Raji had seen all sorts of fancy sweets before, having had palace chefs and bakers for his whole life, but there was something about the simple and yet beautiful way Shirayuki's desserts turned out, the way they looked.
Sometimes she was bordering on professional accuracy in appearance, and other times, it looked a bit more homemade. Though of course all of it was homemade. And Raji always felt so awed and so mesmerized that she'd bother baking for them especially with their history.
"It looks delicious!" Raji pointed out, and as Shirayuki settled beside him, he saw the smile that lit up her face, gentle and beautiful as it was.
"Thank you." She looked like she was going to add something more on, perhaps a reference to the princely life he led, but she seemingly bit her tongue and avoided the words somehow, a choice made to keep the conversation from bordering on being sad or painful.
"I can't believe you're a part of my life like this now." Raji didn't really mean to say that out loud, though his voice was saturated with gratitude, and when he looked over at her, he still felt that awe.
They went from strangers to enemies to budding friendship to eventual romance, and the awe still hits him right in the heart.
"You'll get time to believe it eventually." And her honesty still floors him, just the way she means it and how she means it completely. Raji is pretty sure this is the stuff fairytales are made of, redemption and love and honesty.