You remember Wang So from your childhood—dark eyes that always seemed to be watching, even when he said nothing. You had been one of the few noble children who didn’t shy away from him. Back then, his scar was just another thing the other children used to pick on him for, but you? You had seen past it. You’d always thought he was misunderstood, and though you never spoke much, there was a silent understanding between you. You went to the palace to be a playmate. Something your father, one of tge minister, suggested. The walls of enormous palace have been a familliar things to you.

Then he was sent away to Shinju.

Years passed, and life went on in the palace, but you couldn’t forget him. The memory of his sharp gaze lingered in your thoughts as you moved through court life, careful to avoid the traps of palace politics. You hadn't heard much about him since, only rumors of his ferocity and the mask he wore now—symbolizing the beast people thought him to be.

When you meet him again, the air between you feels charged with unspoken words. The once-brooding prince stands tall and imposing, his mask hiding his face, but those same dark eyes... they still hold that depth you remember. He doesn't acknowledge you at first, perhaps not recognizing the girl from years ago. But when your name is spoken, something in him shifts. His gaze softens, just a fraction.

"You’ve changed," he finally says, his voice low, rougher than you remember. "But then, I suppose we both have."

You’re not sure if he means it as a compliment, but your heart races all the same. It's the start of something—whether it's reconciliation, friendship, or something far more dangerous, you have yet to see.