The Fine Line Between Formal and Flirtatious

The Fortress Nation Duranzia is one of the two major countries in the western region of the Central Continent.

It's ruled by King Felmus and stands out as one of the more diverse nations in that part of the continent. This is partly because it has vassal nations that are allied with various races, including dwarves.

With a population of around 20 million, the nation needs a strong and large economy to support its people and keep the nation thriving.

"Our nation is known for being very wealthy in the Western Hemisphere of the Central Continent. Our economy mostly revolves around these…"

Princess Luciana held up a large shard of turquoise crystal to show Prince Vritra. She had a bright smile that revealed all her white teeth as she walked next to him along the opulent streets of Velvana.

"Oho~? Tell me more…" Vritra responded.

The princess giggled and continued.

"Well, this is Tealstone. It's a special magic mineral found only in the caverns across our nation.

"It's incredibly tough… ten times harder than diamond. When it absorbs solar energy, it stores it and turns it into pure magic energy. This makes it a great energy source for uses in various fields of Magic Engineering.

"In fact, discovering how it converts energy is what allowed us to create our first weapon and put us on the map."

As Princess Luciana chatted cheerfully with a bright smile and an angelic demeanor, Vritra grew more intrigued. He casually draped his arm over her slender shoulders while they walked together, almost like a couple.

Neron stood behind them, keeping a respectful distance.

… Oh?

When he noticed his young lord putting his arm around Princess Luciana, his eyebrows lifted in surprise.

『Hrmm, Lady Lilith won't like this…』

The old man closed his eyes and gave a mild, knowing smile.

Back to the princess, her cheeks were flushed bright red, as if they were stained. She felt unsure of how to behave around Prince Vritra, especially with him so close.

『Oh my goodness, I feel like I'm going to faint… God, Vritra is so uncomfortably close, and it's making me feel really strange. I just can't understand why he's doing this.』

Her shoulders tensed up, and she tried to clasp her hands together, holding the large tealstone between them.

… Hnnn

Now, she couldn't find the words to speak and could only look down, her pretty eyes fixed on her glass-like slippers.

Prince Vritra noticed how red her face had become, almost like a tomato, and found it quite appealing.

He pulled her closer and smiled smugly.

"Hm? What's the matter, princess? Keep telling me about these tealstones and the weapons your nation produces… I'm listening, so don't lose my interest."

The closeness between them…

The subtle scent of rosewater he carried…

The oddly sexy deepness of his voice…

It made her feel a strange excitement she didn't even realize she had, and she wanted to squeal.

『NO! That would be so cheap of me!』

But her mind just wouldn't let her give in that easily.

『What would Lady Fumiko say if one of her biggest fans couldn't act like a strong woman who isn't easily swayed by a man's roguish charms, hmph! I really should do better. Even when Rameo tried to charm Juleen with his bad boy attitude, she didn't give in easily!』

Princess Luciana covered her mouth with a small hand and cleared her throat loudly and dramatically.

… AHEM!

"Uh, yes, of course," she managed to say.

The princess might have said this and tried to act like she didn't care or wasn't affected by his intimate actions, but she couldn't help but stare at the young lord's height and his well-defined collarbone.

『He… he looks far more masculine than Prince Lumis.』

After that, she turned his attention back to the tealstone she was holding.

"Well, a-, as I was saying, our nation's militia were the first to get the Magic Auto-Cannons developed by the dwarven engineers in Grimbarrow, the Gun City.

"These magic weapons fire powerful magic bullets that can penetrate walls one to two meters thick. They also made some strong bow-shot weapons.

"Oh! Also, we have Tealstone-crystallized spears from the Spear City of Pikefort."

Prince Vritra nodded approvingly.

"It looks like Gun City is quite a remarkable vassal state. I'm interested to learn more about it later, but for now, let's focus on enjoying ourselves a bit more, shall we?"

"A-, A bit more fun…?"

"Well, definitely. This is a date, after all, so let's make it enjoyable and not talk so much about politics."

"But… you were the one who said…"

"Yes, yes, I know what I said."

The young Asura looked ahead, maintaining a slight smile on his face.

Princess Luciana stared at him.

『I really can't understand you, God Vritra…』

She was a bit puzzled by what was going on.

『Is this just a formal arrangement, or is there something more to it…? I-, Sigh~ I really can't tell…』

One moment, he mentioned that this was her chance to convince him why an alliance with their nation was a good idea, and the next, he dismissed that idea and suggested making it a traditional date instead.

She didn't enjoy being kept in the dark, but there was something about the way this handsome man confused her that left her completely captivated.

"You're staring…" Vritra said with a teasing tone.

The princess's cheeks flushed red as soon as she heard him, and she quickly averted her eyes, pretending to fix her already perfectly arranged hair.

