It's already Late morning sunlight streamed through the tall library windows, casting warm patterns across the table where the three of them now sat. Cassian, who had planned to sneak in a short nap, ended up settling beside Sylas instead. Across from the two gentlemen sat the girl they had both been so eager to see—Elira.
Elira's heartbeat thudded in her chest as she kept her gaze lowered, eyes fixed on the soft folds of her skirt. Her fingers trembled slightly, brushing the fabric as embarrassment washed over her. Her cheeks glowed with a deep crimson warmth, and for a moment she couldn't even find her voice. The sudden reunion of these three companions left her shy and flustered under their quiet attention.
"Ahm… I'm sorry for not telling you sooner…" Elira murmured, her voice timid as she finally gathered the courage to break the silence. She lifted her head a little, eyes shyly darting between them.
Both men simply looked at her, waiting patiently for her to continue. Cassian leaned forward with curious anticipation, while Sylas remained still, composed, ready to listen.
"Actually… I wanted to work here because I didn't want to be a burden to Mr. Joana," she said softly, her eyes timidly fixed on Sylas. "And… it would be embarrassing for you, Sylas, since I've been staying at your house without doing anything in return for your mother."
Her voice dipped into a whisper as she gripped her skirt tightly beneath the table, her shoulders drawn in with shyness.
"You know, Elira… you were never a burden to me. Especially not to my mother." Sylas's voice came out cool, yet there was a quiet warmth beneath it. Hearing him speak with such sincerity made Elira's eyes widen. She lifted her gaze fully this time, meeting Sylas's steady look. His expression remained calm, almost unreadable, yet every word told her he meant it. She had never been a burden—not even once.
"Yeah, right… you're not a burden, Elira. The only true burden here is Sylas himself, hehe." Cassian teased with a mischievous grin.
BOOOGSH!
"ouch!! What was that for?" Cassian yelped, flinching as Sylas smacked the back of his head without even opening his eyes, looking annoyingly pleased with himself.
"Really? That comes from a stubborn prince who let his assistant beg me to find you," Sylas grumbled, rubbing his head and straightening his sleeve with offended dignity.
Elira couldn't hold it in. "Ahaha…" A soft laugh escaped her, her left finger brushing lightly against her lips as she tried to stifle it. She had missed this—the familiar chaos, Cassian's dramatic reactions, and Sylas's calm but merciless discipline. Watching Cassian protest while Sylas kept that composed, smug face was a scene she had always secretly found funny.
Their playful argument stopped the moment both men caught sight of Elira's bright smile—soft, daring, sweet. Sylas felt something shift inside him, a strange lightness spreading through his chest. Every time she smiled like that, he felt oddly at ease, as if he wanted her to keep smiling… perhaps only for him. But he quickly pushed away the thought, denying whatever unfamiliar feeling lingered beneath the surface, even as a faint smile tugged at his lips.
Meanwhile, Crown Prince Cassian felt his entire day lift. Seeing Elira smile again, hearing her laugh, made his morning feel complete. It was the kind of sight he wished he could keep forever—her smile, her warmth, the quiet glow she carried.
"So? Did my mother agree to it?" Sylas asked, shifting back to the topic.
"Yes. At first she hesitated—she said she would miss me, hehe." Elira replied with an amused smile, scratching her cheek shyly.
"Who wouldn't miss someone as gentle and lovely as you, Elira?" Cassian said, offering a soft smile of his own.
"Flatterer… I don't think so," Elira laughed, waving her hand dismissively as she assumed Cassian was merely teasing.
"But… there's another reason why I wanted to work here." Elira hesitated, her hands twirling together in an adorable, bashful motion. Her eyes lowered once more, too flustered to look directly at either of them. She inhaled slowly, gathering her courage to share her true reason.
Both Sylas and Cassian leaned in, their brows slightly furrowed with curiosity.
"What is it?" Cassian asked, sounding almost like an eager child.
Elira exhaled softly and lifted her head, a gentle smile spreading across her face.
"Because… I wish to be near both of you, always." Her smile unfurled like morning sunlight over still waters, a playful glint dancing in her eyes as the soft breeze teased strands of her hair. Every word shimmered with quiet daring, carrying the warmth of her heart and the fearless innocence of her soul.
The two men froze, their eyes widening in genuine surprise. They had never expected Elira to feel the same way they did. Neither had dared admit how much they wanted to see her every day, yet here she was—open, sincere, and impossibly heartfelt.
A faint smile touched both their lips as her honesty sank in. She was so pure, so truthful, so utterly herself.
The conversation continued in gentle, warm waves, the three of them laughing and speaking as sunlight danced across the library walls. Their two hours together—the time Cassian had practically bribed Mariel for—were nearly at an end, yet none of them seemed ready to part ways just yet.
After Cassian's two-hour break had ended, he waved cheerfully.
"See you, Elira," he said, striding off in the opposite direction, duty calling him back to his royal obligations and a mountain of papers awaiting his attention. Only Elira and Sylas remained, walking side by side along the same corridor, their paths aligned by coincidence.
"Anyway… I actually have a friend working here as well," Elira said, a smile lighting her features as she shared a slice of her life with Sylas. "We applied together, and thank goodness we were assigned here. I'm glad we ended up in the same place, hehe."
