Arthur and Aiden walked side by side through a silent corridor, the polished marble floor reflecting the soft light. At the far end, heavy doors marked the path to the royal throne room.

Aiden broke the silence first.

"Are you really not going to tell me," he asked, "how you know Miss Yuna?"

Arthur glanced at him.

"Why?" he said lazily. "Do you want an autograph?"

Aiden’s eyes lit up.

"Can you really get it for me?"

Arthur sighed.

"You really idolize her, huh."

"Are you an idiot or what?" Aiden almost yelled. "Who doesn’t idolize someone like her? And Miss Jessica, too. Both are legends—breaking records and accomplishing feats no one else has touched until now."

"Wow," Arthur said. "You really are a fanboy."

A playful smile tugged at his lips.

"Alright, alright," he added. "I’ll get the autograph for you."

"Really?" Aiden leaned closer.

Arthur held up a hand.

"For just one million dollars," he said. "What do you say? Pretty cheap, right?"

Aiden’s mouth twitched.

"Forget it," he muttered. "I don’t want it anymore."

Arthur laughed loudly, the sound echoing down the hallway.

—

As they continued walking, they noticed a group ahead.

Prince Joan, the First Prince of the Ashford family, stood talking to four men dressed neatly in dark suits. Their conversation was low, their faces serious.

Arthur’s senses sharpened as they drew closer.

"Is everything ready?" Joan asked.

The four figures nodded. One of them answered, "Everything will go as planned."

Arthur’s eyes narrowed.

Just then, Joan noticed Arthur and Aiden approaching. His expression changed, and he flicked his fingers subtly.

The suited men immediately bowed and started walking away.

As they passed by, one of them met Arthur’s gaze.

A faint magical signature oozed from the man’s body—subtle, but enough. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Arthur’s Crown of Sorcery talent reacted, flaring for an instant.

A slow smile formed on Arthur’s face.

’So this guy is planning something interesting,’ he thought, looking briefly at Joan.

Joan turned fully toward them.

"Where the hell are you two going?" he asked.

Aiden bowed his head slightly.

"I greet the First Prince," he said. "We have been summoned by the Queen, Your Highness."

"Is that so," Joan said. His eyes slid to Arthur, a sneer forming. "Even beggars get invited, it seems."

He lifted his chin.

"Bow your head, commoner."

Arthur shrugged.

"Sorry, Your Highness," he said. "My legs aren’t in good condition today. Maybe some other time."

Aiden hissed under his breath.

"Just bow a little," he whispered. "It won’t make you any smaller, you know."

Arthur sighed.

"Alright, alright..."

He bowed his head—barely.

"I greet Your Highness, the First Prince," he said.

Smack !

Pain lanced across his skull as a hand landed on the back of his head.

Joan had hit him, smiling down at the half-bow.

Seeing Arthur bow made him feel superior, like he’d just put a stray dog in its place.

Arthur’s face darkened.

A thick killing intent leaked out of him, cold and heavy. It washed over Joan like ice water.

A shiver ran down the prince’s spine. He instinctively took a step back, fear flashing in his eyes before he could hide it.

Aiden immediately moved between them, heart racing.

"Hey, hey, dude, what the hell are you doing?" he whispered urgently. "Just let it go. This guy is always like this. And we’re inside the palace—don’t forget that."

Despite Aiden’s warning, Arthur took a step forward.

Joan, forcing himself to stand his ground, mustered his courage.

"How dare you look at me with those eyes," he snapped. "I’ll gouge them out."

"Is that so?" Arthur said quietly. "Then let’s see—"

Before he could move, a voice thundered down the corridor.

"What the hell is happening here?"

All three of them turned toward the source of the voice.

Standing at the other end of the corridor was Jasmine, also heading toward the throne room. Her silver hair and violet eyes were impossible to mistake.

Once again she said, frowning. "What the hell is happening here?"

Joan clicked his tongue and looked away.

Without answering, he straightened his clothes and started walking toward the throne room, his steps a bit faster than before.

Jasmine walked up to Arthur and Aiden, stopping beside them.

"What was that killing intent I sensed earlier?" she asked, eyes narrowing.

Before Aiden could say a word, Arthur spoke.

"It was Prince Joan," he said smoothly. "He seemed angry about something. Looked like he was mad at us for some reason too."

"Don’t bullshit me," Jasmine replied immediately. "I know Joan better than anyone."

Her gaze sharpened.

"He doesn’t have that kind of terrifying aura. It must have been one of you two."

Arthur smiled.

"You caught us," he said.

He jerked his thumb toward Aiden.

"It was Aiden. He got angry when His Highness insulted Princess Evangeline."

Jasmine’s eyes shifted to Aiden.

Aiden hesitated, then gave a small nod, choosing not to complicate things further.

Even so, Jasmine’s cold gaze returned to Arthur and stayed there.

"You must think you’re very intelligent," she said, "trying to deceive me."

"It’s not about believing I’m intelligent," Arthur replied. "I just am."

Jasmine’s mouth twitched.

"I have my eyes on you," she said. "Remember that."

"Getting stalked by a beautiful lady," Arthur said, grinning. "How fortunate I am."

A vein popped on Jasmine’s forehead.

"You—"

Arthur cut in.

"Tell me, Princess," he asked, tilting his head, "do you like your brother? I mean do you have any familial love for him?"

Jasmine’s expression cooled.

"Not much, if I’m being honest," she said. "He’s just a rival."

Arthur’s smile turned faintly terrifying.

"Good," he said. "Because I don’t like that guy. He hit me for no reason just now. You won’t complain if I pay him back, right?"

Both Aiden and Jasmine fell silent, staring at him.

They had no idea what that guy was thinking as he tried to threaten a member of the royal family.

Without waiting for an answer, Arthur turned and started walking toward the throne room.

After a moment of stunned silence, Aiden and Jasmine hurried after him, their footsteps echoing together down the corridor.