In the quiet corners of the castle kitchen, Dahlia moved with grace—carrying trays, pouring wine, and preparing tomorrow’s banquet list in her head. She had always been calm, always invisible… until now.
As she passed by the hallway leading to the training grounds, she paused. Jiru was there—his uniform slightly undone, sweat glistening on his brow as he sparred with two royal guards. She watched silently, hidden behind a marble column.
And then, as if he sensed her presence…
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Jiru turned.
Their eyes met.
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It lasted only a second—but the way his lips parted, stunned, and the way his sword lowered just slightly—it was enough.
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Dahlia’s heart thudded.
She ducked away.
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Meanwhile in the royal garden…
Gerah sat with Anya, her loyal maid and secret best friend.
“They’re not acting like how I wrote them,” Gerah said, chewing on a piece of bread.
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“Maybe your world doesn’t want to follow rules anymore,” Anya shrugged. “Or maybe… you’re not just the writer here. You’re part of the story now.”
Gerah looked out into the dusk-lit sky. “If I’m part of it… then what happens when I fall for someone I never meant to love?”
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She didn’t say his name. But her thoughts did.
Xavier.
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By the end of the episode, Gerah walks through the library alone—and finds Prince Xavier standing by the window, holding a copy of a handwritten book titled:
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"The Servant and the Sword.”
“Where did you find that?” Gerah asks. Xavier looks at her, a knowing smile forming. “I was going to ask you the same thing, Princess Gerah.”
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