"You know, I never imagined such a thing could be possible, but every time you go down there and return, I find myself at a loss for words," the Princess of the Garden said, shaking her head in disbelief.
"But are you sure you won't regret your decision? After all, I don't think it will be easy to find a source where you can uncover a sizable amount of knowledge about Naka," The Princess of the Garden responded.
She had witnessed Orion's and Aerialia's obsession with discovering Naka's identity firsthand, so she was curious if they could handle such a setback.
Orion nodded. "I am sure that I won't regret my decision. Your safety is more important to me than uncovering the secrets of whoever Naka is," he responded.
The Princess of the Garden smiled and leaned in to briefly kiss Orion's lips before she pulled back and looked at him. "You have no idea how that makes me feel," she responded.
Orion smiled back. He summoned the Pixies back now that they were done discussing.
"I almost forgot to mention that High King Eldric personally came to invite you to the banquet they'll be having for the return of their god's Divine artefacts to the Pixie race," The Princess of the Garden added.
The Pixies beside her sighed in relief, hearing the Princess of the Garden's words.
"Wouldn't they have a problem pulling off such a celebration with the presence of the Vylkr veil phenomenon?" Orion asked, raising a brow.
"The banquet will only include the high-ranking members of the Pixie kingdom, and then after the Vylkr veil phenomenon has passed, another celebration will be held for citizens," the Princess of the Garden responded.
"Oh! Then what are we waiting for? Let's go," Orion responded.
"We?" The Princess of the Garden said, her eyes widening in surprise.
Orion nodded. "Have you ever been to a banquet?" he asked.
The Princess of the Garden shook her head in response.
"Then that is all the more reason why we must attend this banquet together. Not only will this be your first banquet, but High King Eldric will surely ensure that it's the greatest banquet ever in the Pixie Kingdom due to the significance of its celebration, so it's bound to be an amazing event."
"Also, with me coming along, we can use this opportunity to try something new together," Orion responded, his eyes gleaming excitedly.
He had been thinking about how to make his time with the Princess of the Garden this evening amazing, but he had never expected such an opportunity.
Beside them, the Pixies' eyes widened when they heard Orion's words.
Though the Princess of the Garden had visited the Pixie Kingdom many times, she had never done so in a miniature form. It was because the Princess of the Garden had never requested such a thing, and no one had ever dared to suggest downsizing her to their miniature height.
When they heard Orion's words, their minds began to race. They quickly thought about how to convince the Princess of the Garden to agree to Orion's proposal.
Witnessing the Princess of the Garden's hesitation, Orion inwardly smiled at how cute she looked at that moment.
Orion carefully helped her stand up, then rose to his feet. He knelt on one knee before the Princess of the Garden, taking her right hand in his.
"Princess of the Garden, will you make me the happiest and most satisfied person in this desolate, ruined world by accompanying me to the Pixie Kingdom's banquet?" Orion said with a wide smile.
The Princess of the Garden was stunned by Orion's proposal. She had never witnessed such a thing before and didn't know how to respond.
The Pixies tactically nodded at each other. About nine instantly flew above the Princess of the Garden and Orion, capturing their attention. They then unleashed their natural energy, and suddenly, colourful flower petals poured down from the sky.
Orion raised his eyes skyward slightly and nodded in appreciation.
The Princess of the Garden raised her eyes upwards as well. They widened and brightened before she refocused on Orion. Seeing his smile as the flowers fell around them before disappearing, she felt a throbbing sensation intensely. It rapidly increased, prompting her to stretch her hand to touch her chest, trying to calm down her racing heart.
Seeing that the Princess of the Garden was still hesitant, they paused and nodded thoughtfully at each other. They decided to go all out.
Just as Orion was about to speak, he noticed the flowers had stopped raining down on them, and an intense light shone from above. Raising his head, his view was illuminated by a giant blooming flower with its petals falling off and turning into small shimmering dots like stars that hovered briefly and rotated slowly around them.
Orion withdrew his gaze and focused it back on the Princess of the Garden, who now had tears flowing down her cheeks. Before he could utter a syllable, the Princess of the Garden launched herself towards him, her arms securely wrapped tightly around his shoulders as she leaned in and pulled him towards the ground, screaming —
"YES! I WILL FOLLOW YOU TO THE PIXIE KINGDOM'S BANQUET!"
The Pixies halted their actions and hugged each other in excitement. They couldn't wait to report to the Gardeners Guild that they were part of why the Princess of the Garden had attended the banquet with Orion. They were surely going to be wealthy after completing this task.
Orion lay on the grassy plain with his back, looking up at the teary-eyed Princess of the Garden, whose tears were also staining his cheeks.
"Why are you crying again? Haven't I told you I don't want to see you crying?" Orion asked, stretching his hand to wipe her cheeks.
"I don't know why I am crying… Sniff! Sniff! And I feel so happy. Orion, you make me feel so happy," Aerialia responded, her teary voice resonating as she buried her face on Orion's chest.