Sylas kept his expression calm, almost unreadable, but his eyes followed her carefully. "Who is she?" he asked, voice low, controlled, yet softened by curiosity.
"She's Bea, the girl I met at the tavern bar," Elira replied casually, keeping her gaze forward as they continued along the hallway.
"Oh, really? She's the same girl who guided me to find you… I also met her at the office, serving as a hall maid," Sylas said, his words calm, almost detached, yet carrying a subtle undertone of warmth. Elira's eyes widened at the coincidence, a genuine spark of surprise lighting her face.
"You do? What a coincidence! I should thank her properly when I see her next," Elira said, laughing softly, amusement dancing in her tone. Sylas couldn't help but glance at her as she radiated such carefree happiness, his otherwise composed face betraying the tiniest flicker of warmth.
Their conversation continued, light and easy, until three other maids appeared ahead, struggling to carry enormous rolled carpets down the hallway. The sheer size of the rolls blocked almost the entire corridor, making it impossible for anyone to pass quickly.
As they drew closer, Sylas noticed the impending collision. "Elira," he said sharply. Before she could react, he instinctively reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her slightly back. Elira's eyes widened in shock as she collided with his broad chest, her body pressed against him before she could even process what was happening.
"Oops! Excuse us…" one of the maids called hurriedly as they passed, their burdens successfully delivered without incident.
Elira's senses went into overdrive. She could feel the steady, powerful beat of Sylas's heart through his chest, the warmth radiating from him enveloping her entirely. Each shallow breath of his brushed against her skin, and her own heartbeat quickened uncontrollably. She froze, cheeks aflame, utterly stunned by the proximity.
"Thank… thank you," she murmured, forcing a smile, determined not to betray the fluttering in her chest.
"Glad you're alright," Sylas said, his tone clipped, professional, though she could detect the faintest trace of concern beneath it. Elira pressed a hand lightly against her own chest, trying to steady herself, while Sylas's expression remained neutral, inscrutable as ever.
As they reached a fork in the corridor, their paths diverged. Elira waved lightly, Sylas merely nodded, his back straight, returning to his office to continue his duties, successfully completing Devito's task of tracking down the stubborn prince who had attempted to shirk his responsibilities.
Elira let out a deep, shuddering sigh once he had gone. Her heart still pounded, her pulse echoing in her ears. Memories surged unbidden: the way Sylas had wrapped his cloak around her when she had been kidnapped, how protective and close he had been in that moment. The brush of his hand, the warmth of his chest… everything felt impossibly near, impossibly real.
"Uuughh…" she muttered, brushing her hair back, as though the gesture could push away the sudden rush of feelings threatening to overwhelm her.
"This can't be…" she whispered, composing herself with an effort, forcing calm as she continued down the hall toward the area where they needed to replace the carpets and attend to other duties. Yet beneath her composure, a lingering warmth pulsed in her chest, a reminder of how close Sylas had been and how much it had affected her.
As Cassian finally stepped into his office, he was greeted by an intimidating mountain of paperwork piled on his desk. Normally, he would have staged a dramatic protest — perhaps flopped onto the floor, declared himself unfit to work, or pretended to collapse from "royal exhaustion."But today… he simply sat down. Quietly. Calmly. And with a smile tugging at his lips.
Devito, who had followed him in, almost dropped the folders in his hands.
"Your Highness, please sign this as well," Devito said, sliding another document across the table. He braced himself for the usual groan, a sarcastic comment, or at the very least a glare.
But no.
Cassian looked up at him — smiling. Actually smiling. Then he reached out, took the paper, and signed it with a cheerful flick of his quill.
Devito froze.A cold shiver crawled down his spine.
'Am I dreaming? Is this a nightmare? Or am I finally going senile?' Devito wondered, blinking rapidly as if that would reset the prince back to normal.
"My prince?" he asked, unable to contain himself any longer. "Why are you in such a good mood today?"
"Hm? What do you mean?" Cassian replied softly, his smile never fading as he continued signing documents as if they were love letters. His quill practically danced across the page. Devito had never seen anything so unsettling.
"Like… you suddenly enjoy doing the tasks His Majesty assigned to you," Devito said, rubbing his temples in confusion. "Since when have you ever loved paperwork?"
Cassian looked up with a bright, almost suspiciously innocent grin."You know, Devito, I've always loved working."
Devito's entire body went rigid. A cold shiver ran straight down his spine, as though someone had just walked over his grave. The prince — the very same prince who usually threw tantrums fit for a grand stage production — was now smiling at paperwork? Something was wrong. Terribly, disturbingly, comically wrong.
Devito backed away slowly, as if Cassian were a wild animal he didn't want to provoke.
"Well… I shall leave you to your… enthusiasm, Your Highness," he said, bowing before practically fleeing out the door, abandoning Cassian with an entire forest of documents.
The moment the door clicked shut, Cassian's smile shifted — from polite to dreamy.
Of course he was in a good mood.
The girl he longed to see every day… was now working inside the mansion.
"Hah… how ridiculous," he murmured, leaning back in his chair until it tilted slightly beneath him. He gazed up at the grand chandeliers overhead, a foolish, dreamy grin slowly spreading across his face.
"Maybe destiny truly brought us together…" he whispered.
Then, with a sudden burst of energy, he straightened up, grabbed the next stack of paperwork, and began working with an enthusiasm he had never shown in all his years.
All because she was near.