"You said to collect fruits to make a fruit tart. Are we making that ourselves?"
Crown Prince Arin tilted his head to Iria who was on his right when he heard her question. Did that still bother her? The thought of it made his lips curved into an amusing smile.
"Shouldn't you make it?"
Iria Alewine blinked and narrowed her eyes at the strawberries in the basket. "But I don't know how to bake, let alone cook."
The Crown Prince chuckled at her response. "I'm just joking. I know that you won't have such a skill."
"Are you saying you have?" the Commander asked as she gave the Crown Prince a doubtful glance once more.
"My late mother was a baker," Arin replied. "Though she was from a family of farmers, she loved to bake and she used to work for the baker who used to supply cakes for the royal family on special occasions. That's how she met my father."
"I see," Iria muttered. "She taught you how to bake?"
Arin nodded with a little smile. "In the history of our kingdom, my mother was the only Queen who loved to spend most of her time in the kitchen. She never changed even after she became a royal. I used to watch her and eventually learned it myself."
When the Commander was absorbed in her thoughts, thinking of what the Crown Prince just told her, Arin plucked a ripe strawberry and showed it to her. "Why don't you taste it?"
Iria Alewine glanced at the fruit and just when she was about to take it, Arin glanced around and stood up. "Just a second."
The Commander watched as the Crown Prince rushed to the right where a hand water pump was placed. Then Arin washed the strawberry and ran back to her.
"I almost forgot to wash it first," he muttered with a smile and offered it to her again.
With an amusing smile, Iria took the strawberry and ate it.
"Is it good?" Arin quickly asked her.
She nodded. "Yes, it's sweet."
Arin smiled and glanced around again. "I think we have enough strawberries now. Let's switch to pineapples."
While the couple were walking to the left where pineapples were grown, Antony and Rion were watching over them from afar. While Rion seemed to be troubled by his thoughts, Antony's voice snapped him out of his stupor.
"The Crown Princess seems to be quite skilled in archery. Did she practice a lot?"
Rion darted his eyes to Antony before he replied, "Yes. She's quite good."
Antony simply smiled when he heard Rion's response. "That's great. His Highness is always concern about her. Though Her Highness is more than active, I think they make a good match."
"Is the Crown Prince serious about her?" Rion promptly asked and it made Antony raised a brow.
"Why are you asking me the obvious, Rion?" Antony uttered. He briefly glanced at Rion before he shifted his gaze back to the couple. "I have served His Highness for years now, but I never witness him this happy. That already makes everything clear."
He paused and asked, "What about the Crown Princess?"
Antony's question was what troubled Rion just a while ago. Confused, he shifted his gaze to his Commander who was with the Qalagon Crown Prince.
An easy aura that surrounds his Commander, the carefree yet genuine and rare smile on her face and... the way she looked at Arin Helev.
Did she really felt the same as the Crown Prince?!
He knew that the original intention of the Masked Commander was to not get close to any of the people here. However, she didn't do that and instead, she spent a lot of time with Vienna Mareyi and the Crown Prince.
Even if the Crown Prince wished to get close to her, she can refuse. After all, Crown Prince Arin always respect her decision but... why did she always accept his request or invitation?
Was his Commander... in love with the Crown Prince?!
What if his assumption was really true?
Rion didn't even want to think further as it was clear that there will be chaos between the two kingdoms if it was indeed true!
*
Iria and Arin were now inside the house on the farm. The Crown Prince was working on making a fruit tart while Iria sat on the chair and watched him. It was her first time seeing Arin working in a kitchen and she can't help but smiled.
It wasn't every day that you get to see the Crown Prince with an apron.
"Wait for just a while. It will be done soon," Arin Helev said as he took a seat beside her.
"I never feel useless as I did today," Iria blabbered without even thinking and this made the Crown Prince laughed.
"That should be true. You aren't even helpful in cutting the fruits," he remarked as he shook his head.
Iria Alewine let out a sigh. "I think you do it on purpose. You just want to make fun of me while showing off your skills."
"You get me wrong," Arin argued. "Even if you're not good in farming or baking, I'm sure that there will be many things which you excelled at." He gently patted Iria on the shoulder and added, "You should show me one day."
Though the Crown Prince seemed to mean no harm, the playful smile on his lips made Iria frowned. "You should at least control your expression if you try to put on an act of consoling me," she bluntly stated.
"Is it too obvious?" Arin simply said and laughed which irritated the Masked Commander even more! Nevertheless, she decided to keep quiet. No matter what she said, it seemed like it entertained him even more and... she didn't want to give him that pleasure.
"It's done," Arin said when he glanced at the fruit tart he baked. Then he walked to it and brought it to Iria. He cut a piece and gave it to her. "You should try it."
Iria took a bite of the fruit tart and it was more good than she thought. No... it was even comparable to the ones she used to eat in the palace. Just as he said, his mother should be a great baker!
"How does it taste? Do you like it?" Arin asked her. He still hasn't got a taste but only stared at her.
"I think I will start to crave this often from now on. It's too good to be your baking," the Commander dryly said but it was soon followed by a chuckle.
"Then I think I should become a baker rather than the Crown Prince," Arin remarked. His gaze never once left her and just as he expected, she sighed when she heard him praising his own skills.
She never knew that the Qalagon Crown Prince was a narcissistic one!
Little did she know he was only behaving that way to cheer her up and... he indeed succeeded.....
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