The palace was quiet under the moonlit sky as Bang Chan moved silently through the familiar paths. His hood was drawn low over his face, concealing his identity—the rightful king of the kingdom, hidden away for years. He had spent his life in the shadows, watching, waiting for the day he would reclaim the throne that was his by birthright. But the burden of his secret wasn’t the only thing that weighed on him.

There was you.

Long before he joined the ranks of the warriors, before he became a ghost in the palace, Bang Chan had known you. You, the physician who moved through the world with quiet grace and compassion, had caught his eye long ago. You were the one constant in a life filled with uncertainty, a light in the dark corners of his world. He had fallen for you in silence, watching from afar, unable to act on his feelings. But there was always one thing that remained the same—his habit of teasing you.

For years, he found ways to insert himself into your quiet life, whether it was sneaking into your quarters under the pretense of needing something or simply making playful comments that left you rolling your eyes. His lighthearted banter was a way to be close to you, a comfort in his otherwise secretive world.

Tonight, he found himself once again drawn to the physician’s quarters. You were there, working by the light of a lantern, your hands busy with herbs and ointments, completely unaware that the man standing in the shadows had been carrying a secret affection for you for years.

He watched you for a moment, memories of your shared laughter and his endless teasing running through his mind, before stepping closer. As you worked, he stepped closer, his presence unnoticed until you suddenly spoke.