried, a week after. ”

Silver nodded. That was unfortunately common.

”She came home with two grown children around my age and they all looked exactly like my father,” she said chuckling,” you can already guess, she was his childhood friend or something. To top it off, my mom married my dad with a lot of wealth attached to her, and even now I don’t know where she came from. My dad really never said anything.”

Silver didn’t know what to say and could only wait for her to continue.

”Things were fine for a while. I wasn’t the most liked but they had a reputation to uphold so I lived a pretty normal but isolated life. I liked it like that even...”

Then her smile became colder.

”...Until one of his business partners decided he liked me.”

Silver’s eyes dangerously narrowed, which Ravenna noticed but continued.

”He followed me, sent gifts, and ignored being told no.”

Silver remained silent because he already knew where this story was going and he didn’t like it.

Eventually, she laughed, a humorless sound.

”He tried cornering me on my eighteenth birthday. ”

Silver’s hand tightened around his glass.

”And?”

”I broke his arm.”

The answer came instantly, without any regret or hesitation.

Silver stared for a few seconds then laughed. The image was surprisingly easy to picture.

Ravenna looked offended.

”Why are you laughing?”

”Sorry... You broke his arm?”

”Both of them.”

That made it worse. Silver almost choked. Ravenna remained completely serious.

”I warned him, several times.”

Silver nodded.

”Thats reasonable.”

”Thank you.”

”The arm-breaking or the warning?”

”Both.”

That produced another laugh, yet the amusement faded quickly because the story wasn’t finished.

”My father chose his business,” she said quietly, the humour fading with it,” he had the audacity to say I caused trouble and embarrassed him.”

Silver already knew the ending. Even so, the reality irritated him.

”He exiled you.”

Ravenna nodded.

”Yeah. My sister and my stepmom helped him come to that decision.”

The silence lingered between them.

Silver asked softly. ”Do you miss him?”

The answer arrived immediately.

”Eew, No.”

There was no hesitation in her words just certainty. The kind that only appeared after disappointment became permanent.

Silver understood, more than he wanted to. For a while neither spoke. The city lights shimmered below, in different colours and patterns.

Then Ravenna changed the topic herself, perhaps deliberately.

”How many beasts do you have?”

Silver smiled slightly. She went straight to business.

”Two,” he honestly responded.

That surprised her.

”Already?”

Silver nodded.

”Strength and Space.”

The fork in her hand completely stopped for several seconds.

”...Space?”

Silver sighed. He had expected that reaction.

”I knew you’d react like that.”

”You found a space beast?”

”Technically.”

Ravenna stared without breaking eye contact or even blinking. She then looked around the restaurant as though expecting Sanctuary authorities to burst through the windows.

”Shouldn’t you be hiding?”

Silver laughed.

”Exactly. That’s why I plan to leave for the Academy.”

Her voice dropped.

”Do your family know?”

”No, you’re the only one.”

”Good, let’s keep it that way.”

That answer arrived far too quickly. Silver almost smiled. Ravenna thoughtfully looked away. For several moments she remained silent then admitted quietly.

”I don’t have one.”

”A beast.”

She nodded. The confidence she’d displayed all evening weakened slightly.

”I got exiled two days before the official awakening day. They refused to give me my share so I bought it from one of the few friends I know,” she calmly said, ”I knew I couldn’t survive purely on human strength if I wanted to reach here.”

Silver frowned. That was really unfortunate. She seemed to be getting blow after blow all her life. If she had turned into some cruel villainess who wanted to dominate the world, Silver would have at least gotten her point of view on that.

Ravenna continued.

”I used everything I had.”

The memory clearly wasn’t pleasant.

”It was really hard to convince her to help me. It’s good that she equally hated my sister and her family sold them.”

Silver listened without interrupting or offering any pity. Eventually, she finished.

”I hoped...”

She started, then stopped.

Silver waited.

”...I hoped my fiancé would help,” she quietly admitted.

’Oh, shit’

Silver could already imagine it. The hope for the engagement only to be met with disappointment and reality.

Silver leaned back slowly, understanding settling into place.

For the first time all evening, he realized just how alone she’d been and how long she’d been alone. The thought stayed with him.

”System.”

Beneath the table, the system quietly activated. Silver decided it was finally time to see exactly who Ravenna truly was.