Hero of Harmony (Continued)

Chapter 306: They've Come

Carrying breakfast back to our camp, I saw Jasmine rubbing her face while looking around in confusion, only for her face to brighten when she finally laid eyes on me.

"Ah, there you are, Alex. I was worried for a moment." Muttered Jasmine softly with a faint smile as she gently patted her chest while looking at Alexander, who raised an eyebrow.

"Did you think I had left you or something? Seems like a weird time for me to do so; if I were going to leave you, I would've done so much earlier." Remarked Alexander lightly as he sat opposite of Jasmine, who sheepishly smiled before crawling towards him.

"S-Sorry, I-I'm still sleepy, so I'm not thinking straight." Said Jasmine quietly as she yawned while sitting beside Alexander, only to lean against him, resting her head on his shoulder.

Nodding at her words, I put the already butchered animal onto the pan, which I then placed onto the campfire, adding some pepper, salt, and vinegar oil to enhance the flavor, though no matter what I did, with such limited seasoning, it was still going to be bland.

"Hey, Jasmine. You don't have a Mom, do you?" Asked Alexander lightly as he focused on cooking, his words causing Jasmine's expression to fall slightly.

"I did, but she died when I was eight... How did you know?" Replied Jasmine softly as she gazed downwards, only for her to raise her head and look at Alexander.

"Whenever I mentioned your parents, there was a brief moment of sadness, and you've never mentioned your Mother, The Queen, only your Father." Remarked Alexander lightly as he glanced at Jasmine, who quietly nodded, only for them to descend into silence with only the sound of the fire cackling.

"What about you? Have you... Lost anyone?" Asked Jasmine curiously as she looked at Alexander with a soft gaze, quickly noticing the shift in his expression.

"Yeah. My Master, Mother, and Lover, around the same time as when you lost your Mother, and funnily enough, I was your age. Haa, man, now I feel old." Replied Alexander softly with a bitter-sweet smile before glancing at Jasmine, only for him to lower his head while sighing.

"Hehe, you're not that old, Alex." "I'm 50% older than you." Remarked Jasmine and Alexander, respectively, as the former faintly chuckled and shook her, only for the latter to blankly look at her.

"W-Well, when you put it like that, you do sound much older, but you're really not that old. Among all my suitors, you're by far the youngest. N-Not saying that you're trying to court me or anything, I-I'm merely comparing t-that's all." Added Jasmine with a faint smile as she playfully pushed Alexander, who skeptically eyed her, causing her to fluster in embarrassment.

"I'm younger than all your suitors? That's... Weird. How old are they?" Asked Alexander hesitantly as he glanced at Jasmine, who tilted her head with a faint blush.

"Um, well, most of them are in their late 30s and early 40s, with the youngest being 33... Is that weird?" Asked Jasmine curiously as she looked at her hands before eyeing Alexander, who nodded with a twitching expression.

"Really? Well, this has been happening since I turned 12, so it's pretty normal for me." Added Jasmine lightly as she tapped her chin with a thoughtful expression, only to shrug her shoulders while Alexander's expression worsened.

"Never mind, I was mistaken. They're just a bunch of creepy pedophiles... Never realized being a Princess was difficult; I pity you, Jasmine. A child shouldn't ever have to deal with such things; you should be interested in boys around your age, not old dudes who just want you for your status." Remarked Alexander with an ugly expression, only for him to sigh while looking at Jasmine with a pitiful gaze, causing her to tilt her head.