Meanwhile…
Zelena looked outside the window. She heard both Shane and Mikael screaming not to leave them behind. She tilted her head to the side and glanced at Xanther, seated across her. Luna and the kids sat near the cockpit of this seaplane, enjoying the gigantic screen on the wall across them; sitting on a long couch, they were watching the movie Spy Kids.
Zelenia fixed her gaze at Xanther, who was occupied reading at his TAB.
"Is it okay to leave them behind?" she asked him afterward. Shane is their boss, and she wonders if it is okay to treat their boss like that.
Xanther lifted his head, put down the TAB next to him, and replied, "Yes. They were a pain in the head. Their behavior is inappropriate for children, and they better be left behind."
"Okay, but…" it still concerns her that Shane fires Xanther, or the Chairman might get angry once he hears this incident.
Now Xanther is free and stares at her. She's getting uncomfortable being with him without the other men. Having Mikael around eases her a bit as his naughtiness diverts Xanther and Shane's attention. Anyway, as long as her children are here, it is what matters.
She was transparent in Xanther's eyes. He ponders what could make her feel at ease. It looks like she's uncomfortable around him. Xanther thought. So he told Zelenia. "I will call Chairman Smith to inform him of what happened."
He saw the gleam of relief in her eyes.
Xanther takes out his phone from the back of his pants. After searching for a name in his contacts, he pressed the call button.
"Hello, Chairman Smith. Yes, it is me. Ah, about that. I left Shane in the port, and I apologize for that. Thank you, sir. I assure you. Goodbye."
Zelenia heard everything. Chairman Smith was okay with it. He even said that he spotted Shane and Mikael in the parking lot and trusted Xanther to handle the project. Then everything is fine.
"The chairman approved we survey the land without those two idiots."
"Ah, great." She's speechless. Xanther would casually be calling his boss names and judging by their closeness. It appears that this act was normal for them. Nothing she must worry about then. Well, the reason she was concerned was about Xanther. But Kian did not react or question when Xanther ordered him to take off.
If that's the picture, then she needs to calm down. Tomorrow, they will be home, so everything is fine. Nothing to worry about being with Xanther. Zelenia cleared her mind.
After they steadied the plane, Kian set the aircraft on an auto-pilot. He stepped out of the cockpit and greeted them.
"Hello, my dear passengers! Welcome to Smith Corporation's private seaplane. I am your pilot, Captain Kian, and your steward! Now, what could I offer you?"
Janus and Aisha clap hands. It amused them with Kian's play.
"Do you have milk chocolate on ice, Uncle Kian?" Janus asked the assistant.
"I have it! This plane has most of what you need."
The kids were enthusiastic, thinking they would ride on a plane one more time. Last night they couldn't sleep in excitement. Although they could fly into the sky anytime riding their familiars, humans should not see them doing that.
"How about you, Princess Aisha?" Kian turns his attention to the girl, who blushes at how he addresses her.
"Can I have orange juice, Uncle Kian?"
"Sure! Is that all?"
"I will ask mommy if it is okay to have potato chips," she whispered, but enough to hear them all.
"All right! How about it, your majesty?"
Kian bowed like a knight. Zelenia smiled at Kian's play. But behind her smile is a throbbing heart. Her children are actual princes and a princess. She is born carrying the Royal blood of the House of Sun Deities and the House of Moon Deities.
Zelenia nods, approving the request, "It's okay."
She watches her daughter when her eyes gleam with delight. Once in a while, it's not wrong to allow them to have these snacks. And to ponder this, she realized that lately, they were spoiled by her. Even she—feels too indulging herself in this situation out of the blue.
How did it happen? They were like having a family vacation; now they were on a plane like they owned. But negative scenes play in her head.
In human society, this opportunity is everyone's dream. The female at her work craves this kind of chance. Once they hear on Monday, stories and hatred are thrown at her again. But she couldn't help if the Force of Luck and the Wheel of Fortune sided and kept bestowing prosperity in her life.
