Where will this end?

The morning sun spilled through the tall windows of Rein’s office.

Stacks of letters, reports, and invitations covered the desk before him.

Most remained unopened.

Rein had never cared much for invitations.

Noble banquets were predictable.

The daughters wanted titles.

The fathers wanted influence.

The sons wanted favors.

After attending enough of them, every kingdom began to feel the same.

His gaze settled on a cream-colored invitation sealed with dark green wax.

The Southern Kingdom.

A smaller kingdom known for its fertile lands and peaceful borders.

More importantly, it had only one royal child.

A daughter.

Many had suggested the invitation was another attempt at marriage negotiations.

Rein doubted it.

Or perhaps he simply didn’t care.

He broke the seal anyway.

The invitation was surprisingly simple.

No excessive praise.

No desperate attempts to flatter him.

Just a straightforward invitation from the king himself.

Interesting.

The office door opened.

Late.

As usual.

Choso entered while fixing the collar of his shirt.

A faint perfume still lingered around him.

He looked like a man who had come directly from someone’s bedroom rather than his duties.

Rein didn’t even look up.

“You’re late.”

“I know.”

“You smell like perfume.”

“I know.”

“You have responsibilities.”

“I know.”

Rein finally glanced up.

“…Do you know anything else?”

Choso shrugged.

“Not particularly.”

He dropped into a chair and stole a grape from a nearby plate.

His eyes landed on the invitation.

“The South?”

Rein returned his attention to the letter.

“Hm.”

“You going?”

“Maybe.”

Choso leaned forward.

“You should.”

“I wasn’t asking.”

“You should go anyway.”

Rein raised an eyebrow.

Choso almost never cared about invitations.

Which meant he wanted something.

“What do you want?”

“Nothing.”

“You want something.”

“I don’t.”

“You do.”

Choso smiled slightly.

“I heard their princess is beautiful.”

Rein looked unimpressed.

“I don’t care.”

“I know.”

“And?”

“I’m curious.”

“Then you go.”

“I wasn’t invited.”

“That sounds like a personal problem.”

⸻

Three weeks later, Rein arrived at the Southern Kingdom.

Unfortunately, Choso arrived with him.

The southern palace was far smaller than the royal estates Rein was accustomed to.

Not poorer.

Simply less concerned with showing off.

The king himself greeted them at the entrance.

A man with kind eyes and silver hair.

No arrogance.

No false smiles.

No obvious agenda.

That alone surprised Rein.

“Your Highness,” the king greeted warmly. “We’re honored by your visit.”

Rein bowed his head slightly.

“Thank you for having me.”

The king smiled.

“Come. There’s no formal gathering today. Just family and a few close friends.”

That surprised Rein even more.

No audience?

No parade?

No desperate noblewomen trying to impress him?

Strange.

⸻

A few hours later Rein found himself wandering through one of the palace hallways.

Choso followed several steps behind.

As always.

The sounds of steel striking steel drifted through an open archway.

Rein glanced outside.

A training field.

Several knights stood around someone.

Correcting their stance.

Adjusting their grip.

Teaching patiently.

At the center stood a young woman.

A sword rested awkwardly in her hands.

Her stance was terrible.

Her balance wasn’t much better.

One of the knights sighed.

“No, no. Again.”

She sighed too.

Then tried again.

Slightly less terrible this time.

Rein watched quietly.

The determination on her face was almost amusing.

She clearly had no talent for swordsmanship.

Yet she refused to quit.

Interesting.

The knight corrected her posture again.

She argued.

The knight corrected her again.

She argued again.

Rein found himself staring a second longer than intended.

Then he continued walking.

Not another thought spared.

Or so he told himself.

⸻

Dinner arrived.

The royal family gathered around a long table.

Conversation flowed easily.

Far more naturally than in most royal courts.

Rein sat beside the king.

Choso remained nearby.

Then another chair pulled back.

Someone sat down.

Rein looked up.

The same woman from the training field.

She froze.

Her eyes widened.

Rein stared back.

Silence.

Several seconds passed.

Then she pointed.

Directly at him.

“You.”

The table immediately became quiet.

The king looked confused.

Rein remained calm.

“You.”

She pointed again.

“I know you.”

Rein studied her face.

For a moment.

Then another.

Then realization clicked.

“…Ah.”

Her jaw dropped.

“‘Ah’?”

“Yes.”

“‘Ah’?”

“I remember now.”

She looked offended.

The king looked even more confused.

“You know each other?”

“We went to the same academy when we were children,” she answered immediately.

Rein nodded.

“Unfortunately.”

“Unfortunately?!”

“There was a reason nobody wanted to sit near you.”

The king nearly choked on his drink.

Choso watched silently.

Interested.

Very interested.

She pointed at Rein again.

“He corrected everything I said.”

“It was usually incorrect.”

“It was not.”

“It was.”

“It wasn’t.”

“You once argued with a history professor.”

“I was right.”

“You weren’t.”

“I was!”

“You weren’t.”

The argument continued so naturally that nobody at the table could keep up.

The king stared between them.

Then at Rein.

Then back at her.

Completely stunned.

Because for the first time in years…

Someone was arguing with Crown Prince Rein Valemont.

And Rein was actually participating.