The garden was alive with laughter, but Ael's world narrowed to the tray in his hands. Every glance toward the prince made his chest tighten. He told himself to focus, to serve well, to make no mistake.
Ael carefully mixed the tea in the garden, his eyes lowered in concentration, aware of Prince Kaelen's quiet presence nearby. Just as he reached for the milk pot, Lady Seren appeared. Her graceful steps carried her forward, and with an easy smile she took the pot from his hands. "I'll do this myself," she said softly, her tone wrapped in charm. "There's something I must discuss with Kaelen."
Ael froze for a moment, the weight of her words pressing on him. Though she spoke lightly, he could not shake the feeling that her interruption was deliberate. He stepped back silently, his chest tightening, knowing his place was no longer beside the Prince—for now.
Ael was about to turn back toward the kitchen when Serene's voice stopped him cold.
"Have you truly forgotten what happened six years ago? The promise you made… the one you've never spoken of since. Why do you still keep me at such a distance, Kaelen? We could still make things right."
The words sent a shiver through Ael. A promise? Six years ago? He had never heard anyone speak of such a thing.
Kaelen's reply came after a tense silence, his tone steady but edged with bitterness.
"You can't bend the world to your will, Serene. You can't walk into my life when it suits you, and walk out when it doesn't. That was your choice then, and you don't get to undo it now."
Hidden among the garden's shadows, Ael's pulse quickened. He had stumbled into something heavy, something long-buried. Whatever had happened six years ago was not just a memory—it was a wound, one that even time had failed to heal.
Kaelen rose from his chair, ready to leave, but before he could take a step, Serene rushed forward and wrapped her arms around him from behind.
"You can't just walk away from me so easily," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I love you, Kaelen. I can't live without you. Ever since I arrived, you've refused to even speak to me. Please… forgive me. It was my mistake—I should never have done what I did. I know you still love me too."
Kaelen stood frozen in her embrace, his jaw tightening. For a long moment, he didn't move, his silence louder than her desperate words. Then, with a slow and steady motion, he pried her hands away from his waist.
"Love?" His voice was low, sharp as a blade. "If you truly loved me, Serene, you would never have broken me six years ago. You don't get to walk back into my life whenever it suits you."
His eyes, though calm, carried a storm beneath them. "I'm not the boy who once believed your promises. Whatever feelings I had… they died the day you walked away."
The moment Ael caught sight of Kaelen returning, his heart skipped. Without wasting another second, he slipped quickly toward the kitchen, his steps hurried, as if distance could shield him from what he had just overheard.
But even as he busied his hands with the nearest tray, his mind refused to settle. Six years ago… what had happened back then? The words Serene spoke clung to him like a puzzle with missing pieces.
He didn't want to imagine Kaelen's past, yet the question burned in him—what kind of promise could leave such a deep scar on the prince?
----
Ael tried to focus on his work, but the kitchen tools in his hands felt heavier than usual. The laughter of the other servants sounded far away, drowned by Serene's words echoing in his mind.
Six years ago… a promise…
He shook his head, trying to push the thought away. It's none of my business. Their world isn't mine. Yet no matter how much he reminded himself, a restless unease stayed with him.
Every time Kaelen entered the dining hall, Ael's eyes strayed toward him, searching for signs—anger, sorrow, regret—anything that might explain the shadow he had glimpsed earlier. But Kaelen's face remained unreadable, a mask worn too perfectly.
And so, without realizing it, Ael began carrying not just trays and dishes but also questions—questions that tugged at him with every passing day.
---
Ael was quietly dusting the library shelves when the heavy wooden door creaked open. Startled, he froze—then quickly slipped into the shadowed corner, hidden behind a tall bookcase.
Through the narrow gap, he saw Kaelen enter, Serene beside him. Her fingers clung to his hand, her eyes glistening as though carrying the weight of unshed tears.
"Kaelen… please," she whispered, voice trembling. "Forgive me for what I did before. I was wrong. I know I was. Can't things between us ever be the way they once were?"
Ael's chest tightened. His hand stilled on the feather duster, forgotten. Relationship? The word echoed in his mind like a stone dropped into a silent lake.
Hidden in the dim light, he dared not move, yet his heart pounded with questions he could not silence. What happened between them… and why does it still matter after all these years?
His expression stormy, Serene clinging to his hand.
Kaelen's reply cut through the air like steel. "You don't get to decide when I belong to you, Serene. You left. You made your choice. And I—" his voice trembled with anger, "—I am not yours to summon back whenever you please!"
Ael's chest tightened. It was the first time he had seen the prince's anger unleashed, raw and unguarded. The sight shook him.
Then, before Kaelen could move, Serene stepped forward, desperate. She grabbed his face, and with sudden force, pressed her lips to his.
Ael's world shattered. His heart slammed violently against his ribs, his breath caught in his throat. His knees felt weak, as though the ground itself had betrayed him.
Kaelen stiffened, hands rising to push her away—but in that single moment, his gaze flicked up and caught Ael's eyes through the gap in the shelves.
Ael froze. Their eyes locked—Kaelen's full of conflict and confusion, Ael's wide with something he didn't dare name. The kiss lingered too long, unwanted but unstoppable, and Ael could only stand there, forced to watch.
Something sharp and unfamiliar twisted inside him. Jealousy? Anger? Hurt? He didn't know. All he knew was that it burned.
Panicked, he tore his gaze away, pressing his back hard against the shelves, chest rising and falling in ragged breaths. His hands trembled. He wanted to run, to escape, but his body would not move.
And still, the image seared itself into his mind—Serene's lips on Kaelen's, and the prince's eyes searching for him in the shadows.
It was a moment Ael knew he could never forget.
---
Kaelen's expression hardened. With a sudden force, he pushed Serene away, his voice low and sharp.
"Don't."
Serene reached for him again, pleading softly, "Kaelen, please—"
But he didn't give her another chance. He turned on his heel and stormed out of the library, the echo of his boots heavy against the marble floor.
Hidden between the tall shelves, Ael's breath shook in his chest. The sound of Kaelen's rejection still rang in his ears, but so did the image of that kiss. For a long moment, he stayed frozen, unable to move.
When silence finally returned to the library, Ael slipped out from his hiding place. He didn't dare linger—not with his thoughts in such chaos. His steps carried him quickly down the corridor, away from the heavy scent of books and memories.