The Dragon King's Heart

One moment, they were still in Laina's room in her Royal Quarters. The next moment, they were in a pocket dimension cafe! She had never seen anything like this before. Laina looked around the cafe, marveling at all the intricate details around her. 

Unlike a regular cafe, this cafe seemed to have been born out of the mind of an eccentric designer. The walls seemed to be made out of clouds, while the floor was furnished with pastel-colored wood. 

There were other patrons in the cafe, enjoying their time when Laina and Dante arrived. Seeing as there were new customers, a waitress came up to greet them. It was clear to see that this waitress was not human, as she had a pair of translucent wings on her back and pointed ears. 

She was a fae folk, a fairy-like creature known to have a strong affinity to the earth. 

"I have a reservation for two," Dante spoke to the waitress as he gave his name. 

"Ah yes, we've been expecting you, please follow me," the fae waitress replied and guided them through the cafe. 

She brought them to their seats. Once they were seated, she began to inform them of the different types of cakes they had that day. After a short discussion, they placed their order and the waitress went off to get them their order. 

"How did you manage to find such a whimsical place?" Laina could not help but ask as she turned to admire the interior of the cafe. 

Dante leaned back in his chair and replied, "I have my ways and my contacts."

"So secretive," she commented with a chuckle, "Although, I still can't believe they have durian. Or the fact that they even dare to sell it. It is an acquired taste after all."

The King of Fruits, durian, is infamous for its pungent aroma and spiky green shell exterior. For those who enjoyed its acquired taste, they likened the taste to be as sweet as honey with a mild bitter bite. For those who detest it, they compared it to the smell of rotting fish and flesh. 

Because of how unique it was, the fruit is often antagonized. Some even call it the Devil's Delight. But to Laina, the fruit was a gift from the Heavens. Its rarity only fueled her desire to taste it when she had the chance. 

"Are you sure they have it?" Laina asked, slightly worried they might have been swindled, "It's not easy to procure it. Let alone-"

A sweet-smelling aroma permeated Laina's senses. She turned around to trace the source of the smell. It was as clear as day, as to what it was. The waitress walked over to them with the tray in her hands. 

With great excitement, Laina marveled at the slice of cake on her plate as the waitress placed it down before her. Dante caught himself smiling too, happy to see Laina so excited. All he ever wanted was to see her smile. 

They each got a slice of cake. For drinks, Dante had an iced black coffee while Laina was having a glass of mangosteen juice. If Durian was the King of Fruits, Mangosteen was its queen! 

"This looks so good!" Laina exclaimed with excitement as she looked closely at the layers of cake. 

Each layer was topped with a layer of durian puree, followed by a layer of cream. White chocolate shavings covered the exterior of the cake slice. On the other hand, Dante got himself a classic strawberry shortcake. 

Unlike Laina, he did not care much for the taste of Durian.

"Well, let's dig in then," Dante declared as he picked up his fork. 

Laina followed suit. When she took a bite of the cake, the crown princess was amazed by the flavor. The fresh layer of durian puree stood out, yet it did not overpower the flavor of the cake. 

"This is so good!" Laina praised while she had a mouthful of cake. 

Within a matter of seconds, she had already finished her slice of cake. When she realised it was all gone, Laina felt a little deflated. Dante had come prepared. He called for the waitress to bring them another slice. 

"Would you like the same one? Or would you like to try something different?" he asked her. 

Realizing how thoughtful he was, Laina felt a little embarrassed. If this was a date with anyone else, she would likely have been laughed at for eating too much. As a princess, upholding her image in front of others was of great importance. 

But whenever Laina spent time with Dante, she felt so comfortable with him that she no longer cared about her image. Slowly but surely, she was opening up to him too. 

"I would like the same one please, thank you." she replied but quickly added, "Are you sure it's alright, Dante?'

"What's wrong? Is something the matter?" Dante asked, worried if something was not right. 

"Oh no, it's just… I ordered another slice of cake and… and…" she did not know how to put it in words. 

Dante furrowed his eyebrows. 

"There's nothing wrong with that, Laina," he said as he softened his features, "You can have as many as you like. And so will I."

He reached out his hand across the table, Laina reached out her hand too. They held each other's hand from across the table while sharing a tender moment. 

"How did you know I liked durian?" Laina asked, curious as to how he had found out about it. 

To be honest, Laina was unsure why it was either. Based on the memories she's had, she had never eaten this fruit before today. Yet when Dante mentioned it, she knew exactly what it was. When she tasted it, it was not foreign to her at all. 

It felt more like she was welcoming an old friend home. 

Caught off guard by Laina's question, Dante took a second to come up with a reply. 

"From my special intel."

Laina paused in thought for a while, "But I don't think I've ever voiced my interest in it." 

She narrowed her eyes in suspicion as she asked him again, "Are you sure you heard it from someone?"