Chapter 34 – Private Practice (Part 2)
"Your... hotel room?" Zane blinked, struggling to process her words. Of all the places he'd expected for their training, a hotel wasn't one of them. He imagined so secluded park, or an empty training ground, not a private residence.
"Yes, of course. It's quite spacious, and I have a large balcony. We can practice there without anyone bothering us." Fiora said it so casually, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.
"..."
"Co on now, don't just stand there like a statue." With no hesitation, she grabbed his arm and began dragging him out of the alley. Zane stumbled for a step or two before regaining his footing and walking beside her.
'I have a feeling this training session might be... more unusual than I was ready for,' Zane thought, watching Fiora stroll along with a relaxed expression like it was just another casual day.
The city around them was beginning to stir. Early risers filled the sidewalks, and the low hum of engines and footsteps slowly returned life to the streets. As they walked, the scenery around them shifted dramatically.
They moved out of the outskirts where Zane lived—where the buildings were worn and the streets full of cracks—and into the heart of the city. Towering structures lined the roads here, sleek and polished. Everything glead like it had been carved from money and pride.
Zane found himself staring around like a tourist. He'd only passed through this district a handful of tis, and even then, only briefly. It wasn't his world. The price tags here were enough to scare off soone like him before he could even step inside a shop.
'It's like a completely different city...' he thought as he took in the clean roads, the expensive cars, the refined faces of people walking past with a scent of fine perfu lingering behind them. The gap between this and the life he knew was vast—and growing more obvious with every step.
"We're here," Fiora said suddenly, snapping him out of his thoughts.
Zane looked up—and kept looking. The building before them was enormous. He had to crane his neck just to try and glimpse the top, but it disappeared into the skyline.
"Golden State Hotel..." he read aloud, the na etched elegantly on the glass front. His eyes widened. 'Isn't this the most luxurious hotel chain in the world?'
It made sense. Of course the city would put a Dinsional Knight in the best accommodation available.
"Let's go," Fiora said without waiting, stepping inside confidently.
Zane hesitated for a second before trailing after her. The mont he crossed the threshold, he was hit by the sheer opulence of the place. Glittering chandeliers hung from the ceiling like constellations. The floor looked like it had never seen a speck of dirt. Even the air seed richer sohow, scented with delicate floral notes.
People moved through the lobby in crisp suits and flowing dresses. Staff stood at attention with practiced smiles and uniforms so immaculate they might as well have been tailored by royalty.
"Welco back, Miss Fiora," one of the suited guards at the front greeted her with a professional bow.
"Good morning," Fiora responded easily as they made their way to the elevator.
Zane stayed close, still in awe. "Are you sure your hotel room is fine for training? What if I accidentally wreck sothing?"
"Hm? Don't worry," she said with a small chuckle. "I'll make sure you don't. Besides, we won't be doing anything too intense."
The elevator dinged as they reached the very top floor. Fiora stepped out first, and Zane followed into a quiet, plush hallway that practically whispered wealth.
She stopped in front of a sleek black door, slid a card through the reader, and pushed it open.
"Welco to my humble and temporary abode. Make yourself at ho."
Zane stepped inside—and froze. The suite before him was bigger than his entire apartnt, and easily a hundred tis more lavish. Plush carpets, enormous windows that looked out over the city, and a living room with a television the size of a small wall.
It was absurd. And beautiful.
"Did you already have breakfast?" Fiora asked as she slipped off her coat.
"Y-Yeah. I did," he replied distractedly, still drinking in the surroundings.
"Alright then. Go ahead and sit in the living area. I'll be back in a mont." She disappeared into a hallway before he could respond.
Zane slowly moved forward and dropped onto one of the couches. It was so soft it practically devoured him. "God... It's like sitting on a cloud," he muttered, leaning back. The leather didn't even squeak.
His eyes drifted to the TV. "Didn't even know they made them that big..."
He sighed and let his body relax for a second. But then—sothing poked him in the back. Confused, Zane reached behind the cushion and grabbed the offending item.
"What the hell is—"
And then he froze.
In his hand was a lacy black bra.
"Sorry for making you wait, Zane. I was just making us so te—Oh?"
Fiora entered the room holding two steaming cups of tea, only to pause at the sight of him holding her undergarnt.
"Oh! You found my bra?" she said cheerfully, walking over. She plucked it from his limp fingers. "I've been looking for that. Thanks!"
She turned and casually disappeared into the other room to put it away, leaving Zane sitting there with a deadpan expression.
'I feel... tainted,' he thought with an internal scream.
It wasn't like he didn't know what a bra was—but this was the first ti he'd ever touched one. Why did it have to happen like this?
"Hm? You alright, Zane?" Fiora asked as she returned, catching the horrified look still plastered on his face. Then, after a brief mont, her eyes lit up with realization. "Wait... Don't tell ... Did that make you blush?"
Zane looked away instantly, face turning crimson. 'Shit!'
"Pfft... Hahaha!" She burst out laughing. "You're so cute! What? Never seen one before?"
"Why would I? I'm not at that age yet," he grumbled.
"You're seventeen, aren't you? Surely you've had so experience with girls?"
"..."
Fiora stared at him, then raised an eyebrow. "Wait, you don't?"
He didn't answer. That was answer enough.
"That's surprising..." she mused aloud. "With that face of yours? You've got this rare, mysterious look. Girls usually eat that up."
"They think I'm hideous," Zane said flatly.
"Hideous? What...?" Fiora blinked. "These girls clearly have terrible taste. There's nothing hideous about you."
"My scar." He tugged at his collar, revealing the long, jagged line running down his neck. "They say it ruins my face and it scares them away."
"Oh..." Fiora's smile faded slightly. She'd noticed the scar before, but hadn't comnted. She t his eyes with a more serious expression. "Can I ask where you got it?"
His hand quickly moved to cover the mark again. "It's nothing," he said coldly. "Anyway, are we going to train or what?"
He stood and unsheathed his blade with a tallic whisper. His grip was firm. "I need to learn as much as I can before tomorrow."
Fiora watched him carefully. The sudden shift in his tone told her everything she needed to know. It was a wound much deeper than the skin.
'Alright... no pushing,' she thought.
"Sure," she said with a soft smile. "I just wanted to offer so hospitality first, but since you're ready... let's begin."
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