CHAPTER 30: TRUE FEELING

"Zeliker, try this. This one is called Mariana Tresses. It has pandan flavour and is not that sweet." Stiria told him while giving him a piece of small rectangle cake.

Zeliker tasted it and he felt it was good. "Let's add this to our kitchen for afternoon dessert."

Both of them were inside a pastry store because Stiria wanted to buy some sweets and eat them while they walked around.

Stiria nodded and understood. Zeliker means to add this dessert inside their mansion. She was going to pull her wallet out but he brought out a gold coin first and gave it to a young man who was the staff there.

"S, Sir, this, this is too much." The staff said with a small sweat.

The gold coin would amount to half of their selling pastries and cakes.

"Pack it. I'll take these types and half of that side. If it is not enough, please tell me." Zeliker replied while looking at other pastries.

The staff was stunned for a moment before he was ecstatic.

"This gold coin is enough sir! We will pack it all immediately!" The staff bowed and then left to tell other staff to help him pack.

"Why did you buy so much?" Stiria whispered to him.

"Don't worry. In the mansion, we have the slowest time for the kitchen area. So, no matter how long you stay in it, your time there will be slower than in other areas." Zeliker explained.

She was astonished. It's no wonder that Silvert can make sweets in just fifteen to half an hour. Usually, it would take more than 45 minutes to finish one type. They, who were waiting in the dining room, would not realise the time difference there.

"Ah, yes. My room and the wilderness also have a slower time." He told her.

"Why your room?" Stiria was a little confused about it.

"For resting…" He answered honestly.

"I see. Silvert's abilities are really amazing."

Zeliker nodded. "That's what I told him when we first met. He has devalued himself too much."

"If it wasn't for you, what would have happened to him?"

"Torture to the death."

Stiria gasped in horror. "Why?"

She didn't know that Silvert was a mid-rank demon in the past and almost got himself punished to the death for failing his task. Zeliker explained it to her about it. Once she knew it, her expression turned to sadness and sympathy. Then, she looked so relieved and happy.

"Thank you for saving him, Zeliker. You're the saviour." She smiled at him.

Zeliker, who looked at her bright smile, was startled and in trance like before. He snapped out of it when the same staff called for him. Zeliker nodded to her and then went to talk with the staff.

He actually had a slight embarrassment suddenly and he didn't know why. His heart's even exhilarating. The staff noticed Zeliker's face was a bit red and a little bit concerned for him.

"Sir, are you alright? Your face is a little red." He told Zeliker.

Zeliker was stunned before he answered. "I'm fine. Is this all?"

"Yes! Thank you very much for buying from our store. Would you like us to send them to your home directly? You only need to tell us your address and our carrier will send it immediately."

"No need," Zeliker said before he turned around.

The packing of boxes disappeared in the blink of everyone's eyes. His action shocked them too but he didn't see it.

"Let's go." He told Stiria who was waiting at the entrance door.

Stiria, who could see people's astonishment and fear from the staff and the customers' expressions, hurriedly hug Zeliker's left arm and walked them out quickly. It seems everyone in the store will be in a panic soon. That's because Zeliker's presence as a royal demon was not known but there were some rumours about him.

The rumours about his capture and then about his presence near the royal children, spread after some people from the demon clan noticed him during the friendly match. The rumours died down because her father had ordered the guards to silence them.

Then, another rumour about him going to the Drick Kingdom disguised as Xcerox bodyguards was known. Stiria and Miulwess don't understand how such a thing was leaked and wonder if it has something to do with their father. They ordered Riseptos, Frix and Ashla to watch if the rumours might give a bad expression on Zeliker.

And it did but a few were complaining about Zeliker endangering them all while the rest seemed astonished by his performance. And the recent rumour was Zeliker rescuing a baby, kidnapped by a robbers group. This news startled her and her friends.

How could such a thing be known?

Currently, people in Antonia City think that Zeliker wasn't a royal demon at all and only a brave human while a demon subordinate helped him do all those things. They were unable to believe a royal demon would be kind and generous to save a human baby.

After some time, the rumour dies down again. Stiria was worried another rumour might spread again. Especially since she was with Zeliker alone and her people may not recognise her now but it will later after some investigation from them. Now, she was trying to ensure they were not followed or seen by those in the cake store.

She didn't see that Zeliker had stiffened the moment she hugged his left arm. As for Zeliker, his attention was on her with widened eyes. He felt her soft and thin hands on him.

His body turned numb and he didn't know how he managed to follow her steps. He snapped out of it because he heard loud gasping and crying out coming from behind.

"Zeliker, no need to look. Walk with me." Stiria didn't allow him to turn his head because she knew what mess they had made there.

She made a small run while pulling Zeliker along. They finally stopped when they reached a little far from the store and walked toward a secluded place with fewer people.

"What happened?" He asked her in confusion.

Stiria let out a sigh. She had forgotten to ask Zeliker to wear a wig or something to hide his black hair. Zeliker's identity will make a big commotion later on. She hopes when Zeliker leaves, they would calm down again.

"Stiria, are you worried that my identity would scare everyone?" His sudden question startled her.

She snapped her head at him.

