When he finally terminated the kiss and moved back, he noted that the boy was as dazed as could be, eyes bright and face flushed red. Shit! The boy was fucking adorable. He wanted more.
Noah proceed to draw the boy in again, when he felt a slender hand press against his lips, pushing him back.
What the...?
The youth said, breathless, "Stop sucking my qi, my lord. Otherwise, I'll have nothing left in me."
Noah suddenly snapped to reality. He blinked. This isn't a dream?
His hands still holding on to the boy, he realized that the youth felt soft and warm against him.
He swore, "Shit!" under his breath and loosened his grip on the boy. He asked, "Who are you?"
"Alfie, my lord. You lords like to suck other people's pure qi, don't you?"
Noah was a little confused.
Of course they did. It was natural, after all, as opposites attract. There was just that something very alluring where the pure qi to the dark qi was concerned.
"Can you please let me go now?" Alfie asked.
Noah was a little surprised that he was still holding on to the boy. He reluctantly did and watched as Alfie settled back, sitting on the floor, watching him with interest.
Noah was intrigued by the pretty boy before him. Suddenly, his mind clicked, and he realized that this must be the Alfie they had been talking about during the meeting yesterday.
He grinned devilishly and asked, "You're Alfie?"
Alfie seemed surprised that Lord Noah knew her name. "Yes, my lord, I'm Alfie."
Noah asked, "Do you know who I am?"
Alfie nodded. "I assume you're Lord Noah Wakefield, yes? Brenna told me that you're her boss. By the way, I'm here because she forgot her lunch today." She pointed to the wrapped box sitting on the coffee table.
Noah flicked his gaze there. The scent was enticing. He said, "Give that to me."
"I beg your pardon?"
He said, "I'm starving, and that thing smells divine. I haven't eaten anything since yesterday afternoon."
"Oh!" Alfie thought for a moment and then grabbed for the bento box and handed it over to Noah. "Then you may have it, my lord. I'll make another for Brenna."
The moment Noah opened the lid, an exotic aroma greeted him, and he nearly cried with joy. It was white rice, along with other small things mixed with it. On the side, there were yellow rolls and what looked like battered deep-fried prawns as well.
Alfie said, "It's nothing much. Just fried rice with prawns, carrots, corn, and peas. On the side are tamagoyaki and prawn tempura."
It's nothing much? Definitely not! This was heaven to Noah.
The lord picked up the chopsticks that accompanied the lunchbox and dug right in. The joy was overwhelming and hard to hide as he hastily devoured the fried rice like a starved demon, which he was.
Alfie giggled in delight, which drew Noah's attention. That giggle was too bloody enticing to his ear by half, not to mention the bright grin.
"I'm glad you like it, my lord," she said.
"I'm glad you came. You're a lifesaver."
Alfie blushed, and Noah nearly choked on his food at witnessing such an exquisite sight.
Fuck! The boy was too adorable, he thought. He hadn't seen anyone this lovable since two thousand years ago. Wait! He realized that he hadn't properly looked at another being in such an intimate light since Yuki's passing.
After swallowing the delicious food in his mouth, he said, "Alfie, come here." He patted the seat beside him.
Alfie obeyed and comfortably propped herself up on the couch beside the lord.
Noah said, "Tell me about yourself."
"Me? Tell you about myself?" she asked.
Noah nodded. "I'm busy eating, so entertain me."
This was the first time in a long time that he had asked anyone to sit with him while he ate, let alone requested any sort of entertainment during a meal. His usual routine, if he hadn't happened to dine with the other six lords in the great dining hall and chat about the nation's affairs, was that he'd eat alone while working.
Alfie said, "I see. Then I'll tell you about my childhood and travels. How about that?"
"Sounds good," Noah said, and then listened attentively as he continued to enjoy his meal. He must admit that he liked listening to Alfie's soft voice talking, which was pleasant and soothing.
By the time he was done with his lunch, Noah had learned quite a few things about Alfie—that she was an only child, she and her family travelled around a lot, her father was a famous author and prominent man of society, her grandfather from her father's side of the family ran a shrine and onsen at the base of a mountain, and that Alfie went to university.
Of course, being Noah, the famous head magic researcher of Acaedien, he couldn't help himself and used his magic perception to analyze Alfie while she talked. Yet, by the end of his meal, Noah couldn't clearly determine what exactly Alfie was. Yes, to him, Alfie was a boy. The name and the male garments indicated so. Anyone could see that. Yet Noah felt as though there were something blocking his magic perception to clearly define who or what Alfie was. He felt it in his gut that Alfie was something entirely different and unique, something that wasn't a part of this world.
He put the now-empty lunchbox on the coffee table and said, "That was delicious."
Alfie grinned from ear to ear, pleased. "I'm glad you liked it, my lord."
Noah got up and headed over to the bench on the other side of the sitting room. There, he brewed himself a cup of coffee, his mind racing and analyzing. By the time the coffee was done, he had thought of a brilliant idea.
Grinning, he said, "Alfie?"