The following days were pure relaxation for Emi, Liam, and me in Belfri. We went to the beach a few times, and when we got tired, we explored the city. Sometimes, we invited Liam to join us, while other times it was just Emi and me. It was a week when Emi and I spent more time together than ever.
Unfortunately, this restful time came to an end when Liam finished all his tasks in Belfri. Although he told us we could continue using the mansion for some more time, both Emi and I declined the offer. We didn't want to overstay our welcome, and we felt we had spent enough time together. It was better to return to Solaris and report what we had discovered in Belfri. At least, that was the conclusion Emi and I came to.
With that, the three of us returned to Solaris at the beginning of the next week after our stay in Belfri. The journey back was smooth, although we had a mishap on the way when one of the carriage wheels broke, which cost us some time to fix. Apart from that incident, nothing significant happened during the trip.
As soon as we arrived in Solaris, Emi headed towards the castle, while I made my way to my territory. We planned to talk to the king the next day, as both Emi and I were a bit tired from the journey. After all, carriages are not exactly comfortable for long trips.
After a good night's rest, the next day, I headed to the palace after having breakfast with my family. I took the opportunity to tell them everything that had happened in Belfri, including the visit to the beach with Emi. Anna seemed excited about the idea of going to the beach, so I told her that we could plan a visit anytime in the future.
As I arrived at the palace, I was greeted by the guards who led me to the place where I would meet with the king. In front of a door, one of the guards knocked to announce my arrival, and permission to enter was granted by the king. As I walked in, my eyes met the king's and unexpectedly, Albert's as well. It seemed that my surprise didn't go unnoticed.
"Albert has also been informed, and he is leading the investigations into the men who hurt you. I hope you don't mind"
The king said with a smile on his face, and I simply nodded. It was true that Albert was leading the investigations, and although I wanted to get his attention as well, it seemed unnecessary.
"In fact, I had planned to request Prince Albert's presence as well, so this turned out to be a good opportunity"
I said. Hearing my words, Albert put a smile on his face and pointed to a chair in front of me, indicating that I should sit.
"Well, let's get started then. Also, just call me Albert. The title of prince is unnecessary when we're alone, as we are family. If you want, you can think of me as your older brother, Ren"
The words of Albert took me by surprise. Although he had told me something similar before, it had never been so openly, especially in front of the king. However, as the king didn't seem particularly opposed to the idea, I accepted the proposal.
"Thank you for your kindness. So, from now on, I will call you Albert"
After that, I shared with the king and Albert everything I had discovered in Belfri. While they weren't extraordinary revelations, they were valuable pieces of information that deserved to be mentioned. Some of them coincided with Albert's findings. The king and Albert showed great interest in my theories, especially the idea of a new continent near ours and the possibility of discovering a method for sea travel that was previously unknown.
"That is indeed concerning news"
the king commented after hearing my words, while Albert, next to him, simply nodded in agreement.
"Indeed, not to mention that our first encounter was not the friendliest. With this, we can conclude that they do not intend to maintain a friendly relationship with us"
Albert added. Listening to his words, I nodded in agreement and continued.
"At the moment, I believe we should pay special attention to Belfri since it was where the masked individuals were first seen. However, I don't believe they would attack us without reason. Last time, they seemed to be buying time, although I don't know the reason"
I explained while sighing. Honestly, this whole situation was giving me a headache. I guess, in both worlds, it will always be the same. When humans want war, they will make war.
"Anyway, thank you for the information. With this, we will probably be able to create a better plan"
After that, we concluded the conversation, and as I left the room, Albert and the king remained, as they seemed to have other matters to discuss. Anyway, I began to look for Emi, and after asking a maid, I found out that Emi was in the garden with her mother.
Guided by the maid, I quickly arrived at the location where I found both of them, who seemed to be engaged in a conversation. At first, I was confused because Emi seemed embarrassed about something, but I soon understood what it was when Emi's mother asked me when we planned to have children.
Apparently, since she returned, Emi has had the habit of placing her hand on her stomach and rubbing it when she is distracted. When I heard this and looked at Emi, she had her head down, and her face looked extremely red.
In this situation, I really didn't know how to respond. For some reason, I didn't think Emi's mother was joking when she asked me this, she genuinely seemed to want to know when the two of us would have children.
In the end, both Emi and I were quite embarrassed as we listened to all of Emi's mother's questions. She wanted to know if we already had names in mind, in case it was a boy or a girl, what our gender preference for the baby was, among even more personal and embarrassing questions.