2 hours later, Kaze packed up and left the courtyard upon finishing his training.
With some leftover chocolates in the box, Kaze took them back with him since there was no way he was going to finish them all right away. Plus, there was a cooling magic already casted over the box when he received it, meaning the chocolates were not going to melt easily. This saved him the time and effort of trying to preserve it when he trained.
Returning to Lunaria's room, Kaze entered and found Lunaria on the bed with Shiro and Akaru, both in their animal form.
"Welcome back," Lunaria greeted Kaze and placed Shiro aside. "Did something happen? I can smell Lunatea's lingering scent on you."
"Ah, she confessed. Well, tried to," Kaze admitted with a wry smile and showed Lunaria the chocolates and note. "She did her best."
"Lunatea did? That's surprising," Lunaria accepted the fact with a smile of her own. "Ah, she did put in the effort to confess to you. Did you ruin it for her?"
"It was unintentional. I made her cry and felt bad for it," Kaze hung his head in shame. "I'm going to shower."
In the bathroom now, Kaze had Lunaria resting on top of him while they sunk in the bathtub, allowing him to cuddle her from behind. Even though the act seemed indecent from an outsider's perspective, it was actually normal for the duo. As couples, they were the more open type that did not mind exposing their bodies to each other. After all, it was Lunaria who influenced Kaze to be more 'open' about himself, as she would to him.
"Heh~ she really did that?" Lunaria asked after listening to Kaze's explanation. "Looks like I'm going to have 2 rivals fighting for your heart now."
"Ah, please don't phrase it that way," Kaze sweatdropped, his hands resting on Lunaria's belly in the warm water. "I promised to act loyal to you."
"It is what it is. Besides, I would have been fine if you told me you were going to date both of them along with me," Lunaria shrugged. "I trust that you always view me as your number one."
"Yes. But… I told Lunatea she had to work hard if she wanted me to accept her," Kaze muttered, placing his forehead against her shoulder. "Was that the right call? I'm worried it sounded too arrogant."
"If you ask me, you did the correct thing. Rather than outright reject her or accept her, letting Lunatea know that things are going to be much tougher would provide a challenge," Lunaria shook her head. "Also, it shows me that you are considerate. After all, you could have easily rejected her and said you want to be loyal only to me."
"Laevia-sama… influenced me a little," Kaze laughed. "I went to her for advice and she told me she would be fine even if I was dating the three of you at the same time."
"I would be fine with it, but my only concern is how you will balance our relationship," Lunaria agreed with him. "Looks like I have to work hard to secure my current position with you."
"What do you mean? No matter what happens, you are always going to be my lover," Kaze whispered into her ear. "Always."
"I know," Lunaria relaxed into a bashful smile.
She got up from his lap and adjusted herself. Turning around so she was directly facing him, Kaze leaned back and accepted her lips. This was the thing he loved about Lunaria: she was always direct and honest about her feelings that she didn't feel the need to hide anything from him. Even now, with her sleek and wet body pressed against his while they shared a long passionate kiss, Kaze could feel her love for him growing stronger by the minute.
"Mm~" Lunaria gasped softly and retracted her tongue. "You're surprisingly rough today, Kaze."
"S-Sorry," it was Kaze's turn to blush as he looked away. "It doesn't help that your body is alluring me."
"As I said, it's only natural you react this way," Lunaria giggled, slipping one hand into the water where his rod protruded between his legs and stroking it gently. "If anything, I am thankful that you already act like us bathing together is something we always do, even if we just started doing it a day or two ago."
"… I felt the need to get used to our physical relationship," Kaze sighed, his body shivering occasionally from Lunaria's stroking. "I have accepted that when dating you, I can't have the same mindset that I do as human couples would. Look at Chris and Irene for example, even as a couple I don't think they are as open about 'this' as we are."
"It's the cultural difference. Look at mother and father if you wish. Even around us, they are quite intimate," Lunaria referred to her parents. "As you know, they are… rather passionate at times too."
"Is that where you inherited your trait from?" Kaze asked, realizing at the same time that Lunaria had begun changing pose to ride him instead. "A-Ah, Lunaria…"
"Fufu~ why don't you find out now?" Lunaria licked her lips seductively and gently lowered herself on his length.
"L-Lunaria?" Kaze nervously stammered, recognised the mischievous glint in her eyes. "Maybe we have been in the bath for too long…?"
"Have we~?"
"Your body has been wet for too long…"
"My body isn't the only thing wet right now~"
- - - - -
During dinner that night, Kaze found himself in a rather odd predicament.
