The smile on the prince lips faltered, and something in his mood twitched, not quite masking the surprise.
"She's one of the strangest thinkers I've met," Daita continued. "Honestly, the complete opposite of Minister Muzui. We've always heard how he praises her 'gentle,' 'innocent,' all that. But… she didn't seem like that at all. And with Zuzu's help, I collected a long list of information about her."
Daita stretched lazily, then gave Akira a pointed look. "I'll give it to you. But this time, if you want it, you can't escape from telling me—"
He stopped.
There was a sudden shift in Akira's posture. He wasn't smiling anymore. He sat there still, his head lowered, hands resting on his lap, unusually quiet.
Daita blinked, caught off guard. "Hey… you said you were waiting to hear about this. What happened to you now?"
Akira lifted his head slightly, "She's not the one."
Daita blinked. "Huh?"
"She's not the owner," Akira said again, voice firmer now. "There must be a mistake."
"Mistake? But—" Daita started, confused.
"She can't be the owner!" Akira's voice rose, sharper than intended.
Daita flinched slightly at the sudden intensity but quickly composed himself. The prince, too, seemed to realize he'd let too much slip. He turned away, pressing his lips into a tight line, going silent once more.
Daita glanced at him for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Yes… if you say so. There must be a mistake somewhere. I'll search again."
Akira didn't reply.
A brief pause settled between them, only the soft wind brushing the edge of the palace roof filling the air.
Then Daita sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Hey… you want to know about one funny incident that happened there?"
Akira's head shifted just slightly, enough to show he was listening. Then he gave the smallest nod.
Daita grinned, sensing the shift. "Alright. So I mentioned those two girls, right? This is what happened…"
Akira turned to him now, more alert, curiosity creeping back in. Daita leaned forward, his voice dropping a little as he launched into the story—every detail, every ridiculous turn of events, every bizarre exchange.
And Akira listened quietly, intently, without missing a single word.
Time slipped by unnoticed.
"…And then she followed me all the way, even though she was drunk!" Daita said, eyes wide at the memory. "Stubborn and weird—but Akira, you won't believe this she had a sharp mind, like scarily sharp. She could exactly say my every move, like she was reading a script I didn't know I was following. She even guessed I might be a royal."
Akira placed his chin on his palm, tilting his head slightly, "Did you find her interesting?"
Daita blinked, caught off guard by the question. He paused mid-sentence, then gave a small nod, rubbing his neck. "You… could say that. Though I don't like chaos and she's practically made of it— yeah, she was a bit interesting."
Akira's lips curled into a soft, knowing smirk, but he said nothing. The night breeze rustled quietly around them.
Daita leaned back, his tone turning thoughtful. "She also got hit by that spider demon instead of me… and I was just a stranger. She didn't even think. I can say she saved me—from the pain of that burning venom sting."
Akira's faint smile vanished. His fist clenched slowly in his lap, knuckles paling under the moonlight. Daita noticed it immediately, eyes narrowing a little with intrigue, but he kept his voice light.
"I could've learned more about her if His Majesty hadn't demanded my immediate return," he added with a sigh. "Didn't get the chance. But Akira…"
Daita glanced sideways, mischief creeping into his grin.
"…since you're already so familiar with her, don't you want to share a few words?"
Akira choked violently as if he'd just inhaled those words instead of air. "Me? Familiar with her? I'm—"
"Kriya..."
The prince froze mid-sentence. At the sound of that name, and he turned away in silence.
Daita's voice shifted to steady, serious. "Your return was delayed because you were lost in the forest with her… or should I say, you pretended to be lost just so you could find the cure for her. Since she got stung by the queen bee. Am I right?"
"If you knew already, then why ask?" Akira muttered, tense. "And I didn't—"
"No need to lie." Daita cut him off calmly. "I already asked that bag mule of yours. You asked him about the cure, didn't say the reason and then vanished the next morning. So I'll ask again… why would you take that risk for a stranger? And not just any stranger, a woman. You've avoided them for years for cultivation's sake. What changed? What's bothering me is—"
"I know," Akira interrupted, finally turning to face him. His voice was quiet but firm. "I know what's bothering you."
Daita fell silent.
Akira took a breath. "But nothing can be said now. Not yet. Just trust me… I'll answer your doubts when the time is right and for that… you have to promise me something."
Daita raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"Keep this a secret from His Majesty."
