(Aeris's POV)

The royal garden was more peaceful than ever today, the scent of fresh flowers filling the air as I strolled through the vibrant greenery. The gentle rustling of leaves and the distant chirping of birds were soothing, almost making me forget the chaos of the past few days. Almost.

Just as I was about to sit on a stone bench, I caught sight of small figures peeking from behind a tree. My brows furrowed in curiosity. Who…? As I stepped closer, tiny giggles reached my ears.

"Maid's kids?" I muttered to myself.

The moment they realized they were caught, they huddled together, whispering in hushed voices before one of them, a little girl with pigtails, bravely stepped forward.

"U-Um, Miss Aeris… are you a villain?"

I blinked. "What?"

Another child, a boy with chubby cheeks, nodded rapidly. "You always glare at Lord Zephirion, and you try to run away a lot!"

I gasped dramatically, placing a hand on my chest. "Excuse me?! I'm not a villain!"

"That's what a villain would say," the little girl said, crossing her arms.

I gaped at them before sighing. "I give up… fine, I'm the villain. Now, what are you all doing here?"

The kids beamed at me, suddenly becoming comfortable as they circled around me excitedly. I sat down on the grass, and before I knew it, I was playing with them—pretending to be a dragon slayer, dodging their tiny attacks, and laughing freely for the first time in so long.

And it felt… nice. Warm.

For the first time, I felt loved. Not feared, not ignored—just… seen.

I didn’t know how much time passed, but eventually, we all sat down, exhausted from the pretend battle. The little girl plopped down beside me, her big eyes shining with curiosity.

"Big Sis Aeris," she called sweetly, making my heart soften.

"Hm?" I hummed in response.

She grinned. "Are you Lord Zephirion’s wife?"

I choked. "WHAT?!"

The other kids joined in, nodding. "Yeah! You’re always with him!"

"And you always yell at him!"

"But you never leave his side!"

I felt my face heat up. "That doesn’t mean we’re married!"

Just as I was frantically denying it, I heard a deep, amused chuckle from behind me.

"I see you’re enjoying yourself, little blossom."

My entire body froze.

No. No. No. NO.

I turned my head slowly, and there he was—Zephirion, standing behind me with his arms crossed, looking down at me with that stupid smirk.

Why does he always appear at the worst possible moments?!

(Zephirion’s POV)

The royal garden was peaceful—until I heard a familiar, exasperated voice arguing with children.

I raised a brow, stepping closer to the source of the noise. And there she was. Aeris.

Sitting on the grass, surrounded by maid’s children, looking as if she belonged there. A sight I never expected to see.

She was laughing.

Not her usual sarcastic scoff or dry chuckle—this was genuine. A rare, beautiful sound.

I leaned against a nearby tree, watching the scene unfold. The way her eyes softened, the way her lips curled into a bright smile—it was so different from the guarded, wary Aeris I had come to know. She didn’t even realize how much she had let her guard down.

But then, the little devils ruined my quiet moment.

"Big Sis Aeris, are you Lord Zephirion’s wife?"

I nearly choked.

Aeris’s reaction was immediate. "WHAT?!"

The children, completely unaware of the chaos they had just unleashed, continued.

"But you’re always with him!"

"And you always yell at him!"

"But you never leave his side!"

Amused, I let out a quiet chuckle. This was too good.

"I see you’re enjoying yourself, little blossom," I said, stepping forward.

Aeris froze. Slowly, she turned to face me, eyes wide like she had just been caught committing a crime. The redness creeping up her face was undeniable.

Ah. This was priceless.

The children giggled, completely siding with me.

"But you two look like a couple!" one of them added.

Aeris’s entire body tensed as if she had been struck by lightning. I could practically see her mind overloading.

"Couple?! Him?! With me?!" she sputtered, shaking her head furiously. "Have you lost your tiny minds?!"

The children burst into laughter.

One particularly bold child pouted. "But he looks at you like my papa looks at mama!"

I smirked. "Oh? And how does I look?"

Aeris immediately shot me a glare, her face now as red as Valerion’s scales.

"You—!! Don’t you dare encourage them, you stupid lizard!" she hissed under her breath, standing up so fast that she nearly tripped over herself.

I hummed, thoroughly entertained.

"Ah, but they make an interesting observation," I teased, stepping closer. "Do I really look at you like that, little blossom?"

Her breath hitched.

The moment stretched between us, and for once, she was speechless.

Then, as if breaking out of a spell, she huffed, turning away. "I am not dealing with this today!" she declared dramatically, throwing her arms up.

Unfortunately for her, fate had other plans.

Because in her rush to storm off, she stepped on the edge of her dress, lost her balance, and began to fall.

I moved without thinking.

One arm around her waist, I caught her just before she could hit the ground.

Silence.

She blinked up at me, her face so close that I could see every flicker of emotion in her wide eyes—shock, embarrassment, frustration. Her lips parted slightly as if she wanted to say something, but no words came out.

The children gasped.

"Ooooh!"

"Just like in the romance books!"

"They’re totally in love!"

Aeris made a strangled noise.

I leaned in slightly, smirking as I watched her face grow impossibly redder. "Careful, little blossom. It would be a shame if you got hurt because you were too busy thinking about me."

She made an even louder strangled noise.

Then, in the most predictable yet amusing response, she shoved me away with all her strength.

I let her go, watching as she stumbled back, flustered beyond belief.

"Y-YOU!" she pointed an accusing finger at me. "Stay ten feet away from me at all times, you insufferable lizard!"

I chuckled, thoroughly amused.

She turned on her heel, ready to flee.

But before she could, one of the little girls tugged on her sleeve. "Big Sis Aeris, does this mean we’re getting a royal wedding soon?"

Aeris let out an unholy screech before running off.

The children laughed, and I watched her retreating form with a smirk.

This kingdom had been dull for so long.

But with her here?

It was never boring.