Since the food provided was based on the proportion that each of them was capable of eating, there was a huge difference between a human's plate with the dragonkins. Plus, the food each day was different, varied depending on the course provided by the palace's chef.
Right now, however, there were four plates of various food in front of Kaze compared to the usual. With a nervous glance past the table, he could tell that his friends were giving him dubious looks from being left in the dark. After all, Lunatea and Lucentia, respectively on his left and right, were glaring at each other while clinging to Kaze's arms. Lunaria sat directly opposite him, a gleeful smile on her face at the sight of her sisters fighting to claim Kaze for themselves.
"Laevia, are you sure we don't have to intervene?" Reginsleif questioned his wife in a hushed tone while sweatdropping. "I'm starting to pity Kaze…"
"Let them be," Laevia, on the other hand, calmly spoke while eating. "This is entertainment at its finest, dear."
"A-Areee~? Isn't it weird that the room is so cold?" Mitsui shuddered, looking around nervously. "Could it already be winter?"
"Mitsui, I'm pretty sure it's just your imagination," Noel gulped, worried for her life. "There is no such coldness."
"But… you're shaking too," Yuuji pointed out. "Irene, are you alright?"
"Completely fine!" Conversely, Irene had an ecstatic, almost menacing look with an evil grin. "This is super interesting~"
Albert was seen eating on his own while muttering a silent prayer, presumably for Kaze.
"Lunatea-nee, what is this?" Lucentia tilted her head. "I remembered you were the one who said you hated cooking."
"Very funny, Lucentia. Bold of you to talk about cooking when you barely ever set foot into the kitchen yourself," Lunatea smiled threateningly. "Why is it that you decided to suddenly cook for Kaze?"
"I think you know the answer very clearly. Moreover, why are you asking me what I can do, of my own free will, when you did the exact same thing?" Lucentia challenged Lunatea.
Lunatea and Lucentia each cooked a dish for Kaze, thinking that it would be a way to charm him. It so happened that they didn't expect the same move from each other, since they weren't aware of Kaze having more than one threat. To make matters worse, Lunaria herself also prepared a dish out of expectations that Lunatea and Lucentia would do the same, making the situation unnecessarily more complex due to Lunaria wanting to see what Kaze would do.
"Lunaria, since when was this a thing?" Sera asked with an exasperated sigh. "I don't remember when Lunatea and Lucentia started fighting over Kaze."
"It just happened," Lunaria replied to her friend as-a-matter-of-fact. "What's wrong? Do you want to join in?"
"Heck no. I don't want to lose my life yet," Sera shuddered and immediately continued eating.
"I do agree with Irene, it's super entertaining," Shoko the troublemaker grinned. "Though I'm a bit surprised we have three dragonkin sisters going after Kaze."
"His loneliness in Tristania must have been paid off by getting his hands on three princesses," Chris joined in the fun in taunting Kaze. "Imagine what people would say if they found out about this, Kaze."
"P-Please don't," Kaze begged Chris while Lunatea and Lucentia argued passive-aggressively. "I don't want to die just yet."
"Whoa, I'm not dumb enough to blackmail you. I will be the one whose corpse gets found the next morning if I anger your lovers," Chris backed off with a laugh. "Are you planning on going the full harem route?"
"Conquering all the sisters sound like a daunting task, but if it's you, you can probably do it," Rena agreed, already accepting that Kaze was a dragonkin princess magnet. "Lunaea, Luniel, what do you think?"
The remaining two sisters who hadn't showed signs of attraction for Kaze yet, Lunaea and Luniel, looked at each other before looking at Kaze. Rena's question made them contemplate the likely scenario they fall for Kaze too.
"That's a rather awkward question, Rena," Luniel was the first to reply with a wry smile. "Honestly speaking, I don't find it weird at all if I do end up chasing Kaze like my other sisters. Love was never on my mind before, so I don't mind giving it a try."
"W-We will see," Lunaea responded quietly, a small blush appearing on her face.
"If that truly happens, Kaze will receive a request to become an official citizen of Aravel," the Emperor joined in on the fun, laughing out loud at the response from his youngest daughters. "Should we make it a bet?"
"I don't like how you treat our daughters' future as if it's a game, but I agree with you," Laevia frowned at her husband's careless statement before smiling at Kaze. "I believe you already have our standpoint on this Kaze. Whatever the outcome, we will support you. Since my husband has already placed his bet of allowing you to become an official citizen, I don't mind if you become my son-in-law."
