The dimly lit hall outside the prince's chambers buzzed with quiet tension as Seraphina Vale was finally dismissed. She bowed gracefully, her heart pounding beneath her calm expression.
"You may leave," Prince Kael said coolly, though something unreadable flickered in his gaze. "For now."
The words for now echoed in her chest long after she stepped into the shadowed corridor.
She hadn't expected to be let go so easily—not after saving the crown prince from Night's Veil (poison's name). But Kael Everhart wasn't like other nobles. He played a deeper game. And she knew well enough that his silence was not dismissal, but calculation.
What Seraphina didn't see, however, was the silent figure who followed her through the streets of the capital, keeping to the shadows.
Back at her modest home tucked behind an apothecary, Seraphina lit a candle and sank into a worn chair. She tried to focus on her notes—sketches of poison formulas, scribbled theories about who could've stolen the vial from her father's collection.
But unease prickled along her spine.
She wasn't alone.
----------------
The Next Day – Palace Grounds
A knock sounded at her door just past dawn.
A royal envoy stood outside with a sealed message.
"You are summoned by His Highness. Immediately."
Seraphina's eyes narrowed, but she said nothing. She'd known this would come.
Inside the palace, the air felt heavier than before. She was led through an unfamiliar wing—tall windows, open balconies, and walls of ancient tapestries that whispered old secrets.
She was told to wait in the prince's private library.
Books towered in wooden shelves, dust dancing in sunlight. She turned slowly, brushing her fingers along the spines—until a sharp voice broke the silence.
"I see you're comfortable trespassing."
Seraphina spun around—and crashed right into a solid figure.
She stumbled, losing her balance—and the crown prince, eyes widening in surprise, instinctively reached out to steady her.
Their bodies collided. She gripped the edge of his coat. He caught her waist.
And in that split-second of imbalance, her lips brushed the corner of his mouth.
Time froze.
She pulled back instantly, cheeks flaming. "I—I didn't mean to—"
Kael looked just as startled. But then, his expression shifted into something unreadable.
"Not how most women greet royalty," he said softly.
"It wasn't a greeting," Seraphina muttered, flustered.
"Shame," he replied, voice almost amused.
Before she could answer, he stepped back, suddenly all business. "I've had you followed, Lady Seraphina."
She blinked. "What?"
"I needed to know if you were a threat—or a solution."
"And?"
His stare pinned her. "I'm still deciding."