Eternal Temptation: Awakening Sinful Desires

"This is our destination!" Asher announced as he gestured to the magnificent vessel floating in the lake.

"Wait, dinner on a boat?" Scarlet asked in astonishment, realizing what kind of place this was.

Meanwhile, Cecil was staring at the boat with sparkling eyes. She had always liked to sail boats and enjoy the feeling of freedom and adventure they provided, so she couldn't wait to step aboard.

"Yes, this is a special boat where we can enjoy delicious meals while sailing across the lake. This boat has a unique feature as it can travel without human effort." Asher explained. "And the teleportation spell on the dinner table can be used to get the ordered food. Thus, we can dine as we glide across the lake's surface without anyone's interference."

Upon hearing that, Scarlet's lips curled into an amused smile, and she commented, "Ohh! Interesting! But when did you arrange this? I bet it would have been difficult to get a booking in a short time since there would be a lot of couples wanting to have romantic evenings in such an exquisite place."

Asher chuckled and said, "Of course, it was booked for weeks in advance, but I'm not going to let you two miss such a wonderful experience, so instead I bought out the entire business, consisting of the restaurant on the shore and the Dragon Boat, and canceled all the existing bookings."

The two girls looked at each other and then back to him with shocked expressions, unsure whether they heard him right or not.

"You... you bought it all? Just because it was hard to book a spot?" Cecil exclaimed, sounding flustered by the news.

Asher smiled and nodded.

"Indeed! After all, I want you both to experience a luxurious meal on a floating ship like this. The wind blowing past you while the sky above you is full of stars, and the gentle ripples of the lake as the waves lap at the hull are a fantastic backdrop to a dinner experience."

"Humph... typical rich Young Master!" Scarlet teased with a playful pout, though her eyes were shimmering with joy.

Asher winked at her and said, "Hey, if I am going to impress both of you, I might as well go all out. A memorable experience is necessary to cement a bond, isn't it?"

With that, he turned and gestured for the two girls to board the vessel, and after taking a deep breath to steel their nerves, they stepped forward together and climbed up the ramp leading onto the ship's deck.

They found that the interior of the boat was decorated with expensive-looking furniture made of red wood, while the floor was covered by soft carpeting, creating a cozy atmosphere that made it seem as though they had entered into another world.

Several candles burned inside glass containers set upon tables placed in the center of the cabin, providing additional illumination along with the glow of the lanterns hanging from the ceiling overhead. The smell of fresh incense permeated the air, making them feel relaxed and at ease.

There were also large open spaces on either side of the deck, which allowed them to peer outside, offering views of the beautiful scenery surrounding them.

As the two girls gazed around in awe, they saw that there was a traditional round table that had three cushions prepared for them to sit on with their legs crossed.

The table was set up with elegant porcelain plates, cups, glasses, chopsticks, spoons, knives, and forks, all arranged in perfect symmetry around the centerpiece, which consisted of a single lily flower sitting atop a small vase of clear water.

As they stared at everything laid out before them, Cecil remarked, "Everything is so well organized! It's amazing!"

"You got that right!" Scarlet nodded as she gazed at the beautiful decorations adorning the ship's interior. "But I wonder what kind of food they serve here since everything here looks so fancy and exquisite. I am already feeling hungry just thinking about it."

As soon as she said that, Asher couldn't help but let out a chuckle and remark, "Haha, Scarlet, if you continue eating as much as you do, it won't be long until you turn into one of those fat cows who spend all day eating and never leave their farms."

Scarlet's face turned bright red after hearing his comment, and she replied with a huff, "Humph! Don't you dare say that! It's not my fault that I have such a big appetite! Besides, I work hard in training every day, and that requires a lot of energy!"

Her reaction only caused Asher to burst out laughing once again, which made Cecil cover her mouth to prevent herself from giggling along with him.

While Scarlet continued to glare daggers at him, he managed to recover and replied, "Alright, let's sit down and enjoy our evening, shall we?"

