People only see what they want to see

To be honest Michael clearly wasn't so fixated on the book now, as much as Rhea was, so he could let go.

but he surprisingly didn't feel like doing so.

quite unlike his usual persona, he had a playful desire to tease this stubborn girl.

Rhea felt an itch in her heart, she had never been so annoyed before, and dragging the book with more strength she found out it wouldn't budge, she couldn't move this boy.

what was this?

As probably the most talented of their generation she knew all the talents of the royal family.

this boy wasn't among them and although his face was familiar, she didn't even know his name.

Although of the giant species, male had more physical strength while females were more agile, but again as probably the most talented of the generation maybe only the second or third or at most fourth most talented who were male could best her in strength, right?

Feeling the increasing strength from the other end Michael chuckled.

His smirk, his chuckles, hitting deep in Rhea as taunts, pointing her finger with her other hand at Michael she said in an aggrieved tone, " let's fight for it "

Michael burst into laughter.

Typical Giant mentality, battle, and again unlike his usual low key self he surprisingly decided to, this Rhea was really quite talented and strong, he wanted to see how he measured to the widely acknowledged top genius of the fire giant clan.

But he wasn't going to make it easy for her to get the fight, after all the book was his to use.

He had taken it first.

he had no reason to indulge her and although he was, going to indulge her with the fight, but not without teasing.

No ,no, provoking her.

" Why should I? ", Michael said with a sneer.

" It's giant way to settle disputes with a battle, aren't you a royal, have you no honor ", said Rhea.

Which giant wasn't hot blooded to settle things with their fist, especially those of the more aggressive noble or royal bloodline.

Which giants didn't use their strengths to think and settle disputes, right!, maybe the more experienced and knowledgeable elderly ones didn't, she had seen her father handle matters by thinking, but of their younger generation that couldn't control their boiling blood, this was the norm right!

Rhea felt she was punching a cotton ball with her fist, just indenting it then it returned to it's previous form.

Not quite used to kind of used to this kind of situation, young Rhea's eyes was already teary.

Usually any issue she had with their peers all ended up with whose fist was bigger.

It wasn't that Rhea was daft.

She was very intelligent.

But concerning human relations and complicated social interactions the young lady didn't know how to react.

And the sneer on Michael, it was so painful.

She almost wanted to just punch the boy!

But she couldn't just do so, she had her pride as a giant and her own personal pride, she couldn't just resort to violence because he didn't want to fight, and truthfully he took the book first.

She couldn't just do so.

She felt so aggrieved.

Young Rhea only just a little kid, and genius or not was only 9 years, burst into little sobs.

Michael froze at this, why was this pretty lady genius of the Fire clan crying, wasn't she meant to be tough.

Couldn't she handle a bit of teasing!

Michael quite mature beyond his peers and age didn't realize they were both kids, and Rhea genius or not was just 9 years.

Michael didn't know how to react to this kind of situation, frozen, feeling quite distressed at making a little girl cry.

And when the tears kept on a while, Michael couldn't help but feel his heart squeeze, feeling like a bad naughty bully.

Taking every textbook knowledge he knew about consoling children, he brought out a sweet crystal lollipop from his ring storage, opening it he handed it to the young lady while patting her head.

" It's ok, you can have the book, don't cry ", Michael said in the softest voice he could muster.

How did it all get to this!, looking at the snot and tears filled pretty face of the most talented genius of the fire giant clan, he smiled wryly.

....

The faces of those in the flower hall twitched at the story, this was quite different from the numerous scenarios they had imagined, who would have known this two had even known each other for years.

And this kind of encounter sounded like almost straight out a fairytale.

From teasing to tears, this was how they met.

Rhea blushed at the story, it was really quite embarrassing.

The gazes of the Queen and the women of the hall including Rhea's mother were complicated.

This was the beginning? then they had known each for a long while, and they were just knowing now.

Secret friends and secret lovers, the Fire giant Queen thought, the same thought subtly echoing in the mind of rest in the hall too.

Why did they think so, simple.

Rhea was well known in the royal family, she was in the spotlight.

Very talented and strong, she was the younger generation's spotlight.

Michael on the other hand, also a royal by birth, was quite unknown and those that likely knew him did so, for not awakening and as untalented, literally out of the spotlight.

Yet these two had collided, and formed an intimacy.

To be honest, trying to recall if they had ever seen the two together was hard, it was almost like they hadn't.

Michael wouldn't know what was going on in their mind, but if he did, he would answer the question.

True, yes in a way, he and Rhea were seldom together, one they lived in the different home planets, two while Rhea was at the forefront of their peers, Michael was out of the limelight.

But over the years, they have communicated quite a lot, sending messages, video calls, and keeping tabs.

And if any of those in the hall could check the records of the royal library it would be seen that Michael and Rhea had visited over the years, anytime they came to the main world, regularly, at the same duration.

Sometimes they had even seen each other openly, though just not frequent, it was just that Rhea was visible and Michael was subtly ignored.

Hence nobody noticed their relationship.

After all, people really only saw what they want to see.