CHAPTER 499: 498. DATE OR DISASTER (4)

Reina and Davian entered a modest looking diner in the same area for lunch. Davian had thought of taking her to an expensive restaurant on the main town center but she had insisted that he food here was better.

They gave their orders and waited, their table was at the far corner since it was crowded because of the festival. However, to Davian this place looked more like a tavern than a diner. There were a lot of men around drinking and playing. Certainly not a place for a young noble lady of Reina’s status to be here.

Davian couldn’t help but look around cautiously and Reina noticed his wariness.

"Please don’t be worried, Your Highness. This place is safe." Reina assured him.

Davian looked at her, watching her so carefree and relaxed he couldn’t help but ask, "Miss Reina, have you been here before?"

Reina smiled, "Yes,"

Davian gave another glance around the place before he leaned ahead placing his hands on the table.

"How long have been here in Denril? Did you come right after Young Duke and all left?" He asked and she chuckled.

"I have been here before that, Your Highness."

Davian was at a loss for words, how could she be there before them? He had seen her see them all off from the Aurelius mansion.

"When?" He pressed and she smiled.

"Let’s just say, Master and I have been here a couple of times." Reina spoke making him go still.

He knew Ocean kept secrets from him but to think he wouldn’t even tell him about Reina being with him for several missions, how could he?!

Davian pushed down his anger while Reina observed the frown that had appeared over his face before it dissipated and she spoke.

"Master isn’t omnipotent after all, he needs capable people who could help him carry out his plans. Usually he only takes Mr Lyall or others with him but since I keep insisting him on taking me along at times, he had brought me along. Denril is indeed quite a beautiful place, I hope there’s no second war."

Reina made a mental note of using half truths and half lies while talking to Davian when she was in her Reina’s form.

Davian seemed like he slowly relaxed before he asked, "Then why don’t you attend the social gatherings? You are friends with young Lady Nash and since your health is also fine you could become an influential figure in the social world."

Reina sighed at that, "Because the noble kids at those gatherings are boring and only want to get acquainted because of my father’s name or to get engaged to me and the adults would only see me as a stepping stone."

Davian stiffened up again, he knew that was the truth, everyone at the social gatherings was there to satiate their greed and the young Lady of Aurelius Duchy would be the perfect person who could become someone that would change the tides of power, especially for Esmertia family.

Aurelius Duchy had maintained a neutral stance but they were related to Fairisles Marquessate by marriage who was a staunch supporter of Prince Eric. Besides, Aurelius Duchy was business partners with Marquis Ocean Ryujin and it wasn’t a secret that they had a share in Oasis Foundation. Having Aurelius on their side would change the tides and since Young Duke Rune’s engagement was settled with the Princess of Konstantinos of Denril then the only one who could become the perfect pawn would be Reina Aurelius.

Besides that she was also a contender for Princess Colette who and with their last encounter it was obvious that they would be against each other.

"Besides, Your Highness also rarely makes an appearance in the social gatherings, apart from the compulsary ones." Reina commented and Davian chuckled sheepishly.

In the past he was only attending when Eric was attending because they were good friends and had been supporting each other since they were the miserable outcasted duo. The two runts would be kicked down by others and later would lick each other’s wounds while shedding tears over their helplessness.

But in present neither of them were miserable or helpless, they both had gathered their own strength and were able to fight the ones who had kicked them down in the past. However, they weren’t together anymore and even if they wanted to it was hard to go back.

Reina noticed the grim expression on his face, she knew Davian and Eric were quite thick in the past but then they drifted apart somehow. Reina had been wanting to ask about it to either of them but she never got a chance.

She watched Davian as he stared down at his hands before she opened her mouth to ask him about it but just as she was, a young man appeared with their food.

"Thank you," Reina smiled and the young man blushed.

He lingered behind after serving them and asked, "Is the Young Miss new in this town? I haven’t seen you around before, have you come here to see the festivities?"

His tone and smile were casual and Reina couldn’t help but chuckle while Davian’s train of thoughts came to a jerking halt and he looked at the young man.

"Yes, I am not from around here. I heard the festival around the capital would be the most beautiful one so, I came."

The young man grinned before he leaned closer to her, "I’m afraid going around on your own would be slightly difficult then, so, I could be your guide and-"

"No need." Davian spoke up, his tone icy and aura sizzling murderously in the air around him.

The young man turned and shuddered instantly as he saw Davian’s eyes glinting dangerously. The violet mist seemed to choke the air around him.

"I-I’m sorry, I thought Young Miss was alone." The poor man quickly apologised. "I had no idea your husband was along, please forgive me, Madam."

The violet mist disappeared at once along with Davian’s murderous intent as he stared at the young man while Reina’s eyebrows jumped.

In the brief moment of being misunderstood as married couple, Davian ended up hearing the sounds of the wedding bells along with the cries of his kids and being called Papa.

"He’s not my husband," she spoke.

The flustered young man fumbled with his words before he blurted, "Y-Your fiance or lover then? I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’ll take your leave then!"

He quickly scurried away while Davian sat in stunned silence and Reina ended up laughing.

His cheeks flushed again and Reina noticed as she picked up her spoon to swirl the soup. She didn’t say anything while Davian who slowly snapped back to reality noticed that.

