Ukraine eyes widened.
His heart did something violent and unreasonable in his chest.
But before he could truly absorb it, Kro added quickly, trying to save herself from her own confession:
"It shouldn't sound strange. People miss someone when they leave. That's normal. But if you didn't miss me, that's okay. Nobody really does anyway."
Then she let go of his hand.
She turned back toward the car.
Ukraine caught her arm.
"Wait."
Kro stopped, though she didn't turn around.
"If that's how you feel," he said, "why did you send me to the marketing team?"
Kro kept her back to him. "Because you're a nice guy."
"That doesn't answer my question."
He stepped in front of her now, still lightly holding her hand.
"What does being nice have to do with working for you? Didn't you judge me too quickly this time?"
Kro looked up at him with a wistful, almost sad smile.
"Ukraine… some things are not what they seem."
"I don't know what that means." He held her gaze, "Everything I saw was normal. Maybe you just don't like me."
That made her scoff softly.
"Do you know that even if you work in marketing, you still work for me?"
"I know. But it's different."
"How?"
He answered without hesitation this time, "Because I can't see you."
Kro's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Why do you want to see me?"
Ukraine opened his mouth.
Then closed it.
"Because… because…"
He exhaled in frustration.
Talking felt dangerous suddenly.
Kro gently pulled her hand from his.
Then smiled in a way that made the answer feel painfully obvious.
"That answer you can't say?" she said. "That's the exact reason I sent you to the marketing team."
Her phone rang at that exact moment.
It was her PA.
Kro glanced at the screen, then back at him.
"Go wait for me in the car, okay? This won't take long."
Ukraine nodded and walked away with a heart that felt heavier than before.
As he moved toward the car, he kept turning her words over in his head.
He was trying to understand what answer she believed he had inside him.
And what scared him most was this:
the mission had not even been the first thing that came to mind.
...
Azaradan
Night
Kro was pacing through the palace like a storm in armor.
One chamber.
Then another.
Then another.
Every place she knew the crown prince liked to slip away to when he wanted quiet, she checked. He was nowhere.
The maids were frantic already, moving too fast, speaking too softly, trying not to let their panic become obvious. Kro had to keep the disorder from reaching the king's chambers. If this news reached Bukka before she found the prince, everything would turn ugly.
She stopped two maids sharply.
"Listen to me. Go to the kitchen. Fetch his food. Bring it to his quarters. Tell no one anything. Act like everything is normal. Understood?"
"Yes, Captain Kro!"
They fled.
Kro forced herself to breathe more evenly.
Then she let instinct take over.
She moved through the palace quietly, carefully, passing people without letting urgency show on her face. She checked every shadowed terrace, every favorite corner, every hidden staircase that Buk might use.
Nearly an hour later, she reached the bell tower.
She paused there only to catch her breath.
Her bow and arrows slid from her shoulder and rested on the ground as she pressed a hand briefly to her waist.
Where the hell are you, Buk? she thought.
Then—
petals began to fall.
Softly.
Like a rainstorm made of flowers.
Kro looked up at once, caught one on her palm, and stared.
Above her, on the bell tower balcony, Buk sat grinning like a child who had successfully stolen the moon. Beside him lay a cloth full of flower petals, and he was happily showering her with them.
Kro bent at the waist and exhaled, half in relief, half in irritation.
"KRO! COME UP!"
"Yes, Your Highness!"
She cracked her knuckles, stretched her back, and looked up at the tower. The stair door was already locked.
Fine.
She'd use the shorter way.
She sprang from one brick to another with effortless balance, caught a tree branch near the tower, swung, and hauled herself up onto the balcony.
Buk stared the whole time with his mouth hanging open.
Kro laughed the moment she noticed.
"Close your mouth. Bugs will get in."
Buk blinked.
"What good deed did you do in the past life to be this perfect now?"
"Isn't this how you got up here?" she asked. "The stair door was locked."
"No. I got here before they closed it."
"Oh."
Her eyes moved to the petal-filled cloth.
"Why the petals?"
Buk smiled, "You won't believe me."
"Try me."
"They were for whoever found me first."
Kro raised a brow, "Did you have anyone in mind?"
"Yes."
He looked at her directly.
