Clearing away the cover of leaves, Green discovered a small open space.

Upon closer observation, Green suddenly realized why there was a suspicious grove planted here.

Clearly, there were already plenty of plants along the roadside, so this grove stood out in a strange way.

However, Green only found it odd and didn't think much of it.

It was only after walking further into the grove that Green discovered there was something more to it.

Although it was still just a grove, Green noticed a house with obvious signs of human construction inside. No... calling it a house might not be quite right, after all, it was too small.

It was so small that normal people couldn't possibly live in it, and even a child would feel cramped.

It didn't seem like a place for habitation, but more like a dwelling for small animals.

Perhaps it should be called a "nest" instead?

Hearing footsteps coming from behind, Tia knew without turning around who it was. Her own perception confirmed this.

Since the last time Green helped expand her perception, Tia's abilities had improved significantly, even surpassing the previous level. Even with magic, she still had impressive detection abilities.

So when Green chased after her, Tia sensed it right away.

She didn't think that her own strength could hide from Green's perception.

And this grove, in fact, was planted by her when she was a child. It was purely for fun at the time. As for the house-sized nest, it was built for a pet-like existence she once had.

Although that pet had passed away.

Now this place had become like a secret base for Tia. Whenever she encountered something sad or frustrating, she would come here to relieve her boredom.

Even though the trees were not professionally planted and the layout was messy, it didn't hinder the enjoyment of the sky's appearance.

"What's wrong with you?"

Green quickly spotted Tia not far away, looking at her with a confused expression on his face.

Tia didn't turn around to look at Green. She was struggling, or rather, torn.

It wasn't just because she had said some not-so-nice things earlier. The main issue was...she didn't know how to handle the current situation between the two of them.

This false relationship was not what Tia wanted to see.

But she was also unwilling to accept it, yet didn't know what to do.

Her heart was filled with confusion.

Seeing Tia's unwillingness to talk, Green didn't continue to babble in her ear. He just stood there, occasionally surveying the surrounding environment, silently waiting for Tia to respond on her own.

After a while, Tia finally spoke.

"Green, do you hate me...?"

Her voice was soft, and very lacking in confidence, even making one feel a sense of inferiority.

This submissive attitude seemed like she was afraid of something.

It was hard to imagine such a posture appearing on the princess of the empire.

Although Tia couldn't be called a goddess to the people, she was still highly regarded. This wasn't just because of her position as a princess, but also due to her abilities and looks, which were exceptional.

For most of the younger generation in the empire, it would be an honor beyond regrets to win the heart of such a princess.

But everything was different with Green.

Not only was he not a match for her father, the Caesar who was known as the God of War, but he was also already a king at such a young age, with unfathomable strength that couldn't be understood.

Sometimes Tia really wondered where Green came from and why he was so powerful, but she didn't dare to ask recklessly.

In the presence of a strong individual, especially one who surpasses many levels of their own, the weak will gradually lose the desire to resist, especially since this strong individual is not an enemy.

This is precisely why Tia's attitude towards Green has subtly changed compared to before.

Perhaps Green hadn't noticed this change; Tia still had that mischievous and somewhat willful look. But for Tia, she gradually felt a distance between the two of them.

And this sense of distance continues to grow, making Tia feel an unreachable feeling.

This feeling makes Tia very uneasy, especially in the current relationship between the two.

All kinds of emotions gathered in her heart, finally converging into anxious words that slipped out of her mouth.

Green remained silent for a long time and did not immediately answer Tia's question.

This question didn't seem like something that could be answered with a simple "I don't dislike you" for Green.

But Green's silence, in Tia's eyes, created an even greater sense of distance between them.

It was as if there was an invisible force separating them, as if there was a fragile line connecting them, but this line was extremely fragile. Once it was impacted, it would completely break and there would be no chance of it mending.

Gradually, the brightness in Tia's eyes dimmed.

"Well... I can't really say that I dislike you... it's just..."

Suddenly, Green spoke up.

Green's restless right hand fiddled with the hair on his forehead. Facing Tia at this moment, he had a strange feeling of being vulnerable and embarrassed.

"Then, is it that you don't like my type?"

"About types... um..."

Green's answer was hesitant, giving the impression that he was unreliable.

If an ordinary young man witnessed this situation, they might have punched Green without any hesitation out of anger, only to be countered and humiliated by Green.

