Chapter 209: Is This... Love?
Hugo stepped into Lisa's apartment and felt like he had walked into a warm hug.
The place was exactly as he remembered—small but cozy, simple yet filled with charm. The kind of apartment that made you want to kick off your shoes and stay forever.
But did he pay attention to any of that?
No.
Because his eyes locked onto Lisa... and just like that—everything else disappeared.
She stood in the middle of the living room, halfway to the door, like an angel who had been caught mid step.
Her long, wavy dark hair cascaded down her back, slightly messy in the best way possible that made her even more beautiful.
Her golden brown skin glowed under the warm apartment lights.
She was wearing a single oversized T-shirt that hung off her slender shoulders.
It was baggy and loose, hanging just low enough to be decent but high enough to threaten Hugo's sanity.
It had some funny print on it, something about "Cooking with Love" that made no sense because…
Lisa couldn't cook to save her life.
Over the T-shirt, she wore a pink apron, tied around her waist. It was dusted with flour, making her look like some kind of adorable, messy chef.
And speaking of flour—
There was a small, adorable white stain on her nose.
But the final touch?
Mittens. Big, puffy kitchen mittens. Like some kind of gorgeous Latina baking goddess.
Hugo's heart did a weird little jump.
Was this... love?
Because if it wasn't, then why did he feel like his chest was about to explode?
Before he could process it, Lisa's eyes widened.
"Babe!"
And just like that—
She ran at him full speed.
The moment she crashed into his chest, their lips found each other like it was meant to be.
There was no hesitation. No waiting. Just pure, desperate, heart racing passion.
Lisa's arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer. Hugo's hands automatically found her waist, holding on like he never wanted to let go.
Her lips were soft, warm, and tasted slightly sweet.
The kiss was hungry but gentle, playful but deep. It felt like something out of a dream.
For that moment—
Hugo forgot everything.
The system, the missions, the stress—all of it faded into nothing. There was only Lisa.
Only this.
After what felt like forever and also an instant, they finally pulled apart, breathing hard. And at the exact same time, they both said—
"I missed you."
Then, they burst out laughing. Lisa playfully smacked his chest. "You always copy me!"
Hugo smirked. "Not my fault we're telepathic."
Lisa rolled her eyes. "Oh, please."
Still grinning, she pulled away, grabbed his hand, and led him toward the kitchen. They both didn't want to let go of each other.
Hugo felt extremely lucky at that moment.
"So," Hugo said, sliding onto a barstool, "how's my girl been?"
Lisa let out a dramatic sigh. "Miserable."
Hugo raised an eyebrow. "That bad?"
She crossed her arms dramatically. "I was away for days. No Hugo. No kisses. No one to tell me I'm the most beautiful girl in the world."
Hugo smirked. "Tragic."
"It was tragic," Lisa huffed.
"Well…" He leaned on the counter, eyes narrowing playfully. "Did you look at any other men while you were away?"
Lisa gasped, offended. "Of course not!"
"Good," Hugo said smugly.
Then she tilted her head, eyes glinting. "What about you? Did you behave?"
Hugo blinked.
Memories flashed through his head—
Loli, Lily, Emily, Erica, Jess, Jessica, Luna, the dozens of female workers at the photoshoot, staring at him with hearts in their eyes.
"...Of course."
Lisa squinted at him, studying his expression with scrutiny...
Hugo smiled innocently.
Lisa sighed. "I want to believe you."
"Then believe me," Hugo said smoothly, pulling her towards him and in between his legs.
Lisa rolled her eyes—but kissed him again anyway.
'I am truly an evil man.'
Lisa pulled back with a grin. "Okay! Back to my baking!"
Hugo finally looked at the oven.
"You? Baking? Are you serious?"
"Yes," Lisa said proudly. "A special dessert!"
She pulled on her mittens and carefully opened the oven.
Hugo leaned forward in curiosity—
And then—
They both froze. Because the dessert was…
A blackened, burnt to ash disaster. A culinary crime. A cooking catastrophe.
Lisa's smile froze. Hugo slowly turned to her.
"...Babe."
Lisa let out a long, suffering sigh.
Hugo grinned. "I hate to say it, but—"
"Don't."
"—you've committed food murder."
Lisa groaned. "Ugh, shut up."
Hugo smirked. "This is a historical failure. You should frame it."
Lisa shot him a glare. And then—
She grabbed a handful of flour from the counter—AND DUMPED IT ON HIS HEAD.
PFFFFFT.
Hugo sat there, completely covered in white powder.
Lisa took a step back, grinning like a little devil.
Hugo blinked. One thought filled his mind: This girl is EVIL. Discover more stories at My Virtual Library Empire
Lisa smirked. "Something wrong, babe?"
Hugo narrowed his eyes.
"You just declared war."
Before she could react—
He grabbed a stick of butter from the counter—AND SMEARED IT ACROSS HER CHEEKS.
Lisa gasped. Her cute, shocked expression was priceless. Hugo burst out laughing.
Lisa wiped her face, horrified. "Oh, YOU are so DEAD."
"You started it," Hugo smirked.
Lisa glared. "I was correcting your bad attitude!"
"My attitude is perfectly fine," Hugo said smugly. "You, on the other hand, just committed a baking crime."
Lisa gasped dramatically. "Excuse you! I—"
"—burnt a dessert so badly it became charcoal," Hugo finished.
Lisa huffed. "Well, you can't cook either!"
Hugo smirked. "Fair point."
They stared at each other. Then—
Lisa sighed. "Fine. Let's make it together."
Hugo grinned. "That's what I was waiting for."
As they started preparing a new batch, Hugo felt something deep inside him.
Something warm. Something safe.
For once, there was no trouble. No missions. No stress.
Just Lisa.
Just laughter.
Just a perfect, simple moment.
And Hugo wouldn't trade it for anything.
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Absolutely loved this chapter. At this stage, my characters are almost beginning to feel like real people to me with actual lives... So miraculous.
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Power stone Goal!
50 PS - 1 Bonus chapter
100 PS - 2 Bonus chapter
200 PS (Quite an achievement as of now) - 3 Bonus chapters.
Castle - 20 Bonus Chapters!