Unsurprisingly, the hall immediately exploded in a bunch of astonished cries at Laevia's declaration. Even Tuarle and Ilesta, standing behind the Emperor, had their jaws dropped. There was no way that this was merely a joke since it was made in front of everyone. It also meant that Laevia was willing to consider passing the seat of the throne to Kaze as the next heir of Aravel. However, Lunaria was the one who reacted the biggest.
"Mother, when can we get married?"
"Lunaria?!"
At Lunaria's question, Kaze reacted in bewilderment. Lunaria had a serious look on her face as she asked her mother earnestly, expressing her intention to become a real couple with Kaze in a legally binding manner as soon as possible.
"Kaze, let me address Lunaria's question to you first," Laevia merely smiled at this and turned to Kaze. "While the possibility of you getting married to my daughter, or daughters, is quite high, I have to first let you know the reason why I think it is acceptable. As a human, your lifespan is obviously much smaller than us dragonkins. Compared to us, your life is over in about 100 years at best whereas we can live for centuries on end. By getting married to Lunaria, you will be able to provide her with a husband she can love and care for within the next few decades of her long life."
Immediately, the mood in the room fell. Kaze reluctantly glanced at Lunaria after realizing the significance of her dating a human, in which Lunaria had her head hung low. Even without her face being directly visible, he could tell she was blushing profusely from how red her ears had turned. The idea of marriage was not foreign to them, but when brought up so suddenly it was unexpected and caught them off-guard. For Lunaria, she seriously considered marriage with Kaze as a way to tighten her bond with him. It was an effect of her love for him, something unrelatable to human couples like Chris and Irene, who preferred taking it slowly. When placed in the context of comparing Kaze and Lunaria's lifespan, they understood that it was out of a desire to be bound with your partner for as long as possible.
"Ah, I'm not trying to pressure you into marriage. I just wanted to help Lunaria get her point across to you so you two don't develop any misunderstandings," Laevia quickly cleared up the situation before the mood turned sour further. "Anyway, let's eat. Lunatea, Lucentia, try not to bother Kaze too much to the point that he can't feed himself."
The atmosphere in the dining room gradually returned to normal, with everyone resuming the usual dining. Even Lunatea and Lucentia, who had both been insistent on letting Kaze eat their food first, didn't bother pestering him anymore. They ate in silence, feeling guilty that they made such a big deal out of it.
After dinner, Kaze met with Lunatea and Lucentia in Lunaria's room. This was an arranged meeting by Lunaria, who thought it to be necessary that they gather and discuss certain issues surrounding their current relationship. For safe measures, Lunaea and Luniel were also invited since they had hinted during dinner they wouldn't mind getting along with Kaze as lovers as well.
Currently, the six were sitting in a circle on the floor. Lunaria, as the current sole girlfriend of Kaze, led the meeting while sitting on Kaze's lap.
"Before we begin, I would like to know if everyone here has either confessed to Kaze, has feelings for Kaze, or is interested in Kaze," Lunaria started formally. "Please raise your hand. If you don't satisfy any of the above category, please state your current feelings for him."
Lunatea and Lucentia raised their hands after Lunaria's sentence ended. As for Lunaea and Luniel, the duo didn't satisfy the categories mentioned and hence didn't move their hands.
"Lunaea, you can start," Lunaria nodded to allow Lunatea and Lucentia to place their hands.
"W-While I do think that Kaze's a good guy, I don't know if feeling attracted is the right word to describe what I feel when thinking of or look at Kaze," Lunaea timidly explained. "Which is also why I think I don't satisfy the requirements, but I don't disagree that it could change in the near future like it has for Lunatea-nee and Lucentia-nee."
"I agree with Lunaea. As for me, I am fine regardless of whether I start dating Kaze now or not, even if my feelings aren't as strong as Lunaria-nee's," Luniel nodded. "As Lunaea had said, that might change in the future depending on how Kaze treats us."
"Now that we have statements from you two, can I ask if we all started dating Kaze at the same time, would you be against it?" Lunaria posed another question to them.
"N-No."
"Nope."
"Why is that so?"
"B-Because I feel like Kaze might have something that would attract me. F-For you, Lunaria-nee, who has rejected so many marriage proposals, to fall for Kaze… I think that it would be worth a shot at seeing what it is that Kaze has. If so, I wouldn't mind dating Kaze and sharing him w-with everyone else…"
"My point is slightly varied. I just think it would be fun to hang around Kaze. Simply being friends would do, but it would be interesting to date Kaze instead. Plus, it does solve the issue of us possibly getting marriage requests yet again in the future."
