Chapter 98: Sweet & Delicious Visit

The morning sun filtered through the curtains, casting a gentle glow over the room. Kai stirred, slowly opening his eyes to find Ray sitting next to his bed, a warm smile on his face.

"Good morning," Ray greeted. "Everyone else went to see the preparations for the festival starting tonight, so I stayed back to take you with me."

As he finished speaking, a familiar voice came from behind the door. "I stayed back as well to accompany the two of you. Let's get going now. We shouldn't make them wait."

Kai turned to the door, understanding Ferio waiting for the two. Ray sighed, looking at Kai. "There you have it now. Let's go. The people of the duchy want to see you as well. So, it's better you don't wear that thing today." He pointed at the wig Kai often wore.

Kai momentarily thought about it, then smiled and nodded. After some time, Kai emerged from his room with Ray, feeling more confident. Ferio looked over the two of them and grinned. "Wow, looking handsome now, aren't you two?" He glanced at Kai again. "Especially you, Kai. I didn't see your face clearly since your bangs were down, but you look just like what your dad did back in the day."

A thought struck Ray as he turned to Ferio. "Uncle Ferio, you said Uncle Hiro was a playboy. But what does that mean?"

Ferio chuckled lightly. "Guess being a royal now, no one taught you some of the common stuffs. You see, Hiro wasn't the relationship type, but more of a flirtation-ship type."

Ray paused, his eyes widening in surprise. "W-W-Wait, really?!"

Ferio nodded. "Yes, but Hiro changed thanks to Sakura. He would have been still like that, if he didn't meet Sakura."

Ray took a moment to imagine this revelation. "To think that Uncle Hiro, who is always devoted to Aunt Sakura, was like that..."

Ferio patted Ray on the back. "It was in the past now. But yes, the girls were drawn to him because of his handsome looks. And Kai here has inherited that from him, so..." Ferio and Ray both gave Kai a suspicious look.

Kai sighed and raised his hands in the air, projecting words that formed in front of him: "I'm a relationship type, not flirtation ship type, alright?"

Ferio laughed, clapping Kai on the shoulder. "Good to hear, Kai. Now, let's go. The festival preparations await."

The trio set out, ready to join the others and immerse themselves in the vibrant festivities of the duchy.

The three of them climbed into a carriage, ready to head to the central plaza. As they settled in, the carriage began to move smoothly along the cobblestone streets. Kai pulled out a sandwich from his bag and started eating, savoring the flavors.

Ray, noticing Kai's meal, looked over with curiosity. "Where's my portion?" he asked, half-jokingly.

Kai paused, then reached into his bag and handed Ray an apple. Ray sighed dramatically, taking the apple with a resigned smile. "I guess this will do," he muttered, while Kai continued to enjoy his sandwich.

Ferio, meanwhile, kept glancing out the carriage window, a look of urgency on his face. He seemed distracted; his attention fixed on something unseen.

Ray leaned closer to Kai and whispered, "Doesn't Uncle Ferio seem a bit restless?"

Kai nodded, his voice coming over the earpiece. "Seems like he has something very important to do."

Ray, trying to stifle a grin, whispered back, "Maybe he wants to go to the bathroom?"

Kai lowered his head, a smile clearly tugging on his lips, "Didn't he go this morning?"

They exchanged amused glances, trying to hold back their laughter. The carriage bumped along the road, their quiet giggles blending with the rhythmic clatter of the wheels.

As they neared the central plaza, the excitement of the festival preparations grew more palpable. The streets were bustling with activity, vendors setting up stalls and colorful decorations being hung all around. The anticipation in the air was infectious, filling the trio with a sense of eager anticipation.

After some time, the carriage came to a stop, and the trio stepped out. Kai was in his wheelchair, with Ray behind him, pushing it along. Ferio walked ahead, leading the way with a noticeable urgency in his step.

As they moved through the bustling streets, Ray leaned down and whispered to Kai, "Isn't uncle walking pretty fast?"

Kai replied through the earpiece, "Now I'm sure it's very urgent for him."

Ray smirked and whispered back, "Bathroom, right?"

Kai lowered his head, smiling to himself, and Ray tried to look away, holding back his laughter.

After a short walk, they arrived in front of a quaint pastry shop. Ray's eyes lit up in recognition. "Woah, this place is still the same," he exclaimed. Turning to Kai, he added, "Kai, you will love the sweets here."

Kai wondered to himself, thinking that there must be a good chef inside. As they entered the shop, Ferio was the first to rush in, looking around eagerly. Kai and Ray followed, and were greeted by the delightful aroma of freshly baked pastries.

Inside, they saw Hiro, Sakura, Elysia, Ana, Lala, and Karina all enjoying a variety of sweets. It looked like the whole shop was booked for them only, Ray called out to them, and they looked over, smiling warmly.

Ana and Elysia excitedly waved. "We saved some sweets for you two!" they called.

Sakura stood up and walked over, taking hold of Kai's wheelchair. "Ray, you should get some rest now as well," she said, gently guiding Kai ahead to join the group. Ray followed behind, grateful for the brief respite.

As Kai approached the table, he noticed Karina staring at him in disbelief. When their eyes met, Kai gave her a warm smile. Karina blushed deeply and turned to Lala next to her, asking, "Is he really Kai?"

Lala nodded, smiling. "Ah right, you always saw him with his hair down, right? That's why you didn't see how he actually looks like."

Karina glanced back at Kai, who was now eating a slice of cake. He caught her looking at him again and smiled, causing her to blush even more. Just then, a cheerful voice broke the moment.

