Lily

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  ?Lily sat in her chambers, her hands clenched tightly in her lap as she fidgeted anxiously. The silence of the room was suffocating, offering no comfort as her thoughts raced. Everything in the kingdom was unraveling, and she couldn't make sense of it. The murders, the whispers of rebellion, the rumors about Axel... It was all happening too fast.

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  ?The door swung open, and Axel stepped inside. His usually immaculate pink hair was slightly disheveled, dark bags resting under his eyes. He looked exhausted, weighed down by something far heavier than just sleepless nights. Her chest tightened at the sight.

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  ?Without hesitation, she crossed the room and wrapped her arms around him. He held her just as tightly, his grip lingering as if grounding himself in the moment. When he finally pulled away, she caught a flicker of something in his gaze—relief, maybe—but it was fleeting, replaced by the same weary detachment that had become his mask.

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  ?"Axel… what’s going on? Knox told me about—"

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  ?"The murders." His voice was flat. "Yeah. I know. Don’t worry, Lily. I'm working on it. I'm sorry for pulling you from your classes, but—"

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  ?"No, I understand. But Axel—" She hesitated, searching his face. "The rumors…?"

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  ?A shadow passed over his features. For a moment, something raw surfaced in his expression before vanishing behind a smirk that didn’t reach his eyes.

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  ?"Ah. Of course. You think I’m some kind of deranged maniac now too?"

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  ?Her heart clenched. That wasn’t what she meant, not at all. "No… no, Axel, that’s not what I—"

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  ?"It’s fine," he interrupted, brushing past her words. "Don’t worry about it. Mom and Dad have canceled their trips. They’ll be returning soon."

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  ?Lily stiffened. Part of her was relieved—she missed them. But the other part… She wasn’t sure how they’d react to the accusations swirling around Axel.

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  ?"Axel..."

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  ?His gaze met hers, sharp yet tired. "Lily. Do you believe I killed Uncle?"

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  ?She inhaled sharply. "W-well, no—"

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  ?"Do you think I ordered the massacre of seventy people for opposing me?"

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  ?"Axel, that’s not what I—"

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  ?"Answer me."

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  ?His voice was low, strained. The weight of his words settled on her like a stone. She swallowed, her pulse quickening.

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  ?No. No matter what the rumors said, she refused to believe her brother would sink that low.

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  ?"No," she said firmly. "I don’t believe you’d kill someone without reason."

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  ?For the first time that night, his expression softened—just slightly. A flicker of gratitude crossed his face, brief but undeniable. It was as if he had been holding his breath, waiting, hoping for her answer.

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  ?"Thank you." His voice was quiet. "Mom and Dad will be here soon. Let’s talk about everything over dinner, okay?"

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  ?She hesitated. There was so much more she wanted to ask, so much she didn’t understand. But Axel looked exhausted, and pressing him now wouldn’t help.

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  ?"Y-yeah. Okay… but you’d better explain everything, Axel."

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  ?He placed a hand on her shoulder, his grip reassuring. "I will. Just… get some rest while you can."

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  ?She wanted to argue, to demand more from him, but the weariness in his eyes stopped her. He gave her shoulder a small squeeze before turning and walking toward the door.

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  ?Lily stood frozen as she watched him go, her stomach twisting with unease. The Axel she knew was confident, arrogant even, but never like this. He was tired, drained, and… afraid.

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  ?She hated seeing him like that.

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  ?She hated knowing there was nothing she could do to help.

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  ?Lily found no rest at all. The moment Axel left, she tried to sleep, but her mind was restless, circling the same worries over and over. Eventually, she gave up and decided to distract herself, picking up a cloth and beginning to tidy her already spotless room. It wasn’t much, but it gave her something to focus on.

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  ?The door creaked open, and Maria, a young maid with neatly tied-back hair and brown eyes, stepped inside. Her eyes widened in horror as she took in the sight of the princess cleaning her own room.

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  ?“Y-Your Highness! Please... allow me!” Maria rushed forward, looking as if she might snatch the cloth from Lily’s hands.

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  ?Lily smiled, shaking her head. “No, it’s okay. I can handle it. I usually clean my own room. You’re new, so you wouldn’t know.”

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  ?Maria hesitated, clearly uncomfortable with the idea of royalty doing such a thing, but after a moment, she bowed in reluctant acceptance. “As you wish, Your Highness.”

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  ?“Just Lily,” she corrected gently.

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  ?Maria’s lips parted as if to argue, but instead, she simply nodded. “R-Right. Is there anything I can help you with?”

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  ?Lily paused, glancing at the mess she had made in her attempt to distract herself. But that wasn’t what she needed help with. Her heart quickened as another thought formed in her mind—one she had been pushing away.

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  ?She had tried not to think about the way her heart had fluttered when Knox’s fingers had brushed against her skin the other day, how his gaze had locked onto hers with an intensity that left her breathless. The warmth of his touch still lingered, a ghost of a feeling she couldn’t shake. She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself.

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  ?“Actually… yes, there is.” The words left her lips before she could stop them. She hesitated, feeling her pulse quicken in anticipation. “Can you get me a pen and paper? I... I need to write a letter.”

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  ?Maria blinked but didn’t ask questions. Instead, she bowed. “Of course, Your Highness—I mean, Lily.” She turned and quickly left the room.

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  ?Lily exhaled, placing a hand on her chest, trying to will her heart to slow. What was she even going to say? The idea of writing to Knox felt ridiculous, yet she knew she wouldn’t have peace until she did. She just needed to get the words out, no matter how foolish they seemed.

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  ?Maria returned swiftly, setting the pen and paper on Lily’s desk before bowing out of the room to grant her privacy. Lily swallowed hard, settling into her chair. Her fingers trembled as she picked up the pen, pressing it against the parchment.

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  ?At first, she hesitated, unsure of where to begin, but then, as if her hands had a mind of their own, the words began to flow.

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  ?She was only halfway through when a sharp voice cut through the silence, muffled by the thick doors.

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  ?An argument.

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  ?Her heart stopped.

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  ?She recognized the voice instantly.

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  ?Dad.

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