—————
Astra stood at the edge of the riverbank, yawning wide, her eyes still heavy with sleep. The early dawn mist hung low over the rushing water, and lanterns flickered faintly in the hands of the boatmen and passengers bustling about.
"Hurry! This is the only boat to the imperial capital in three days!"
"Are there fishes here?! I smell something weird!"
"Hey! That's my luggage, you thief!"
"Don't push— can't you see it's dark?!"
"How can I see in the dark, genius?!"
Astra blinked groggily, barely processing the noise around her. The boat rocked gently as more people boarded, the wooden planks creaking beneath their hurried footsteps.
"Astra! Wake up from sleep and come here! Everyone's already in!" Kaen's voice carried clearly through the chatter.
She jerked upright. "Coming, coming!"
With a small hop, she jumped aboard only for her foot to catch on the edge. She stumbled forward, letting out a small yelp as she smacked her forehead against a pole.
"Careful!" Ryoma's hand shot out instinctively to steady her.
Astra rubbed her forehead with a grumble, ignored his hand, and marched forward through the cluster of bodies and crates, grumbling under her breath. She finally wedged herself into a small empty space on the floor, pulling her legs tighter and muttering, "It's too early…"
Shion appeared beside Astra without a word, plopping down next to her and handing over a warm dumpling wrapped in a leaf.
"Here. Eat this while it's still hot," he muttered. "You won't be getting another for a while. It's packed rice cakes for the next three days until we reach the capital."
Astra sighed dramatically, then casually reached behind her and wiped her hands on Seiya's back.
"Hey!" Seiya whipped around, glaring. "Did you just—"
She grinned innocently at him, already taking a bite of the dumpling. "Too late now."
Seirou arrived just then, carrying a small lantern. He set it down beside them and leaned lazily against the boat's edge, arms crossed as the vessel gave a lurch and began to drift forward, the water sloshing gently beneath.
The lights of the dock began to fade behind them, swallowed slowly by the thick curtain of mist and the slow turning of the river.
Astra finished the last bite of her dumpling, brushing her hands together with a satisfied hum, then casually reached out toward Seiya's back again.
But this time, Seiya didn't even flinch. He simply pulled out an arrow and pointed it at her without turning his head.
"Try it again if you want to lose an eye," he said flatly.
Astra froze, then slowly drew her hands back and made a goofy face at him, puffing her cheeks and crossing her eyes in mock defeat before turning away with a huff.
A few quiet moments passed, the boat gliding gently down the river, water rippling beneath the lantern's glow.
"So…" Astra finally spoke, hugging her knees. "Where exactly are we going to stay there? I mean—in which part of the capital?"
Seirou glanced at her, arms still folded as he leaned back. "The central part."
Astra gasped. "Central?! But that's the most expensive area!"
"Yeah, but it's also the richest in mana flow," Seirou replied. "If you're worried about expenses, those ghosts and spirits following you aren't going anywhere anytime soon."
Astra glanced left, then right, lips tightening. "…No, I want them gone. My mind's already a storm from their voices." She exhaled heavily, burying her chin between her knees. "I'd pay anything for peace."
Astra's eyes drifted over the horizon where the first blush of dawn painted the sky in soft crimsons and golds. The river shimmered beneath the rising sun, catching its reflection like scattered rubies on silk.
She smiled at the sight and leaned back to enjoy the breeze only to hit her head on the wooden railing behind her. "Oww…" she winced, rubbing the sore spot.
Shion gave her a long look, shaking his head as if this had become a routine. "I don't know what's waiting for us in the future," he muttered under his breath, "but one thing's clear… we're heading straight into a storm."
Astra narrowed her eyes at him but let the comment slide. Instead, she reached into her sleeve and pulled out a small, rolled parchment tied with red thread.
"What's that?" Kaen asked, approaching with Ryoma just behind him. Both of them stopped in front of her as she began to untie the thread.
"It's a list," Astra said, carefully unrolling it, "of people I met here… and what they mean to me. I wrote it before we left, so I won't forget this time. I'll keep it safe and read it often." Her tone softened. "Because this time… I want to keep my memory intact."
For a moment, the morning air seemed to hush around them. Even the creaking of the boat faded into the background.
Kaen glanced back at Ryoma, and something unsaid passed between them. just a quiet exchange of eyes. Then Ryoma nodded confirming something.
At that Kaen sighed in relief and turned back, crouching before Astra with a faint smile. "Astra… I think you won't forget anything this time."