"Your majesty?"
"Oh! I'm sorry." Selena came back to her senses. She glanced at Luna, asking for help. 'This servant is asking you what drinks you prefer for him to offer you.'
'Oh, thanks!'
"Um. I want to help you if you don't mind?" Zelena offered her hand instead. She now waited for Kian's response. She notices when Kian's pupils move in Xanther's direction, like asking for his permission when his boss is Shane.
Xanther, who happened to observe them, nodded.
"All right! Please, this way, your majesty."
She followed Kian to the kitchen of this private seaplane. The aircraft has a luxurious pantry with a small minibar and a space that stands as a bedroom. Now she helps Kian prepare the kid's requests, and Luna asks for Champagne. And as for Xanther, he requested a cup of coffee.
Zelenia makes tea for herself while she brews Xanther's coffee. Kian had already served the kid's requests and poured a glass of Champagne for Luna. She's intrigued. What would happen if Shane were here? He must be the one to insist on serving Luna, and her familiar would be in a bad mood the whole flight.
'Priestess, your tea.'
'Ah, the water!'
Carrying a tray, she carefully set it on the table. Zelenia picked up the coffee pot, poured the black liquid into a mug, and offered it to Xanther.
"Thank you," he said.
"You're welcome," she replied with a flushed face. She avoided meeting Xanther's gaze and focused on pouring her tea into her own teacup. Gradually, she drew the tea to her mouth and made a long sip to hide her timidity.
Why does she feel like she is a teenager?
She hated this feeling because she could recall when she trained under Aelius when she was 2 500 years old.
Zelenia pressed her lips. Why does she have to remember the past? The Elders erased her memory after she requested to forget Aelius. But after her rebirth, every memory she deleted came back.
No. She must not think about it at all. She has to conceal these memories again and wants to seal these feelings…
"Zelenia?"
"Huh? Xanther?" she blinked her eyes several times. Xanther stares at her closely.
"Are you all right?" he asked.
"Oh. Yes, I am—nothing to worry about. I'm just thinking about a new place for us to move in soon," she lied, but looking for a new home is true. 'Ah, please, Heaven, don't punish me by destroying my luck in the coming days.'
"How about it? Did you find one already?"
"Erm, not yet, and it should be today. We will go check a few of the houses we found."
"Oh. Which building is it?"
"Um, one is nearby where we lived. So, that's the first condo we will check out."
"I see. Sorry if you have to postpone your plans."
"No problem. This project is also important. Besides, I can still be with the kids and ask for weekday appointments, " she told Xanther, whose gaze never left her.
"Please, do. You can take a day off."
"Oh, can I?"
"Yes. I am also your boss, and I can grant you that."
"Ah, okay," she smiled shyly.
"Shane won't mind."
"Erm, okay. Thank you." Now her concerns have settled. She is also comfortable around Xanther. The conversation lightens her mood, and Xanther is friendly to her.
Zelenia glances in his direction. Xanther is sipping his coffee. He put five sugar sachets in his coffee before that, which would be too sweet. He was like Aelius. She thought. Ah, why does she always remember Aelius?
Zelenia didn't notice. She remained to stare at Xanther — at his body. The guy coughs, and Zelenia almost drops the teacup in her hand.
Ah! What is she doing? She should stop thinking.
'Priestess, do you like to sit beside us?'
'Oh, thank you, Luna. I am fine here,' her reply and her face blushed as she remembered the hug from last night, the reason she froze in her seat.
To cover her embarrassment, she looked outside the window. She gasped, gazing at the scenery displayed in front of her. She witnesses a magnificent sunrise.
"It's beautiful!" she burst.
"Indeed. Its beauty is timeless," Xanther phrased.
However, Xanther was not looking outside the window, where the cover was actually down. But he uttered this phrase while staring at her intently, causing her cheeks to turn red as her reflection dramatically blushed.
'What is he doing?' Zelenia sighed inwardly.