Azael came back to awareness slowly, drifting up from the comfortable depths of sleep.

The first thing he noticed was the warmth. A pleasant, steady heat pressed softly against his right side, the comfortable weight of another person nestled close to him.

His arm had somehow ended up draped over her waist without any conscious planning on his part. It had simply settled there naturally during their nap, and neither of them had moved to change it.

He blinked a few times, his mind still foggy with sleep.

The light filtering down through the thick branches above had changed completely. What had been bright afternoon sunlight earlier was now transformed into thin, amber-edged rays. Nostalgic light that only appears in the short window before the sun finishes its descent.

Long, soft shadows stretched across the grass, and the breeze that brushed over them had grown noticeably cooler, carrying the faint scent of evening flowers and damp earth.

Evening had arrived.

He turned his head slowly to the side.

Arista was still fast asleep beside him, her breathing slow, deep, and perfectly even. She looked completely unbothered by the world around her

.

A few loose strands of her vibrant crimson hair had fallen across her face during sleep, resting gently against her cheek. In the warm golden evening light, with her expression completely unguarded and her features relaxed in peaceful slumber, she looked .

Genuinely peaceful. Softer. More vulnerable than she usually allowed herself to appear when awake.

’She’s cute,’ he thought with quiet sincerity, a small smile tugging at his lips.

He raised his free hand carefully and gently brushed the loose strands of hair away from her face, tucking them tenderly behind her ear. His fingers lingered for a brief moment, feeling the softness of her hair and the warmth of her skin.

She didn’t stir at all.

He watched her for a moment longer, enjoying the rare sight of his usually strong and composed older sister looking so at peace. Then he leaned in slightly closer and spoke in a low, calm voice.

"Arista."

Nothing.

"Arista." He gave her shoulder a gentle shake. "Wake up."

She made a small sound, something between a sleepy murmur and a soft protest and her brows drew together slightly in mild annoyance. Then her eyes slowly opened. At first they were half-lidded and unfocused, but gradually they cleared as she adjusted to the light.

The first thing she saw was his face, close to hers.

Her amethyst eyes met his violet.

She looked at him quietly for a moment, still halfway caught between sleep and waking, her amethyst eyes soft and hazy.

"...What is it?" she asked, her voice still gentle and husky with sleep.

"Nothing urgent," he replied with a small smile. "But look at the sky."

Her gaze drifted upward.

Through the canopy of branches above them, the sky had transformed into deep shades of amber, warm orange, and soft rose beautiful colors that only lasted for a short.

Her eyes cleared completely.

"...It’s evening already," she said, sounding mildly surprised.

"We should head back inside."

She glanced at him, then back at the beautiful sky, and gave a small, reluctant nod.

"Yeah." She shifted slightly. "Let go of me first so I can sit up."

Azael looked down and realized his arm was still comfortably wrapped around her waist. He released her without a word. Arista pushed herself upright, rolling her shoulders and stretching both arms wide above her head with the complete, unself-conscious satisfaction of someone who had just enjoyed a truly restful nap.

Her huge breasts pushed up proudly.

"That was a good nap," she said with quiet conviction. "Really good."

Azael stood up beside her, brushing a hand over his sleeve to remove a few stray blades of grass.

"Of course it was," he said playfully. "After all, you had me Azael, charming and handsome right beside you the entire time. The quality of sleep was inevitable."

Arista turned to look at him.

Then she laughed. It was bright, easy, and genuine and she reached over to pinch his cheek firmly between two fingers.

"Sure," she said, amusement clear in her voice. "Absolutely. Now let’s go."

He rubbed his cheek with a small grin as they set off together back toward the palace.

---

The path back was quiet and pleasant in the cooling evening air. The garden had taken on an entirely different quality in the fading light warmer tones, softer shadows, and a peaceful stillness that made every flower and leaf seem to glow.

The colors of the blooming flowers appeared deeper and richer under the amber sky. Their footsteps were soft on the stone path as they walked side by side toward the main building, enjoying the comfortable silence between them.

They were almost at the entrance when they heard footsteps approaching from the opposite direction.

Both of them looked up at the same time.

It was Aeliana.

She walked with her usual composed, unhurried bearing and stopped when she saw them. Her sharp gaze moved over the two of them with calm but thorough observation, taking in every detail in just a couple of seconds.

Their clothes were noticeably wrinkled. The back of Azael’s jacket had clear grass stains. Arista’s hair, though still loosely tied, had the distinct look of hair that had spent several hours pressed against the ground.

Aeliana’s brow drew together by a small but very noticeable degree.

"Where have you two been?" she asked, her tone even and controlled. "And what exactly were you doing that resulted in... this?"

She gestured once, briefly, at their disheveled appearance.

"Sabrina mentioned you had gone out to the garden," she continued. "That was hours ago. You missed the afternoon lunch entirely."

Azael and Arista exchanged a brief, slightly guilty glance.

Then both of them smiled. The specific smile people wore when they knew they had no particularly good defense and were hoping warmth and charm might make up for it.

"We’re sorry," Azael said sincerely.

"We lost track of time," Arista added smoothly. "It won’t happen again."

Aeliana studied them for a moment longer. The slight frown remained on her face, but the sharper edge of disapproval softened just a little.

She turned and addressed the attendant who had been following at a discreet distance behind her.

"Take them to their rooms. Separate wings." She looked back at Azael and Arista with calm finality. "Both of you get cleaned up and changed. Come find us when you’re presentable."

"Yes," they replied, almost in unison.

The attendant bowed politely and stepped forward.

Aeliana held their gaze for one final moment the particular look of a woman who clearly had more to say on the matter but was generously choosing to save it for later.

Then she turned and continued down the corridor without another word.

Azael watched her go, then exhaled quietly through his nose.

Arista leaned slightly toward him as the attendant began leading them away.

"We got off easy," she murmured.

"We really did," he agreed with a small chuckle.

Arista lifted a hand in a lazy wave without looking back.

The attendant gave them rooms beside each other.

The evening light streamed through the tall windows in long, fading golden lines across the polished floor.

He glanced down at his jacket again.

Grass stains. Wrinkled fabric. The clear evidence of a very pleasant, lazy afternoon worn plainly across his clothes.

He smiled to himself quietly and entered his room.

---

Azael returned to his room and freshened up. He took a quick, refreshing bath, washing away the grass and dirt from the garden. After drying off, he opened the cupboard and picked out some simple casual clothes.

A comfortable black shirt and dark trousers. Once dressed, he sat by the window for a while, quietly watching the evening sky slowly darken into deep twilight.

When the time for dinner finally arrived, he stood up and left his room.

He walked the short distance to the door right beside his and knocked gently.

A few seconds later, the door opened. Arista stepped out wearing casual clothes. A loose white blouse and comfortable pants. Her long, beautiful crimson hair was now completely loose, falling freely down her back in soft waves.

She smiled warmly when she saw him.

"Let’s go for dinner," she said. "I’m really hungry. We didn’t have lunch today."

Azael smiled back and nodded.

They walked side by side through the elegant corridor toward the dining hall. The evening lamps had already been lit, casting a warm, golden glow along the walls.

When they reached the grand dining hall, everyone was already present, seated around the long, elegantly set dining table.

At the head of the table sat Empress Celestia with her usual regal composure. On her left sat Callius, then his wife, followed by their children, and then the prince and princess. On the opposite side sat Aeliana and Liana. Arista took the seat beside Liana, while Azael sat beside Arista.

Celestia looked around the table, confirming that everyone was now present.

"Let’s start dinner," she said calmly.