Aeris’s POV

Sitting in the royal garden, I let out a deep sigh, staring at the blooming flowers before me. Everything felt so peaceful… but inside, I was raging.

Zephirion.

That smug, unreadable, frustrating, oversized lizard.

He didn’t even get angry when I spilled juice all over him! He just sat there, chuckling, as if I had done something amusing rather than ruining his perfectly luxurious black clothes.

I gritted my teeth as I replayed that moment in my head. The way he called me ‘Little Blossom’, the way he stayed so calm and composed, the way he ordered his assistant without a single trace of irritation—it all made me want to scream.

"Why isn’t he getting angry?!"

I had thought this would be easy. I had expected him to lose his temper, to rage at me, to punish me, to show some kind of reaction! Instead, I got… nothing. No yelling, no threats—just a stupid little smirk that made my blood boil.

I yanked a flower petal off absentmindedly.

Fine. If he won’t get angry, I’ll just have to try harder.

I started mentally listing every possible way I could irritate and annoy him.

Steal his royal cape?

Move all his important documents around?

Spill ink on his throne?

Call him ‘Your Majesty, The Great and Mighty Stupid Lizard’?

Oh, that last one was good.

I snickered to myself, already feeling satisfied just imagining the look on his face. "Let's see how long you can keep that stupid smirk, you smug, oversized reptile."

Just as I was getting deeply into my evil planning, a strange feeling crept over me—like I was being watched.

I frowned and slowly turned my head… but saw nothing.

Hmph. Probably just my paranoia.

I shook off the feeling and returned to my scheming, completely unaware that I was, in fact, being watched.

---

Zephirion’s POV

From the high balcony of my chamber, I observed Aeris as she sat in the garden, lost in thought.

The moment she snickered to herself, I already knew—she was planning something. Again.

She truly was persistent, wasn’t she?

I rested my chin on my hand, watching her tear apart an innocent flower petal as she plotted whatever ridiculous scheme she had in mind.

"Hah. Cute."

Most people would tremble before me, but not her.

She was still foolish enough to believe she had control over this game. Still desperate enough to try and fight me, even in the smallest of ways.

Amusing.

I could already predict her next actions. She would try something childish and ridiculous to get a reaction out of me. But no matter what she did, I would always be one step ahead.

I smirked as I watched her, completely unaware that she was being observed.

"You’re truly an amusing little blossom, aren’t you?"

To be continued