I sat down directly opposite Natsuki, and could touch the other person with my hand close.

Clear eyes and tender skin, Natsuki is more beautiful and charming from such a close distance, but now she can't feel a sense of dignity, no different from an ordinary girl, she is just a girl full of troubles.

I noticed that Natsuki was also staring at me, so nervous that I couldn't speak for a moment, but I immediately noticed that she was looking at the scars on her face, so I quickly turned my face and pretended to be watching the scenery, but it aroused Natsuki's suspicion.

“…Yak, can I ask you a question?”

She put down the teacup in her hand, stroked her wrist cowardly, and her eyes wandered.

“Yes, what’s the problem?”

I pretended to be unaware of it and responded calmly.

Natsuki grabbed his wrist and raised his head as if he was determined, and Hao did not avoid looking straight into my eyes.

"Where did the scars on your face come from?"

─────Even if you are her savior, it is already a child.

Zier said something that came to my heart, and I pretended to be calm and answered:

"This was the one who was scratched by the bear a few months ago. The giant bear that Captain Matadra dealt with. At that time, he thought of taking a shortcut down the mountain, but he died and encountered it. It almost became his supper, hahahaha."

I scratched the back of my neck and responded with a silly smile, praying that I could get away with it.

"...I'm sorry, I asked a strange question."

Natsuki lowered her eyebrows, unable to hide her disappointed expression, which made people love her.

"No, it doesn't matter..."

I was pursing my lips tightly, my throat was dry and I couldn't speak, and my chest was tugged into a ball.

I want to show my identity to you like that day, but now there is no way.

In order to continue to be by your side, the only way is to let the boy from ten years ago completely disappear from this world.

We didn't say a word and remained silent. Natsuki stared at the steam of tea noodles in a daze, while I looked around the yellow flowers in the flower garden casually.

No, the atmosphere is too awkward, you have to find some other topics!

"The yellow flowers planted around are quite simple and elegant. I wonder what kind of flowers it is?"

"These flowers... are Sister Xingyue's favorite flowers. My sister used to say that these little yellow flowers are everywhere. Even if no one pays attention or appreciates them, they will not be discouraged. They still try to show their beautiful side to the sun. They are very strong flowers..."

Natsuki's voice choked up and she lowered her head and could no longer answer the words.

I am such a big fool! I actually made things worse when Natsuki was in a low mood, which made her think of something about Princess Xingyue.

Two months after I fell off the cliff, the frail Princess Xingyue finally lost to the disease and passed away one night. Naiyue would sneak up the mountain that day to pick flowers for her sister who was seriously ill in bed.

"Your Highness the Princess."

I called her name, and now I can only take a gamble, saying something she has never heard of novel and interesting things to divert attention.

"Just call me Natsuki..."

She looked up listlessly at me.

I took a deep breath and picked up the tea cup in front of Natsuki.

"Okay, Natsuki, do you know that the cup of tea you are drinking now actually came from the East?"

"East?"

Natsuki's eyes lit up slightly.

"Yes, but in addition to the shape of the tea cups they are different from ours, the types and ways of drinking are also different. Black tea is just one of them."

Seeing that Natsuki seemed quite interested, I continued:

"It's not just tea, but the oriental food culture is different from ours. For example, the tableware they eat is to use a tableware called 'chopped chopsticks' to pick up food, which looks a bit like two branches of the same length."

"Take a branch to eat?"

"Oh, it's made of wood anyway. And, I heard that the dragons in the east do not spit out fire, look like a winged snake."

Natsuki's eyes flashed with light, leaning forward and listening to me was selfless. It seemed that she was still as interested in these novel things as before.

As expected, it is different if you study. You can show off your knowledge at critical moments.

"What else? Are there any strange food or clothing?"

"Of course there is, cough cough there...sorry."

I took a sip of black tea to moisten my throat. I said so much at a time and my throat was so dry. I wonder if Zi Er would not be tired if he preached.

Just as I was about to continue the explanation, Natsuki blushed and looked surprised and said to me awkwardly:

"That's my teacup..."

I was choked on the spot by the black tea that I had not yet swallowed and quickly pounded my chest.

"Yak! Are you okay??"

"It's okay, it's okay..."

I barely stopped coughing and pretended to be nothing.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

"It's fine."

Natsuki pressed her chest and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Sorry, I'll pay attention next time..."

"Then~ do you want another drink?"

Natsuki picked up the teapot and chuckled. Faced with Natsuki's teasing, I decided to hand out the tea cup and answer in a steady tone:

"Please give me some less candy this time."

We looked at each other and laughed. Then Natsuki picked up the tea cups that were spared on the side and poured two new black teas for us. Then he continued to chat from all over the world, from the changing scenery of the forest to the anecdotes of the streets and even the embarrassing things that happened to me since I was a child.

I tried my best to make Natsuki happy with all kinds of interesting topics, and she couldn't stop smiling, as if there had never been a boundary called "identity" between us, and it was simply a relative friendship.

Until a familiar roar came, interrupting this wonderful time.

"Boy! Didn't you tell me not to run around?? Why don't you go and prepare for a vigil!"

I accidentally ran into Matadra, who was here at Natsuki, and said as a voluntary reminder:

"Princess, you have been resting for too long, and the guests are going back."

"Is it so late?? I'll go back soon."

The seemingly endless night tea party came to an end.

After the dinner, in front of the inner city gate, Duke Casalie Limien was preparing to return to the territory and was saying goodbye to his king and brother.

"Thank you very much for your kind hospitality, Brother Wang."

The elderly King Limien smiled and patted the Duke's back and said:

"Don't be polite, we haven't been together for a long time, but it's a pity that I didn't see Mr. Ling today."

"The child has never been used to attending such occasions. He said he wanted to stay and handle political affairs for me. I think I would rather go back early so that he would not be crushed by the mountain of scrolls."

“Hahaha~!””
Chapter completed!