Ryu Drakheart could not get the mysterious girl out of his head.
Her long, dark-blue hair flowed like silk in the wind. Her sharp eyes were as cold as winter steel. And the way she had threatened to break his bones…
"Who even says that on a first meeting?" Ryu muttered, rolling around his soft bed piled with golden pillows. "So cold… I like it."
The fourth prince of the kingdom—seven years old with the mind of a shameless adult—was hopelessly smitten.
---
The palace was quiet in the late morning.
Sunlight streamed through the tall arched windows, scattering golden light across dragon-emblazoned walls. Guards stood stiff at their posts, pretending not to notice the little prince sneaking along the hall.
Ryu tiptoed behind pillars, pretending to be a secret agent. His tiny boots clicked softly on the marble floor, which was polished so perfectly that he could see his grinning reflection.
"There she is…" he whispered to himself.
The girl with blue hair glided across the corridor like a phantom. She wore a dark-blue outfit with silver dragon embroidery, hugging her tall and slender frame. Each step was silent, each movement graceful and deadly. Even her shadow seemed to walk with purpose.
Ryu's little heart pounded in excitement.
She's so cool… and terrifying. Perfect wife material!
He crouched low, crawling from pillar to pillar, convinced he was invisible.
Then—
Sching!
A blade kissed the side of his neck.
Ryu's entire body stiffened. His heart almost leapt out of his mouth. His brain flashed through his short but colorful life—mostly wine, maids, and that one time he wore the queen's jewelry while pretending to be a king.
"Stop following me," a voice whispered against his ear, colder than winter wind.
"You're lucky I'm not on a mission… or you wouldn't be breathing right now."
Ryu's lips trembled.
Oh crap oh crap oh crap!
And just like that, she was gone—vanishing like smoke in the breeze.
The little prince dropped to the marble floor, clutching his chest as his knees shook.
"I… I almost died," he wheezed. "This is worse than my ex catching me cheating on our wedding day!"
A pair of guards peeked around the corner, whispering.
"…Was the prince just talking to himself?"
"…Again?"
---
Hours later, a maid summoned him to Queen Qurika's chamber.
Ryu entered nervously, pushing the heavy golden doors open… and froze.
The same blue-haired girl stood beside his mother, back straight, arms crossed, exuding the same cold aura that had nearly ended him.
Ryu screamed before he could stop himself.
"P-please don't kill me! I wasn't stalking you! I swear! I… I haven't even lost my virginity yet!"
The girl blinked, clearly questioning her life choices. She turned to the queen.
"…He's really just seven?"
Queen Qurika sighed deeply, covering her face with one hand.
"Ryu is… a little naughty," she said with the patience of a saint.
Then she placed a hand on her son's shoulder.
"Ryu, meet Nyx. She is one of the kingdom's eleven greatest warriors—our strongest assassin. And she has agreed to teach you."
Ryu's jaw dropped. His brain screamed in betrayal.
The scary goddess who almost killed me… is my teacher?!
Nyx's eyes narrowed. She didn't need to speak for Ryu to know that his life was about to become a living nightmare.
---
The next morning, training began in the castle garden.
The air was crisp and smelled of grass and cherry blossoms. White stone tiles glimmered with dew, and pink petals drifted lazily from the trees above. A rack of wooden swords and spears gleamed under the sun.
Nyx tossed him a wooden sword with casual precision.
"Attack me," she said, her voice sharp enough to slice steel.
Ryu gulped, but his hands still itched for mischief. He puffed his chest out and grinned.
"So… Miss Nyx… you're cold, but you're gorgeous. Maybe after training, we could—"
THWACK!
Pain exploded in his chest as Nyx's wooden sword struck him like a hammer. He stumbled back, gasping, and stared at the faint red mark forming under his shirt.
"Focus," Nyx said flatly. "I owe your mother. That's the only reason I'm teaching you. Impress me with training, not words."
Ryu groaned but couldn't help smirking through the pain.
"I've met cold girls before… but none of them lasted long. Breaking your ice… will be fun."
Nyx's glare was so intense that the birds in the cherry trees stopped singing. Even the wind seemed to hold its breath.
The next hour was pure hell.
Nyx moved like lightning, appearing and disappearing from his sight. Ryu swung his wooden sword desperately, missing every time. She poked his forehead, kicked his legs, and swept him onto the grass again and again.
By the end, he was covered in dirt, grass, and shallow bruises, panting like he'd run ten miles.
As he lay on his back, staring at the drifting petals above, one thought filled his mind:
I'm going to die training… but damn, she's hot.
And so, Ryu's assassin training began—along with his hopeless mission to flirt with death itself.