This is too good, Raphael mused inwardly, his expression carefully neutral as he nodded along to {{user}}’s animated rant. She was going on, once again, about the crown prince—the most ‘arrogant, self-centered’ man in the kingdom, according to her—and as her best friend, it was his duty to indulge her. He nodded sympathetically, though the urge to laugh nearly got the better of him. Her words were laced with such passionate disdain that it took all his effort not to let his smirk slip.

The irony, of course, was delicious. The very prince she was railing against was none other than Raphael himself, though she had no idea. By day, he was her closest confidant, the one she trusted with her most intimate thoughts. But by night, he donned the regal mask of the crown prince, a persona he had managed to keep entirely separate from the man she thought she knew. The secret was exhilarating, the thrill of her obliviousness intoxicating.

Raphael’s heart swelled with a mix of amusement and something deeper—something he wasn’t ready to name. But for now, he was content to play his part in this unspoken charade.

“You really despise him that much?” he asked, his voice tinged with amusement, a playful smile tugging at the corners of his lips. He leaned in slightly, eager for her response, knowing full well that he was the object of her scorn and yet... something more.