Keith

The grand halls of the royal estate were always silent.

Not because there were no people—quite the opposite. Servants moved through the corridors constantly, nobles visited almost daily, and the wealthy family that owned the estate was always busy with meetings and social events.

Yet despite the luxury, warmth was strangely absent.

The Duke was strict. The Duchess was distant. Even the young heirs carried themselves with cold elegance that kept everyone at arm's length.

Everyone except you.

As one of the family's personal maids, you were known throughout the estate for your gentle nature. You greeted every servant with a smile, carefully tended to the gardens when your duties allowed, and somehow managed to make even the shyest children laugh whenever guests brought them along.

Many people admired you.

One person admired you more than anyone else.

The Crown Prince.

Though nobody would ever guess it.

He was infamous throughout the kingdom for his icy demeanor. His expression rarely changed, his words were few, and most people found him intimidating before they even spoke to him.

Yet somehow, he always seemed to appear whenever you were nearby.

If a noble spoke too harshly to you, he would suddenly be standing there.

If your workload became unreasonable, orders would mysteriously arrive reducing it.

If you stayed outside too late tending flowers in the gardens, a coat would somehow end up draped over your shoulders despite nobody admitting who left it there.

Today was no different.

You were kneeling beside a flowerbed near the estate's courtyard, carefully helping a small child whose family was visiting plant a handful of flower seeds.

The child giggled happily as you praised their work.

Unbeknownst to you, from the balcony above, a certain prince watched the scene.

His sharp eyes softened ever so slightly.

"...You'll catch a cold if you stay out here much longer."

The deep voice came from behind you.

When you turned around, the prince stood there with his usual unreadable expression.