"And who do we have here?"

Miri stiffened at the voice. She hadn’t sensed his presence at all — not the faintest ripple in mana to warn her. Her heart jumped, but she slowly eased herself down from the bed and stood with a sheepish smile tugging at her lips.

"Um... Master... that..." she began, though her voice trailed off almost instantly.

Ocean sat across the room in the armchair by the window, the pale moonlight outlining his posture. Beside him, Eric kept his head lowered, his face flushed in a way that made Miri’s embarrassment feel twice as heavy. Ocean’s gaze travelled between the two of them, calm and unreadable, before he exhaled softly.

"Come with me. His Highness has had a long day; we need to let him sleep."

He rose to his feet with that same unhurried grace, making it impossible to guess whether he was amused, resigned, or mildly worn out by the situation. Miri could only nod and follow.

Just before stepping out, Ocean added, without turning around, "One goodnight kiss is allowed."

He didn’t need to watch to know what happened next; the soft shuffle behind him, the faint brush of fabric, and the few seconds of silence told him enough. When Miri finally joined him outside the room, she did so with a smile she couldn’t quite hide.

The hallway was quiet and dim, the mansion steeped in a stillness that felt heavier than simple night-time peace. Ocean walked ahead with a measured stride, guiding her to his room. No servants loitered at this hour, and no guards were visibly posted, but he had made sure that the number of eyes — the real eyes, the watching ones — had increased around the rooms of Eric and Carlos. Only one Trial had been completed, yet the tension of the political landscape had already begun to shift.

He understood how tonight would unfold in the shadows. Some of his own people would be celebrating quietly, seeing Eric’s success as the long-awaited confirmation that their years of preparation had not been in vain. It was the first sign that their chosen path was beginning to reveal its purpose. But the opposing side — those who had defended their hold on the throne like champions who had never been defeated — would not simply stay silent as the ground began to move beneath them.

And the Golden Serpent, despite her fear of him and the secrets he kept of hers, was not someone who would bow her head and accept change without retaliation. She, or someone acting for her, would respond sooner rather than later.

That was why he had reinforced the area with mana devices — thin, precise sensors embedded discreetly around both princes’ rooms and throughout the mansion. They hung in the air like invisible threads, detecting even the smallest fluctuation of mana or emotion, acting as a silent net of protection over the two boys.

It was a quiet night, but Ocean knew better than to trust quiet nights.

Ocean entered his room first, holding the door open just long enough for Miri to slip in before he closed it quietly behind them. Without a word, he walked toward the pair of chairs near the low table.

"Take a seat," he said, gesturing to the armchair.

Miri obeyed immediately, sitting down with the air of a child braced for a scolding. Ocean settled across from her on the couch, crossing one leg over the other with controlled, deliberate ease. His expression held a distant detachment that made Miri straighten instinctively.

"I didn’t interfere with your little love story before because I assumed you were smart enough to know how to keep secrets," Ocean began.

Miri offered a tentative smile. "Well, you see-"

"I’m not done yet, Your Majesty," he cut in, his tone so crisp it made her jaw snap shut.

He continued, voice composed but edged with frost. "You saw everything that happened today. You’re fully aware of the dangers surrounding Eric, and yet you choose to act recklessly. Your Majesty."

Each time he addressed her with that title, the air seemed to grow colder. Miri felt the chill settle under her skin.

She waited until she could breathe again and spoke with a small, hopeful smile. "Please don’t call me that way, Re-Master. Call me how you usually do."

Ocean’s eyes narrowed, a faint, dangerous smile touching the corner of his mouth. "Hm? And how dare I?"

His Dragon’s Presence lifted around her like a subtle pressure, enough to make her flinch.

"You are the Queen of Mordino," he continued, "the Femme Fatale."

"The who?" Miri blinked, but Ocean spoke over her without pause.

"You don’t care how your actions ripple outward. You do whatever you want, whenever you want. You enjoy displaying your strength... even on my turf."

Miri lowered her head, her shoulders dipping. Ocean watched her for a moment, his expression unreadable.

"I’m sorry," she said quietly.

He let out a long breath through his nose, more exasperated than angry. "Accepted."

Her head shot up, relief brightening her eyes- only for him to continue before she could speak.