With a sigh, Lunaria tilted her head back to address her lover, who had been silent this whole time.
"Kaze? Anything you would like to say? You deserve to speak up, you know, since we're essentially pushing everything to you."
"… I don't know. I still feel a little adamant about the whole dating everyone thing," Kaze mumbled, snuggling Lunaria tightly.
"… Kaze, may I know why is it that you are against dating multiple people?" Lucentia asked. "Is it because of your own sense of virtue, your influence as a human, or that you are simply uncomfortable of the idea that it might mean you are not as loyal to Lunaria-nee? If it's religion, you should know Goddess Tiel allows polygamy as long as you stay true to your partners."
"Probably the second and third one," Kaze admitted with a tired smile. "I understand and accept Goddess Tiel's doctrine, and my senses have not let me determine immediately that only a single guy and girl can become a couple. I just don't feel confident that I can cherish everyone if I accept all of you since…"
"… since we are princesses? We are dragonkins? We are people above your league?" Lunatea questioned him. "Kaze, you do realize those are simply excuses? If you set your mind to it, you wouldn't bother about who we are. We were the ones who chose to date you and that should be good enough for you to know that you are capable of cherishing us. Why would we choose someone who is incapable enough of taking care of Lunaria-nee, much less the rest of us?"
"Kaze, we are aware that you have a low self-esteem, but maybe dating us can change that," Luniel spoke up. "Even if you treat us unfairly at the start, that is something we can tolerate since a relationship with multiple lovers is no easy job. What we want is for you to treat us like you would with Lunaria, no matter how busy you are or unsure of yourself, we will help you overcome this fear too."
"What they are saying is try not to think about it objectively. When it comes to love and relationships, it's how your partner feels that matters," Lunaria consoled Kaze, who seemed at a loss. "After all, you can't determine how much you 'love' someone from solid evidence, gifts, and the number of times you have talked to them. What 'love' is depends on how you treat someone qualitatively, and I would say you have done pretty well."
"If Lunaria-nee can testify for Kaze, we believe in you."
Lunatea and the others all offered him a reassuring smile.
"With this, I think we have come to a conclusion for the meeting," Lunaria clapped her hands. "Kaze, those of us who wish to pursue a relationship with you will continue to do so in their own way. Whether you provide an answer or not is not important, what we want to know is whether you are willing to accept us. When you do, that will be when you learn to 'love equally'."
Everyone else left the room after Lunaria's last speech, leaving him alone with her and his two daughters. Almost immediately, Shiro hopped onto his lap and transformed into her human form.
"Papa, do you not want to date Mama?" Shiro looked up at him with watery eyes.
"N-No, I am dating your mother, but I'm not sure about dating your mother's sisters," Kaze quickly tried to console Shiro while Lunaria watched with a giggle. "Unless you regard them as your Mama as well?"
"Not really… but as long as you're dating Mama," Shiro broke into a smile and hugged him. "When are you getting married?"
"Em… we haven't decided," Kaze gulped, knowing this question was a sensitive one for Lunaria. "Maybe when I finish schooling?"
"That's a little too long, but I will accept that you have started to think about it," Lunaria nodded approvingly. "Shiro, don't bother your Papa anymore."
"Mm… alright~" Shiro followed Lunaria's words and hopped away, leaving Akaru for him.
Looking at the cat girl, Kaze felt a little worried at what she would do. Thankfully, all she did was lay on his lap and fell asleep. She didn't transform into a cat when she did so, but her actions definitely reminded Kaze of one.
"She has gotten much closer with you," Lunaria commented from the side of the room. "Akaru, that is."
"I'm surprised too. Maybe she accepted me after seeing how much you agonised over dating me," Kaze chuckled, stroking Akaru's black hair gently.
"W-Where did you hear that?"
"Oh, Laevia told me about it. She said something about you begging to date me?"
"It wasn't that exaggerated…. Okay, maybe I grovelled, but it wasn't to the point of begging. I was just complaining…"
Lunaria began making excuses for herself when Kaze confessed to Laevia telling him the true reason for their invitation to Aravel. Eventually, she gave up as she knew there was no hiding this from Kaze or any chance left to spare her shame. Lifting Akaru up from his lap and placing her on the bed, Lunaria wrapped herself around Kaze, her arms around his head and legs around his waist with her butt sitting on his lap.
