Lex had spent a good half hour or so combing the streets of the city hall in search for Kaari before panic began to set in.
Almost immediately, Lex sent out as many of his shadowy soldiers as he could throughout the entirety of the city, hoping to find her safe and sound.
"Your only job is to check the perimeter." He instructed. "Find her, one way or another, and report back to me."
Since he had left Nox back at the palace as a precaution in case anything happened while he was gone, Lex had no choice but to deal with the problem on his own, using as little magic as possible to avoid giving himself away.
Fortunately for Lex, it didn't take him too long to find the missing human once he moved his search further into the center of the city hall.
However, as the area got smaller, the density of the crowd only grew around the area where Lex had seen a familiar glimpse of the princess, and he could only assume the worse had happened while he was preoccupied with his gift shopping adventure.
Without a moment's hesitation, he forced his way into the center like a madman, determined to pull her out of whatever mess she had gotten herself into yet again.
At least, that's what he planned to do.
It wasn't until he noticed the blaring music and enthusiastic cheers that he realized he was on the verge of interrupting an ongoing performance in honor of celebrating spring's arrival.
And right in the center of it all was none other than Kaari, dancing her heart out with the brightest smile he had ever seen on her face.
Fortunately, no one seemed to suspect Kaari of being human, even after she unveiled her hood which revealed her face while dancing with the other performers.
Her eyes sparkled like diamonds in the warm amber glow of the city lights, catching the light each time she tilted her head back in a burst of joyful laughter.
Her smooth and graceful movements stood out strikingly against the much faster, and upbeat rhythm of the music and surrounding performers.
The crowd however, seemed to appreciate the striking contrast it created, attracting everyone's attention, including the great emperor himself.
His gaze never left Kaari's silhouette throughout the entire performance, utterly captivated by the beauty of her every movement.
The Kaxarene had no idea how long he had been standing there, watching, but when the performance finally ended, his eyes met Kaari's, as if she had felt his intense gaze on her all this time.
"L-Lex?" She called out in that familiar tone Lex had come to recognize, the one she always used when she was worried about him. "W-What are you doing here?"
"... Really?" The Roseabelle deadpanned, too stunned by Kaari's audacity to even be upset. "Is that all you have to say to me after making me chase you down like a madman?"
Lex leaned toward Kaari with a slight frown on his face and his arms tightly crossed over his chest.
"I thought I asked you to stay where I left you, not run off and end up in the middle of a performance."
"I... I was with the child." She mustered faintly, her cheeks growing hot when she realized how close she was to the emperor. "She seemed lost, so I decided to help her find her parents."
"A child? What do you mean a child-"
His question was abruptly cut off as a small child darted towards them before coming to an abrupt stop in front of Kaari and wrapping its tiny hands tightly around her legs.
"She wouldn't leave my side unless I agreed to go with her." Kaari said, smiling fondly at the child before turning back to the emperor. "And somehow, while trying to find her parents, I ended up caught in all of this."
The kid stared curiously at the tall, mysterious figure before she suddenly began to eagerly wave her hands in his direction, apparently demanding to be carried.
"... I am not carrying you, kid. You're too heavy." He responded with a frown, but the child remained persistent, her arms still up in the air until Lex finally had no choice but to give in.
"... Ugh, alright, alright." He lifted the child high into the air, before catching her securely in his strong arms. "There, happy now, you little demon?"
The little girl only responded with joyous laughter, her loud giggles resonating throughout the vibrant streets as he did that a couple more times before ultimately getting tired.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cause you any worry." She apologized, feeling guilty for causing trouble yet again. "I planned to head back as soon as I could, but her parents are nowhere to be seen."
"It's common for Roseabelles to let their children roam freely during festivals, it helps with their independence, or so I've heard." Lex explained, setting the child down quickly and watching as she ran off into the crowd once more. "I have a feeling this child followed you, not because she was lost, but simply out of curiosity."
