章 1775: Knight Commander

It was already getting dark when Sunny and Nephis returned to the Brilliant Emporium. 

The rest of the dinner in the upscale restaurant had been uneventful. They had agreed to turn their pretend relationship into a real one — or at least try to. However, neither of them wanted for their first actual date to happen right there and then, in a place carefully prepared by someone else to create a false impression of how they felt about each other. 

Sunny wanted to be the one making plans, at least, considering that he was the person who had invited Nephis on a date. 

So, they enjoyed the food and discussed the play, both failing to hold back an occasional smile. Then, Nephis walked him home. Neither talked much on the way, but the silence wasn't awkward. Instead, it was comfortable and pleasant, full of unspoken potential. 

Finally, they reached the quiet street where the Brilliant Emporium was located. The lake was just beyond the cottage.