"I'm looking at her."
Kro shifted her gaze to the stars.
Buk, meanwhile, looked only at her.
"I had a serious conversation with my father today," he said.
"Are you sure it's wise to tell me that?"
"It is. Because it concerns you."
That made her look back.
"Me?"
"Yes."
"How?"
Buk took a breath.
"Soon I'll be crowned king of Azaradan. But before the coronation, I have to marry. I have to choose a crown princess."
Kro nodded slowly, "Yes. I know."
"And I already know who I want."
Kro's expression sharpened.
Before he could continue, she asked, "What's your definition of a queen, Buk?"
He smiled immediately.
"You."
Kro went still.
"You're my definition of a queen," he said again. "I know I'll be a better king with you beside me. I don't want a queen who agrees with everything I say. I want someone who challenges me. Someone unpredictable. Someone who recognizes me even in disguise."
Kro's face changed.
"My prince, I am captain of the army. I cannot be your crown princess or your queen. My duty is to lead warriors into battle—not to birth children, wear makeup, and wait around for a husband to visit my chambers twice a week."
Buk stepped closer.
"I never said you'd stop being captain. I never said I needed children immediately. And I certainly never said I'd visit you twice a week."
His voice grew stronger.
"Imagine a kingdom whose queen is also a warrior. Imagine what that would do for Azaradan. My vision changed when I met you. This kingdom deserves you."
Kro got to her feet.
"You should try poetry," she scoffed. "Your words are really something."
Buk stood too.
"I, Buk, crown prince of Azaradan, adore you, Kro." He swallowed. "There. I've confessed properly now. You stole my heart the first day I saw you. So I'm asking you—please be my queen."
Kro stared at him.
Then he added, almost desperately:
"I'll do anything you ask. I won't force dresses on you. I won't force children on you. I won't interfere with your army. As long as I get to sleep beside you at night, I won't burden you during the day."
A long, cold silence moved between them.
Then Kro said softly, "Can I tell you something?"
"Yes."
She folded her arms.
"I miss my family. I miss home-cooked food. I miss drinking with my friends in the middle of the night. Can you give me my life back?"
Buk answered instantly.
"Done. Starting tomorrow, you won't need to guard me anymore. You can go home. Go out. Have fun. Whatever you want."
Kro's eyes widened. "Really?"
"Really."
Joy rushed through her so quickly it startled even her.
But Buk, oddly, seemed a little sad as he walked back toward the balcony. He had just given her the thing she wanted most and somehow felt farther from her than before.
Then something warm pressed against his back.
He froze.
Kro.
Her arms wrapped around him gently from behind, her cheek brushing his shoulder.
His throat went dry at once.
"It's our last night together," she whispered. "How do you want us to spend it?"
Buk covered her hands with his own.
"Does this mean my beautiful warrior is ready to become the mother of this kingdom?"
Kro laughed softly against his shoulder.
"I need to think. And you need to think too. Make sure you really mean it."
"I do," Buk said. "But for tonight… let's make it memorable."
Kro grinned.
And the night answered for them.
...
Morning
At dawn, the old bell-ringer unlocked the bell tower and climbed the stairs.
The kingdom needed waking.
But when he reached the top, he nearly dropped dead from the sight before him.
Two bodies lay asleep on sacks beneath a silk cloak.
Naked from the waist up.
Entwined.
He could not yet tell it was the crown prince and Captain Kro.
He only knew one thing.
By morning, the tower held a secret dangerous enough to shake a kingdom.
...
Present
MD's Office
Sue finally decided she had to take matters into her own hands. She was a mother. And a mother could only endure so much.
Allowing her young daughter to suffer under the control of her cruel mother-in-law was no longer an option. She needed to prove—to the world and to her daughter—that she was not weak.
She wanted Zoe to be proud of her.
She wanted Zoe to never feel lonely again.
She wanted Zoe to know that she had the best mother in the universe.
Sue held her phone tightly as Leo listened on the other end of the call.
She had just spent nearly fifteen minutes explaining everything.
Her voice finally fell silent.
"So… that's my life," Sue concluded quietly.
Leo sat in stunned silence for a moment.
He felt a wave of pity wash over him.
