Getting spoiled in a woman dominating world-Chapter 104: A little talk with Florence [1]

The moon had risen higher, casting a silver shimmer across the endless sea.

Looking at Florence sitting on the mat, drinking wine, Brandon shook his head helplessly and walked to her.

Florence sensed his presence and turned to look at him with a pleased smile "Brandon, dear..."

Keeping his smile, he gently sat beside her on the mat, looking at the slow crashing waves "Out here for some drink?"

With a nod, she picked up a second bottle from the cooler beside her and passed it to him "Here you go."

Brandon took the bottle and sighed faintly before popping the lid open.

He took a swig, expecting the usual dry tang of red wine, but blinked in surprise as the flavor hit him with unexpected richness "Wow, it’s so much better than the normal ones..."

Florence chuckled softly, pleased by his words "It’s from my private cellar. A small winery in the Valtaren cliffs produces it; it is family-owned, and only a few bottles are exported every year. You have good taste."

Brandon took another gulp and gently placed the wine bottle down.

With a teasing smile, she asked "You look pretty worn out. So something steamy happened in the hot spring?"

Hearing her tease, Brandon just let out a chuckle "You could say that..."

Florence let out a long, wistful sigh "Haa, to be young."

Brandon just smiled, and they sat in the silence for a while.

After a few moments, she turned her head slightly and spoke in a gentle tone "Dear, I am leaving Eira in your hands. Hope you will protect her..."

Hearing this, Brandon looked at her serious eyes and his gaze softened "You don’t have to worry. I will take good care of her..."

Florence smiled gently and raised her hand to ruffle his hair as her delicate fingers trailed down to caress his cheek "I only spent one day with you but I feel like I have known you longer."

"You are a nice guy, and I can see Eira loves you a lot. As her mother, I am so happy..."

"But at the same time, I am scared... you know the last time she entered the rupture, she had a cardiac arrest and you helped her at that time."

"She is pretty reckless sometimes..."

Brandon raised his hand and placed his palm above her hand, which was caressing his cheek "You don’t need to worry. i will take good care of her..."

Florence’s expression softened "Mhm... also be aware of her friend Calistra."

Hm? Brandon raised an eyebrow "What about her?"

With a soft sigh, Florence spoke "When Eira entered the Academy I did a background check on people close to her, and I couldn’t find solid recordings of that girl’s background..."

"It looks like she is an orphan and got into the Academy because she awakened. But I am still suspicious of her."

Brandon’s gaze squinted as he remembered Calistra ’Well, back in the rupture, Calistra was the one who was having Eira, who was lying unconscious and even screamed at me to save Eira.’

’I think she doesn’t have any ill intentions. But still...’

With a nod, he squeezed her hand gently "I will look over her."

Florence gently retracted her hand and smiled in satisfaction "That’s good to hear."

As she spoke, she took another gulp of her wine.

Seeing this, his eyes crescented slightly in sadness and he hesitated for a moment before asking "Can you taste it?"

Huh? Florence was surprised by the question, but then she just sighed "So, Eira told you, huh..."

"I lost my sense of taste during my awakening. It was the price of my Genesis Mark. It burned through the receptors on my tongue and nerve endings in the soft palate. Doctors say it’s permanent."

Brandon frowned upon hearing this "I’m sorry..."

Florence gave a soft laugh "It’s not your fault. And after so many years... you learn to compensate."

"I drink wine not for the taste, but for the way it kicks into your brain, the heat that rolls down your throat."

"And I chew gum because the pressure tricks the brain into thinking it’s feeling texture. I miss sweetness, I miss bitterness... but I still remember them. That’s something."

There was something painful in her smile, resigned but dignified.

"I think that’s why I love watching Eira eat," she added quietly.

"She gets excited over silly things... duck skin, grilled shrimp, garlic butter on flatbread. I live through her when she enjoys food like that."

But then she remembered something and hurriedly spoke "Brandon, when you fed me, I was not faking my emotions. Even though I did not taste the food."

"I can feel the warmth; I was genuinely happy.. so.-"

Before she could say anything further, Brandon shook his head and interrupted "I know you are not faking and how happy you were."

With a chuckle, he added "You looked like a child, and I enjoyed feeding you and getting fed by you."

Hearing this, Florence’s eyes widened slightly and she reached out and pinched his cheek "Oh, you poor little boy... I am liking you even more now."

He leaned onto her touch "It’s my honor, Lady Florence."

She giggled and retracted her hand while he leaned back slightly on his palms, staring up at the night sky, stars scattered in brilliant fragments.

"I guess," he said slowly, "that’s the weird thing about senses."

"We think taste or smell or sound is all there is, but sometimes... touch, warmth, being seen—that’s what makes something memorable."

Florence followed his gaze skyward, a small smile gracing her lips. "Yeah. And memory becomes flavor when you can no longer taste."

She then turned to look at him, his face illuminated by the moonlight. "And you gave me a wonderful flavor today."

He turned to look at her and clinked his wine bottle with hers "My pleasure..."

The sound of glass touching glass echoed softly in the night air, then was swallowed by the whisper of the waves crashing beyond the cliffs.

She took another gulp of her wine and spoke "Let’s toast again."

Brandon laughed and obliged as he raised his bottle "To beautiful mothers..."

Hearing this, Florence let out a laugh and her eyes glinted in delight as she raised her bottle "And to the boy who makes this old woman feel like she’s still twenty-five."

Brandon leaned closer to her "What are you saying, Lady Florence? You really do look like you’re twenty-five."

"Honestly, if someone told me you were Eira’s older sister, I wouldn’t question it. It’s hard to believe you’re a mother at all."

Florence let out an exaggerated scoff and gently slapped his arm, though her cheeks flushed with something other than wine. "Oh, you’re flattering me now,"

But her smile gave her away... it was warm, genuine, and touched with a rare kind of feminine joy. "Dangerously charming, aren’t you?"

Brandon shrugged with a small grin "Just telling the truth."

Her gaze flickered to the distant sea "You know, when I was twenty-five, I was carrying Eira’s older sister in my arms. Haa. Time goes really fast."

Hearing this, Brandon’s gaze squinted for a second before he gently asked "I wanted to ask you about this."

"About Eira’s father..."