"So, should I reward her for keeping you entertained while I was gone?" Lex teased with a subtle smirk, clearly amused by Kaari's flushed cheeks and apparent embarrassment over the misunderstanding. "Because judging by appearances, you've been embracing the night like a true local, complete with a fresh new makeover."
"S-Some of the dancers told me this was a traditional hairstyle worn only during the festivities." The princess stammered, her words tumbling out in a flustered attempt to hide her growing anxiety, while Lex kept his steady gaze on her without a word.
"Hm, it was originally intended for wedded Roseabelles but, it has gradually lost that meaning over the years." He gently explained as he reached out to adjust a strand of her hair that had fallen out of place, quietly noting its softness against his scarred and callous hands. "And the reason it's saved for festivals only is simply due to the huge amount of effort it takes to put together in the first place."
"Well, d-does it look alright on me?" Kaari managed to ask despite being too embarrassed to even look at Lex. "I-I wasn't too sure if it was a good idea but the ladies were rather insistent."
"... You look beautiful, Kaari." He answered truthfully, without a moment's pause, his intense gaze fixed on her with an expression she couldn't quite place. "Though you're always exquisite to behold, especially when you're dancing your little heart out."
"I just couldn't resist." She confessed with a sheepish grin, prompting Lex to respond with a gentle chuckle. "This is my first time attending something like this, and the excitement got the best of me."
She tried her hardest to ignore the warmth spreading across her cheeks from the profound compliment Lex had casually said to her.
"There's no need to hide your excitement when you're with me." Lex made sure to make his point clear, wishing to avoid any potential misunderstandings. "And just in case it wasn't clear, I'm not upset at you. I was just worried something had happened while I was away, but I'm glad you were having fun instead."
Just as Lex finished his sentence, a sudden commotion in the crowd grabbed their attention instead.
"W-What's going on?" Kaari asked, her eyes wide with surprise as she looked around for the cause of the sudden excitement within the crowd.
"One thing about Roseabelles is that one round is never enough for us." Lex said with a devilishly handsome smirk. "So, they're getting ready for another round of dancing, this time with their partners."
"Perfect time to leave, don't you think?" He suggested, hoping Kaari would agree. "Unless, of course, you'd prefer to join them."
Being surrounded by the ever-growing crowd was starting to wear on him, and he hoped Kaari felt the same way so he could quickly whisk her away from all the distractions and noise.
He waited patiently for her reply, finding the way her lips pursed in deep thought utterly adorable.
"Before we go, could you do me a favor?" Kaari broke the silence between them with a rather ominous question.
"Depends on what you're going to say next." Lex replied, intrigued by her unexpected request. "Come on now, let's hear what you have to say."
"Well, I was just wondering if you'd like to share this dance with me." She said, extending her hand with a shy smile. "Remember when you asked me to the dance back in Toyah? It'd be a shame to leave without having a little fun together, just for old times' sake."
"... You're being serious." Lex voiced his thoughts aloud when he realized the human was being genuine.
He quickly glanced away for a moment, unable to think of anything to say in response to her bizarre request, and the burning sensation in his face was doing very little to help him.
'Does she even realize what she's doing?' He wondered, finding himself deeply puzzled. 'No, from the way she didn't hesitate for a second, she's clearly unaware of what just happened. She probably assumes this dance is for any two people, not necessarily couples...'
'Saying no will only make her sad again...' He weighted his options, eyeing Kaari's extended hand with a serious look. 'I guess it wouldn't hurt to accept, as long as my identity stays hidden... I can't believe I'm doing this just to make a mere human happy.'
"... Consider yourself incredibly lucky, princess." Lex said with a dramatic sigh, finally taking her hand in his before he guided her into the middle of the bustling dancefloor. I don't do this for just anyone.
Kaari responded with a playful chuckle as she trailed after the reluctant emperor with light-hearted steps, excited for what was to come next.