Vega was instantly stunned. She had been so consumed with thoughts of Anthony that she completely forgot about her father. She remembered vividly how he had always warned her about men, telling her not to bother with them because they were nothing but scumbags.
So when Veronica casually mentioned that her father would probably break Anthonyās legs if he found out, Vega didnāt take it as a joke or exaggeration.
She knew it was a real possibility.
"Well... I could just not tell him," Vega replied after a few moments of thought, her voice calm but unsure.
"Iām sure heāll find out eventually," Veronica said with a smirk, her tone playfully ominous. "But since your father isnāt stationed on any military base, I guess you get to hide your relationship for a little while. That is... unless someone slips up."
Vegaās eyes narrowed slightly.
"How much?" she asked, her tone turning serious as her gaze shifted sharply to Veronica.
"Oh, come on, bestie," Veronica began with a pout. "You make it sound like Iām blackmailing my own best friend just to keep quiet about her secret love life. Iām not that kind of person, Vega."
But Vega didnāt reply. She simply stared at her best friend calmly, expression unreadable.
"Fine," Veronica sighed, giving in, "just give me that soap you use. Iāve searched for it everywhere, and I havenāt seen anything that even comes close."
As women, they didnāt dare rely solely on mana for skincare. Sure, mana could heal wounds, energize the body, and even strengthen their physical form, but beautifying effects?
Absolutely not. That was a myth.
They still took care of every corner of their skin with specialized products, especially ones that had real effects. Their beauty relied on these things. Mana could not, and would not, replace that.
"I think Father brought it from another planet,"
Vega replied casually as a bar of luxurious soap materialized in her palm. She passed it to Veronica. "Thatās probably why you couldnāt find it anywhere."
"Doesnāt matter," Veronica said as she quickly stashed the soap into her space ring. "At least now I can enjoy the effects of this divine thing for the next two months. If it finishes early, Iāll just steal another bar from you."
"Good luck with that," Vega replied with a sly smile.
"So..." Veronica began, her curiosity rising once again, "whatās the military rank of your so called boyfriend?" Her eyes were locked on Vega, gleaming with interest.
"Nothing too big," Vega answered nonchalantly, her lips curving into a mischievous smirk. "Heās just a Major ranked soldier."
Veronica paused, her playful expression vanishing in an instant. "Major?" she echoed in disbelief. The smile on Vegaās face confirmed that she wasnāt joking.
"Youāre just showing off now because my boyfriend is only a Master Sergeant ranked soldier, arenāt you?" Veronica accused, narrowing her eyes and staring deeply into Vegaās.
"If you feel that way, how can I help you?" Vega replied innocently. "Youāre the owner of your own thoughts and emotions."
"Hmph. At least Iām not dating some old man whoās probably over a thousand years old,"
Veronica countered with a snort.
"Who said he was that old? Heās our age, nineteen," Vega replied instantly.
"Now youāre just lying, Vega," Veronica said, folding her arms. "I know youāre a monster in human skin, but thereās no way another freak like you exists. One whoās already a Major ranked soldier at nineteen? Impossible."
Vega smiled patiently and explained,
"Apparently, he got promoted to Major after his contributions during the fall of Military Base Alpha-6."
"So heās not originally from this base?" Veronica asked, trying to piece everything together.
"No, he isnāt," Vega confirmed.
Veronica fell into thought. She knew Vega never lied, she never had a reason to. No one dared question her, and she certainly didnāt fear punishment. That only made it more shocking.
āIs this a male version of Vega?ā Veronica found herself wondering.
To be a Major ranked soldier at such a young age meant he had to possess immense strength, battlefield experience, and likely strong backing as well.
"It seems youāve struck gold on your first try, bestie. Thatās a big fish. You better hold onto him tightly," Veronica said with a thoughtful smile.
Vega didnāt respond. Instead, her mind painted the image of Anthony smiling at her during their earlier conversation. The memory made her heart flutter again.
But Veronicaās next question snapped her out of her thoughts.
"So... what are you going to wear to the date?" she asked, already eager to help.
"He hasnāt fixed the date yet. Besides, heāll call me before then. Iāll have enough time to pick an outfit," Vega replied casually.
"What if he sets the date for tomorrow? Some men move that fast. You never know. Thereās no time to waste," Veronica pressed.
Vega frowned slightly. That hadnāt occurred to her.
"Weāll handle that at the end of the day," Vega said as she sat up on the bed, her expression now serious. "For now, I need to learn how to cook."
Veronica blinked. "You? Cooking? Vega, youāve never even turned on or off a gas cooker in your life. How do you suddenly plan to become a master chef?"
"With my talent, I can learn anything," Vega replied, her voice brimming with confidence. "Iām sure you know this."
"That talent only applies to combat related things. When it comes to stuff outside the battlefield, youāre no different from the rest of us. Maybe even worse," Veronica said with a teasing smile.
"Hmph. Doesnāt matter. Whatever I set my mind to, I can accomplish," Vega replied stubbornly.
"The kitchen isnāt a battlefield, Vega,"
Veronica said, rubbing her temple with a sigh.
"Look at you," she added, "talking about learning how to cook, something that wouldāve never crossed your mind before. Youāre totally love-struck, arenāt you?"
"No time to waste on words, Veronica," Vega declared, her voice triumphant. "I have cuisine to conquer!"
Without warning, she grabbed Veronicaās hand and dragged her out of the bed, heading toward the kitchen with purpose and excitement radiating from her entire body.
Veronica didnāt resist. She followed reluctantly, mostly because she was curious to see whether Vegaās famed talent extended beyond combat.
Pulling out her phone, Veronica quickly searched for cooking tutorial videos online and began watching them. If Vega was serious about this, sheād need a crash course.
And so, while Anthony remained in his room learning how to bake, with Romulus watching silently from the side, Vega stood in the kitchen, sleeves rolled up, ready to learn how to cook, with Veronica watching over her, skeptical but supportive.
Two parallel paths, two connected hearts, each beginning to learn something new, all because of the other.