Chapter 411: The Forgotten Past - V

[Music recommendation: MICHAEL YANIS - Queen]

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Gavriel was equally stunned.

Bellarios could remain invisible to everyone unless he deliberately allowed himself to be seen. Yet this woman could not only see him, but had also heard him speak.

Taking a slow step back, Gavriel asked, "You can see him?"

Hera’s eyes snapped back to his face. "Of course I can."

Observing his stunned expression, she asked. "Am I not supposed to?"

Gavriel was left speechless.

While Bellarios, completely forgetting his rivalry with Ceri, flapped his tiny wings and hovered directly in front of Hera. "Wow! You can really see me! That’s a first!"

"Is it?" Hera asked.

"Yes! No one can see me unless I allow them to." He puffed out his tiny chest. "It’s one of the many privileges of being exceptionally magnificent."

Hera’s eyes sparkled. "That’s amazing! I’ve never met a talking beast before."

"Well, I’m hardly an ordinary beast," Bellarios declared proudly. "I am-"

He cut himself off, then flew closer to her and sniffed the air around her.

"You do smell intoxicatingly sweet," he murmured. His gaze shifted to Ceri, who had begun growling again. "Though that furry little nuisance seems to think he owns the space around you."

Hera frowned and glanced down at the disgruntled wolf in her arms. "Oh, this is Ceri, my pet. Ceri, don’t be like this." She stroked his head, and the little wolf immediately softened, releasing a pleased coo as he leaned into her touch.

Despite the two beasts’ hostility towards each other, Hera seemed entirely at ease as she continued chatting with Bellarios.

However, Gavriel found his curiosity about her growing by the second.

Who was this woman who could see Bellarios when no one else could? Not only that, but her pet, Ceri, could see him too. Gavriel could only assume that this was possible because Ceri was bonded to Hera. Even so, it was astonishing.

Unable to contain his curiosity any longer, he finally asked, "Just who are you?"

The conversation died instantly.

Hera’s eyes narrowed. After his shameless remarks, she had little reason to trust him. "Why do you want to know?"

A nerve twitched beneath Gavriel’s jaw at her flat-out refusal. "Why? I hold the authority to know who treads upon these lands."

"Oh, really?" Hera retorted. "You sound like one of those entitled princes who believe they own everyone and everything. Why don’t you tell me who you are first?"

Gavriel raised an eyebrow. "And if I were a prince? Would you still treat me with such defiance?"

Hera fell silent.

She immediately took a step away from him, her earlier confidence giving way to sudden wariness. "Are you saying you’re a prince?"

Both Gavriel and Bellarios noted the sudden shift in her demeanour at the mention of royalty. She had become instantly guarded, her posture stiffening. Neither of them liked the way she pulled away from them.

Before Gavriel could speak and risk driving her away again, Bellarios chimed in smoothly. "He is no prince. He is merely a nobleman from a small, insignificant house."

Both Gavriel and Hera turned to stare at him.

Then, slowly, they looked back at each other.

"A nobleman, is it?" Hera scrutinised him from head to toe. "Then which family do you belong to?"

Gavriel glared sideways at Bellarios. He could hardly believe his own beast had just invented a lie on his behalf.

Through their shared mind link, Gavriel barked, ’Bellarios, what do you think you are doing?’

Bellarios snapped back, ’Can’t you see I am rescuing you? She will certainly run if she learns you are the Crown Prince. Play along, unless you wish to spend another month brooding beside this tree. And frankly, I cannot endure any more of your moping!’

A disbelieving chuckle escaped Gavriel as he shook his head before turning his attention back to Hera, who was staring at him as if he had a few screws loose.

"House Valen," Gavriel lied smoothly. "I am a lord from a minor branch of House Valen."

Hera and Ceri both continued to observe him with sharp skepticism. ’He claims to be from House Valen,’ Hera thought, ’yet his mannerisms carry an arrogance far too grand for such a modest background. Not to mention the overwhelming authority radiating from him. Something doesn’t add up.’

Noticing her rising suspicion, Bellarios spoke. "Yes, he is indeed from House Valen!"

"Then why does he act as though he owns the entire realm?" Hera questioned, raising an eyebrow.

Determined to salvage the situation, Bellarios offered another swift lie. "That is simply because he serves closely under one of the royal princes, and it has gone straight to his head. He needs help, and I apologise on his behalf."

Hera blinked at the tiny dragon’s words, then glanced at the stone-faced man beside him before bursting into a soft, melodic laugh that startled them both.

Shaking her head, she turned towards Gavriel. "I see..." Her expression softened into an amused smile. "Well, I’m from House Ravenor, and let me tell you, if you behave like this in front of others, you might find yourself in trouble."

Bellarios tilted his head expectantly. "So, do you forgive him?"

"Fine, I forgive him," Hera declared with a bright smile that momentarily captivated both Gavriel and Bellarios. Then, narrowing her eyes at Gavriel, she added, "But only this once. If you try to act shamelessly again, there won’t be a second chance."

"I shall ensure he behaves!" Bellarios declared proudly.

Gavriel shot his beast a murderous look, which Bellarios wisely chose to ignore.

Hera smiled, turning her attention back to the tiny dragon. "Alright. And what is your name?"

Bellarios opened his mouth to answer, but Gavriel beat him to it. "He’s Rio."

He deliberately avoided using the name Rios, not wanting her to make any connection to his royal middle name.

"It is a pleasure to meet you both," Hera replied warmly. "Come, I shall introduce you to Rhu."

She invited them to sit beneath Rhu’s sprawling branches, where the soft rustle of leaves and an occasional shower of rose petals kept them company. Before long, what began as an unexpected encounter transformed into an indispensable sanctuary.

Beneath the ancient rose tree, far from prying eyes and the rigid expectations governing their lives, they spoke without the weight of titles or court etiquette.

As Hera’s coming-of-age banquet drew near, these secret meetings became the center of their daily routines. They shared ordinary stories, petty grievances, and quiet wishes, finding a deep comfort in one another’s presence.

Hera frequently brought sweet treats for Gavriel and Bellarios, much to the little dragon’s utter delight. Even Ceri gradually set aside his hostility, warming up to the newcomers. Though he still kept a watchful eye on his rival.

The more time Gavriel spent with Hera, the more he realized how vastly different she was from any noblewoman he had ever encountered. She possessed a sharp, spirited mind and a fierce courage, yet carried herself with genuine warmth.

Believing him to be a minor lord of modest standing, she never once treated him as an inferior. Nor did she attempt to charm him as any other demonesses.

She simply saw him as an equal.

Accustomed to living behind impenetrable walls where everyone either feared his power or sought to gain something from him, Gavriel found the quiet sincerity of her company deeply refreshing.

For the first time in his life, he could breathe freely. With each passing day, he found his heart anchoring itself to the woman beneath the rose tree.