The palace bells rang at dawn.
Slow.
Heavy.
Mourning.
Elira Noctis stood beside the cradle, her small fingers wrapped around the edge of the black silk blanket. The sound of the bells echoed through the stone walls, yet no one entered the room.
The Empress was being laid to rest.
But the Second Princess and the newborn Third Prince were not invited to the funeral.
Elira did not cry.
In her previous life, Han Seo-yeon had attended too many quiet goodbyes. She knew grief did not always come with tears. Sometimes, it came with emptiness.
Footsteps finally approached.
A maid entered, her movements stiff and reluctant. She did not kneel.
"Your Highness," she said to Elira, her gaze already shifting away. "The court requests that the Third Prince be moved to the western wing."
The western wing.
Elira knew what that meant.
A place for unwanted nobles.
Cold rooms.
Few servants.
No attention.
"And me?" Elira asked quietly.
The maid hesitated, then answered flatly. "You will remain in your chambers."
Of course.
Separated.
Ignored.
The maid lifted the cradle without care. Kael stirred, his tiny brows knitting together as if sensing unease.
Elira's chest tightened.
She stepped forward, her small hands gripping the fabric of the maid's sleeve.
"Please," she said, her childish voice trembling. "Let him stay."
The maid looked down at her, surprised—then irritated.
"Second Princess," she warned softly, "do not involve yourself in matters beyond your position."
Position.
Elira lowered her head slowly, hiding the cold clarity in her eyes.
"I will go too," she said. "Wherever my brother goes."
The maid froze.
No one had expected the powerless princess to speak.
After a long moment, the maid sighed, defeated by inconvenience rather than compassion.
"…Very well. But do not cause trouble."
Trouble.
Elira followed as the cradle was carried through long, empty corridors. Nobles passed them without stopping. Some glanced once—then away.
As if they were air.
The western wing was silent and dim. Dust clung to the corners. The room they were given was small, cold, and sparsely furnished.
This was where forgotten people lived.
The maid placed the cradle down and left without another word.
The door closed.
Silence returned.
Kael whimpered softly.
Elira approached and gently rocked the cradle, mimicking movements she had once seen but never experienced herself.
"It's okay," she whispered. "I'm here."
The baby's cries softened.
Elira sat down on the floor beside him, her back against the cradle.
In her past life, Seo-yeon had learned to grow up alone.
This life would be different.
She would not disappear quietly.
And neither would her brother.
Outside the western wing, the empire continued to mourn the Empress.
But within the shadows—
Two forgotten children began their quiet defiance against fate.