Two days before the coming of age ceremony took place, the Aethelgard residence looked busier than usual.

The officials moved back and forth, final preparations were made with no room for mistakes.

However, behind all of that, there was something that did not change.

The night remained calm.

Under the bright moonlight, Duke Herold stood in the side courtyard of the palace, briefly discussing the ceremony security preparations with several elite guards. His voice was calm, full of the confidence of someone used to being in control.

From afar, everything looked under control.

But not all eyes in the palace saw things the same way.

From the shadow between the old stone pillars, someone stood without a sound. His presence did not disturb the night, as if he was part of the darkness itself.

Duke Herold was completely unaware of anything. Not a single sign that he was being watched.

He did not know that the presence was not just a "special guard" that he himself had once requested to be placed into the palace security system.

He also did not know that the time he thought he controlled... was actually being counted by someone else.

Two more days before the ceremony.

And within that shadow, the watcher finally moved slightly, just enough to see Duke Herold’s movements more clearly.

Not to act.

But to memorize every movement. As if every detail of that night would be used at the exact right moment later.

A pair of eyes stood calmly, as if looking at prey to be devoured. Silent but sharp. While that figure was observing Duke Herold, his gaze shifted toward a figure he knew very well.

...him.

The voice was almost nonexistent.

This time, his attention was no longer on Duke Herold. But on the girl standing by the window. Her hair was brushed by moonlight.

And without realizing it... she was being watched.

In a room that was bright, contrasting the silent courtyard, the atmosphere was much more alive.

"Celine, have you chosen the gown for the ceremony?" Olivia spoke while looking at Celine who was busily helping Ophilia wear the gown.

"Olivia..." she said, gritting her teeth tightly. Olivia fell silent and then looked at Ophilia. Her sharp eyes turned toward Olivia who was standing by the window, as if giving a warning not to come closer.

"Hmm... actually that’s true but..." Olivia signaled toward Celine. Her eyes glanced at Ophilia. Celine let out a heavy sigh. Then continued helping Ophilia.

This task was actually supposed to be Olivia’s, but after the incident where Olivia fainted, Ophilia told Olivia not to touch anything else, including her gown, which was one of the causes.

Olivia had tried hard to deny it, but Ophilia insisted that Olivia should not assist her.

Olivia gave up. Then just watched them from a distance...

"Have you found it, Celine?" she asked again. Celine did not say much, only nodded. Her hands moved quickly helping Ophilia. After a few minutes, they were finally done.

"It’s done... my lady," Celine said softly and stepped back to give Ophilia space to see. She then approached Olivia who was taking fresh air.

"I already have that gown..." she said briefly, then looked at the clock on the wall.

"It’s almost midnight," she called out loudly. Olivia and Celine were startled, as if they could not believe it.

After Ophilia tried on the gown, Olivia and Celine asked to return to their respective rooms.

"We take our leave, my lady," they said together. Then they parted and went back to their rooms. Once she entered her room, she collapsed onto the bed.

"Argh finally! I’m free..."

She whispered softly, more like talking to herself. On the soft bed, she blinked her eyes repeatedly, looking at the window near her desk. Then slowly, her eyes began to close. Until finally her vision went dark.

Her wrist vibrated faintly, but Olivia no longer felt it. Instead, she became more asleep.

A few minutes later, Olivia’s window slowly opened. The window did not make a sound. Only a shadow slipped inside without a trace, without sound.

As if that night belonged to it.

A shadow-like figure appeared. It stopped right at Olivia’s window as if watching her. A pair of purple eyes did not move away from the sleeping girl’s body. The room felt silent. Only Olivia’s breathing could be heard, unaware of anything around her.

It stopped.

For a moment... his eyes did not move. The girl slept without awareness, too peaceful for someone who should be in danger.

The tip of his shoe touched the cold marble floor. Then he walked toward Olivia. Her body looked slightly trembling and was not covered properly by the blanket.

.....Is she not cold?

The man whispered in his heart, then looked at Olivia’s feet which were pressing on the blanket that was about to fall.

...intrusive..

He said, then slowly pulled the blanket up. His movements were light, as if well trained for this.

However, his hand stopped mid-air. Then, without much thought, he slowly pulled the blanket and covered the girl’s body.

But at that moment, his hand stopped again.

A strange feeling appeared, as if something was pushing him away.

Thump!!

Olivia’s hand hit his head. The man fell down. No sound. He held his head in pain, then looked at Olivia who was still sleeping peacefully as if nothing happened.

Seriously.....

Javien did not get up immediately even though his head was still aching. He sat for a moment beside the bed, his eyes not leaving the girl’s sleeping face.

