Early spring, the night breeze carried a faint chill.
She stood atop the palace walls, gazing at the distant, hazy moon, her heart a tempest of emotions.
The Crown Prince had not appeared for three days. Ever since she discovered the "substitute," an irreparable rift had formed between them. He had granted her freedom, yet it only plunged her deeper into uncertainty.
And tonight, before her chamber window, an unexpected visitor arrived.
A man in dark robes, tall and lean, with sharp, foreign features—his eyes both piercing and tender.
"Do you... still remember me?"
She froze, then whispered, "Mochen?"
He smiled, as clear and bright as ten years ago, yet now tempered by the weight of time.
"It's me. I've returned from the Northern Star Kingdom." His voice was low. "I've come to take you away—from this gilded cage."
A tremor ran through her. Memories surged like a rising tide—the boy who once studied with her, shielded her from rain, whispered poetry in the firewood shed... had always been the enemy's prince.
"You... are the Northern Star's royal heir?"
He nodded. "My father is ill, the kingdom in turmoil. But I never forgot—I lost someone here, the one I swore to protect. Now, I’ve returned only for you."
"You're mad. If caught, you'll die."
"So be it." His smile held no fear. "If I can walk beside you, what is death but a small price?"
Her heart clenched as if seized by an unseen hand. She knew—he meant every word. He would die for her.
"The Northern Star and Southern Dawn have been enemies for years. If I leave with you, wouldn’t that be treason?"
"If you say yes, I will lay down my crown and end this war."
That night, sleep never came.
And in the shadows, unseen by her, the Crown Prince stood alone upon the walls, his gaze piercing through layers of blossoms—watching her speak with Mochen.
His hands clenched into fists, knuckles white.
"If she leaves... can I truly bear losing her again?"
ns216.73.216.20da2
and then Add to home screen.