"Your ankle is injured, my lady. How could you go anywhere at this point?" Aster inquisitively asked.

"Still, I have to go, and aren't you here? You have cured my wounds yet you haven't healed the bruise on my ankle." Keira spoke questioningly.

Like he was hit with the sudden realization, Aster looked at Keira apologetically. "Ah, sorry miss Kei. It seems like I have run out of Light energy. But not to worry, I could recharge it by tomorrow." Aster cunningly smiled.

'Lies! You, who have the male lead cheat. The king of the Angulus Kingdom, who slayed thousands of demons with his Light powers is telling me you ran out after healing such insignificant wounds? Who are you trying to deceive?'

Keira wanted to utter these words of hers to this ridiculous male lead in front of her but complaining, it would expose her true identity. So she could just grumble in her mind.

Keira gulped the mouthful of curses that was about to leak out and let out a forced smile "Is that right? Then I could only limp towards my destination." Keira had no plans of backing out and Aster had already expected this response, so he proposed a suggestion.

"Since my Light energy restores tomorrow, we can set out camp here tonight by the woods. By morning I would heal your sprained ankle and we would continue heading towards Berrick Valley since I also happen to be heading to the same place." At the same time Aster spoke, he was bandaging Keira's bruised ankle.

Keira immediately disagreed. She felt it would be dangerous to spend more alone time with this shrewd male lead.

"I can't possibly bother your highness."

"I already said that I was already on my way towards Berrick Valley so it is not a hassle. Additionally, I only have a single horse left with me. It would take weeks to reach Berrick Valley on foot."

What Aster said makes sense and Keira surely does not want to travel on foot. With great hesitation and pondering, Keira reluctantly agrees. Upon seeing this, the male lead thought.

'I got you.'

"Well then, since this matter has been settled. Let's find a place to camp shall we?" Aster was done bandaging the wound. After finishing his statement, Aster graciously lifted Keira from the ground to a princess carry. Keira was caught off guard and she tightly clung to Aster's neck. Aster mounted Keira unto the horse. He grabbed the horse's reins and began to lead the horse to the woods.

Arriving at a river after walking for nearly an hour—well, it was who Keira sat on a horse so it was the horse and the male lead who had actually walked for an hour. It was already getting dark. They set up camp near the river. Aster moved Keira to sit on a tree stump. The male lead appears to have already had things prepared in advance. Aster removed the bag that was attached to the horse and extracted the items inside. It contained a tent that 'by coincidence' was big enough for two.

"I'll be right back, I need to gather firewood." Keira nodded in response as Aster went to the dimming forest. It was almost completely night by now. Keira remained obediently seated as she gazed at the sky.

She remembered the times when they would camp out with her party before during the Light and Darkness wars. It was like this. They would spend the majority of their time camping outside as the wars happened without any towns nearby, thankfully. Keira continued to stare at the peerless sky, reminiscing about the past.

Aster was already done collecting wood,  but when he saw Keira's melancholic face he stopped in his tracks. Keira's eyes display a pool of profound emotions as her blue irises reflected the deep blue sky.

Sensing that somebody was watching her, Keira glanced in the person's direction and saw Aster's golden eyes that contained an intense yet abstruse glow. Aster and  Keira gazed into each other's eyes. Both were trying to read each other's thoughts.

Aster moved closer to where Keira was seated, his eyes still locked into hers. Stopping right in front of her, Aster was about to reach out and touch her face when Keira removed her gaze from Aster. Snapping both of them from their trance.

When Keira looked in the other direction, Aster's face darkened. Keira felt goosebumps as she sensed a terrifying aura. When Keira dragged her view back to Aster's direction, Aster was already showing his usual amiable smile.

'Did I feel that wrong?'

Seeing Keira's guarded appearance, Aster spoke, "I have the firewood. I will start the fire."

Keira only nodded and Aster compiled the wood and lit a fire. The fire softly illuminated the place. Looking at the fire, Keira felt hungry. Although she had dry food in her bag, she wanted to eat roasted meat.

Sensing Keira's mood, Aster smiled and thought, 'Even your hungry expression is the same.'

Aster got up again and said to Keira, "You must be starving. I'll go get us food." Thus Aster went back to the now dark forest.

After a short while, Aster came back bringing a boar's carcass. He skinned the boar and expertly chopped up the meat. He stabbed a wooden stick into the meat and placed them by the fire to cook. As the meat began to cook, the meat emanated a delicious smell into the air. Keira felt herself gulp as she patiently watched the meat roast. While Keira was busy staring at the cooking boar meat, Aster was busy watching Keira's childish expression.

When the meat was finally done roasting, Keira happily ate the tender meat. Her mood instantly lightens as she continues to happily gobble the boar's meat.

Keira: 'It really feels so great after eating the food you craved.'

"Is it to your liking?" Aster asked as he stared at Keira's figure with his tilted head that laid with the support from his hand.

Keira happily nodded as she continued to devour the roasted food. The boar's fat liquid was staining the corners of her mouth. Aster couldn't help but smile. 'Even the way you eat is completely the same. Even if you try to hide your abilities and disguise yourself in another identity. You cannot hide from me Keira, from your manners to your simple behaviors, and even your movement, you're already exposing yourself.'

Aster stated these words in his mind yet a lingering doubt still remains.  Although he is sure in his heart that this is Keira, without any concrete evidence to back this claim, his mind cannot help but contain a few doubts. That is why he decided to have this orchestrated. He would uncover Keira's true identity during this trip to the Berrick Valley.