Morning sunlight trickled in through the tall, gold-rimmed windows of the royal palace. The curtains danced with a gentle breeze, and a warm light spilled across the velvet-carpeted floor. The sounds of birds chirping faintly reached through the glass.
Kyota, or rather Kaito Sensaki, slowly opened his eyes, the heavy pain in his body still aching from the battle yesterday. The soft sheets and the scent of herbs and polish told him he was no longer on a battlefield.
"Ugh…" he muttered, blinking at the ornate ceiling.
His body refused to move easily. Sharp stabs of pain laced through his arms and sides. As he tilted his head slightly, he saw her—Princess Hinoka, sitting on the ground beside the bed, her upper body slumped forward and resting on the mattress. Her cheeks were stained with dry tears, her soft red hair tangled slightly, her hands clutching the edge of the bed tightly.
Her chest moved slowly. She had cried herself to sleep.
Kyota looked at her in silence for a moment. The fight they had yesterday… The words they exchanged…
He winced—not from pain, but regret.
His lips curled into a faint smile.
"She stayed here… all night?" he whispered.
He tried to move his hand toward her hair but groaned as his muscles screamed in protest. That's when he noticed it—a powerful mana lingering in the air like glowing dust. The room itself was soaked in it.
So many mages… must've poured healing magic into me, he realized.
His own mana was slowly returning too. The well inside him that had run dry during the battle was filling again, drop by drop.
He looked at Hinoka once more. Her hand twitched, and her eyes slowly fluttered open.
"…Kaito?" Her voice was small.
He smiled faintly. "Hey… princess."
A beat of silence. She stared at him.
"I'm…" he began, "I'm such an awful person. I said too many things to hurt you. I didn't realize it soon enough. I'm so—"
He couldn't finish.
Hinoka launched forward and wrapped her arms around him tightly, burying her face in his chest. Her voice cracked.
"I'm sorry, Kaito. I'm so sorry."
Kyota blinked. His eyes welled up. His voice was barely a whisper. "E-Excuse me, princess. You're crushing my bones."
She instantly jumped back. "S-Sorry! I forgot!" Her face flushed bright red.
Oh wow, Kyota thought. She really has matured—
"I didn't do that because I like you or anything, dummy!" she yelled with her tsundere tone suddenly back, puffing her cheeks.
Kyota internally facepalmed. Spoke too soon…
From behind the door, soft shuffling could be heard. Maids.
"Mmhmm~ The princess and the commoner, how cute," one whispered.
"Do you think His Majesty would let them marry?" another asked.
"He's not royalty. But he's handsome…"
Kyota turned red. He covered his ears and turned to Hinoka, embarrassed. "Hey, princess… are your maids always this nosey?"
Hinoka blinked. Then smirked. "Yup."
He groaned.
Attempting to get up, he winced in pain again. "Ugh…"
Hinoka suddenly slapped him across the face. HARD.
"GET SOME REST, DUMMY!"
"Seriously?! Is that how you treat an injured person!?"
Hinoka stood up, grinning brightly. "Yup!" And she zoomed out of the room like a bullet.
Kyota blinked. She's still impossible to understand.
She went down stairs
The king, sitting nearby, looked puzzled.
"Where are you taking that, Hinoka?"
Hinoka stuck out her tongue. "Not telling!" and bolted off again.
A few minutes later, she returned, holding a tray with a bowl of steaming stew, bread, and a spoon clumsily balanced on the edge.
She kicked the door open (with zero grace), entered, and sat beside Kyota on the bed, placing the tray on the side.
"Here," she said, her cheeks pink. "Eat up, dummy."
Kyota sighed. "Could you not call me that every five seconds?"
She ignored him and tried to feed him a spoonful. Half of it missed his mouth and landed on his cheek.
Kyota stared at her blankly.
She giggled and wiped his face with a napkin, awkwardly. "Th-There! That's clean enough, right?!"
He gave up resisting and slowly ate the meal with her help. Afterward, she laid out some medicines on the table.