Reina started eating while Davian couldn’t help but feel his heart sinking, even though they really weren’t married let alone lovers yet but hearing her say that they weren’t married aloud somehow made him feel slightly dejected.

He tried not to let it show on his face but to Reina it was obvious.

"Four years ago," she started to distract Davian, making him look at her.

"Yes?"

"Master Ocean and Mr Lyall came to Denril at that time while Master Ocean was busy dealing with the politics of the nobles and royal court here, Mr Lyall had set up a branch of information guild here to maintain the network."

Davian’s eyes grew wide as saucers as he heard that, watching it practically didn’t click into his mind but now that Reina said it, he did realise that the man couldn’t have been simply a planted mole here.

"Since Master couldn’t do it himself because he was busy, he had assigned Mr Lyall to take control of this area which was once the poorest part of the capital where the criminals thrived. The Boss that I mentioned earlier wasn’t exactly Master Ocean but Mr Lyall who is the leader of this place."

Davian leaned ahead, interested now.

"Mr Lyall sure is a man of strength, I can almost see him beating the criminals here. He is probably the only other man apart from Master Ocean who could take on the rogue shifters alone."

Reina’s eyes glinted hearing the praise about her/Ocean’s right-hand man and she couldn’t help but add.

"He is pretty strong, isn’t he? He had been with m-Master Ocean for years and is the most reliable and trusted man. Everyone in Ryujin and Oasis respect him and even his daughter is striving hard to be strong enough..."

Reina trailed off while Davian watched her, he felt slight jealous but he could see that she liked Lyall quite a bit and also respected and felt proud of her. It was as if she was bragging about him.

Davian’s eyes softened as he watched her and inadvertently ended up saying, "What about me?"

Reina stopped and it was after a couple of seconds of saying it did he realise what he said.

His face flushed again and he looked down at his food.

"Ah... That... um..."

He couldn’t come up with any logical excuse as he fumbled with his words and Reina chuckled. At this point, Davian almost prayed to have the expertise of lying as Ocean to get out of this situation.

Reina stopped laughing before he placed her elbows over the table, smiling at him.

"Your Highness is also an admirable and strong man. You have been courageous enough to take up the position of Grand Duchy when His Grace and Her Grace weren’t available, you were patient to wait for them and you even waved a war to save your parents. I admire the love you have for the people you cherish. You feel like the kind of a man who would change the tides if it means to protect your loved ones. I’m kind of jealous of the lady who will marry you though, title aside but she would be your Queen."

Davian’s heart pounded in his chest and blood roared in his ears as he stared at Reina who just said the words that strung him up to the highest of the heavens and then suspended him there.

He tried his best to not reach out and hold her right then and there, he pulled his arms back down to his lap under the table, clenching his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned whiter than snow.

"You..." He spoke in a voice so low that it might have been taken by the wind, "You don’t need to be jealous." of yourself.

Reina looked at him before she smiled and Davian couldn’t help but feel the ache growing his chest. Being famished for ages when one is faced with the hearty meal it would take a tantamount of strength to hold oneself back. That was what, Davian was going through right now.

After they were done eating they walked out of the diner and strolled around different stalls, Reina watched around feeling rather relaxed as Davian stayed by her side keeping the stray bumping shoulders away from her.

The bits of snow had started drifting down and people opened their umbrellas while the kids gleefully ran around enjoying the merry atmosphere.

Davian’s hand was grasping Reina’s small one and he couldn’t help but feel as if her hands were icy. He slowly unhooked the cloak from his shoulders before placing it on her shoulders.

"It’s getting cold." He spoke and Reina smiled.

"I don’t get cold, Your Highness. I’m a Frost mage." She said as she removed the cloak from her shoulders and stepped closer to Davian.

Davian stiffened up as she enveloped his broad shoulders with the cloak with her warm breath hitting his face. His fists clenched at his sides but his neck slowly craned his face drawing a little closer to hers.

Reina’s throat went dry as her heart picked its pace, for a moment, she was frozen feeling Davian’s gaze on her face. She forgot what she was doing or what she was going to do.

Her pupils shivered slightly before fixing on the pendant on Davian’s chest.

"Th-This is pendant is quite pretty." She spoke as she quickly withdrew her arms and stepped back.

Davian blinked snapping back to reality as he reached out and touched the pendant which was actually the crest of Saintess Mirielle and the water Dragon. Ocean had bought and blessed it for him.

"Ah, this... it was a gift from Master," Davian said averting his eyes.

Reina smiled, "That’s why, I feel Master’s mana on it, he must have blessed it for your protection."

The awkward air persisted and Davian started removing the pendant, "I-I’ll give it to you since I am fine without it."

Reina looked at him and reached out holding his hand before he could remove the pendant.

"No, keep it!"

The two froze again. The flush appeared on Davian’s hand where Reina’s touch lasted and Reina’s face too started growing hot.

"Erm... I mean, Master gave it to you as a gift and it’s not good to give away someone’s thoughtful gift." Reina quickly said and Davian relaxed.

"Yes..."

The two fell into awkward silence again before Davian suggested, "Wh-Why don’t we go back to the main market square? We can see some more things."

Reina didn’t care about what he meant and just nodded to avoid the awkwardness.

It was rare but Reina’s human side was reacting to the certain stimulus. One would wonder what kind of fun it would be in future to see it evolve. The Preserver who watched in silent amusement couldn’t help but smile.