"Kael... was that wholesome for you?" Zora asked, her tone caught between amusement and suspicion.
Prince Kael turned his head, the moonlight carving a sly curve across his lips. That familiar wicked smile—half charm, half trouble—unfurled effortlessly.
"For me?" he echoed, voice rich with mischief. "Naturally. Should I not clean up the trash that dares block my lady’s path?"
Zora snorted softly. "More like you just wanted an excuse to vent."
Yet as she rolled her eyes, a smile crept into the corner of her mouth. Beneath the teasing, she understood exactly what he had done—and why.
A crouching dragon never curls in a shallow pond forever.
Prince Kael had waited. He had endured. But tonight, the veil slipped.
She saw ambition flicker behind his gaze—quiet, sharp, inevitable.
The two left the hall together, laughter trailing behind them like drifting smoke. Neither spared another thought for Minister Henry. People like him were storms that howled loudly but died quickly.
Night deepened. The breeze carried the cool breath of early spring. Moonlight filtered through the lattice windows, silvering Prince Kael’s silhouette as he stood by the window, gaze turned skyward.
"Master." Alder stood behind him, spine straight, voice low.
Prince Kael didn’t turn around. His eyes remained on the moon, but something in the air around him tightened.
"Is everything prepared?"
Alder bowed his head. "All prepared."
A faint, unreadable smile touched Prince Kael’s lips. "Good. I depart from Elysia tomorrow at dawn. From then on, you are to protect Zora from the shadows. No matter the cost... keep her safe."
Alder’s expression shifted. He cupped his fists, voice steady. "Understood."
He watched the young master’s back—tall, steady, yet carrying a weight no one else was allowed to see. For so many years, Prince Kael had allowed no one near his heart.
Until he met her.
The fact that he would leave his most trusted shadow behind said more about his feelings than any confession could.
When Prince Kael gestured for him to withdraw, Alder quietly left. The young master clearly had words to say that only the lady should hear.
Inside her room, Zora had just finished adjusting her breath when the door creaked open.
"Do you not know how to knock?" she asked dryly. "What if I was changing?"
Prince Kael leaned against the doorframe with infuriating ease. "You’re already my wife. What is there to hide?"
"You know," she said, pouring herself tea, "this isn’t actually how that works."
But before she could continue her scolding, she noticed the shift in his expression—lighter than a whisper, heavier than unshed rain.
He walked over and sat beside her. "I’m leaving tomorrow."
Her hand paused on the teacup.
The words were expected. He had been preparing for something for a long time, something beyond the borders of Elysia. But hearing him say it still tugged at her chest.
"Oh," she replied, tone light, face calm.
But her eyes—he saw it. A flicker, a ripple, quickly smothered.
Warmth rose quietly in Prince Kael’s gaze.
He reached out, not to touch her, but simply to be close.
"After I go, take care of yourself," he said softly. "Don’t let anything harm you. Not even a little."
She opened her mouth, intending to retort, but the look in his eyes—steady, sincere—made the words dissolve on her tongue.
He smiled faintly, a curve of longing hidden beneath composure.
"I will come back to you soon."
Prince Kael’s voice was low enough to stir the night air, and his gaze held her as though memorizing every contour of her face. It was not the gaze of a man who simply admired beauty; it was the gaze of someone carving a vow into his bones.
"I’ll be back soon," he said again, more quietly. A promise, heavy as command and soft as breath.
He meant it. Once he settled what he had to face beyond Elysia, he would return to her side without hesitation.
The air thickened between them, a quiet heaviness that made Zora’s heartbeat stumble. She shifted slightly, unable to hold his eyes for long. This atmosphere made her feel as though her thoughts were suddenly transparent.
"I know," she finally said, forcing her voice to stay steady. "Your leg is healed, but your constitution still hasn’t fully stabilized. I’ll make a list of the medicinal treasures you’ll need. If you encounter them, gather them. They’ll be useful later."
Her tone was matter-of-fact, but they both felt the subtle tremble beneath it.
Kael’s lips curved in a knowing smile. He had seen the faint flush on her cheek, the way she turned the conversation with deliberate precision.
"My lady is so thoughtful," he murmured, amusement glimmering in his eyes.
Zora pretended not to hear him and looked away. With his sharpness, he must have already noticed the slight change in her mood, so she refused to give him another chance to tease her.
Then, Prince Kael lifted a storage pouch and placed it in her hands.
"This is for you. Inside are cultivation resources suitable for your current stage."
"I don’t need it." She pushed it back. "I can buy what I require."
But the pouch did not move even a fraction. Prince Kael’s hand stayed steady, expression immovable.
"Take it," he said. "I know you’re capable of acquiring your own resources, but there are things in this pouch you won’t find in Elysia. Even if you had a mountain of gold, some treasures cannot be bought here."
Her fingers hesitated before curling around the pouch. His words were true—some rare herbs existed only in higher-ranked regions, far from Elysia’s reach.
She didn’t thank him, but she did not refuse again.
Kael’s voice gentled. "Tomorrow is the royal hunt. Perform well. And be careful."
There was a trace of regret hidden in his usually bright eyes. He had wanted to accompany her, wanted to watch her shine, but the matter pulling him away was one he could not delay any longer.
Three years of waiting had already stretched too far.
Zora arched a brow. "What are you worrying about? I should be telling you to be careful."
Her voice was cool, but her meaning was warm. She didn’t know what danger he was heading into, but she hoped—sincerely—that he would return safely. As for herself, challenges had never once frightened her.
Kael leaned closer, the corner of his mouth lifting. "So my lady worries for me?"
"Yes."
A simple word, spoken without evasions. In a moment like this, she saw no reason to deny it.
Prince Kael’s breath hitched at that simple word. Then an unrestrained smile bloomed across his face, radiant and wickedly charming. He held her gaze as though he had just been given a treasure rare enough to rival heaven’s brilliance.
"Then I must return safely," he said, voice soft yet resolute. "Since it is my lady’s wish."
***
The next morning, sunlight poured like warm gold over the roofs of Zora’s Manor.
When Zora stepped out of her room, the one beside hers was already empty. The chair, the bedding, even the faint trace of his aura—all gone. A peculiar hollowness expanded quietly in her chest.
She exhaled once, slow and steady. Then a bright, sharp smile curved her lips.
There was no time for melancholy.
Today, she would step into the hunting grounds and shatter the name "waste" once and for all.
Her carriage was ready. She boarded it without hesitation, Alder following silently behind to guard her from the shadows, just as the young master ordered.
The wind lifted the edge of her cloak as the wheels began to turn.
A hunt awaited.
A stage awaited.
And Zora, with new strength forged under the waterfall and night sky, was ready to let the world see her for what she truly was.