In short, this behavior was kind of lousy.

Indecisive people are usually not well-liked, and Green was currently in such a state.

In this situation, Green didn't directly answer Tia's question but instead asked a counter question.

"I'm curious, what exactly do you like about me? With my personality, I'm not someone particularly outstanding. Compared to ordinary people, the biggest difference is probably just the unreasonable power I possess. As the princess of the empire, you should be able to find someone much more outstanding than me, right?"

Being questioned like this by Green, Tia suddenly froze.

At the same time, she felt a hint of fear in her heart.

Tia's inner self began to waver, as if what Green said was correct. Apart from that unreasonable power, his personality couldn't be considered particularly outstanding, and there were indeed many others who were better than him.

But deep down, a voice told her that this was not the truth.

Although her heart seemed to be wavering, Tia could feel the hidden affection buried deep inside. Even though it was hard to perceive, Tia could still feel it.

It was a strange feeling.

For a moment, Tia didn't reply. She simply kept her head down in silence.

Green also felt a headache. Although what he had said earlier seemed fine on the surface, he couldn't shake off the feeling that something was wrong. Even after saying those words, there was an inexplicable restlessness in Green's heart.

He felt quite agitated.

Green couldn't control the heat that was rising within his body.

What was wrong exactly?

There shouldn't be any problems.

But Green couldn't help but feel that something was off, as if...

"I don't know either."

"Huh?"

Tia's voice snapped Green out of his thoughts. She was staring straight into his eyes, and her red pupils seemed to conceal burning flames.

"I don't know why, but ever since the battle against the witch, I've realized that as long as I stay by your side, I feel a sense of security that I've never experienced before, as if..."

Tia's words suddenly faltered, and her gaze started to waver. She couldn't bring herself to look directly into Green's eyes.

"As if... it feels like... my mother..."

"...?"

Green frowned, and the confusion in his mind was almost turning into tangible question marks, making anyone who looked at it just as confused.

Because Green couldn't have imagined that Tia would say such a thing.

Like a mother? ???

Tia's feelings are...

A pink thought suddenly arose in Green's mind.

Could it be that Tia actually likes not him, but "her"!?

"T-Tia...what do you mean by that?"

"Well, literally..."

Tia's face turned as red as a tide, the redness spreading to the tips of her ears, making one unable to resist the terrifying thought of wanting to take a bite and taste the flavor.

And Green became more convinced that his guess was right.

"Could it be...?"

Green couldn't hold back anymore, but in reality, what Tia liked...

"Are you attracted to the female me?!"

Ultimately, Green shouted out loud, fortunately, this forest had some soundproofing effect, and there weren't many people nearby, otherwise this kind of conversation would inevitably give rise to wild thoughts.

However, when Tia heard Green's words, she was stunned for a moment, and the blush on her face faded away.

At the same time, in Tia's mind, the Green who held her hand, assisted her in perceiving the whole world, was handsome, reliable, and made her feel safe, gradually turned into...a girl.

"???"

No, this wasn't the Green she wanted!

Looking at the bewildered expression on Green's face, Tia immediately understood that Green was randomly imagining strange things, how could she not know what Green was thinking when she herself was not young?

Immediately, Tia blushed and instinctively pushed Green.

"That's not it!"

Although the strength was so weak that it couldn't even make Green sway...

After hearing this denial, the confusion on Green's face gradually disappeared, and his expression became puzzled.

"Then..."

"I like you the way you are now, my sexual orientation is still normal!"

"Ah, I see..."

Green breathed a sigh of relief.

Huh?

Why did he breathe a sigh of relief?

Perhaps even he thought that the thoughts that had just popped into his mind were too inappropriate.

However, after the conversation just now, Tia looked at the current posture of Green and suddenly felt a strange feeling in her heart.

For a long time, a question blurted out from Tia's mouth.

"Green, are you a girl?"

"???"

Green's confusion turned into substance again, but when he looked at Tia again, he found that Tia's face was ashen, as if she had seen something terrible, something that could plunge a person into despair.

At this moment, a thought firmly occupied Tia's mind.

Green is actually a girl...

Actually a girl...

A girl...

This thought repeated in her mind like a devil, making Tia feel a sense of despair.

After all, les only accounts for a minority.