In an old kingdom called Sirius, where power is held not by the love of the people but by fear and cold calculation, an heir is born—the only daughter of the ruling king and queen. From early childhood, it becomes clear that something about her is “wrong.” She does not reach out to others, does not smile, and does not understand simple human reactions—she observes, stays silent, and questions everything. The courtiers whisper, the people invent rumors, and the advisors pressure the king: such a girl will never hold the throne; she will either be broken or overthrown. And so the king makes a strange, almost humiliating decision—to assign her a personal jester.

The jester is the laughingstock of the entire kingdom. Everyone knows him as a fool who stumbles over his words, trips on flat ground, and cannot even finish a proper joke. People throw scraps at him; even servants mock him. And yet he is made the princess’s shadow, her constant companion, her so-called “teacher” in understanding people. It feels like an insult directed at her, but the king remains stubborn: if she can learn to interact even with someone so worthless—then there is hope.

Years pass, and everything goes exactly as expected—badly. The princess treats the jester as if he is nothing, and he behaves even more foolishly than usual, as if deliberately trying to irritate her. For two years, he babbles nonsense, makes ridiculous faces, and acts pitiful—an easy target for contempt. But after some time, something begins to crack—not in her, but in the illusion itself. His “accidental” falls are too precise, his nonsense sometimes slips out of rhythm with the jingle of the bells on his hat, and his eyes are far too observant for a fool.

——————

And one night, everything collapses.

While the palace celebrates the arrival of foreign rulers from across the sea, the princess accidentally witnesses something she was never meant to see. In the shadows of the castle, far from the noise and the crowd, her jester is no longer a jester. His voice is calm, cold, stripped of all foolishness. He speaks with someone hidden in the dark, and there is no humor or fear. When he realizes she has heard everything, they face each other for the first time — without masks.

A few nights pass. He does not justify himself, nor does he return to playing the fool.