The room felt heavy, as if something was pressing his thoughts without form. That strange feeling from earlier still did not disappear. And for some reason, every time he tried to ignore it, his gaze would return to Olivia.

He let out a slow breath, his jaw tightening unconsciously. "Olivia..." he whispered low. He had seen many people before, read their movements, understood their intentions. But this girl... always outside his expectation. Too easy. Too honest. And that made him uncomfortable.

His steps slowly moved closer to the bed. Moonlight touched Olivia’s face, bringing back memories he had almost buried.

A cold underground room. Stone walls always damp. And a small voice that kept coming without fail.

Day after day.

She never asked.

But the girl kept coming.

Sitting in front of him, talking even when he said words that hurt Olivia deeply, yet she still came. Until at one point, he forgot that the dark basement was no longer dark like before.

Suddenly, Olivia murmured something. The man stayed silent, trying to listen.

"Ja...vien."

The man clenched his jaw slightly.

"... you’re really stupid."

He whispered softly, but his tone was not as harsh as his words. The memory shifted. The last day.

The girl stood in front of him with a hopeful face, brighter than usual.

"I will come back..."

He did not answer.

As usual.

But the girl only smiled, as if the answer did not matter. And for the first time... he waited.

But the next day... no one came.

No footsteps. No voice. No light.

Only silence that lasted too long.

The man opened his eyes again. His gaze returned to Olivia who was still sleeping in front of him. The same. Unchanged. As if those seven years never existed.

"...I’m sorry for these 7 years..."

He whispered softly, almost without realizing it.

For some reason, a feeling he disliked appeared again, something almost like... relief.

But his expression turned cold again in an instant.

He stepped back slightly, trying to distance himself from that feeling. It did not matter. It should not matter.

"...seven years." He said softly. Not a question, but more like counting. His eyes narrowed slightly.

"...and you are still the same." That was what bothered him most. Not because she changed. But because this girl... did not.

Javien turned toward the window, but his steps stopped again. For a moment, he looked at Olivia one last time.

Longer than necessary.

"...this time, if you disappear..."

"I will find you myself."

His tone was low but firm. As if he truly meant what he said. Then, without sound, he left, his shadow swallowed by the night again. And the room returned silent.

As if he had never been there.

And the room returned silent.

But for the first time in seven years...

the silence no longer felt empty.

Outside the window, the night wind blew stronger than before. And far from there... someone smiled in the dark. Two days left.

That was all the time remaining.

Back in Olivia’s room. Nothing changed, no sound, no movement. But under her wrist skin, a faint pulse appeared again.

This time it only pulsed, and after a few minutes it returned to calm, as if something had been answered.

____________________

Morning came as usual, but something inside Olivia was no longer the same as yesterday. She woke up, not because of sound, but because she could feel something had changed in her room.

Her eyes slowly opened, looking at the ceiling she always saw every morning, but this time the light felt different... soft but unstable.

She turned her head to the side, and at that moment she stopped. Her window was closed... but not fully.

Only slightly open on one side, as if someone had stood there and did not manage to close it properly.

The white curtains near the window moved slowly, blown by the morning wind. Gentle. But enough to make the air in her room feel alive.

Olivia slowly sat up. Her hand instinctively held the blanket, not because she was scared... but because she was not sure why her heart was beating slower than usual. As if it was not a form of danger.

"I did not open the window last night..." she said softly. She felt strange. Then she stood and walked toward the window. Trying to see if there were traces or any evidence that someone entered her room. But nothing... Olivia frowned. Then quickly closed it again. She stood for a moment, trying to calm her thoughts.

"...Ah!, maybe I forgot..."

She whispered softly.

However, her wrist vibrated faintly again and pulsed slowly. The thin thread on her wrist pulsed gently, this time Olivia tried to ignore it. Then prepared herself.

She tapped her cheeks lightly while clenching her fingers tightly.

"I must focus"

She said under her breath. Today was not a day to think too far. Not a day to feel fear.

Not a day for doubt. Slowly, Olivia took a deep breath.

Then released it. And for a moment... the faint vibration on her wrist stopped. Silence. As if nothing had happened. Olivia looked at her hand.

"...alright."

She said softly. But this time, she no longer tried to understand it. She turned and walked out of her room.

Outside, the palace corridor was already filled with footsteps. She just watched, slightly in disbelief.

Voices of servants. Orders from officials. Everything moving fast to prepare for tomorrow’s ceremony.

"Rare to see this kind of sight..."

She whispered. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

However, in one corner

Someone stood watching. His eyes did not move from Olivia who was walking away.

Silent. Calm.

"...finally." he whispered softly, as if it was meant for himself. Olivia’s wrist pulsed again.

This time... without reason and without warning.

And somewhere Olivia herself did not know.