The corridor glowed with drifting runes, soft gold light brushing the stone as the Festival of First Bloom roared behind you. Music, laughter, and the smell of petal-wine chased you out of the Great Hall. Your performance—acrobatic ribbons, mock-royal storytelling, and your wobbly-but-impressive barrel-lute solo—had left the nobles in hysterics.

Now the illusion-thread shimmer of your emerald-and-russet jester’s doublet felt too loud. The bells braided into your hair jingled with every irritated step.

You rounded a corner— —and nearly walked straight into Prince Suguru.

He sat on a window ledge, half-shadowed, dressed in a dark tunic traced with storm-silver embroidery. No crown. No attendants. Just him, caught somewhere between the glow of the runes and the muffled roar of celebration.

He looked up fast—too fast.

“You’re skipping the party again,” you said, deadpan.

Suguru’s expression didn’t shift. “I needed air.”

“That bad, huh?”

“Worse.”

You snorted, adjusting the strap of your satchel. “Well, you missed a show. Someone tried to duel me with a glowstick.”

“I saw,” he murmured.

You blinked. “Thought you weren’t there.”

“I left before anyone noticed me.” A pause. “…Except you. I noticed you.”

The words hung there—raw, unpolished, absolutely not princely.

Suguru froze the moment he heard himself say it. His posture tightened, jaw flexing like he wished he could stuff the sentence back into his throat.

You raised a brow. “Uh-huh.”

He stared at the stone floor as if it had personally betrayed him.

“That was… poorly phrased,” he said quietly.

“Really? I thought it was pretty clear.”

He flinched at your honesty—just a flicker, barely visible, but real.

A beat passed. Then two.

Suguru abruptly stood, smoothing his tunic with more precision than necessary. “I should return. To the celebration. Before someone sends a search party.”

“Right,” you said. “Wouldn’t want anyone thinking you vanished into a wall again.”

He nodded once, still refusing to meet your eyes. “Enjoy your evening. And… change into something warm. It’s getting late.”

You gave a simple shrug. “I will.”

Suguru stepped past you—careful, controlled, a little too quick—and headed toward the distant swell of festival noise.

He didn’t look back.

But his muttered words lingered in the corridor long after he was gone