The world is changing for us.

Lily panicked at her sudden cries. It was a little awkward that a queen was bowing her head to her.

"Dear, you're a queen now!"

"I don't want you to say that too!" Anne wailed.

Lily looked helplessly at Anne and then at Chen.

He just returned a smile and carried the things Lily wanted to bring to the table.

Anne's aura was quite terrible; Lily could see it in her heart. It must've been tough.

"Dear, have you calmed down? Let's sit on the chair." Lily patted her gently.

After Anne gathered herself and drank some tea, Lily asked her gently. "What's wrong? If you don't mind telling me." She then glanced at Chen before proceeding. "And this ice brick here."

Chen stayed next to Lily and sipped his cup silently.

Anne, in the opposite direction, just looked suspiciously at the two. "Something feels different here."

"Here try these! I know you'll love these!" Lily quickly attacked her with snacks.

Chen bought her too much stuff, but he refuses to let her share them with anyone else. Luckily, she had money Xiao Mei had given her before she left.

"These are from the festival!" Anne said excitedly. "Wait... If it's from the festival, that means you were here before today."

'Though this girl acts ditzy most of the time, she was still smart.'

"Yeah, since I couldn't visit with you trapped in the villa, I ventured around." Lily strung her excuse perfectly.

With Lily's struggle, Chen's lips discreetly curved upwards behind his tea cup. He moved his hand and held hers under the table, letting Lily say what she wanted. He was okay with it.

Lily looked at him, not knowing what to do. She didn't know if she was ready to tell Anne yet.

Anne just stared at them, confused. "Did something happen that I'm not aware of?"

An unknown vibe was in the air.

"W-What are you talking about Anne?" Lily stuttered.

"Aren't you suppose to call me your highness now?"

This girl is sharp at the wrong times! Where was it when she needed to do work?!

Sitting silently, Chen closed his eyes and lifted his cup again to take a sip.

*smooch

An odd sound filled the room.

"..."

Anne and Lily stared blankly at him.

He slowly opened his eyes.

What he lifted wasn't a teacup, but a hand that was supposed to be under the table, now in front of his face, against his lips.

"..."

After a long silence, Lily stood up and blurted, "We're together!"

"..."

The stares from Chen now shifted towards Lily. She was blushing crazily.

Setting her teacup down unstably, her face was stiff. "O-oh my...to think my efforts paid off. So? Since when?" Anne asked Lily curiously.

"...Two days ago. That's why it was too early to tell you." Lily confessed.

"How far have you guys gone?" Anne pried.

"How far—" Lily blushed.

"We slept together..." Chen chimed in. Since it's already come this far, he had nothing else to hide.

"Chen!" Lily glared at him.

Anne tried to hold her shocked expression. "That quick?!?!"

"On the same bed!" Lily defended her innocence. "Nothing else!"

Chen felt wronged. "We kissed." He paused to look at her, one brow raised. "Did we not?"

Lily punched him. 'Are you planning to tell the whole world? Where's your cold silent self?'

A knock silenced the room.

"Sir Chen." The maid said outside.

Chen stood up.

He knew that was his cue to work. Before he left, he patted Lily's hair gently. "Be good. I'll come to fetch you after."

"Then work hard!" Lily brushed everything aside and encouraged him.

"En..." He didn't want to leave again.

After Chen left, Anne quickly asked. "Is it really two days!?!"

"Yes...?" Lily furrowed her brows.

"It doesn't seem like two days! I've never seen Chen looked so docile. It must've been years to get him to be like that!"

Anne couldn't believe it. Was this really him? The man who was feared by many people?

Aside from the palace servants, the king, and Anne herself, everyone else tends to avoid him.

Lily answered her honestly. "I came here about two weeks ago. Even before, he's always been like that."

Anne was left speechless.

"Enough about that." Lily got serious. "About you, what made you so sad?"

"..."

Hearing a subject she was trying to avoid, Anne immediately sported a depressing expression.

"Something I thought I could handle if I loved him enough," Anne replied vaguely.

Lily had guessed a few things, and one of them was most likely bearing a child.

People blessed with magic are thought to have inherited divine blood in their ancestry and have a tough time having children. It was not that they couldn't; it was just harder.

Due to their rare lineage, the royal family and some of the nobility are more prestigious and powerful in this world.

"Dear, it's okay!" Lily reassured her. "It's not that you can't. Just make him try harder! You know who I am, trust me."

"It's not just that..." Anne murmured. There's a lot more. I can't ...I can't tell you because...even you...

Lily saw her reluctance and did not probe any further. She pulled Anne into her arms and patted her hair. "It's okay. There are solutions to your worries; things will solve themselves."

"..." Anne lowered her eyes.

"Now let's enjoy these snacks! I knew you wouldn't be able to enjoy the festival, so I brought it to you!" Lily exclaimed, clasping her hands.

"Don't you mean you? You're more excited than me."

"Don't worry about the trivial details. The fact that there's good food is all you need to know!" Lily began setting up the table with snacks from the bag.

After chatting with tea, they took a walk in the garden before Anne had to leave for her duties, leaving Lily all by herself.

'This is quite boring now and a little lonely.'

It was still early before Chen finish his work. She sat by one of the gazebos in the garden and did some thinking about the future.

Once I get back, I need to tell her ladyship first. Then...maybe its time for the plan to finally make a move.

There was a lot of insecurities of the future.

All the thinking made her sleepy. Lily dozed off with her hand on her head and arm on the table.

A rare chill breeze of the day calmed her heart that she slept for a good couple of hours.

______

It wasn't long before Chen finished work. He made sure to complete it earlier than scheduled and quickly went to look for Lily.

After asking a couple of servants, they led him to the garden. It took him a while to find the right gazebo due to the maze-like structure. It was full of luscious greens and flowers that were tended with the utmost care to last almost all seasons.

Seeing Lily with her head down from afar, he adjusted his pace to walk slowly and quietly.

Chen's shadow covered her from the sun as he hovered over to check. He looked at the person in front of him, sleeping so peacefully without a care in the world.

The beauty of the greenery and colors from the garden became completely plain background in her presence. It was a charming sight.

His heart was melting.

He lowered his eyes and kissed her forehead before carrying her horizontally.

Chen shifted her head to face towards the nape of his neck so the sun wouldn't hinder her sleep again.

As he walked, he looked up towards the sky only to see it so bright and sunny.

The weather was just right and pleasant.

Strolling towards the castle with his special one in his arm was a whole new feeling to him.

Lily, the world is changing for us.

Chen stopped amidst his tracks and looked at her sleeping face again. Then he rubbed his cheek against hers and smiled deeply at her before starting to walk again.

The flower petals whisked along the wind as the sun shined brightly in the clear sky.

It was a beautiful day.