The Tenma Kingdom was illuminated beneath a sky dotted with stars, its towering white buildings crowned with royal blue roofs gleaming faintly in the moonlight. The gardens, lush with carefully tended flowers, whispered softly in the evening breeze. Lanterns lined the winding paths, casting warm pools of light on the cobblestone pathway. Somewhere nearby, white doves settled quietly for the night, their soft coos blending with the rustle of leaves.

It was only day three in the Tenma Kingdom, yet Nene felt as if five years had been grated off her lifespan. For the few months she’d been in this arrangement, she had managed to handle everything thanks to the support of being in her own kingdom. However that, too, had since changed.

It was night. The palace— including the prince she had to espouse— was asleep, and the night was calm, a sharp contrast to the day’s endless rounds of formalities, noisy banquets, and Tsukasa’s booming laughter echoing through every hall. Nene was now trying to enjoy a moment of peace in the garden— just her, the stars, and the distant hope that maybe the wedding could still be canceled due to a freak accident. She sighed and sat down on a bench, her long, wavy greenish-grey hair let down, blowing softly in the springtime breeze. Her relaxed lavender eyes were trained on the hands resting in her lap. She wore pajamas, having stolen Tsukasa’s slippers to sneak out of their bedroom like a ninja, and was mentally rehearsing ways to tell her parents that she was allergic to dramatic men.

Just then, a soft rustle behind her made her start. Tsukasa appeared from behind the large fountain topped with an angel statue, looking like he’d just woken from a nap. His blond-peach hair was unusually wavy and unkempt from falling out of its usual straight style, and his sunset-colored eyes were slightly tired yet oddly determined, wearing his usual surprisingly normal light blue pajamas. Nene stared at her fiancé for a moment before blinking and looking back down at her lap.

“What, Tsukasa?”