The family of three with their furry companion Baobao shared a lovely picnic breakfast until the sun was brightly shining into the river to which the gigantic waterfall cascaded.
After resting for some time, Leon invited everyone in the stream to check out the crystal clear river.
Eli and Little Han marveled at the sight of the river the cold clean water touched their hands as they saw the freshwater fishes freely swimming around as if it was their playground.
Leon and Baobao went into the river to catch some fish, while Eli and Little Han changed into something light so that they can enjoy the waters.
Soon the riverbed was filled with giggles and chuckles as Eli and Little Han playfully cheer Baobao and Leon in catching their fish.
In the warmth of the morning sun, Eli could not help but take a nervous gulp as her eyes drifted towards Leon's exposed chest muscles and legs.
As he was in the middle of the river with a handheld fishing net, the splashes of water went on his thin white shirt, hugging his perfectly lean and muscular body so alluringly. In Eli's eyes, his charm suddenly changed from a cold dignified prince to an aloof yet bewitching village man.
Eli could not help but remember the image of Leon's naked chest that was stored in Elise's mind. She could not help but reprimand herself for thinking so naughtily while they were in the midst of bonding together.
"Are you tired? You and Little Han may go to the tent for shade, the sun might hurt you later on…" Leon looked at the dazed Eli while he held the basin full of freshwater fish, oblivious to Eli's thoughts.
"N-no, I was wondering if you have caught enough fish… I feel bad that you had to do a lot of work, so much that you cannot enjoy the place." Eli's eyes looked away, pretending to watch over Little Han who was happily waddling on the riverbed.
Leon looked at her obsidian eyes which were ridden with uncertainty, he thought that Eli was indeed uneasy because she was suddenly prohibited from doing any work. Letting out a helpless sigh, he responded indulgently, "No worries, I'll just keep this catch properly stored then I'll join you in a minute."
"Alright, we'll wait for you." Finally convincing Leon to enjoy the trip himself and realizing that he did not notice anything amiss, Eli felt much better, hiding the guilt of checking out Leon's body earlier.
Just as he promised, Leon soon joined the mother and son.
Baobao attentively watched over the little family with a smile on his face as he remembered his buddy who was still sleeping inside the egg. "Wisey buddy, hope you wake up soon. Come and see what our family has become, we miss you a lot."
Soon after playing in the water, Leon led the three of them behind the waterfall. Using his magic to ensure that they would not be crushed by the raging water, Leon let them see the majestic cave behind the curtain of water.
"Wow, this is such a beautiful place!" Eli exclaimed in wonder.
Even after living for more than twenty years on modern earth, Eli did not have the privilege to travel and explore nature's wonders. And so, it was her first time seeing such a sight that she was only used to seeing on the internet.
"There's more to this place than the cave entrance, but before that…" Leon cast a spell on Little Han and Eli, instantly their wet clothes became dry as if they have not even spent time waddling in the waters.
"Yay!!!" Little Han was so amazed by his daddy's magic, that he raised his little head and stretched his hands out in happiness, then he looked at his father as if he was a big hero.
"Shoooze! Shooze!" He then pointed at his bare feet, reminding his daddy that he took off his shoes earlier.
"Easy there, little one. Mommy kept your shoes earlier. Come sit here, Daddy will put on your shoes again." Leon lovingly rubbed Little Han's fluffy redhead.
The only time he thought that the Seirende's blood-red hair was adorable, was when he was caressing his little son's head.
"Hee hee, aye!" Little Han grinned happily and obediently stayed seated on top of a wide rock.
Leon lifted his foot to put on his kiddie outdoor boots again, while Eli held the other pair with eyes full of unspeakable joy, seeing the two people she cared for the most interact sweetly.
After putting on the shoes, Leon once again cast his magic to make the boots feathery light, to which their little son squealed happily and was amazed yet again.
Upon seeing this, Eli could not help but chuckle, no wonder Leon would still put on the shoes on Little Han.
It turns out that the little guy wanted his outfit to be cohesive all over, but because he is still a year old and his bones were really not strong enough for the boots, Leon took it upon himself to fulfill his son's wishes and used magic.
As they finished, Leon took Eli by the hand while Baobao carried Little Han as they walk deeper into the cave. Slowly, the mystical view greeted their eyes.
The stalactites were ridden with colorful crystallites all over the place, glimmering faintly as the ball of light made by Leon lit up the walkway.
"These are the gems that were left unmined to preserve the beauty of this place," Leon explained calmly as he eyed the place with a great sense of pride.
"It was a great debate during the time it was discovered, for jewels are still jewels, even if their deposits weren't big enough to supply the Empire's economic growth, it could still help quite a lot.
But with Grandfather and Father Emperor's strong leadership, complemented by my Uncle's iron-clad will to protect the northern mountain range, the nobles could not touch this area to mine. I just hope that the next generation of leaders of the Empire and the North would do the same."
Eli listened to Leon's explanation, noting the hint of respect he had for his elders who protected the place. "Indeed, such a beautiful place needs to be protected from greedy people."
"We're yet to get to the heart of the cave." Leon tightened his hold on Eli's arms as he warned, "The walkway ahead is downslope and slippery. Please be careful."
Eli responded with a nod and allowed Leon to escort her as they go. Although she had more or less become a good fighter due to the constant sparing with the Blades and the Temple knights, she would let Leon assist her like this and enjoy the feeling of having someone by her side.
She did not want to deprive Leon of this simple thing, instead, she is all out to experience all that lovers experience despite how different they were from normal people.
After carefully threading the way towards the heart of the cave, they finally arrived at their destination.
The cave's heart is a large hollow hall, that was lit up by a hole that lets them have a peak at the blue sky. With the crystal jewels left unmined, it was reflecting speckles of colorful light that seemed to be dancing in their eyes.
Since the sunlight is abundant in the center of the cave, various herbs and vegetation decorated the rock formation, making it more magical and mystical. Birds of different colors, sizes, and types sang happily as they hover up and around the hollow, sometimes going down to take a sip of the small spring below.
"Beautiful!" Eli was awestruck in wonder, how the heavens have made such a beautiful place to form.
Everything from the rock formation to the spring below seemed to be in the perfect place. Her excitement reflected in her obsidian dark eyes as the hand that was holding Leon's large warm hand tightened gently.
Leon felt Eli's emotions, he looked at her expression and was deeply satisfied.
Seeing Baobao and Little Han become busy exploring the crystal-like spring, he pulled Eli gently to a hidden corner of the cave.
"L-leo…n," At first, Eli was startled and worried, him and her suddenly disappearing made her flustered, but upon seeing Baobao's expression, nodding in assurance, her words of objection started to disappear.
Following, Leon's lead, she felt her back resting on the cave wall, with her hands still intertwined with Leon. They did not go that far from Little Han's side, as Leon only led her to hide in the corner.
Eli locked her eyes towards his ever crystal blue eyes, her heart pounding hard at the thought of the two of them sneaking off like young passionate lovers.
However, Eli did not cower and waited for what Leon wanted to do.
Holding her breath, meeting Leon's eyes as she anticipated his next move, Eli parted her lips and welcomed Leon's gentle feathery kiss.