Without waiting for their response, he stepped forward and took his seat on one of the cushions, followed by the two girls, who sat opposite him. Then they began looking over the menu and choosing their dishes for the meal.

Cecil was surprised to discover that the dishes were not just ordinary food items but rather artistic representations of various animals and plants. The way they were presented with such attention to detail made it seem like the chefs had tried to capture the essence of nature itself within each plate.

They were so engrossed in choosing what they wanted to eat that they didn't even notice when the Dragon Boat started moving, carrying them out onto the water.

At that moment, Scarlet looked at Cecil and said through her soul mark, 'Hey, Cecil, don't forget what we've decided. We should use this opportunity to confess our feelings to him!'

Cecil swallowed hard, feeling nervous about how this confession would unfold. But nevertheless, she gave her friend a nod of agreement.

'How about this, after we finish our meals, we will both declare our love for him at the same time?'

After considering this suggestion for a moment, Scarlet nodded her head once again. 'Sounds good! But remember, we should try not to chicken out at the last second and delay the inevitable.'

Meanwhile, Asher couldn't help noticing that both girls were acting strange ever since they had finished watching the play, but he decided not to comment on it for now and concentrated on the menu.

After a few minutes of browsing through the menu, they ordered their choices via the device installed on the table, and soon enough, their meals arrived, served on porcelain platters with gilded rims.

"Ahh, this looks so good!" Scarlet exclaimed as she stared at the food on her plate.

Cecil nodded and added, "Yes, and everything smells great, too! It makes me want to eat it even more now!"

"Then let's dig in, girls." Asher suggested while picking up his chopsticks.

He waited for them to start eating before beginning himself. As he put a piece of chicken meat into his mouth, the taste and texture exploded with flavor on his tongue. The marinade sauce was rich and creamy, and the meat itself was cooked to perfection, making it melt in his mouth.

"Delicious!" Cecil exclaimed after swallowing the bite of food she'd taken.

"Mm, it's even better than the Lotus Pavillion's delicacies." Scarlet agreed, closing her eyes as she savored the flavors dancing across her taste buds.

Cecil raised an eyebrow at that statement and wondered aloud, "I guess you are right about that. The food from Lotus Pavilion is indeed very good, but I wouldn't compare it to this place."

Soon, they were all focused on enjoying their meals, and before long, the empty dishes were returned to the kitchen while their stomachs were full and satisfied.

At that moment, a bottle of wine appeared from thin air and landed on the table with a thud.

"Oh! I almost forgot about the wine!" Asher commented as he grabbed the bottle and uncorked it before pouring each of them a glass of the rich, crimson liquid.

When Scarlet saw the wine, she raised an eyebrow and remarked, "Wine? Really, Asher? Are you planning to get us drunk so that you can have your way with us later on tonight?"

"Hehe, I thought you would say something like that." Asher smirked as he handed them their glasses. "But it's alright if you don't drink any alcohol. I don't want to force you to do something that you don't want to do. You are both free to do whatever you want, and I will respect your decisions regardless."

However, neither of them backed down from his offer, and soon enough, they were drinking their first glass of wine.

The first sip of the wine sent a pleasant tingle down their spines, warming up their bodies while relaxing them even further. The flavor was sweet, fruity, and strong, but it was balanced out by a hint of bitterness, which gave it a rich, complex flavor that lingered on their tongues.

After downing their drinks, they continued chatting about random topics for a while, enjoying the atmosphere and each other's company.

It wasn't long before Cecil started feeling a bit tipsy from the alcohol. Her cheeks flushed pink, and her eyes sparkled brighter than before, making her appear cuter than ever.

When Asher noticed this change in her expression, he couldn't help teasing her. "Well, it looks like someone's already getting intoxicated. But I guess that's understandable, considering how much you drank today."

Upon hearing these words coming out of his mouth, Cecil pouted at him and retorted in an adorable tone, "I'm not! You are just imagining things! Besides, how could I get drunk so easily? After all, I still haven't confessed my love to you yet!"