"Sorry, did I scare you?" Noah said and looked at the child who was also looking at him with a calm gaze
Noah stared at the child with an interesting look, the child then began to speak
"You did not, Imperial Crown Prince..." the child said as he bowed politely
Noah's ear tingled again when he heard the soft and sweet voice of the child, he started to walk towards the child but before he could even take his 3rd step, he noticed the white freezing mist was still surrounding the child's body
The child who noticed his gaze, snapped his finger and the freezing white mist immediately dispersed leaving a layer of frost in the whole area
The Imperial Crown Prince's smile became wider, and he continued walking until he was now in front of the child. He then began speaking
"Dispersing the thick mist with a snap of your finger, what an incredible control of mana you have..." Noah said as he sat at the fountain before he tapped the space beside him as a gesture to the child to come to sit beside him
The child looked hesitant at first but still sat at the space beside Noah
"Did I disturb you by any chance?" Noah suddenly asked, his voice breaking the silence
"Not at all, Imperial Crown Prince..." the child replied as he shakes his head
"Then may I keep you company?" Noah asked as he stared at the starry night sky, he didn't know why but the atmosphere here was serene and relaxing
"You don't need to ask me permission, everyone can stay here as this is a public place Imperial Crown Prince," the child said who was also looking at the starry sky
Noah removes his eyes from the sky and looked at the child with a smile plastered on his face, the child seems to notice his gaze and looked back at him
The night breeze suddenly blew causing the roses' petals to move up, if this scene were a painting, people would go wild just to take a glimpse of it
Noah and the child's eyes met but neither both averted their gazes it was like they were both assessing each other, this lasted for a minute when both suddenly heard the footsteps of some teenage nobles talking
Noah felt the child tugging the sleeves of his coat, Noah then understood what the child wants to say, they both stood up
"Do you want to go to another place?" Noah asked
"Yes please..." the child answered as he reaches his arms to Noah
The Imperial Crown Prince tilted his head and thought 'does he want me to carry him?' he thought, he noticed that the child's ears became red from embarrassment which caused his lips to form a smile on his devilishly handsome face making him look stunning before he lifted the child in his arms
The smell of strawberries trickled his nose when the child's neck was close to his face. Noah liked the smell of the child which almost caused him to put his nose to the child's neck, he immediately restrained the urge to do that
Noah then started to walk with the child in his arms towards the exit of the garden
The teenage nobles that were chattering loudly caught the sight of Noah & Snow as they entered the garden to try the rose and fountain legend. Their eyes widened in surprise when they saw Noah who was walking towards their directions with Snow in his arms, the teenagers immediately politely lowered their heads as Noah & Snow passed them
Noah with the child in his arms, exited the garden, he looked around and his brows furrowed when he saw that the nobles were increasing. He then thought of an idea to keep themselves unnoticeable, the mana around him flickered as the shadow in his feet move to cover the two of them
The child looked surprised when he saw the shadow covering them
"Cool isn't it?" Noah said, YES, Noah's power is a shadow
"Much better, is this alright?" he said and asked, he knows that the child prefers to be alone and unnoticeable based on what he observed earlier
The child nodded in response and a smile adorned his cute face, Noah unconsciously patted the child's head and smiled back, he then continued walking, he roamed around the garden and sometimes talk with the child
...
"Your brothers dote on you that much?" Noah said as he chuckled
"It's not funny, Noah," the child said as he pouted, YES, the child now calls him by his name after Noah said that the child should call him that which the child agreed, the reason is that calling him 'Imperial Crown Prince' was too long
"So that explains why you're always on the grasp of your Big Brother," Noah said as they reached the bushes of flowers
"They are overprotective and sometimes I feel creeped out, they're like watching my every move," the child said as he makes a troubled expression which Noah laughed at
"I said it's not funny," the child said as he softly punches Noah's chest
Noah doesn't know why but when he's with this child his heart was happy for an unknown reason, their interactions were smooth unlike other nobles who was stiff as a log when they were in his presence
The bell on top of the tower clock moved and it rang, meaning that it was already midnight, Noah looked at the child in his arms, the child looked a little sleepy
"Are you tired?" he asked while he caressed the child's hair
"A little, but I can still hold on," the child said as he blinks his eyes
"Let's return then, close your eyes for a while..." Noah said and headed to the banquet hall the child only nodded
While he was walking with the child that has his eyes closed, his eyes landed on the child's face, he took this chance to observe the facial features of the child
Milky white skin, eyebrows, and eyelashes as white as snow, the pinkish tip of the nose and ruby red lips, and a MYSTIQUE one at that. He suddenly thought of what the child would look like when he grows up, suddenly the child's eyes opened, and Noah immediately averted his gaze
When they reached banquet hall, the eyes of some nobles glanced at them, but Noah paid them no mind, he looked that the child's expression remained calm and stoic, unlike the expressions the child had earlier when it was just the two of them
Noah put the child down when he saw that the child's parents were approaching him
The Mother of the child, carried him and the Father walked towards Noah and thanked him, Noah brushed it aside and said that it was fine
He then walked away in the direction of his father when the child's soft voice called out his name causing him to look back
"Noah, umm... thank you for tonight, until we meet again..." the child said with a smile and waved his little hand towards him
Noah smiled and waved back towards the child as he said
"My pleasure..." he then continued walking towards his Father and the Emperor who was now watching the interactions between him and the child
"Mmm... that's the first time I saw you smile at someone aside from me," Noah's father said with a suspicious grin plastered on his face
"Dalton, I think someone picked up your son's interest, how amusing..." Emperor Augustus said with an amused smile
Noah almost snorted when he suddenly remembered something important, he turned his back but unfortunately, the child and his parents were not there anymore
Noah could only sigh in disappointment before he mumbled quietly
"I forgot to ask his name..."