Chapter 20: Be My Queen

“A maid? So, Tina’s really into that kind of thing, huh? I could tell from the moment you first saw me.”

Althea spoke with conviction.
“No, no, no, Your Majesty, you’ve got it all wrong! I’m not some creep obsessed with hanging out in maid cafés, nor do I want to see you dressed up like that.”

“Oh? So Tina doesn’t like that stuff? I was thinking of getting a custom maid outfit if you were into it.” Althea put on a slightly disappointed look.

“Hm? But now that you mention it, I bet you’d look stunning in one. Maybe you should try it!” Tina’s flip was faster than turning a page.

“Alright~ As we agreed, you’re spending the whole day with me at the festival.”

“Don’t worry, today I’m all yours, Althea.”

Cough, cough— Althea choked in excitement. “T-then, let’s head to the flower shop first.”

“Your call.”

It seemed Althea had the day all planned out.
Tina didn’t know why the flower shop was first, but she figured she’d just follow the date logic.

Wait, date?
The word felt foreign to her.

Was she actually on a date with Althea?
No, no, this was just friends hanging out. Yup, that’s it.

After convincing herself, Tina followed Althea to their first stop—
A flower shop near the palace, brimming with Kellivir’s unique romantic charm.

Besides local plants Tina couldn’t name, she recognized familiar flowers: roses, carnations, lilies, and more.
Althea browsed the racks, carefully selecting for a while before picking a few red tulips with dew-kissed petals, heading to the counter.

“It’s the princess… no, Your Majesty! No need to pay,” the shopkeeper said, instantly deferential.

“That won’t do. We’re here as ordinary people enjoying the festival. Take it.”

Unable to refuse, the shopkeeper hurried to a back room and returned with a bag of seeds. “As a gift, please take these newly arrived Hyperion tree seeds.”

“Huh? Those super rare trees that almost no one can grow but get massive and majestic if you do?”

In Althea’s memory, fewer than a hundred such trees existed on the continent, their seeds a rare trade commodity.
“Exactly, Your Majesty. Try planting a few in the garden!”

“Awesome! We’ll take them.”

Althea bounced out of the shop, looking like an excitable kid without a hint of royal poise.
Of course, Tina knew it was just her joy showing through.

It was kind of nice.
“Next stop: the clothing store!”

Althea seemed to cherish their time together, racing through her itinerary.
Tina wanted to say there was no rush—two more festival days remained, and even after this, there’d be another in ten years.

But the words stuck in her throat. Could she really promise, “I’ll be with you for this decade, the next, and the one after that”?
She couldn’t.

It would be a lie, a deception, and her conscience wouldn’t allow it.
Maybe with a bit more time, she could steel herself to make such an empty promise.

She just hoped she wouldn’t get too lost in this simulation’s role.
“What’s wrong? You seem preoccupied. Not enjoying the festival with me?”

Althea noticed Tina’s silence since leaving the shop, worried she wasn’t having fun.
“No way! Time with you is happier than anything I’ve ever experienced. I wish it could last forever…”

“Hehe, such sweet words. I’ve got a surprise for you today, you know.”

“What surprise?”

“Can’t tell you yet—gotta keep it mysterious, hehe~ Ow, why’re you pinching my cheek? That hurts!”

“Oops, sorry. You were just too cute to resist.”

“Jeez…” Althea grumbled, but her beaming smile betrayed her true feelings.
She wished these playful moments could last forever too.

“Here we are—the kingdom’s finest tailor shop. Every piece here’s worth a fortune, and money alone can’t buy them.”

Althea had called ahead, letting the owner know she’d be coming with someone important.
A lavishly dressed woman waited at the entrance.

“Your Majesty, what would you like?”

“Hm… a custom maid outfit for my measurements.” Althea glanced at Tina, who looked away, pretending not to care.

“Huh?” The woman blinked. “For you, not her?”

“Yep.”

“Alright, if that’s Your Majesty’s request.”

The woman measured Althea with a soft tape, recording data and preparing fabric.
“It’ll take a few days, Your Majesty. Anything else?”

“Hehe~ Custom pajamas for both of us.” Althea leaned in, whispering, “Couple’s style.”

“Er—yes, Your Majesty.”

The woman thought to herself, These two are quite the pair.
After Tina was measured, they left the shop, heading to their final, most time-consuming stop.

“We’ve got plenty of time—should be enough,” Althea said.
“Where to, Althea?”

“You know the festival’s must-do activity—riding a unicorn, soaring through the sky, overlooking the kingdom.”

Tina realized Althea had saved so much time to extend their private moment as long as possible.
“Let’s go.” Althea grabbed Tina’s hand, jogging to a meadow where a winged white unicorn awaited.

“Just one?” Tina asked.

“Yup, we’re sharing. You probably don’t know how to ride one, right? I’ll take the reins!”

Tina felt like she’d walked into a trap—every move since leaving the palace was under Althea’s control.
“Alright, I’ll sit in the back.”

Riding the unicorn was a unique sensation, reminding Tina of clinging to the back of a scooter—except this could fly, in 3D, and was way more thrilling.
“Hold tight~” Althea grabbed Tina’s hands, placing them around her waist.

“Here we go.”

With wind magic, Althea launched the unicorn and themselves off the ground. Its wings unfurled, gliding through the air under her magical guidance.
A rainbow trail followed, their vibrant display drawing eyes from below.

“Let’s find somewhere private.”

Althea focused on escaping the crowd’s gaze, not noticing Tina clinging tighter.
“Wait, you’re not afraid of heights, are you?”

Tina’s head was pressed against Althea’s back, looking utterly spent.
If she’d held on for Althea’s sake at first, now it was for her own life.

A modern girl like her had never experienced magical flight—terrifying!
“If you can’t handle it, should we land?”

“No, I’m fine—yue—I’m okay.”

A man doesn’t admit defeat.
That’s what she thought, but her body betrayed her.

They made an emergency landing halfway, on a cliff’s edge.
“Ugh—”

Tina lay on the grass for who-knows-how-long.
Only as the sun set did she recover.

A gentle sea breeze blew across the cliff, the setting sun’s glow shimmering on the water, distant waves crashing with seagull cries, signaling the day’s end.
“Sorry, my body couldn’t keep up,” Tina said, ashamed.

“My fault—I didn’t know you were afraid of heights,” Althea consoled. “At least we flew pretty far and saw some sights, though I’m not sure you had the energy to notice…”

“It’s already great. I had so much fun today.”

Mid-conversation, a figure blocked the sunlight. Tina opened her eyes to see Althea holding a flower crown.
“Those tulips from the shop?”

“Yup, I wove them into a crown while you were resting.”

Tina sat up, and Althea leaned in.
“Don’t move—I’ll put it on you.”

“Okay.”

“There.” Althea studied her up close, then stepped back, admiring from every angle.
“You’re beautiful today, Tina.”

She sneakily snapped a picture with the recording crystal.
“Then, per festival tradition… after a man gives a woman flowers, he offers his sincerest confession.”

“Huh?” Tina realized the flowers and unicorn ride were all for this moment—a perfect setting for a confession.
Was this it?

Ahem. “So, will you be my queen, dear Tina?”