[Flashback: 10 Years Ago]
In a magnificent royal garden in Seoul, 8-year-old Kim Aeri's temper was hitting its boiling point. In a flash of fury, she snatched the favorite burger right out of 9-year-old Jeon Kang's hands and hurled it into the trash.
"You're leaving?! You're going abroad without even asking me?!" Aeri screamed, her eyes blazing with both tears and rage.
Tears streaming down his face, Kang reached into his pocket and pulled out a Silver Chain with a key pendant. He pressed it into Aeri's palm. "Aeri-ah... this is my most precious possession. I promise... I will come back for you."
Aeri gripped the chain but turned her face away coldly. She pulled a small Silver Ring off her finger and forcefully slid it onto Kang's finger. "This is my heart, Kang... keep it safe until we meet again. If you lose this, you lose me too!" she sobbed.
As Kang walked away, he stole one last glance at her. In that moment, a dark, singular obsession took root in his young mind: Aeri belongs only to me.
[Present Day: The Kim Mansion]
Kim Dae-ho kissed his daughter Aeri's forehead tenderly. "My innocent little daughter, please be careful at college. You are so delicate; we worry about you constantly."
Around her, the chaos of a massive elite family unfolded. Her seven protective brothers and six elegant sisters-in-law were busy packing juices and healthy snacks for her. Her four young nephews—Min-jun, Seo-jun, Do-yoon, and Si-woo—were giggling and chasing her around. "Our Aeri is so gentle," one sister-in-law remarked. "She's the kind of girl who wouldn't even talk back to a stranger."
Aeri flashed a sweet, angelic smile. But beneath the table, her thumb was swiping across a hidden screen, hitting 'Approve' on a multi-million dollar illegal shipment. To the world, she was a 'Sweet Doll,' but in the shadows, she was the notorious hacker, 'Crimson Shadow.'
[The Jeon Mansion]
Jeon Jung-il looked proudly at his son, Kang, who was buried in scholarship textbooks. "Kang, your simplicity makes me proud. You are a true gentleman."
Kang bowed his head with perfect humility. But the second his father left the room, the 'Innocent Student' vanished. He flipped open a sleek black laptop—the legendary hacker, 'The Devil,' had awakened. He reached inside his shirt and touched a hidden necklace. He had threaded Aeri's Silver Ring onto a chain, wearing it right over his heart.
[The Encounter: A Familiar Gaze]
Aeri stepped out of her Rolls Royce, the old Silver Chain wrapped around her wrist like a bracelet. From a distance, Kang slid his glasses down, watching her.
They collided in the corridor by accident. A slice of pizza slipped from Kang's hand, splattering grease all over Aeri's expensive clothes.
"Are you blind?!" Aeri snapped, but the words died in her throat as she looked into his face. These eyes... why are they so deep? She felt a strange sense of familiarity, but she didn't recognize him. To her, he was just a handsome stranger.
Kang's eyes fell upon the silver chain on her wrist. He recognized her instantly. Switching into 'Clingy Puppy Mode,' he stammered, "I-I'm so sorry... I was just so hungry," looking like a scolded dog.
Aeri didn't buy the act. She grabbed his hand, dragged him into an empty classroom, and locked the door from the inside.
[The Punishment: Bitter Memories]
Aeri pulled a container of bitter gourd (karela) salad from her bag. "Eat this! This is your punishment."
When Kang resisted, Aeri grabbed a rope, tied him firmly to a chair, and began forcefully feeding him. Kang pretended to whimper, but inside, (he was ecstatic: 'She hasn't changed a bit. The more hatred she shows me, the more I enjoy it.')
Suddenly, Kang's gaze fixed on the Silver Chain on her wrist. His hand moved toward the Ring hidden under his shirt.
Aeri spat out in anger, "Don't look at me like that! Did you think I'd forgive you? You lost the right to even touch this chain... you turned your back on me ten years ago." (Aeri thought she was yelling at a stranger who was staring at her bracelet, but her rage was meant for the 'old' Kang).
Once the salad was gone, Aeri untied him. Kang stood up, his Puppy mask falling away to reveal the 'Devil.' He leaned into her ear, his breath brushing against her neck.
"You started this, Aeri-ah," he whispered. "But I will be the one to finish it."
He walked out, leaving a stunned Aeri behind. How does he know my name? And how did this 'Puppy' suddenly become so dangerous?
"Thank you for reading the first chapter of The Princess and Her Devil Undercover!
This is just the beginning of a dark obsession that has been smoldering for ten long years. Behind Aeri's angelic smile and Kang's innocent 'Puppy' eyes lie secrets that could burn everything down. She thinks he is a stranger, while he carries her heart—quite literally—hidden beneath his shirt.
"The masks have been put on, but for how long can they stay?"
Let me know your theories in the comments below! Chapter 2 is coming up next with some intense classroom drama. Stay tuned!"