The wind combed gently through Selene's silver-blonde hair as she stood on the balcony of her dormitory, arms folded over the rail. Below her, the academy gardens rustled with life—students moving between classes, laughter echoing, sunlight flickering over marble paths.
And yet, she didn't see any of it.
Her mind kept drifting to him.
Kael Riven.
That ridiculous formal coat. The way he stood stiff and awkward in front of the bakery like he was about to attend a noble's funeral. The way he had no idea how ridiculous he looked—until she laughed. Not a fake, filtered laugh. Not the polite chuckle she was trained to produce on cue.
She laughed—from the chest, the ribs, the part of her that had long since been locked away.
And he didn't flinch.
He just smiled, sheepish, eyes so steady it made her breath catch.
Selene pressed her fingers to her lips now, her expression unreadable. It had been three days since that "non-romantic" date. And yet, it haunted her—not because of flirtation or confessions. But because…
He didn't want anything from her.
No favors. No status. Not even her affection.
He just wanted to know her.
Who did that?
Who was like that?
Everyone in her world wanted leverage. To seduce, to manipulate, to secure some standing or favor with House Virellia. Even Lucien, kind as he was, was still a piece in a puzzle orchestrated by bloodlines and power.
But Kael… he had looked her in the eye and said:
"If we're going to fall in love, it shouldn't be because of obligation. It should be because we choose to."
Selene's hands clenched at the railing.
How dare he say something that raw?
How dare he stir questions she buried years ago beneath layers of expectation?
She was Selene Virellia—duke's daughter, noble prodigy, perfectly poised future duchess.
And now, she couldn't stop wondering what she wanted, not what was expected.
Across campus, in the arena's lower fields, Kael slammed a practice sword into a training post. Again. And again.
Each strike was deliberate. Each movement honed with quiet fury.
He wasn't trying to impress the instructors. He wasn't chasing accolades. He wasn't even thinking of competition.
He was remembering the look in Selene's eyes as she told him, softly:
"You're… not what I expected."
Something had shifted.
He'd lived his whole life hiding in plain sight. Masked pain. Quiet instincts. Always surviving.
Now he found himself training like he had something to protect.
Something fragile. Unspoken.
Maybe not hers. Not yet. But maybe what she could be—if she was given the chance to choose for herself.
He wasn't in love. Not yet.
But for the first time, Kael fought for more than survival.
He fought for a future that didn't seem as empty anymore.
And somewhere, standing in the shadows of her family name, Selene began to wonder if that future was hers to want too