"Kaze… please forgive me for being needy," she muttered in a worried manner.
"I forgive you Lunaria, I love you," Kaze ran his fingers through her hair and stroked her tail while saying so, causing her to tighten her body around him even more.
This was typical during their cuddling session. When Lunaria wanted, she would just wrap herself around his body to take in his entire self. She felt secure cuddling him, as if being this close to him would make her feel safe and comfortable such that everything else in life didn't matter. All she wanted was his love at the moment.
"Lunaria, are you okay?"
"… Mm... Sorry… listening to my sisters made me agitated that you would give me up for them…"
"That's a little paranoid, considering how you would usually react."
"That's why I'm apologising. I may feel fine about my sisters dating you, but I'm still worried about how our relationship would change because of that."
"I am too, Lunaria. I appreciate that you also feel reluctant about this. It lets me know that I'm not the only one overthinking things, since we have a lot to consider."
"… Kaze, kiss me."
Without needing her to ask twice, Kaze tilted his head and pressed his lips against hers. Lunaria slipped her tongue into his mouth when he did so, allowing him entry as well. The two made out gently, enjoying the sensation of each other's tongue passionately coiling around each other.
Later on, the two decided to leave their room for a walk around the garden of the palace since it was still early into the night. Since their schedule was free for tomorrow, meaning there wasn't any trips planned, it helped that they didn't need to stick to a certain sleeping time and could stay up as they wished. Of course Lunaria still had work the following day, but at least they could spend more time together.
"Lunaria, what do you think will happen from now on?" Kaze asked her while they walked with their hands linked.
"I don't know. All I can think of is how your life would be different," Lunaria muttered softly, leaning her head against his arm. "I want time to quickly pass so I will know if I get to return to Tristania with you."
"Has there not been a decision yet?" Kaze asked. "It's been almost a week since we came to Aravel."
"Mother and father are discussing it with the Council members," Lunaria shook her head. "This decision is not one we can simply make because it could potentially jeopardize our nation's safety."
"I agree. I just wish there was a way we could resolve this," Kaze sighed, tilting his head up to the night sky. "What a clear night we have today."
"You see night skies like this most of the time in Aravel. In Tristania, the city is filled with too much light that it blocks out the reflection of the stars in the sky," Lunaria smiled and squeezed his hand. "Kaze, if it turns out that I cannot return to Tristania, what will you do?"
"Me? I don't think I have a say in this, but I sure hope that you being unable to return is simply temporary," Kaze responded honestly. "Besides, I would miss seeing your sisters too."
"Haven't you started showing signs of being attracted to them?" Lunaria teased him with a giggle. "I can understand how you feel though. Being separated from you for 2 weeks already felt unbearably long to me."
They walked to an opening that led to the bigger exposed area of the garden Kaze had not been to before. Here, there was an area that looked like a forest garden, designed and built to be included in the palace area as an escape of sort. Since the palace was essentially on a mountain, there was no limit to how big the forest could be even though there were clearly defined borders. It just happened to look huge from being up close without taking a bird's eye view of the place.
Standing at the edge of the forest, which was lit up with all sorts of natural light from plants and magic crystals, Kaze felt as if the place was truly magical. He didn't know if any of his friends was aware of the palace garden being completely different at night than it was during the day, but that was the least of his concern right now.
"Lunaria, what are we doing here?"
"Follow me for a bit. I don't want us to be seen."
"Is this safe?"
"The palace is surrounded by a barrier, you know that. This forest is included within the barrier, so you don't have to fear us getting lost, attacked, or intruding on private property."
"Alright then… at least I don't have to worry about safety since the forest is lit quite well."
With Lunaria leading the way, Kaze followed after her into the forest.
It didn't take them a long walk to arrive at the location that Lunaria was trying to bring him to. Walking past a few more stumps, Kaze came into a small bright opening with a bunch of plants grown in a neat manner on the floor. Surrounding the area were tall leaves and ferns, as if forming a protective cover to hide the small sanctuary of flowers and plants before him.
The plant that stood out most were the ones that look the smallest of the bunch, yet glowed the brightest under the darkness. Its presence illuminated the ground alongside multiple other similar flowers around it, each one of them emitting a mystifying aura.
"Lunaria, are these all… Phoenix Orchids?" Kaze asked nervously upon realizing the super rare flower that he had won with her during a very fortunate lucky draw.
"Yep," Lunaria nodded. "These are Phoenix Orchids alright."
"H-How? I swear you said they were incredibly rare? Why are there dozens of them here in the garden?"