Seeing this, the young lord couldn't help but chuckle.

『She's so inexperienced it's almost laughable…』

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Some minutes later…

Being the royal capital of Duranzia, Velvana was famous for having some of the best chefs in the kingdom.

This was because the most talented chefs preferred to set up their fine dining restaurants close to the king, making it easier to deliver a meal worthy of his refined taste to the Armed Palace.

Because of this, smaller and less skilled chefs were pushed to move their eateries to other parts of the nation, as it was the only way they could earn a living. Neither royalty nor the nobles in the capital would ever visit their establishments.

This is one of the reasons why Velvana became a privileged city, suited only for the nobility lifestyle.

Presently…

Prince Vritra and Princess Luciana sat across from each other at a long table draped in a pristine white tablecloth, adorned with softly glowing candles and beautiful flowers.

Special dishes were already set in front of them, and now they were both smiling softly at each other.

Butler Neron stood behind Vritra, nodding to the chef to signal that he could begin speaking.

"U-, Uh, yes!"

The chef was extremely nervous.

In front of him were the princess of his nation and the young lord of a powerful Asura household from the Hell Continent.

This moment could either make or break the future of his restaurant, and more than anything, he wanted it to be something he could proudly boast about to his rivals.

If Prince Vritra hadn't hidden his horns before coming, as Butler Neron had suggested, the chef would certainly have fainted on the spot. He didn't have solid proof that the black-haired man sitting in his restaurant was Prince Vritra, but if he was with Princess Luciana, it had to be him.

On top of that, the man's blood-red eyes made the chef tremble like a feather in a storm.

The gaze of an Asura could easily make any lesser creature feel like prey about to be hunted.

He was sure he would've wet himself if it weren't for the angelic and calming presence of the princess.

『Goodness gracious, how can one be so fortunate and unfortunate at the same time…?』

The chef went all out to make sure the young lord was satisfied, whether he requested it or not. He extended the working hours for all his staff, cleared out the entire restaurant, and even asked the nobles who had reservations or were already eating to leave.

To him, serving the princess and the young lord was worth more than catering to the entire nobility in his restaurant!

… AHEM!

The chef cleared his throat.

"Today, we've prepared a variety of original dishes inspired by the greatness of Her Royal Highness and the powerful God Vritra. We hope you enjoy them."

That was all he had to say, but it felt like a huge effort, almost like climbing a mountain.

Prince Vritra picked up his fork and opened his dish.

"You can leave now. I don't want the stench of your sweat ruining my food."

The chef heard this and nodded vigorously.

"YES, GOD VRITRA!"

He quickly exited the room.

Princess Luciana watched the chef hurry away like a panicked pig, then turned back to Vritra with a slight frown.

"What's the matter?" Vritra asked.

Looking a bit proud and nonchalant, Luciana opened her own dish and picked up her fork.

"Oh, nothing. I just thought you could've been nicer to that man. After all, he did prepare this wonderful meal for us."

She looked at her dish, which featured a unique seafood and vegetable mix.

Vritra raised an eyebrow.

"Be nicer? I hardly treat you well, so why would I treat human filth like him any better? Think more, my princess."

He then used his fork to cut into the fried fish and took a small bite. He had a slight frown, but it wasn't because the dish was bad… actually, it was excellent.

The issue was with him.

『Ugh, I've eaten so many fancy dishes over the past four months that I'm really starting to miss my old salaryman days. Back then, the best I could afford was instant ramen, or if I was lucky, a big, juicy cheeseburger.』

A heavy sigh escaped his breath.

Butler Neron leaned in and whispered into Prince Vritra's ear.

"Young lord, this is your first date with the princess. Maybe you should try being a bit nicer to her. Who knows, you might end up bedding her like you shamelessly did with their head maid, Esmeralda."

Vritra's eyebrows shot up.

『HE KNOWS──?!』

His grip on his fork relaxed.

Neron's expression grew more intense as he leaned closer and spoke in a nearly threatening tone.

"Yes, I know. And judging by your reaction, you're aware that Lady Lilith won't be pleased to hear about you sleeping around with women, especially humans."

Vritra's eyebrows twitched. He shoved more fish into his mouth and swallowed hard. "So… how do I be nicer?"

Neron's stern face immediately softened into a pleasant smile when he saw Vritra's willingness.

"Just give her a small compliment. That shouldn't be too hard for you, young lord."

Vritra nodded and turned back to face the princess.

"Luciana…"

"Y-, Yes, God Vritra?"

"It seems you've been eating a lot these days. Your breasts… they're almost as huge as Esmeralda's."

"… Eh?"

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(T/N): Will post two more chapters today, and will make an announcement later on :)