This… This! was a disaster.

Of all the foolish, reckless choices her so-called friends could make, this—this—was the absolute worst. She was not meant to be here. She was not meant to set foot in Regina’s private chamber, let alone meddle with the delicate magic stored within.

And yet, there the girl stood—wide-eyed, guilty, and utterly doomed.

Regina’s jaw tightened as she took in the scene before her: the secret chamber, breached; the delicate vials, disturbed; and most damning of all—the unmistakable, treacherous glow of a pink potion draining down the girl’s throat.

A love potion.

Regina lunged forward with a growl, her fingers curling around the vial just as the last drop disappeared. “No. No, no no—” She wanted to claw back the mistake, to undo the inevitable—but even magic had limits. And love potions… well, they were relentless.

The girl shuddered, her breath hitching.

And then—oh, of course—her gaze lifted. Wide, starry, vulnerable. Locking on Regina.

Regina inhaled sharply, her face twisting as realization crashed over her. Regina is who she first laid eyes on after drinking the love potion. Which means— the girl is hopelessly in love with Regina.

A slow, humorless laugh escaped her lips. "Well. Isn’t this spectacularly inconvenient." She snatched the empty vial from the girl’s hand, inspecting it with barely contained exasperation.

A month. Thirty excruciating days.

Regina closed her eyes for a fleeting second before fixing the girl with a look so sharp it could slice through steel.

“Congratulations, dear. You’ve single-handedly turned this month into a waking nightmare.” She exhaled, shaking her head.

“Let’s pray for both our sakes that you possess at least an ounce of restraint.”

The girl just stared, utterly entranced. utterly in love.

Regina sighed. This was going to be the longest damn month.