Son of the Hero King
chapter-48

"Since I have won, I will make my request now."

Lilith, who was previously blushing a little, had her face pale at the speed of light the moment she heard his words.

"Please, tell me your greatest secret."

The wind stirred as Lilith faced the resolute eyes of Sol.

She didn't bother to play dumb. For him to ask something like that would mean that he had already received some hint from someone else. Most likely Camelia.

Of course, she also knew that Camelia was unlikely to have given him too much information, and as such she could easily lie to him, but she refused to do it. At least not now. Sol wasn't a child anymore.

Still…

"Please ask something else."

She wasn't ready yet. She did not want to reveal this secret. If possible she would have loved to take this secret to the grave and never let Sol discover it.

Surprisingly, Sol didn't insist,

"Alright. So how about that. Let's have a date."

…

…

…

"A date?"

What kind of nonsensical idea her nephew had again?

****

Sol, standing in front of his mirror in his bedroom, admired his new look.

He had put a wig to hide his blonde hair. His blue eyes weren't a problem by themselves so he didn't bother searching something to hide them.

He was wearing a simple undershirt and a leather armor composed of a breastplate as well as some arms guards. He had a steel sword on his right hip and a mid sized shield on the back.

Thanks to his month-long training in Edea’s world, he was also a little more muscular than he was after the transformation.

All in all, he looked like a particularly handsome but somewhat rookie adventure with enough training under his belt.

Next to him, Milia was observing his attire with a grimace. As a maid and a servant of the royal family as well as a fervent supporter of Sol, she hated seeing him wear clothes that didn't display all his good points.

Still, she understood that it couldn't be helped. The mood on the street was currently festive since the ceremony of adulthood by the crown prince was a national event.

If the crown prince and the regent queen were to be seen on the street, the uproar would be of epic proportion.

Once she was sure that everything was well and done, she sighed a little before nodding.

"It should be enough. At least it isn't too shabby. Though I would have preferred something more eyes catching."

Sol, not really bothered, smiled a little before giving a quick kiss to her lips.

"Thanks."

They hadn't had the time for any intimate time lately and their discussions were still up in the air, but he wasn't in a hurry. A secret was a secret because it was something hard to share. Be it, Milia or Lilith, he would never brusk them just to satisfy his curiosity.

–Even though he would really like to avoid the situation where an enemy somehow got hold of that information and sprinkled it on him at a decisive moment.

"Well, it's time to go."

****

While Sol was finishing his preparation, Lilith was also seating in front of the mirror of her bedroom.

Her eyes, lifeless as she looked at her reflect.

No maid was in her bedroom. She refused that anyone set foot in here. It was her sanctuary. Her world. Not even Edea peeked in this room as a form of respect for her.

Right now, her mind was in a complete turmoil.

She was a powerhouse who survived countless battlefields.

She was a queen(even if temporary) lording over millions of people.

She was both a mother and an aunt as well as a tutor.

But, despite all her experience, she had never gone on a date. She didn't think any noble had such an experience.

When people thought about nobles, they only saw the opulence and the seemingly easy life. They did not see the intrigue, the suffering, the manipulation and the lack of personal freedom.

If she hadn't been as strong as she was, her destiny would have been way different.

Of course this didn't mean that she wished to have been born as a commoner. She knew the pasture always seemed greener on the other side and had enough reports about burned village and bandits attacks to know the truth.

'Sigh, what should I even wear?'

She knew that she should wear something inconspicuous and something like a wig. Purple hair wasn't a trademark like golden hair and blue eyes, but it was still rare enough that anyone with purple hair was immediately connected to her.

It has been a long time since she seriously thought about what to wear.

Her usual clothes were just things she picked hazardly without much thought. But, right here right now, she was stumped.

She looked through all her clothes before her eyes fell on a special one, folded in a box.

‘Oh.'

Taking them out, she exclaimed quietly before pondering.

'If the size adjustment enchantments still work perhaps I should use it?'

She didn't have any better idea so might as well.

*****

Thirty minutes later, Sol stood near the sculpture of his father holding a sword while riding a dragon, most likely his mother, in the central plaza.

Every time someone passed near the sculpture, they would bow a little before continuing

Standing there and watching the respect the citizens still had for his father, he couldn't help but become lost in thought.

"Your father had always been respected even before becoming known as the hero king because of all the changes he made to make the lives of commoners easier."

Sol turned around, recognizing Lilith's voice. His breath immediately stopped as his brain fried.

Lilith was like her usual self. She seemed to have followed the same ideas as him, wearing adventurers clothes.

Her attire consisted of a short skirt and leggings that would hide the spring view, some daggers around her thighs and a skin loose black shirt. Her hairs were tied in a bun and were blue rather than the usual purple. It was clear that this wasn't a wig like Sol, but rather a dye. What's more, her usually large chest was nowhere to be seen.

Right now, Lilith didn't look like the queen regent, nor a seductive and powerful woman, but rather a young and delicious young girl who just reached adulthood.

"... How?"

Finally closing his mouth, he asked in confusion.

"This was a concoction created by hours alchemist in the team's your father and I were part of. It can make you look ten years younger or older for about five hours. So, how do I look?"

Sol could feel a certain nervousness in her voice and decided to reassure her.

"You are magnifique."

Saying so, he came close to her and took her hand in his before beginning to walk.

Lilith fidgeted a little, she wasn't really used to human contact anymore. Still, she didn't take her hand out.

'His hands are so large now.'

Walking next to him, her hand in his, Lilith looked at his side profile and marveled at the difference in height. Lilith wasn't particularly tall, even among women, but people generally dismissed this because of her massive power.

Still,

'He is taller than me.'

Thanks to his awakening and subsequent training, Sol looked more like an eighteen or nineteen year old than a teen of barely fifteen years. She now had to raise her face, to look up to him.

It was weird that she had never managed to remark this truth during their training session. Perhaps she had been too focused on making him stronger.

'He is now, more and more like a man. He is basically an adult now.'

This recognition brought an odd feeling of loss and pride in her heart.

Discarding those thoughts, a single conclusion reached her mind at this very moment while she looked at the sculpture they were walking away from.

'It seems like my duty will be finished sooner than I thought. Then…'