"I'm really happy to see you all enjoying my sweets in my shop," the voice said. Turning towards the source, Kai noticed a woman with fair skin, wearing a red frock with a white apron over it. Her clear obsidian eyes sparkled, and her shiny brown hair framed her smiling face as she approached the group with a tray filled with glasses of juice.

She placed the tray on the table and exclaimed, "It's been a long time since you guys came here. And you even brought new customers this time!"

Hiro thanked her, saying, "It's all because your sweets taste so great that they make us want to come here often."

Sakura nodded in agreement. "That's true. And also, meet him," she said, looking at Kai. "This is my son, Kai. The one I told you about."

The woman looked at Kai in surprise. "Wow, you look exactly the same as Hiro did back in his time."

Hiro laughed heartily. "Right. He took my handsome looks, didn't he?"

The woman chuckled softly and looked at Kai again. "Right, I didn't introduce myself." She bowed gracefully.

Just as she was about to introduce herself, Ferio suddenly ran over and hugged her from behind, exclaiming, "Marielle!! I was looking for you everywhere!!"

The woman struggled to regain her balance and looked over her shoulder at Ferio. "Stop surprising me like this from behind!" she said with a hint of exasperation.

Ferio rubbed his cheek against hers affectionately. "But I just missed you so much... And how can I be away from you when that guy is here?" He glared pointedly at Hiro.

Except for Sakura and the woman, everyone else turned to look at Hiro. Hiro sighed heavily and glared back at Ferio. "Guess yesterday's beating wasn't enough for you, right?"

The tension in the room was palpable, but it was clear there was also a deep, albeit contentious, bond between Ferio and Hiro. The rest of the group watched the exchange, unsure whether to laugh or be concerned.

The woman then sighed, gently detaching herself from Ferio's embrace. "Both of you, behave," she said sternly, though her eyes twinkled with amusement.

Ferio huffed but stepped back, a reluctant smile playing on his lips. "Fine, fine. I just wanted to see my lovely Marielle."

Sakura chuckled softly, shaking her head. "Some things never change," she murmured, glancing affectionately at the group.

Kai looked at Ferio and the woman with an understanding smile. Ray, sitting beside, spoke up, "Right, I forgot to mention. Uncle Ferio has a wife as well. And that's her, Aunt Marielle." Ray gestured towards the couple, prompting Kai to turn back to them.

Marielle bowed to Kai, introducing herself properly this time. "It's a pleasure to meet you, young duke. My name is Marielle, this shop's owner."

Kai nodded with a polite smile, appreciating her warm introduction. But Ferio came in between, saying she was his wife as well, but Marielle took a hold of him, saying not to disturb the customers.

The group laughed, before retreating to tasting the delightful sweets made for them. In between bites, there were moments when Ferio would come too close to Marielle, only to be playfully scolded by her. It was a fun spectacle, bringing laughter and light-heartedness to the group.

After some time, the group was ready to leave and explore the festival. Marielle and Ferio tagged along, adding to the lively atmosphere. As they walked through the bustling streets, they encountered various stalls selling all kinds of foods, each more enticing than the last.

On their way, the group met a street painter offering to do their portraits. Ferio eagerly dragged Marielle along, somewhat forcefully convincing her to have their painting done together. He attempted to persuade her to make some eccentric poses with him, but Marielle rejected all his suggestions, insisting on a simple, classic painting.

Watching Ferio's repeated failures brought giggles from the girls, who whispered to each other about how funny Ferio was when he was with Marielle. Kai and Ray observed with amusement, smiling at the spectacle.

Ray sighed softly, murmuring, "Only if Nino was here as well..."

Kai gave Ray a reassuring pat, the bond between friends evident in the unspoken understanding between them.

Just as Ray sighed, someone from behind rushed at him, pulling him into a tight embrace. Ray was caught off guard, surprised along with the rest hearing the commotion. As they all turned towards the sound, they saw Ray on the ground, looking up at the person who had rushed at him. To his surprise, it was none other than Nino.

"Surprise!!" she exclaimed cheerfully, clutching onto Ray's shirt as she hugged him.

"Nino!?" Ray was astonished but quickly wrapped his arms around her. "How did you get here? Didn't you have work back at the academy?"

Nino chuckled softly, looking up at him with sparkling eyes. "I finished everything and came straight here!" she said, smiling. As Ray blushed, his cheeks turning red, Nino spoke again, her voice softening. "I just... missed you so much that I wanted to see you right away, Ray."

Something in Ray's mind snapped. He picked her up in his arms, Nino's hands resting on Ray's shoulders as she blushed. "I missed you too, Nino," Ray said, his voice filled with emotion. "All this time, I kept thinking, if only you were here with me."

Nino's voice became low and soft. "Really?" she asked, her eyes wide with wonder.

Ray nodded, leaning in towards Nino, and she did the same. They were about to share their moment, their lips inches apart when a painting canvas flew between them, breaking the spell.

They looked in the direction of the canvas's source and saw Kai smirking, his projected words floating in the air: "It's better you two get a room."

Around them, the crowd of people giggled and smiled at the scene. Karina and Lala stood blushing, with Lala covering Ana's eyes. Hiro and Sakura stood nearby, smiling, with Sakura shielding Elysia's eyes. Marielle and Ferio were also smiling, and Ferio remarked with a smirk, "Wow, so the young, shy Ray has now turned out to be such a passionate lover, huh."

Ray started to blush deeply along with Nino, who slowly stepped away from him, feeling the heat of the moment and the eyes on them.

The atmosphere lightened with laughter and smiles, the playful interruption adding to the joyful spirit of the festival.

-To be Continued