The wind was sharp that morning—cool, but filled with tension. The grand stone structure of the Velmaria Examination Grounds towered above the city square, shaped with white marble pillars and draping blue banners that held the sigil of the royal family: a winged sword engulfed in golden flame.
It was the day of the entrance exams for the Velmaria Imperium Academy, a place where only the most elite mages, warriors, and tacticians trained to serve the kingdom—or rule it.
Inside the facility were dwarves with reinforced armor lined up on the left flank of the yard, their heavy boots thudding against the ground like war drums.
On the right, the slender forms of elves glimmered with magic in their veins, dressed in flowing robes and light leather, quiet and alert.
And standing dead center, leaning lazily against a rusted iron pillar, was Kaito.
White hair messy and falling in his face as he tried to re arrange it. He yawned lazily as he looked around him to see others whispering and staring at him. No one had ever seen him before, yet something about him made people instinctively step back.
It was the aura.
He hadn't said a word since arriving.
Until she walked in.
The golden doors to the main hall opened with a resounding boom, followed by silence. Heads turned, conversations ceased, and time felt like it stuttered for a brief second.
She strode in with the confidence only royalty could carry.
Alexia Faelmont Velmaria—the third princess of the Velmaria Kingdom. Every examiner had heard the rumors: she had bested five instructors in a sparring match at the age of 14, could match B rank skills with her swordplay, and once sliced through a boulder with a single draw of her blade. But none of the rumors spoke of how arresting her presence truly was.
Her golden eyes swept across the crowd like a hawk. Blonde hair, silky and flowing down to her mid-back, swayed with every step she took.
She wore her royal combat outfit—a short, pleated navy skirt with a tight-fitting chest plate that molded perfectly to her figure, giving her medium-sized breasts a gentle yet noticeable push that seemed to defy the conservative nature of armor.
Her thighs were bare, toned and flawless, wrapped only in thin protective leather belts with small blades clipped in.
Her boots clinked softly against the floor as she walked, a deadly beauty incarnate, and her sword sat confidently at her side, the hilt resting against her curvy hip like it belonged there.
Kaito's eyes flicked open fully. He noticed the way she carried herself—not with arrogance, but with power restrained by duty. She wasn't just beautiful—she was sharp. Lethal.
Their eyes met.
Something unspoken passed between them. A flicker of curiosity. Of challenge. Of danger.
Alexia's lips curved into a faint smirk, then she began to walk directly toward him, her golden gaze never leaving his. The crowd, sensing the weight in the air, parted.
"Who are you?" she asked, stopping just a breath away from him.
Kaito didn't reply right away. His gaze drifted from her piercing eyes to the faint shine of sweat glistening on her inner thigh, then back to her lips.
He tilted his head slightly. "You walked all the way here just to ask for my name?"
Her smirk grew, amused. "Not every day I meet a stranger who doesn't kneel."
"I don't kneel." he said flatly, his voice like midnight.
Some nearby elves gasped. A dwarf muttered something about arrogance. But Alexia... she laughed.
A soft, melodic laugh that caught him off guard.
"Good," she said, stepping even closer. "I hate dogs."
She was standing so close now that he could smell her perfume—lavender mixed with steel and fire. Her chest lightly brushed against the front of his cloak as she leaned in.
"I'm Alexia," she whispered, just loud enough for him to hear. "Third princess. Royal knight. And your superior."
Kaito's lips tugged into a faint, rare grin. "We'll see."
Their eyes locked again—like swords drawn but not yet clashed.
Then, without warning, a bell rang.
A female voice shouted from the speakers. "All participants, gather at the arena gates! The first trial begins in ten minutes!"
Alexia didn't break eye contact as she stepped back. "Try not to die, mystery boy. I'd hate to be disappointed."
As she turned, her skirt lifted just slightly, giving Kaito a teasing glance at the curve of her lower back and the strong, graceful shape of her legs. She didn't look back, but her smirk remained.
Kaito exhaled slowly.
The princess was bold. Dangerous. Tempting.
And now, she had his attention.
This exam was going to be more interesting than he thought.
The air around the examination facility grew thicker, as if charged by unseen tension. Just as Alexia turned her
body slightly to depart, her golden eyes still lingering on Kaito, a distinct sound broke the moment—a slow, deliberate clap that echoed like a smirk into the crowd of elves, dwarves, and other humans around.
Klak Klak Klak
The students around stopped murmuring, attention diverted as if something unsavory had just slithered into their midst.
Kaito's expression shifted instantly from calm interest to a subtle frown. Alexia's smile disappeared completely, her brows twitching with a twitch of displeasure.
Walking through the gathering like a noble lion, his confidence dripping with arrogance, came a young man with long silky blonde hair, the color almost angelic in contrast to the devilish grin on his lips.
His smirk stretched wider as he caught Alexia's glare and Kaito's silent disappointment.
"Well, well, well," the young man began, his voice smooth, mocking, and too familiar. "If it isn't my dear old friend, Kaito Kuroyami, and the ever so enchanting Princess Alexia Faelmont Velmaria… what a duo."
"Edward…" Kaito muttered beneath his breath. The tension in his jaw was visible, but his tone remained even.