As Yuto walked back to her chamber, her steps slowed the closer she came to the door. The corridor was quiet, yet her mind was anything but. Kaelith's voice echoed relentlessly in her head, each word sinking deeper than the last.
'Before curiosity costs you more than your disguise can protect.'
She stopped just short of the threshold.
'Disguise…'
Her fingers curled into her sleeves as her heart skipped violently against her ribs.
'Does he know?'
The thought struck her like a blade to the chest. Her breathing quickened, pulse roaring in her ears as a thousand memories surged at once—years of restraint, bindings, practiced movements, the careful lowering of her voice, the deliberate dulling of gestures that came too naturally.
'Does he know I'm a girl?'
Her chest tightened painfully. The world felt too small, the corridor closing in around her. Yuto shook her head sharply, as though she could physically dislodge the thought.
'No. Impossible.'
If Kaelith knew, she would already be dead—or worse, exposed. Kings did not tolerate deception, especially not of this magnitude. She forced her breath to steady and stepped into the room, shutting the door behind her with a soft click.
The chamber was lavish beyond reason. Velvet drapes cascaded down tall windows, golden embroidery catching the torchlight. The bed alone could have housed three people comfortably, its silken sheets untouched, pristine.
Yuto crossed the room and collapsed onto the mattress, staring up at the ceiling as though answers might be hidden there. She squeezed her eyes shut.
'But if he knew…'
Kaelith's gaze returned to her mind—sharp, lingering, far too perceptive. The way his eyes had tracked her movements earlier, the slight pause before he spoke those words. As though he were testing her. As though he enjoyed watching her squirm beneath the weight of his attention.
A sharp knock shattered the silence.
Yuto stiffened.
"Enter," she called, her voice carefully controlled.
The door opened, and a maidservant stepped inside. She was young, with neatly braided hair and kind eyes. Yuto recognized her immediately.
"Mara," she said.
The maid bowed respectfully. "Your presence is requested at the dining table, Your Highness."
Yuto exhaled slowly. Of course. Kaelith wasted no time asserting dominance.
"Tell the king I must decline," Yuto replied, rising from the bed and moving toward the bathing chamber. "I have urgent matters to attend to."
Mara blinked, clearly taken aback.
"I will depart shortly after bathing," Yuto continued calmly, as though refusing the king were an everyday affair. "Have my meal packed. I'll eat along the way."
She disappeared into the bathing room before Mara could respond, the door closing with finality.
Mara stood frozen, staring at the closed door.
'Did… did he just refuse the king?'
Her heart raced as reality set in. Few nobles dared deny Kaelith anything—let alone a foreign prince with no real power in this kingdom. Shaking her head in disbelief, Mara turned and hurried down the corridor, dread pooling in her stomach.
---
The dining hall glowed warmly beneath crystal chandeliers, long tables laden with delicacies fit for royalty. Kaelith sat at the head, composed and unreadable, while Kayden lounged comfortably to his side, a goblet already half-empty. Lady Selene sat opposite them, her posture elegant, her expression serene.
Mara entered quietly and bowed deeply.
"Prince Yuto sends his apologies," she said carefully. "He is currently occupied with urgent tasks and cannot attend this evening. However, he stated he will join later if time permits."
Silence followed.
Then Kayden laughed.
"A bold little thing, isn't he?" he said, turning toward Selene with a grin. "I sometimes wonder where his balls are."
Selene chuckled softly, lifting her spoon with graceful ease.
Kaelith said nothing. He merely raised a hand toward Mara, dismissing her with a flick of his fingers. As she withdrew, his gaze flicked briefly to Kayden—cold, warning.
Kayden's grin widened, unbothered.
Selene turned her attention to Kaelith, tilting her head. "I heard you allowed the foreign prince to use my horse," she said lightly. "Why is that?"
"My horse?" Kaelith echoed, brow furrowing slightly before understanding dawned. "Ah. Yes. You rarely ride her anymore. I saw no harm in lending her to Yuto."
Selene's lips curved faintly, though something flickered behind her eyes.
"And where is he going?" Kayden asked lazily. "I'd be delighted to accompany him."
To Kayden's surprise, Kaelith nodded.
"You have little else to occupy you," Kaelith said coolly. "It isn't a terrible idea. Consider it a royal command—you will travel with him."
Kayden froze.
For the first time that evening, uncertainty flickered across his face. He had expected refusal, perhaps amusement—not agreement. He felt the unmistakable sensation of having taken bait he hadn't seen.
"And," Kaelith continued, his tone deceptively calm, "afterward, you will escort Selene to her hometown."
The spoon slipped from Selene's hand, clattering loudly against the table.
Her breath caught as shock rippled through her. In the nine years she had stood at Kaelith's side, he had never once suggested she return home. Not once.
She looked up slowly, searching his face for explanation, for reassurance.
"This is not a request," Kaelith said before she could speak.
Selene swallowed hard. "How long…?" she asked, her voice barely steady.
Kayden already knew. A bright smile spread across his face, something sharp and knowing in his eyes. He had always seen Selene for what she was—a placeholder. A convenience. Waiting to be replaced.
"Half a year will suffice," Kaelith replied.
"Half a year?!" Selene shot to her feet, the chair crashing behind her. "HALF A YEAR?!"
The air shifted violently.
Kaelith rose slowly, power radiating from him like a tangible force. The warmth of the hall vanished, replaced by suffocating tension.
"Do not raise your voice at me," he growled. "I have endured enough from you."
Selene's hands trembled, fury and humiliation warring within her.
"In fact," Kaelith continued coldly, "pack your belongings immediately and leave."
Something inside Selene snapped.
She had been raised like royalty, treasured and polished like a rare jewel. She had surrendered her pride to live beside a man she was not wed to—because her family demanded it. Had it not been for them, she would have walked away years ago.
"My family—"
"I fear no one," Kaelith cut in sharply. "So do not threaten me. When you reach home, convey my greetings to your aunt. She is… quite ambitious."
He turned and walked away without another glance.
Selene collapsed to the floor as the doors closed behind him, silent tears streaking her face.
'Nine years,' she thought bitterly. 'Nine years wasted.'
The Ravenhursts would not accept this humiliation quietly. Neither would she.
Across the hall, Kayden watched her expression shift—from devastation to something harder, sharper. Determination.
He clicked his tongue softly. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," he said, tilting his head as he licked his bottom lip. "Because that would be foolish."
But Selene didn't hear him.
Her mind was already moving—planning.
And somewhere beyond the palace walls, Yuto was unknowingly walking straight into the path of consequences far greater than she imagined.