Chapter 21

The floral gardens of the Blooming Palace are in full bloom, dappled in soft gold sunlight. Cherryfires and roseflames sway gently in the wind, petals glowing faintly with heat. Near a marble fountain carved in the shape of a phoenix, Astera sits beside Nalea on a sun-warmed bench, a smile playing on his lips.

NALEA:
So, what’s with the extra… carefulness today? You keep checking over your shoulder.

ASTERA (chuckling):
Because I know I’m being watched.

NALEA:
By who?

ASTERA:
My cousin. The Universal Princess. She and Berwick’s daughter have formed an unofficial investigation unit. I wouldn’t be surprised if they were in the hedges right now.

Nalea blinks, turning to scan the garden subtly.

NALEA:
You’re joking… right?

ASTERA:
Nope. Which is why… we’re not actually here.

He snaps his fingers. In the distance — across the garden near the western reading alcove — a pair of perfect clones sit at a different bench, seemingly deep in conversation. One looks like Astera, hair tousled just right, and the other is a convincing illusion of Nalea, giggling softly at something.

NALEA:
...You made clones of us?

ASTERA:
Subtle, aren’t they? They even breathe.

NALEA:
That’s so extra.

ASTERA (grinning):
You don’t grow up with Shizuku Mizuyari as a cousin and not learn how to out-paranoia a universal captain. Plus… I don’t like being teased at dinner for things I didn’t even do.

Nalea chuckles, leaning back against the bench.

NALEA:
So this is a… decoy date?

ASTERA (teasing):
Only if you want it to be a date.

NALEA (playfully):
You didn’t answer the question.

ASTERA (dodging):
Let’s just enjoy the moment. Clones are handling the PR. We get to relax.

As they talk and laugh softly, the camera pans across the garden, where the clone of Nalea tosses her hair and clone Astera leans in ever-so-charmingly. From a hidden nook behind a hedge, a tiny sparkle of pink catches the light — a phone lens peeking out as Lily and Sanguinella huddle behind a bush, whispering frantically…

LILY (whispering):
He brought her here. This is where they hang out.

SANNY:
He’s so smooth it’s actually suspicious.