"But you will not approach him again until the Trials are over. On the night he’s declared the victor, when he becomes the future King of Sestia... I’ll wrap him in a nice yellow ribbon—your favorite color—and deliver him straight to you. How does that sound?"

Miri couldn’t help the small laugh that escaped her, and she nodded. "All right."

Ocean gave a short, satisfied nod and rose to his feet. "Good. Now zap back to Montaire Manor."

"Ah, ah, ah!" Miri called out, making Ocean stop and glance over his shoulder.

"We still have one more thing to discuss," she said. There was a gleam in her eyes — mischief mixed with unmistakable eagerness.

Ocean immediately understood where this was going. She knew all about Davian’s hopeless crush on both Reina and Ocean; she was the one who had nudged him into confessing in the first place. And judging by her expression now, she was clearly itching to pry into what Ocean and Reina felt about Davian.

"No. I don’t have time. Shoo." He waved her off with a brisk flick of his hand.

"Eh? Come on, you don’t even know what I want to talk about," she teased, smiling like she already knew she had cornered him. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

"I know," he snapped back.

Her grin widened, feline and delighted. "That’s even better. We’re friends, right? Friends share their secrets with each other, Reina."

She stood and walked toward him with leisurely confidence.

Ocean turned away, shrugging off his coat as he spoke. "You already know my biggest secret, Miri."

"Yes, but that secret is also shared with a few others. I want one just between the two of us." She tapped her chin thoughtfully, then leaned in. "So tell me — what exactly is going on between you and Davian? Which one of you is he getting married to?"

Ocean shot her a sharp look, but she didn’t flinch. She merely watched him with infuriating interest.

He hung his coat on the stand and sat at the edge of his bed to remove his shoes, determined to ignore her.

"Aw, come on. Don’t be so frigid. Just tell me," she pleaded, dropping down beside him.

"There’s nothing to tell," he said evenly as he lined his shoes neatly at the foot of the bed.

"Don’t lie. Do you really not feel anything for the poor boy? As Reina... or even as Ocean?"

Ocean finally turned to face her. Miri’s eyes were practically glowing with anticipation.

"Both of them are me," he said.

"Yes, and he’s fallen in love with both of you," Miri went on, as if this were the most fascinating gossip she’d ever witnessed. "You should’ve seen how miserable he looked. He genuinely thought he was cheating on his first love - who, imagine my shock, turned out to be my dear friend Reina - by falling in love with Master Ocean. Could you have guessed my reaction?" She widened her eyes dramatically and then grinned.

"And you advised him to come and confess?" Ocean asked, voice flat.

"I had no choice," she huffed, shrugging as she began removing her shoes. "The poor guy looked like he had committed a great sin by falling in love. I had to give him something to ease his mind."

Her outfit was simple - shirt and trousers, similar to her training attire - and without warning she climbed onto Ocean’s bed.

"What are you doing?" Ocean asked, brows lifting as he watched her settle in like she owned the place.

"What do you think? Change to Reina. I’m not leaving. It’s going to be a long night and we’re going to talk." She sat cross-legged, perfectly at ease.

Ocean exhaled sharply. "I don’t have time for this, Miri. I need to visit the royal palace tomorrow and prepare the report for today’s-"

"Liar," she cut in with a smirk. "You’ll go to the palace, yes, but you’re not writing the report. You already dumped that on your aide."

Ocean frowned. "How do you- never mind. Go back now."

Instead, she ignored the order entirely and looked around the room. "Do you have some comfortable clothes I could sleep in?"

"Miri."

"Reina," she returned firmly, staring him down.

Ocean dragged a hand through his hair. He knew that tone - the stubborn, immovable one - and understood immediately that she would not let the matter rest. Which left him with only one solution.

"You know what?" he said, rising to his feet.

Miri looked up, confused, as he continued, "Stay here. Have a good night’s sleep. I’ll leave."

"What? Wait, where are you going?!" she demanded as he stepped away from the bed and her.

Ocean touched the stud on his ear, and with a soft pulse of magic, his form shifted seamlessly into Reina’s. Reina gave Miri a serene smile.

"I’m going home."

Before Miri could leap for her, Reina flickered out of sight, teleporting away.

Darkness greeted her in her own room; the lamps hadn’t been lit. Yet the moment Reina arrived, she felt it — a presence lingering quietly in the shadows.