Feeling the strong, warm arms wrapped around her body, the Princess of the Garden clutched Orion tightly.
Without hesitation, she hid her head on Orion's chest. Her body trembled as she opened her mouth and spoke, "Orion, please get me out of here."
Orion noticed the sudden shift in the Princess of the Garden's composure and couldn't help but frown. He released one of his arms from her waist and used it to grab her chin so that he could look into her eyes directly.
However, the Princess of the Garden immediately detached herself from his grip. Orion's frown deepened.
Before he could say a word, Aerialia's voice sounded behind him.
"Release her and step aside."
The Princess of the Garden trembled upon hearing that voice.
Unable to understand what was happening, Orion turned his head to the side and looked at Aerialia. She was staring at the Princess of the Garden, whose body was trembling fiercely in his arms, with a deep frown.
"I don't see any reason why I should…" Orion said.
Before he could complete his sentence, the Princess of the Garden's voice sounded out again. "Orion… Please…" Her voice sounded like a whimper, making Orion furrow his brows in confusion.
Just by observing Aerialia and the Princess of the Garden, he was aware that something was unfolding, a narrative he wasn't privy to. No matter how hard he tried to solve the puzzle, they eluded his understanding.
With a contemplative expression, Orion turned his gaze toward Aerialia, narrowing his eyes, "Can you tell me what's going on right now, and how the two of you seem to know each other somehow?" he asked.
He was no fool; though he couldn't grasp the current events, the scene suggested a connection between Aerialia and the Princess of the Garden.
What puzzled him even more was that such a connection shouldn't exist. As far as he knew, Aerialia and the Princess of the Garden had never met before today.
Unless...
Orion's eyes widened in realization.
He had long wondered about the identity of the Princess of the Garden, and if she was familiar with Aerialia, who had only recently arrived in this world, then didn't that mean...
Orion snapped his head downward to gaze at the trembling figure of the Princess of the Garden before swiftly turning to Aerialia.
He narrowed his eyes at the winged goddess and asked, "Do you know her? Have you two met before?"
Aerialia shook her head in response. "No, we haven't," she replied, "But... Her scent feels so familiar."
Orion furrowed his brow in confusion. Aerialia's words only added to the enigma of the situation. "What do you mean?" Orion asked, studying the Princess of the Garden, whose trembling intensified after overhearing their conversation.
"... Please, Orion… get me out of here," The Princess of the Garden pleaded, her quivering voice resonating through the air as her trembling hands tightly grasped Orion's bare arms.
Her reaction only deepened Orion's confusion and concern about what was happening.
At this point, he needed an explanation.
"What I mean to say is that her scent is akin to mine," Aerialia responded, narrowing her eyes at the unknown woman's trembling figure hiding herself on Orion's chest.
How could she miss it?
Certainly, if it were the signature of any other god, she would have taken some time to confirm if the energy signature she had sensed was correct. However, how could she not recognize her own scent?
How could she miss that the woman in front of her had an almost identical scent, if not exactly similar to hers?
"Similar to yours?" Orion repeated, still staring in confusion as he waited for an explanation.
"Yes, when an individual useth their magical energy, they release a unique signature that only those with heightened supernatural senses can detect. Of course, it might be difficult if I am not familiar with the races and the kind of energy they use. However, in this case, the signature around her is the same as mine."
"There is no way such a thing can be possible since I am standing right here, unless the woman thou art currently holding within thine arms is... me," Aerialia said, her gaze piercing daggers at the frozen unknown woman whose trembling figure seemed to have become stiff. "However, as I have said, such a thing should be impossible. So free her, and move out of the way. I need an explanation from her about what is going on here."
Upon hearing Aerialia's explanation, Orion's eyes widened in disbelief.
He withdrew his gaze and shifted it towards the Princess of the Garden, whose trembling body seemed to have stopped, but the grip on his arms didn't seem to loosen up.
What does she mean by saying that her signature and that of the Princess of the Garden are the same?
Taking a deep breath, Orion calmed his thoughts and stretched his hand towards her chin. He cupped his fingers under it and lifted her head upwards until her trembling, wide eyes stared into his.
Orion was about to call her name, but he immediately remembered that he still didn't know her real name yet, only her title. So, he went straight to the point, "… What does she mean that you possess the same signature as her? Tell me what is going on," Orion asked gently.
"I… I…" The Princess of the Garden's lips croaked as she struggled to speak.
Her eyes narrowed with drops of tears leaking down from her cheeks as she gulped down a mouthful of air before she paused, and then opened her mouth to speak again, "I'm sorry for not telling you about who I was earlier. But… But… I couldn't bring myself to tell you anything because I was so ashamed of who I was," she said.
She pulled herself out of Orion's arms reluctantly.
She moved towards the hovering Aerialia, who folded her wings behind her back, her foot pressing on the grassy soil before she instantly collapsed on all four limbs and weeping.
"... Please, goddess of the hunting moon, don't kill me," the Princess of the Garden said.
Tears rolled down her eyes as she grasped the grass tightly, waiting for Aerialia's reply.
