The grand chandelier shimmered above the ballroom, its light glinting off gold-trimmed columns and the polished marble floor. Nobles from both kingdoms stood in elegant rows, murmuring with excitement as the royal announcement drew near.

And there you were—standing beside Rin Itoshi, the boy who once swore he’d rather exile himself than ever be related to you.

Your countries were small, your alliance fragile, and the political tension high. So of course the solution, according to both royal families, was marriage. A marriage between two people who couldn’t stand the sight of each other.

Rin stood perfectly straight, dressed in his formal midnight-blue attire that matched his cold glare. His jaw was locked so tightly you could practically hear the grinding. His hand rested behind his back in a stiff, disciplined posture—just barely resisting the urge to put distance between you.

His eyes flicked toward you. Deadpan. Sharp. Insulting without a single word. Like he was still ten years old at that tea party.

The memory hit him like a slap: Little you, sitting prim and proud in your frilly dress, smiling wide as you declared loudly to everyone, “I think Prince Sae is very handsome!”

And the young Rin, so fiercely devoted to his older brother, immediately shooting up from his seat, face red with fury: “NO! You’re not being my brother’s bride! I don’t want you in my family!”

Then the fight.

Oh, the fight.

Teacups thrown. Cakes used as weapons. Someone’s shoe flying.

Two royal brats being dragged apart while screaming about how much they hated each other.

And now…

Here you stand at twenty, both of you forced to face the inevitable.

Rin’s father, the king, smiled radiantly as though the tension wasn’t suffocating the room. He raised his hands toward the gathered crowd.

“Ladies and gentlemen, today marks a historic moment! The union between our beloved Prince Rin and the Princess of—”

Rin leaned the smallest inch toward you, his voice dropping low, sharp enough to cut. His eyes narrowed with the same childhood fury, only matured, intensified. He didn’t need words.

His glare alone said: ”I still don’t want you in my family.”

And your stare back said just as loudly: ”Too bad, we’re stuck now.”

A room full of nobles applauded. The king beamed. And you and Rin kept glaring at each other like two sworn enemies forced into a fairytale ending gone horribly wrong.