How to Rent an Apartment After Defeating the Demon King

Aldric finished the last of the preparations nearly an hour before Emma's arrival. The meal had been planned, the ingredients were waiting in the refrigerator, and the table had already been set. Two plates faced the two chairs, the glasses were positioned at equal distances from the cutlery, and the napkins had been folded into neat rectangles. Nothing seemed to be missing, yet the System still displayed a preparation level of ninety-eight percent.

He had eventually accepted that the remaining two percent probably escaped any objective measurement. Even so, he checked the apartment's temperature one more time, adjusted the cushion on the sofa, and wiped away an almost invisible mark from the edge of the table. When he checked the time, he saw that Emma would arrive in less than five minutes. He put the cloth away, washed his hands, then took his place in the entrance hall.

The doorbell rang at exactly seven o'clock. Aldric took a breath before opening the door. Emma stood in the hallway, wearing dark trousers and a light-colored sweater. She was carrying a small bag in one hand.

"Good evening."

"Good evening, Emma. Welcome to my home."

"Thank you for inviting me."

Aldric stepped aside to let her in. Emma removed her coat, then glanced down at her shoes. Before she had even decided where to leave them, he pointed to the empty space beside his own.

"You prepared a place for them?"

"Yes."

She took off her shoes and placed them against the wall. Aldric hesitated briefly when he noticed they were not perfectly parallel, but resisted the urge to straighten them. Emma noticed nothing and walked into the living room.

"You've cleaned," she observed.

"The level of cleanliness could still be improved."

She walked over to the table and examined the napkins.

"Did you measure them?"

"No."

"Really?"

"I simply used the first one as the model for the others."

Emma burst out laughing. She handed him a bag. Aldric opened it and found a small box filled with pastries.

"For dessert," Emma explained.

"Thank you. This contribution improves the meal's organization."

"I'm happy to improve your organization."

He placed the box in the kitchen before returning to her. Emma had wandered over to the window and was looking at the plants arranged along the windowsill.

"They're still alive. I'm impressed."

"Why?"

"Because you made watering them sound like an especially complicated mission."

"I first had to determine the appropriate amount of water, the proper frequency, and the correct exposure to sunlight."

"That's exactly what I mean."

She leaned closer to the flowers.

"They look healthy."

"I water them every Wednesday morning."

"Always at the same time?"

"At six forty-five."

She smiled as she gently brushed one of the leaves with her fingertips. When they had bought the plants, Aldric had not understood why anyone would keep one simply because it made a room feel more pleasant. Even so, he had continued taking care of them.

Aldric checked the time before heading toward the kitchen.

"The meal should be started now if we wish to eat at the scheduled time."

"You made a schedule?"

"Yes."

"How many pages?"

"Only one."

"You're making progress..."

He took the ingredients out of the refrigerator. Vegetables, meat, butter, cream, and several herbs were laid out across the countertop. Emma expected him to pull out his cookbook, but Aldric simply rolled up his sleeves before picking up a cutting board.

"You don't need your notes?"

"I know the steps now."

Emma leaned against the counter with a smile.

"Very well. I'll watch."

Aldric washed the vegetables before beginning to chop them. He kept an eye on the cooking, adjusted the temperature, and prepared several ingredients at the same time.

"You've really improved."

"Repetition improves one's skills."

"I know, but the first time, you stood in front of a saucepan for eight minutes without moving."

"The recipe required me to wait."

"You could have prepared the rest while you were waiting."

"I know that now."

He placed a frying pan over the heat and added a piece of butter. As soon as it began to melt, he added the vegetables and lowered the temperature.

"You've even learned to improvise," Emma remarked.

"I am not improvising. I observed that the food was cooking too quickly."

"That's a form of improvisation."

"It is more accurately an adaptation based on experience."

She stepped closer to look into the pan.

"Do you want me to do something?"

"You are my guest."

"That doesn't mean I have to stand here watching you cook."

"Everything I read said the host should prepare the meal"

"What guidelines?"

"The ones I consulted."

Emma burst out laughing.

"Did you really study how to host someone?"

"It seemed like the prudent thing to do."

"And what did you learn?"

Aldric stirred the vegetables before answering.

"That I should prepare the meal, offer drinks, maintain a comfortable temperature, and create a welcoming atmosphere."

"A welcoming atmosphere?"

"Yes."

"And did you figure out how to do that?"

"Not completely. I could not find an objective method for measuring an atmosphere."

"You can't measure it."

"That is precisely the problem."

She walked over to the table and lightly brushed one of the napkins with her fingertips.

"You've prepared dinner, cleaned the apartment, and kept the plants alive. As far as I'm concerned, that's already very welcoming."