Sorry, I got distracted by your looks

Mikrok floated in the water for a moment, staring at the way Leah’s platinum hair and slip billowed around her, shimmering under the moonlight.

She wasn’t moving.

The way her body drifted lifelessly with the gentle waves was eerily haunting.

And in that moment, Mikrok finally understood what it felt like for his heart to

.

Instinct took over.

Without a second thought, he

, grabbing the back of her neck and yanking her out of the water in one swift motion.

“

“

Leah sputtered violently, choking on the water she had swallowed.

But Mikrok felt no sympathy.

She had dared to

.

Anger surged through his veins—though, if he were honest, it wasn’t just anger at her. It was fury at

for being fooled by her innocent act.

“Were you planning this from the start? Did you follow me just so you could

?”

“What?! I was just

!”

“Holding your breath?”

“Yes! It’s a game I always play in the water!”

Leah’s indignant expression made it clear she wasn’t lying.

But even knowing that, he couldn’t shake the feeling of unease.

The idea of her leaving him—even unintentionally—had terrified him more than he could comprehend.

Mikrok spent half the year on the battlefield. He had cut down thousands, crushed entire nations—he had even wiped out his mother’s homeland without hesitation.

He had never feared

.

But for the first time in his life, he had felt the sharp claws of

dig into his chest.

And it was because of

.

His heart pounded wildly as he stared at her, slowly beginning to calm as he reassured himself that she was

.

Through the thin fabric of her slip, her warmth seeped into his palms.

Her long, wet hair clung to his arm, tickling his skin.

The way the moonlight reflected off her porcelain face and unique violet eyes only made her look more otherworldly.

Mikrok found himself unable to look away.

And as his heart thumped in his chest, a different kind of heat crept through him.

Without thinking, he leaned in.

The scent of soap mixed with her natural fragrance made his head spin.

He reached out, gently brushing his thumb across her damp eyelashes, wiping away the water droplets trailing down her face.

Then, cupping her cheek, he traced his fingers along her soft skin.

Leah’s lips parted slightly in surprise, and she blinked up at him, dazed.

Mikrok tilted his head down, inching closer—

And then—

Suddenly, Leah’s hands pressed against his shoulders.

She

.

The buoyancy of the water lifted her up, making their eyes meet at the same level—

And in that fleeting moment—

Leah

.

***

It was

Or maybe it was the stars?

No, maybe the sound of the stream was too calming, making her brain malfunction.

Wrapped tightly in her blanket inside the tent, Leah rolled around in embarrassment.

She bolted upright, her face burning.

She had been mesmerized.

Mikrok’s once-furious eyes had softened into something deep and intense—like polished black jade soaking in moonlight.

And then, his

.

That

, calloused hand that had felt so

against her face.

And

…

Her whole body twitched.

She had barely touched them, but they were

.

She groaned and flopped back down, only to freeze.

Wait.

For years, she had

to be one to lower the Marchioness’s guard.

She had thought she was simply

.

But tonight, she had

.

That face—his sharp jawline, the way his lips stood out against his pale skin—it was

.

It was like a

on top of a mountain of ice cream.

And she had

it.

She had

it.

And she had

She buried her face in her blanket.

Just as she was about to slam her head into the ground in frustration, she suddenly recalled

reaction.

Right before she had kissed him, his eyes had held something dark and dangerous.

But when she had

kissed him…

He had…

.

It was as if she had

him.

Like the spell around them had

.

Her confidence had evaporated in an instant, and she had

.

She had practically

from the water.

Before she had left, she had sneaked one last glance back at him—

Only to find Mikrok staring at his own palm.

She flopped onto her back with a groan.

If Mikrok had kissed before, then surely there had been plenty of noblewomen throwing themselves at him.

That face? That

? Women would have

!

But this was

first kiss!

And it had been completely ignored!

Now she just felt

.

Grumbling, she pulled the blanket over her head.

She squeezed her eyes shut, determined to rest.

But before she could, a loud

echoed outside.

“Young Lady! Lady Leah!!!”

Leah

.

“Millie?! Is that really you?!”

Heart racing, she scrambled out of the tent.

And there, standing in front of her—

Was

.

Leah’s dear maid, whom she had never been apart from since she was eight.

Millie looked exhausted, her normally round face gaunt, with dark circles deep under her eyes.

But she was

.

Neither of them hesitated.

They ran to each other, grabbing each other’s hands tightly.

“How did you get here?!” Leah gasped.

“I

Sir William to bring me!” Millie grinned, despite her exhaustion. “He was terrifying at first, but I managed!”

From the look in her eyes, Leah immediately knew—

had been the one who had suffered the most.

Looking around, she spotted him.

William was kneeling in front of Mikrok, bowing his head.

Mikrok, now wearing a loose shirt, casually patted his shoulder before turning away to start a fire.

“I’ll do it, Your Majesty,” William said.

“Go pitch a tent. Sleeping in a tree was annoying.”

William swiftly began setting up a second tent.

Leah turned back to Millie, whispering, “William looks ridiculously stubborn. How

you convince him?”

Millie gave a sheepish smile.

“Oh… I, uh…

.”

“…

?”

“Yeah. I snuck into the stables before dawn and

.”

“Bibi?”

“His horse. I tied her up under a ginkgo tree and told him that if he didn’t take me, he’d

find her.”

Leah gawked at her in admiration.

Millie had

one of the scariest knights in Pritan—and won.

Leah squeezed her maid’s hands.

“Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

“My back and butt are sore,” Millie admitted.

“But it doesn’t matter. I found you, so everything’s fine now.”