Lili's heart pounded in her chest as she gazed around at her surroundings. She recognized this hall, it was the Royal Princess' place, a place she had carefully avoided for so long. Her mind raced, trying to comprehend why she had been brought here. As she was led towards the center of the room, she caught sight of a woman standing before her, donning a magnificent royal dress, obscuring her face. The gravity of the situation hit her as the guards made her bow and kneel in front of the mysterious woman."We finally met," the woman declared, her voice regal and commanding. The sword pressed against Lili's neck, causing her to break out in sweat.Gulping, she slowly lifted her head, and to her surprise and horror, the guard moved the sword closer, causing her to bow again. "Your Highness," Lili stuttered, nerves getting the better of her.The woman narrowed her eyes before demanding that Lili introduce herself. "I-I am L-Lili Roque. The Crown Prince’s personal doctor," she stuttered,
Thone's grin widened as he saw the Crown Prince and rushed towards him, throwing his arm around his highness's shoulder."Hey, Master Ken! It's great to see you here at the Palace," he exclaimed.Lili sprinted towards Thone, quickly yanking him away from the Crown Prince. "What the heck are you doing? Don't touch him!" she hissed."Why?" Thone responded, looking bewildered.The Crown Prince straightened himself up and cleared his throat, his expression serious. "You must stay a meter away from me, Thone. Don't speak to me casually or touch me."Thone gave Lili a puzzled look. "Why am I not allowed to do it?"Lili's eyes flickered as she bit her bottom lip, trying to come up with a plausible excuse. "That's because... everyone should fear me," she finally managed to say."Oh, I get it. You want to appear cool, like the rumors say," Thone exclaimed, nodding his head.Instantly, the Crown Prince's face darkened. "Cool? Is that how you view Master Ken?"Thone turned towards Lili, arching h
Their lips collided, locking into one another in an instant, igniting a fierce electric energy that coursed through their veins. It was unexpected, sudden, and took them both by surprise. She never imagined that she would be kissing her enemy, especially not in a place like this. Her heart was racing, and her mind was in turmoil as the realization hit her. How could she be kissing the Crown Prince? He was the one she was supposed to hate, the one who stood in the way of her goals.She broke away from him quickly, turning her attention to Thone, who was as oblivious as ever. He was holding up a squawking chicken with triumph, completely unaware of the tension between the two. "I've caught it!" he exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear. "What's with those faces? Aren't you happy that I've caught it?"Lili forced a smile, her heart still pounding in her chest. "Yes, Thone. I'm thrilled that you caught it. You're still the best chicken hunter around." She purposely put distance between her an
The atmosphere around the palace had become increasingly tense in the days following the intrusion. The heightened security measures were palpable, with a larger number of soldiers patrolling the grounds and rumors circulating throughout every nook and cranny of the palace. Despite their best efforts, nobody had been able to identify the intruder, leaving everyone to ponder about the looming threat.Though it had only been a few days since Lili had last seen the Crown Prince, it felt like a lifetime. She had been informed that he was extremely busy, but she found solace in that because she didn't want to spend every waking moment in his company. Feeling exhausted from the lack of stimulation due to the strict security measures implemented by Head General Ybarra, Lili lay down beneath a towering tree. She rested her head on her own arm and gazed up at the sparkling sky with its radiant shining stars."I'm so tired of all this," Lili murmured. "And it's all Head General Ybarra's fault."
Trembling, Lili withdrew her hand from the King's tight grasp and gracefully lowered herself to the ground before him. Her voice was barely above a whisper as she spoke, "Your Majesty," and she respectfully inclined her head towards him.Unexpectedly, the King's voice was laced with surprise as he said, "I didn't expect you to recognize me." Lili's heart nearly stopped; he knew who she was. Had her surreptitious observations been discovered? Every fiber of her being screamed for her to remain calm and composed. "Your Majesty," she stammered, "my father often speaks of the elegant and majestic garments worn by the King and mentions how handsome your face is. I merely noticed that in your attire," she murmured, her stomach writhing with anxiety.The King chuckled, his gaze still fixed upon her, shrewd and unyielding. "Is that so?" he said, a hint of amusement still presents in his voice. "And what news have you brought before me, my dear?" His eyes flickered briefly with a keen interest.
Lili had been holed up in her chambers for the entire day, deep in thought, as she strategized her next moves. She knew that the palace was heavily guarded, preventing her from taking any action just yet. Even worse, she was unable to reach out to her ally, Marco, or even the minister. Her nerves were on edge, constantly worried about making a slip-up that could end her efforts for good.As she sat lost in her thoughts, a sudden knock at her door jolted her from her musings. Upon answering, she was greeted with a broad smile from Eunuch Dom, who held out a bracelet with her name inscribed upon it.Confused, she asked for an explanation, and Dom explained, "It's a reward for your excellent medical work, Lady Lili. I'm here to give you a chance to escape the palace and enjoy the festivities taking place in the local village."At his words, Lili's heart leapt with joy. Never had she imagined that she would have the opportunity to leave the palace after being locked away for so long. Full
Lili stared at the Crown Prince with wide eyes. The realization of what she had done hit her like a ton of bricks, and she couldn't believe the words that had come out of her mouth. "YOUR HIGHNESS?!" she had exclaimed, feeling flustered and embarrassed.The Crown Prince looked at her quizzically. "Are you shouting at me?" he asked."N-No, no. I mean… I don’t like you," Lili stuttered, her heart racing in her chest.The prince gazed at her in disbelief. "How can you reject me when I am not even courting you?" he asked.Lili was stunned. She had never thought of it that way before. "And I don’t like you either, so don’t you dare reject me! I also have no intention of courting or liking you because I have high standards for women!" he exclaimed, his voice rising in frustration.Lili felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment. She understood that the Crown Prince was angry because she had rejected him, but his words and reactions seemed more convincing than her own, even though she had only
"You..."The Mask Princess narrowed her eyes, barely concealing her panic upon realizing that she had spoken in her native tongue. She quickly regained her composure and shifted her gaze away from the crown prince to avoid being recognized. She adopted a haughty posture and offered a sly smirk, attempting to play off her slip-up as a threat."Dites-moi votre faiblesse et je vous laisserai vivre," she taunted, gesturing with her weapon as a warning.The crown prince regarded her with a puzzled expression. He didn't understand the language she used, but he couldn't shake off the feeling that her voice felt familiar. Although he couldn't confirm his suspicion, he decided to feign innocence and replied, "What? I don’t understand you."The Mask Princess scoffed, "Comment un prince héritier peut-il être aussi stupide?" Despite her efforts to hide her fear, the slip-up troubled her since she knew the crown prince would recognize her identity if he heard her speak the language of her homeland.