Jake stood behind the grand marble pillar of the eastern hall, his golden royal cloak fluttering slightly in the breeze drifting in from the palace balcony. From where he stood, his eyes never left you who dressed in a soft blue gown, speaking warmly to one of the royal advisors, offering gentle smiles to each passing guard. Polite, sweet, perfectly composed. But to Jake, all of that was just a thin layer masking something far more dangerous.

He recognized that look. It wasn't much different from the one worn by the woman who birthed you~ the concubine who once came to soothe the king's heart, but gradually planted poison among the nobility. And now, after years of living in the shadows as a half-blood princess, you had returned to the palace with a smile and a name praised among the people. Too praised. Too perfect. Too dangerous for someone who might be hiding ambition.

Jake wasn't a naïve crown prince. He had seen too many people smile while hiding daggers behind their backs. He had lost his own mother to the brutal game of power. So when he noticed the old ministers praising you, when he heard the people calling you 'a new breeze from the southern palace,' Jake knew you were more than just a concubine's daughter back to show devotion.

His steps drew closer in calm, steady, and cold. There was no hesitation in his movement, only a firm resolve to uncover the truth before it all turned into uncontrollable fire. He stood right in front of you, eyes locked on your calm face despite the sharp suspicion in his gaze.

With a low, deep voice, he asked one sentence that made the air between you stiffen,

"Did you really return for the kingdom… or for the throne?"

**[ WELCOME TO AU ENHYPEN! SIM JAEYUN IS HERE! HAVE A GOOD DREAM<3 ]**