Sue was the perfect example of someone fighting enormous battles alone—and doing it quietly.
"Sue… I honestly had no idea you were going through something like this," he said. "How long has it been since you last saw your daughter?"
"Two years."
Leo nearly dropped the phone.
"You didn't even attend her birthdays? How cruel is this woman? Is your mother-in-law insane?"
Sue closed her eyes, "Let's just say… I'm paying for something I did to her."
Leo exhaled slowly.
"You know what? Tell me what you need. I'll do whatever I can."
"I need spies," Sue said immediately, "I want to know where that witch hid my daughter."
Leo hesitated.
"That's an expensive operation. Are you sure you can afford it?"
"I'll take out a loan if I have to—"
"Wait," Leo interrupted gently, "Listen to me first."
Sue gripped her hair in frustration.
"I suggest you talk to Kro before you do something drastic like taking a bank loan," Leo continued, "Tell her everything. If she agrees that spying is necessary, I'll contact my people."
Sue let out a long, shaky breath.
"Leo… the longer I wait, the more I imagine my daughter suffering somewhere. I just want Zoe to be safe with me."
"I understand," Leo said calmly. "And I promise you—we will find her." He paused, "But trust me when I say there might be a much easier way. Just involve Kro in this."
Sue nodded slowly.
"I'll try asking her for advice first… and see what she says."
"Good," Leo said, "Be patient. Everything will return to normal soon."
"I hope so."
Sue looked down at her phone screen.
"Thank you, Leo."
"Anytime."
Leo hung up.
Sue stared at the home screen of her phone.
Her wallpaper was Zoe's smiling face—a picture taken nearly three years ago.
Looking at it always brought both comfort and pain.
Her chest tightened.
She had already gone to great lengths for her daughter once before.
And if she had to…
She would go even deeper this time.
...
Evening
ParkingLot
"YOU WENT TO SEE MY DAD!?"
Misaki's voice echoed through the parking lot.
Ukraine raised both hands defensively.
"It's not what you think," he said quickly. "He actually apologized to Kro."
Misaki blinked in disbelief, "He what?"
"He apologized," Ukraine repeated. "He said he wants to be a good father to you this time. He even swore it."
Misaki shook her head slowly. "This is… very hard for me to believe. My dad actually said that?"
"He did," Ukraine assured her. "You'll start seeing the change soon."
Misaki's expression suddenly brightened.
"Oh my God," she laughed. "I'm opening a bottle of champagne tonight. Kro really changed him. I'm so happy."
Ukraine glanced around the parking lot carefully.
The area looked empty.
Good.
He lowered his voice.
"So… did you get a chance to talk to our new friend?"
Misaki snapped her fingers.
"Oh! I almost forgot. First of all, her name is Karina."
"Mmh. Nice name," Ukraine said casually.
"She smells good too," Misaki added absentmindedly. "But that's not the point." Her expression turned serious, "I noticed two very strange things about her."
Ukraine's interest immediately sharpened.
"Now that's what I want to hear."
Misaki leaned closer and whispered.
"Did you know she got the job through a recommendation?"
Ukraine frowned, "A recommendation? How? I thought the HR department interviewed everyone."
"Nope," Misaki said. "Apparently her resume impressed them. She claimed she used to work as a personal assistant for a minister."
Ukraine nodded slowly.
"That doesn't sound too strange."
"But here's the weird part," Misaki continued, "She said the minister was from the Department of Archaeology."
Ukraine froze.
"Wait… that's your father's department."
"Exactly."
Misaki crossed her arms, "Look at me, Ukraine. Do you really think that's true?"
Ukraine hesitated.
"My father always introduces his employees to our family," Misaki explained, "I know every person who has ever worked closely with him."
Her eyes narrowed.
"And Karina has never been one of them."
Ukraine's expression darkened.
"That is strange."
Misaki exhaled slowly, "Why do I feel like there's something bigger behind this girl? Something… disturbing."
Ukraine nodded thoughtfully.
"Instead of jumping to conclusions," he said, "why don't we watch her closely?"
Misaki agreed immediately.
"I was thinking the same thing."
The two of them exchanged a quiet look.
Both felt the same uneasy suspicion.
But neither of them said it out loud.
As if speaking it might make it real.
***