RHEIN'S POINT OF VIEW
I clasped my hands together and placed them gently on his shoulder. Pale, smoky light seeped from my palms, streaming into the gash on his skin. Minutes passed, but nothing changed. The wound remained. With a sigh of frustration, I let the magic fade.
"Pracien, it didn't work. What are you going to do now?"
I glanced at them again. Their faces mirrored my disappointment.
"External healing isn't responding," I admitted with a forced smile. "There's nothing else I can do. May I ask you all to leave the room for a moment?"
"What are you planning to do, Princess?" Ace asked, his brow furrowed.
My eyes flicked to Justin. Heat crept up my cheeks the moment I realized what I was about to attempt.
"Just... go. You don't need to see it."
"Why won't you tell us?" Andrew pressed.
I gave Principal Oak a pleading look, and she promptly ordered, "Do as she says. That's a command from Her Highness."
Everyone went out—Forelody included—except for Brother Dylan. Even his pracien had gone, yet he stayed planted where he was.
"Brother Dylan," I called, my voice carrying a note of warning.
He only grinned, all feigned innocence. "What?"
"Didn't you hear me? I said everyone out."
"What exactly are you going to do?"
"I'm not telling you."
"Then just pretend I'm not here. Treat me like air."
I blew out a sharp breath in surrender. "Fine. But close your eyes if you can't handle it," I told him, dead serious.
I placed my hand on Justin's forehead, coaxing him back to consciousness. He woke up, confused, still groggy from earlier.
Before he could react, I leaned down and pressed my lips to his. My eyes squeezed shut as I pushed my mnarill through the kiss, letting it flow from me into him. His eyes widened in shock, but after a heartbeat, he recovered.
One hand slid up to the back of my neck, and he kissed me back—deeper, harder—until I could barely breathe. I shoved him away with a gasp before he drowned me entirely.
The wound on his shoulder was gone. Perfectly healed.
I couldn't bring myself to meet their eyes. "I'll meet you outside the girls' dormitory," I said flatly. "I just need to say goodbye to my friends."
The moment I stepped out of the room, my face felt as if it were on fire. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. I could still feel his lips—ugh. No, no. There was no malice in that.
"Is he healed now, Princess?" Zen asked.
I nodded. "He's fine."
"What did you—"
"Shush! Don't ask, Andrew." I gave Principal Oak a polite smile. "I'll be going now."
"Take care, Princess."
"Thank you so much, Princess!" the three members of JAZA chorused.
"No need to thank me—it was partly my fault anyway. Come on, Forelody."
My pracien perched back on my shoulder. "So what did you do, Rhein?"
"Internal healing."
"W-wait, you mean you—"
I grabbed her beak before she could finish. Even without ofris or rescemnarillazas nearby, I didn't want those words escaping her mouth. "Not another word," I snapped.
Halfway down the clinic hall, I teleported straight into my dorm room. Empty. They're probably in the cafeteria having dinner.
"Forelody, shall I say goodbye to them in person or not?" I asked calmly.
"Hmmm... maybe, yes? But if you go to the cafeteria, other students will see you. You're not officially crowned yet—imagine the commotion."
I slapped my forehead. "Like a celebrity, huh?"
"That's how it is."
I turned on the light, went to my cabinet, and pulled paper and a pen from my backpack.
Hello!
Congratulations on our win earlier! Let's celebrate when I get back.
I know who I really am now. You are right—I am the rumored second princess of this world. And I know you found out before I did. Don't worry, I'm not upset. I understand why you kept it away from me.
I'll be staying at the palace for a few days, so I'm sorry if I won't be around. I promise I'll make it up to you.
Take care, always!
— Rhein
A bittersweet smile lingered on my lips as I placed the letter on Allie's bed and left without packing anything.
Outside the dorm, the two were already waiting. Justin was back in uniform. I forced myself to look them in the eye and stay calm—there had been no malice in what I'd done earlier, and I needed them to remember that.
"Let's go."
They didn't move, only stared at me.
"What? Don't you want to leave?"
"Thanks for healing my injury earlier, Princess," Justin said, a smile tugging at his lips. I was about to smile back when his grin sharpened. "By the way, you're a good kisser. Didn't know our beloved second princess had a hidden special ability."
I wanted to scream at him, but I kept my composure. "Thanks for the compliment. Of course, you'd praise someone who's better at kissing than you are."
"So you're saying I'm bad at it?" He sounded genuinely offended.
"I never said that."
"But that's what you meant."
"Is it?" I raised a brow and turned to Brother Dylan. "Is that what I meant?"
He ignored me, checking his watch instead. "Enough. We'll miss the palace's usual dinner time at this rate. Let's go," he said in the scolding tone of an old man herding his grandchildren.
Justin and I locked eyes one last time before grabbing Brother Dylan's arms and teleporting—straight into a hallway instead of the dining hall.
"Why are we here?" I asked, scanning the space.
"The king and queen have enchantments on every part of the palace," Brother Dylan explained, already walking ahead. "But don't worry—they won't mislead us."
"Sorry, Princess. I was just kidding," Justin whispered as he matched my pace. "You're actually terrible at it."
"The way you said it was sarcastic. No need to explain." I didn't look at him. Well... it was my first kiss, so technically I had zero experience.
"Still, thank you. And... congratulations again."
"Thanks."