Prince Alden nodded. "I told you I'd be back in a few minutes. Also, I never knew you had such refined tastes, Mr Orion," he said, his smile widening.
With his strength, Prince Alden thoroughly covered the vast distance to their next tasks, gathering all the necessary information within minutes.
Orion shook his head, stepping away from the scene before him. "This is just something I stumbled on while trying to clean up. Come on, since you're here, let's continue with the task so we can finish it immediately," he responded.
Prince Alden nodded solemnly, his expression serious. "I agree, Mr. Orion. But before we continue, I'm curious about your preferences," he asked, his tone sincere.
"I prefer women around my age, so I'd lean towards the younger ones over the older," Prince Alden added, his gaze fixed on the three women bathing before them.
Upon hearing Prince Alden's question, Orion cleared his throat lightly, turning his attention back to the women. Though he hadn't realised it before, reflecting on his wives clarified that he preferred mature women. However, that didn't diminish the appeal of the younger women.
Prince Alden observed Orion's gaze and nodded thoughtfully. "Having a taste for mature, older women is quite unique. If you don't mind, Mr Orion, I have a single aunt. I believe she would be very willing and happy to enter a relationship with you," he suggested, his mind racing with possibilities, his expression pensive.
If this arrangement worked out, not only would his father reward him handsomely for connecting Orion's lineage with that of the extended royal family, thus restoring his own tarnished reputation, but he would also forge a stronger bond with Orion by becoming the godfather to his children.
A subtle smile emerged across Prince Alden's lips as he contemplated the potential outcomes.
"I don't think that would be necessary, Prince Alden, as we have other matters to attend to. Besides, I don't discriminate between women my age or older ones. I believe each has its own beauty and unique qualities," Orion replied, extinguishing Prince Alden's thoughts.
A furrow appeared on Prince Alden's brow. "While I agree that each possesses unique beauty and charm, I doubt I'll ever share the same taste as you, Mr. Orion," he responded, shaking his head in resignation.
The memory of Mistress Aniyah Wilder of the Wilder Household, the wife of his father's third younger brother, making a false accusation against him still haunts him. The unjust punishment and the severe damage to his reputation caused by that incident caused him to lose himself for a while.
In fact, ever since then, it wasn't that he harboured disgust or repulsion towards older women, but he could never imagine himself being in a relationship with any of them, even if they were only three years older than him. Except for his sisters and mother, he barely tolerated being around older women unless they both had an important issue to handle.
Orion nodded in understanding. He could tell that Prince Alden was hiding something deep within his words. However, since he didn't want to reveal it, Orion didn't feel the need to pry too much into his personal life.
After all, they had only met today, and it would be too much to expect Prince Alden to reveal everything about himself quickly.
Prince Alden sensed the awkwardness in the air and immediately changed the topic. "Let's continue with our task, Mr. Orion. We've already wasted enough time--" His words were cut short by a sudden scream from behind them: "AHHHHH!! THERE'S SOMEONE THERE!"
Prince Alden and Orion's eyes widened as they realised they had been caught. Without hesitation, they took off into the sky.
Prince Alden glanced behind him to check if Orion was following closely, but he found no one there. He quickly refocused ahead, only to realise that Orion was already far ahead. He cursed under his breath, not wanting to be caught peeping at such a critical moment.
Meanwhile, although Orion felt he could go faster, he held himself as he sensed that the artificial wings wouldn't be able to handle the strain.
"HEY!! COME BACK HERE, BASTARDS!" A loud, masculine voice echoed behind them.
They continued flying until they had evaded their pursuers, then slowed down and suddenly stopped.
"Haa! That was close," Orion remarked, wiping the nonexistent sweat beads from his forehead.
Prince Alden soon arrived and landed, collapsing onto the grassy field surrounded by towering flowers larger than them.
"Mr Orion, let's rest for a few minutes before continuing the tasks," Prince Alden suggested.
Thankfully, the Pixies who had pursued them appeared to be only at tier one or tier two Spark Guardian Rank, two ranks below the Enchanted Sage rank and one below the Spark Sentinel, so it was pretty easy for both to outspeed them.
Orion nodded in acknowledgement. The Pixies had memorised their attires, so staying hidden was a good idea since they might still be in the area searching for them.
…....…
Canopy palace
High King Eldric observed his first son with a stern expression in a wide throne room filled with various regal ornaments and decorations.
"Father, I can explain," High Prince Kael said, his voice nervous as he knelt on one kneel with his head bowed towards the throne before him. His body trembled slightly under the weight of his father's gaze.
"Okay, if you have a valid explanation, go ahead and explain," High King Eldric responded.
"Father, I heard that Cerelia had gotten into trouble while dealing with a weed, and—" High Prince Kael began. However, he was abruptly interrupted before he completed his sentence.
''HIGH PRINCE KAEL!!'' High King Eldric roared out in anger. "I want you to give me a reasonable explanation about why you had left the palace without my permission during such a crucial moment, and for your sake, I hope that your next explanation has nothing to do with her," he added, his eyes fixed on High Prince Kael's kneeling figure as a sharp glint flashed through them.
