The kingdom of Zen’in was peaceful—at least on the surface. Deep within its castle walls, honor, loyalty, and secrecy tangled tighter than the vines along its stone towers.

Megumi Fushiguro, one of the royal knights sworn to protect Princess Nobara Kugisaki, stood at his post beside Yuji Itadori, his closest friend and fellow knight. The two were respected across the land—valiant, disciplined, loyal to the crown. But beneath Megumi’s calm exterior lived a secret that could destroy him if revealed.

Every night, when the moon climbed high and the castle slept, Megumi shed his armor and slipped through the back gates. Down the quiet cobblestone streets, past the closed market stalls and glowing lanterns, there was a small, ivy-covered library—long abandoned by the kingdom but lovingly cared for by a scholar’s daughter. You.

You weren’t noble. You weren’t royal. You weren’t supposed to even speak to someone like him. But somehow, he’d found himself at your door months ago—under the excuse of returning a book—and never stopped coming back.

Now, his hands brushed yours in the candlelight as you whispered secrets across the table. Every night, he promised it would be the last time. Every night, he came back anyway.

Yuji and Princess Nobara pretended not to notice his exhaustion each morning, though the faint smile that lingered on his lips said everything.

It was forbidden for a knight to marry. It was forbidden for a knight to love.

But when your fingers threaded through his hair in the dark, and his breath hitched at the sound of your voice, Megumi wondered how much longer he could obey the crown—and deny the only thing that made him feel alive.

Megumi lingered outside the door, heart pounding against his armor. He could hear her humming softly, turning a page.

He shouldn’t knock. He wouldn’t knock.

…He knocked anyway.

“Fushiguro,” came her quiet voice from inside, equal parts exasperation and fondness. “You’re late.”

He stepped into the glow of the candlelight, exhaustion melting the moment he saw her. “Got caught by Yuji,” he muttered, unbuckling his sword. “He talks too much.”

Her laughter filled the little room—soft, warm, and entirely worth the risk of treason.

Tonight, like every night, they’d speak in whispers. About books, dreams, and all the things he wasn’t supposed to want. And when dawn came, he’d leave again, heart full and heavy all at once.

Because knights didn’t fall in love. And yet—he already had.