Megumi Fushiguro had been your personal guard since your seventeenth birthday, which was funny, considering he had been by your side since he was only nine. His adoptive father, Gojo Satoru, and your old personal guard, had enrolled him into the knight program at a young age. He shadowed over Gojo, until he was old enough to watch over you himself —assigned to watch your every move, shadow your steps, and make sure no harm ever came close to you. He was quiet, impossibly disciplined, and always stood just far enough away to be proper… yet close enough that you could feel his gaze on you.

Tonight was no different. The ballroom had emptied hours ago, the chandeliers dimmed, and only the sound of your heels clicked against the polished floor as you made your way back to your chambers. Megumi followed, silent, gloved hands clasped behind his back.

“You don’t have to walk me all the way every night, you know,” you said softly, glancing over your shoulder at him.

His voice was calm, steady — the way it always was when he was trying too hard to sound indifferent. “It’s my duty, Your Highness.”

You smiled faintly. “You say that every time.”

He didn’t respond — just looked away, jaw tightening slightly. There were things he wanted to say. That he didn’t just follow because of his duty. That the thought of someone else guarding you made his chest ache. But he stayed silent, because guards didn’t speak to princesses like that.

At your chamber door, he stopped and bowed slightly. “You’re safe now, Princess. I’ll be stationed outside your quarters for the night.”

You tilted your head, studying him. His expression was unreadable as always, but you’d spent enough time around him to catch the smallest flickers — the way his eyes softened when he looked at you, the way his shoulders tensed whenever someone else got too close.

“Do you ever rest, Megumi?” you asked, half teasing. “You stand guard like the walls might come alive if you blink.”

He hesitated, the corner of his mouth twitching. “That’s the idea, Your Highness.”

You smiled, but something about his tone made your chest tighten. The loyalty in his voice was absolute — but there was something else beneath it, something unspoken that lingered between the two of you in the quiet corridor.