"You don't need to hide me. Someday, I will be known to everyone as someone who your father had trusted. Me revealing myself now would not be a big deal." He told her that it was nothing to be worried about.

Stiria was embarrassed by his keenness and looked away from him.

"And I know lots of humans are unable to treat me like normal because I am a royal demon… But I am not sad or unhappy. I am so relieved to have met you all."

Stiria nodded before she frowned at him.

"Why are you like this so suddenly?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" Zeliker was confused.

"You're spoken so politely. This is unusual." She felt the Zeliker in front of her was acting strangely.

Zeliker blushed and growled. "Is it wrong? Alright, I'm not used to acting like this. So, forget everything I said."

He thought he was being a gentleman to her right now.

"Ah? I don't mean like it was bad or anything. I'm just used to your rude and smart talk."

Zeliker's eyes narrowed. It seems she had engraved him as someone with a bad attitude. She wasn't wrong but he would like to be nice to her.

Wait! Why would he want to be nice to her?!

Not to mention, she still had her arm hugging his.

"Erm…" He felt awkward.

"What's wrong?" Stiria noticed he was uncomfortable about something.

"Your hand… On mine…" Zeliker looks away while reminding her.

He also coughed a bit with a slight red on his face. Stiria slowly turns her eyes at her hands and then realises she hasn't let go of him yet. Her face snapped red too and immediately let him go.

"I'm sorry! It was very rude of me."

'Stiria, you idiot! Why didn't you let him go before?! God, I hope no one saw it. Wait! Everyone saw it! Oh, no! What if my action is told to my fiance?! He would come here if he knew about it!'

Stiria went pale and Zeliker, who felt something was wrong, turned his eyes back to her. He was stunned to see her trembling in fear.

"Stiria, are you alright?!" He asked with concern.

"I, I'm fine. Let's return now. I'm not feeling well."

Zeliker nodded. He summoned his door key and threw it on the wall beside them. He let her go inside the door first and told Silvert with telepathy. Silvert was shocked to hear Stiria's circumstances.

He immediately told Kiara to follow her. When he arrived somewhere secluded, he took Kiara's hand and opened a dimension portal. He pulled the startle her in without giving her time to shout. But when she saw the beautiful living hall, she was speechless.

"Kiara?"

Stiria realised some people went through the door too with her and Zeliker. She was surprised to see Kiara. The latter snapped out of her stupor once her name was called.

"Your Highness!" Kiara instantly went to her.

"What happened? Where are we?" She asked in fear.

Could it be that they were kidnapped?!

"Kiara, calm down. This is… Zeliker's secret base. We are helping him too, secretly."

"Help, Helping him with what?"

"Erm, Zeliker?" Stiria turns to Zeliker.

Zeliker nodded to her. "I'll be shopping with Silvert. You can have your time explaining to her."

He and Silvert left the mansion soon after.

"What happened to the two of you?" Silvert asked after they appeared in a secluded area in the city.

Zeliker shakes his head. "I might have a guess but it may not be something to worry about. We need to leave this kingdom as soon as possible. Flare might be coming here. With the stone mana, he might be arriving here sooner than we thought."

"Wh, Why?"

Zeliker glared at Silvert. "We might have made a mistake of taking Stiria along to go shopping with us. Let's just leave."

Silvert was startled before he understood what Zeliker means. He suddenly feels guilty. He didn't forget. Stiria was still Flare's fiance and he made Zeliker walk alone with Stiria was wrong and immoral.

Both of them disappeared and appeared again outside of Antonia City. Silvert opened a dimension portal beside them and two strong horses came out of it. Without delaying anymore, they rode the horses and left the area.

Zeliker didn't want to add more trouble. Leaving was their best option now. After all, he can still say his goodbye to his friends when they meet up in the mansion later. So, he didn't look back at all.

But somehow he felt a pang of pain. He felt his chest tight and slight anger rising when he thought of Stiria marrying Flare. The past question gathers in his mind again.

How can he help her? How can he stop her from dying after she marries Flare? What should he do?

He doesn't want to see her dead or lose her.

Huh?

'I don't want to lose her? Why is that…? Aren't I just a stranger? I should have nothing to do with their marriage but why am I so mad about it? What is wrong with me?'

For someone who had read thousands of books and seen many things in life, it was impossible for him not to understand the feelings he was having.

'No… No way… Did I… Did I fall in love with her…? How can that be?!'

However, when he understands his feelings, he finally feels the confusion in both his mind and heart lifted away. But his heartbeat increases with each second like the horse steps below.

"Zeliker, you're riding too fast!" Silvert called him but the latter doesn't seem to hear him.

'I am in love with her…'

Zeliker's eyes unknowingly brightened by his realisation. He closed them a moment later and chuckled.

'Ah… Let's settle things here first before going to the Miko Kingdom…" He thought with eyes snapped to red when they opened again.

He stops his horse abruptly. Silvert who was behind was startled and pulled his horse rein. He slides a little far before he turns his horse toward Zeliker. He was bewildered after seeing Zeliker's serious expression.

"Zeliker…?"

"Silvert, let's go to the Shildia Kingdom right away. I'm going to… Break the engagement between these two kingdoms."

Ah?

Silvert was dumbfounded before his expression turned into shock, app and horrified.

What…?!!!