"Take these after resting. I'll come back after placing the dishes on the table," she said, brushing back her bangs.
She walked out while whistling, pretending not to be happy. But the moment she left, all the maids stared at her with glowing eyes, whispering about "first love" and "the blooming romance of royalty."
Kyota sighed.
He looked at his hands.
My healing magic…
He placed his hand on his side, activated his own spell. A soft light glowed—then flickered out weakly.
Not even close to Yuki's. I have to learn it properly, he thought.
With determination, he slowly crept out of bed.
The window.
Second floor.
Tree nearby.
One decision.
Kyota took a deep breath—and leapt.
CRASH—"Oww…" He landed on a branch, then dropped softly to the ground.
Cloaking his presence, he snuck toward the palace wall. But the moment he jumped the outer gate…
"Halt!"
A female knight with short hair and armor spotted him.
"GUARDS! THE PATIENT ESCAPED!"
Kyota panicked. "Are you serious?!"
Back in the palace, Hinoka entered the room with a soft smile—and saw the bed empty. A small letter lay on the pillow.
"Sorry and thank you for your hospitality, dear princess."
Her eyes widened. She ran to the window.
"FIND HIM! HE'S INJURED! BRING HIM BACK, NOW!!"
Soldiers thought she might be in love with him. For her, she was worried about that knight and yesterday.
Across the city and palace, search parties spread.
The maid squad formed like a sentai group.
"WE'LL FIND HIM, MY LADIES!"
"FOR LOVE AND THE KINGDOM!"
"THIS IS OUR MISSION!"
Kyota was cornered near a garden wall outside the palace. He turned—
"KAITO!" one maid screamed. "Are you leaving because you fell for another woman!?"
Another wailed, "PRINCESS IS CRYING! DON'T BREAK HER HEART!"
Kyota's eye twitched.
Is this even NORMAL for an eight-year-old!?
He dashed left. Then right. Down an alley. Around the corner—BAM! A hand grabbed his collar and yanked him into the building wall through backdoor of a library.
He was dragged inside and tumbled down a stone stairway.
"Ugh—again!?"
When he looked up, he saw her.
A tall, intimidating woman stood over him. Athletic, but not bulky. Deep brown skin. Dark eyes with a piercing gaze. Her long hair was tied back. A scar ran from her nose to her cheek, jagged and proud.
Kyota stared for a moment too long.
"…What's with that pervy look, you brat?"
Her voice sent chills down his spine.
"S-Sorry!"
A knock sounded at the door. Knights.
The woman grabbed a book from a shelf and pulled it. A secret stone door opened behind her. She kicked Kyota inside without hesitation.
He landed hard and groaned. But the sight in front of him…
"…Whoa."
A massive underground arena stretched wide. The ground was a smooth, polished greenstone. Walls curved like a dome. Light poured in through strange glowing crystals above.
Earth magic, Kyota thought, walking forward in awe.
Then—WHAM!
The woman kicked him in the back.
"Don't get distracted, kid."
He staggered. "WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!"
She stared at his arms. His bruises. The aura around him.
She narrowed her eyes.
"Your body… battle-worn. Your hands… trained. That aura…" She crossed her arms. "Who are you?"
Kyota blinked. "Huh?"
"Tell me everything. From birth to now. Full story. Every. Detail."
Kyota's soul floated out of his mouth. "What the hell? Are you a creep or something?"
SMACK!
A punch sent blood from his nose.
She glared. "Answer, brat."
Kyota wiped his nose. "Does anyone actually spill their whole life to a random stranger?! I'm leaving, thanks anyways for saving my but".
She grabbed his collar. "Not so fast."
She spun and the roundhouse kicked him full force.
But—Kyota blocked it.
Dust blew from the shockwave. His feet skidded back only slightly.
She blinked.
"…Impressive."
That was the last thing Kyota heard.
The pain and exhaustion caught up. He fell unconscious, collapsing in the center of the glowing arena.
The mysterious woman stood over him silently, arms crossed.
"…Interesting," she muttered. "Just like him."