"Do you know why Phoenix Orchids are so hard to find?"
"No?"
"Because of the requirements for them to bloom. The reason why even top cultivators like the elves have no way to cultivate plants like the Phoenix Orchid is due to their unique growth condition. First of all, an Orchid, upon being removed from the original place of its growth, can no longer be replanted. Since it never wilts, even removing it from the dirt will preserve its state as long as it is able to absorb the nutrients required in the form of mana from the air. That's why it never wilts, because unlike normal plants, a Phoenix Orchid survives by feeding on mana instead. That is why it is so precious, for it is a plant with so much versatility."
"Then why can't it be artificially grown?"
"Well, the first thing you should know is that you can't physically locate or find an area where a Phoenix Orchid can grow. Other than certain requirements known and recorded being mountain ranges and a place with high mana density, we don't know what else is needed. For humans, scaling a mountain in search of a plant has barely any value considering the risks while elves live on huge trees on the ground, meaning that the only two races that show interest in the plant have no way of obtaining them easily. Plus, Phoenix Orchids are essentially immortal, meaning that there is no need for them to preserve their species."
"What do you mean?"
"Kaze, why do certain animals give birth to more babies than others? Why do certain plants have more seeds as a way to spread their offspring compared to plants that live a long life? In basic biology, the reason for reproduction is the preservation of your species. For those species who are vulnerable to predators or have a short lifespan, nature grants them the ability to have many offspring compared to the long lifespan others have. With Phoenix Orchids being essentially immortal under the optimum condition, there is no need for them to have any way to reproduce, which is another reason why we can't find an abundance of them compared to the usual plants used for chemistry and potion-making."
"O-Oh… I never thought of that. How do Phoenix Orchids here reproduce or grow to such abundance then?"
"As I said, under the optimum condition that the Orchids wouldn't need to reproduce. However, there is no such thing in the world where an optimum condition exists. As such, the Orchid reproduces in a special way compared to other plants. Instead of having seeds or dividing itself to form a completely new plant, what it does is form a water pellet, meaning a small translucent round ball with water in it and releases it from the shoot. The 'shoot' as in the middle of the plant where all the petals form around. How or when it releases one is unknown, but it has been recorded that upon releasing the pellet, it would bounce like a pea to the ground nearby and by allowing nature to do the work, it would eventually bloom to form a new Orchid."
"Based on what you said, this area is essentially a well-kept secret, allowing the Orchids to continue this cycle of reproduction to the point dozens have grown in the past century?"
"Centuries, Kaze. It's been here before the time of my parents' birth. That's why I was so shocked when a Phoenix Orchid of all things was held in a simple auction for students. Those things are worth millions of gold, or points since that's the transactional value in Aravel, compared to most things in life. Kaze, the reason I decided to show you this is not only a sign of my trust, but also because I wanted to remind you of the time we won the Phoenix Orchid. Just like how my family, the royalties, have kept this location upon many others a national secret, I want you to trust in me that I will do everything in my power to ensure our love will not suffer any more harm."
"… Lunaria, I promise. I won't soil the trust you have in me, nor will I give up on the love we have right now. Even if the world rejects our pair as a human and dragonkin because of a past mistake."
The two shared a kiss under the light emitted by the plants around them. It felt like the forest was blessing the duo, wishing them the best in life.
As they did so, Kaze's hand gently grazed one of the Orchid's petals accidentally. The Orchid touched by him shuddered a bit and the light emitted by it began pulsing. It wasn't until Lunaria and Kaze separated from their kiss that they realized the strange sight before them.
"Huh? Is that supposed to happen?"
"No…? Kaze, did you do something?"
"I-I don't know. I might have accidentally touched it…."
Just as Kaze's voice faded, the pulsing stopped. A secondary layer of petal opened within the middle of the Orchid and expelled what looked to be a small marble out of the centre. It rolled out of the flower and towards the grass, where it came to a halt after gently hitting Kaze's shoe.
"… Lunaria, did the Orchid just… reproduced?"
"… I think it did…"
"Was it a coincidence?"
"I-I don't know…"
Gulping, Kaze touched another flower nearby and the same thing happened. The flower pulsed its vibrant colour before expelling a pellet within the span of a few minutes.
Kaze and Lunaria looked at each other when they realized this was no coincidence. He somehow managed to allow the Orchids, once thought to be impossible to cultivate, to automatically reproduce and expel its seed.
"Lunaria…?"
"Yeah… we need to find my mother. Fast."