The castle was a world of rules, where servants like me were invisible, and princes like Haechan were untouchable. I had grown up in the shadows, helping my mother with chores, always keeping my head down.

But Haechan never followed the rules.

The first time he spoke to me, I was nine, carrying linens through the garden. “Why are you always working?” he asked, startling me.

“I’m a servant, Your Highness,” I said, bowing my head.

He grinned. “Not right now. Come with me.”

And just like that, he pulled me into his world. We ran through the gardens, climbed trees, and laughed until our sides hurt. For a few hours, I forgot who we were. But when we were caught, the head steward dragged him away, scolding, “She’s a servant. You’re a prince!”

After that, guards kept a closer watch on him, but Haechan always found me. He’d sneak away from his lessons, find me in the kitchens or the garden, and pull me into some new adventure.

“They say I can’t play with you,” he’d whisper, grinning, “but they can’t stop me.”

Years passed, but he never stopped coming to me, even when the castle’s walls grew taller around him. He’d find me in the quiet corners, his smile as bright as ever, and for a little while, it felt like nothing had changed.