He froze, unsure of how to react to the nervousness he had never seen from Cassandra before.

  She didn’t say anything else, but her eyes were pleading, as if she feared he would refuse to listen.

  Kael stepped aside and opened the door wider. Still too stunned to speak, he let her in. Cassandra slipped into the room and cast a cautious glance down the corridor as though she expected someone to be watching.

  Only after Kael closed the door behind them did her shoulders relax. She crossed the room and sat down on the edge of the bed with her legs crossed, clearly unconcerned with the unspoken rules that usually applied when a girl entered a boy’s room.

  "Just so we're clear," she began, her voice calm and controlled, though faint tension lingered beneath it. Her sharp eyes fixed on him. "I'm still angry at you. For your lies. For manipulating me.”

  Kael’s gaze dropped to the floor. Surprise turned to guilt as regret washed over him, tightening his chest. He didn’t try to defend himself.

  Cassandra noticed. Her expression softened—just slightly.

  “But I don’t blame you anymore,” she said. "Sometimes people have to act for themselves. Your reason wasn't as selfish or vile as the intentions others had toward me."

  She paused, studying him as if considering something unspoken.

  Kael lifted his head and met her gaze. The tension in his eyes eased slightly.

  “Thank you,” he said quietly. "I wouldn't have used something like that if it hadn't been important. You have to believe me.”

  Cassandra nodded. "I do. But it still hurt.”

  She exhaled slowly. "To be honest, after the evaluation, I didn't want to see you at all."

  Her expression darkened. "But then something changed. I couldn't even speak to you anymore. Seeing you alone was already too risky."

  Seeing her like this unsettled him. Cassandra had always been composed and distant, almost untouchable. This dispirited version of her felt wrong.

  "What happened?" he asked in a low, steady voice.

  She shook her head. "I made a mistake. It all started when I rejected the Prince's ridiculous proposal.”

  She spat the word "Prince" as if it were an insult.

  Kael suppressed a sigh. So Zaros was wrong. That rejection still has consequences, even for someone like her.

  He kept this thought to himself and listened.

  Cassandra clenched the fabric of her robes. "I knew I might embarrass him publicly, but I never thought it would go this far."

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  She looked at Kael again, her gaze stripped of all pride and almost pleading.

  "I've had admirers before. That’s nothing new. But this man...he’s different. He has people watching me at all times. He uses his influence to isolate me.”

  Her voice grew quieter.

  "He knows how to get into my room. Every few days, I find new gifts. Flowers, jewelry, and other meaningless luxuries."

  Her jaw tightened.

  "But the message is clear. He isn’t courting me. He’s claiming me.”

  Cassandra’s eyes began to redden, and Kael moved toward her immediately. He knelt in front of her and lowered himself until he could meet her gaze. He gently took her hands and intertwined his fingers with hers. He had never seen her so fragile.

  Somehow, the prince had managed to break even someone as proud and unyielding as Cassandra.

  "Can't your family do anything about it?" he asked softly, carefully wiping a tear from her cheek.

  She shook her head. "My family has enough influence that the prince can't openly claim me as his," she said quietly. "But something as 'trivial' as gifts?" A weak laugh escaped her lips. "They told me I should feel honored that a royal shows such interest in me."

  Kael’s eyes narrowed. A familiar memory surfaced that was oo similar to a story he wished he could forget.

  He stayed silent, letting her cry, only brushing away her tears from time to time. After a while, her sobs faded. She lifted her head slightly, a faint smile trembling on her lips.

  "I really missed you," she admitted quietly. "I've never shown so many emotions in front of anyone before."

  Kael returned her smile until a thought struck him. "But how are you here?" he asked. "You said you're being watched constantly."

  This time, she laughed—lightly and playfully.

  “The prince may be persistent, but I’m not foolish,” she said. "I switched rooms with a close friend. While the guards were busy ensuring that no one could enter or leave my room, I slipped out through her window and came here.”

  Noticing his stunned expression, she laughed again, this time more genuinely.

  "Don't worry. I ignored you on purpose until now so that they wouldn't suspect a connection between us. Even if they discover my little trick, they’d never think to look for me here.”

  Kael still looked uncertain. “But why did you spy on me? Like when you followed me into the outer district?”

  She gave him a casual wink. "Pure coincidence. I was outside with my bodyguard—well, the prince’s watchdog—and I saw you. I told him you’re an outsider who always gets lost beyond the academy walls.”

  Kael sensed she wasn’t telling him everything, but something inside him warned him not to press the issue.

  So he hummed in response and gently changed the subject.

  “All right,” he said. "I understand why you've been distant. I want to help you. But honestly, I don’t see how I can.”

  For a moment, she remained silent, simply studying him. Her gaze was unreadable. Then she spoke, barely above a whisper.

  "You can."

  Kael frowned. "Then explain it. Because right now, I don’t see it.”

  She took a steady breath, her voice trembling despite her efforts to remain composed.

  There was a hesitation. "I want you to be my partner for the New Year's ball."

  Silence fell between them.

  Kael blinked, his mouth opening and closing several times before any sound came out.

  "That's...it?"

  Her eyes lit up. “So you’ll do it?”

  Kael pondered her request, but then sighed. I have no choice, do I?

  "I will," he said slowly. "But how does that help your situation?"

  She smiled—calmly, confidently, and unsettlingly.

  "Let's just say you're a variable the prince won't anticipate."

  A chill ran down Kael’s spine.

  She stood up and walked toward the door, leaving him frozen in place.

  “Wait!” he called out as she reached for the doorknob. “Won’t it be dangerous? Showing up as your partner when the prince believes you belong to him. That’s practically a death sentence.”

  She turned back, her expression serious.

  "You owe me this, Kael."

  She opened the door, then paused. Her face appeared once more through the narrow gap; her usual gentle smile had returned.

  "Don't worry," she said softly. "The prince won't harm you."

  Then she winked.

  "I can promise you this much: Shock has a way of silencing even royalty."

  The door closed.

  Kael stared at it in disbelief, his thoughts racing.

  Why do I have the feeling that this was a terrible mistake?