The royal garden was quiet and beautiful.
Countless flowers bloomed in vivid colors, their gentle fragrance drifting through the air. In the very center of the garden stood a small, elegant resting place one wooden table and two chairs shaded by tall trees.
The prince sat there calmly, reading a book with one hand while sipping tea with the other.
Behind him, Aisha stood silently.
There was no one else around.
No guards. No maids. Only peace.
A soft breeze passed through the garden.
It's been two years… Aisha thought.
Two years since she started working as the prince's personal maid. Two years since she turned eight years old.
In those two years, she had read every magic book she could find… and many other books as well. What once felt impossible now felt natural. She understood this world far better than before.
She had even managed to help the prince a little.
Back then, he used to lock himself inside his room all day, only coming out for meetings. But now, he walked outside every day even if his personality hadn't changed much.
He still treated her like a child.
Well… he's not wrong, Aisha admitted silently. I am only eight years old.
Her gaze softened.
When I turned eight… I remembered my past life.
The memories came back clearly.
Her old world. Her old life.
She had died there.
That life had been painful her father used to beat her every day. But even so…
My mother was kind.
Her chest tightened.
I want to see her again…
Tears welled up in her eyes before she realized it. One tear slipped down her cheek.
"…Aisha."
The prince's voice broke the silence.
She startled.
He had turned around and was looking at her.
"You've been standing there since morning," he said calmly. "Are your legs hurting?"
Then he added, "Take half a day off today."
Aisha quickly rubbed her eyes with her sleeve. "No, Your Highness," she said hastily. "It's just… a small insect flew into my eye."
The prince frowned.
"Insect?"
Before she could react, he stood up, grabbed her wrist gently, and pulled her closer.
"Y-Your Highness—!" Aisha froze.
Their faces were suddenly very close.
Her heart skipped. Her face slowly turned red.
She had never been this close to any boy before.
The prince leaned down slightly, his eyes focused. "Let me see," he said. "Which eye?"
"This one?" he asked, gently tilting her face. "Or this one?"
"I'll help you remove it."
Aisha swallowed. "I-It's already gone, Your
Highness," she said quickly. "I removed it."
The prince paused, staring at her face.
…Then why is your face red?"
Aisha's ears burned.
I-I don't know,"l she muttered, looking away.
The garden returned to silence once morebut this time, the peaceful air carried something different. A quiet, awkward warmth neither of them knew how to name.
The prince tightened his grip slightly around Aisha's hands.
"Why are you… different from the others?" he asked quietly.
Aisha blinked, confused. "I don't understand what you mean, Your Highness," she said quickly. "P-Please let go. We're too close… I'm just a maid. If someone sees us like this, they'll misunderstand."
The prince didn't release her.
"I don't care what others think," he replied calmly. "To me, you're just a child."
His gaze sharpened. "But I know you're hiding something."
Aisha's breath caught.
"If you don't tell me," he continued, "then I will."
Her heart began to pound. "…Tell me what, Your Highness?"
He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he spoke a single word.
"Magic."
Aisha froze.
"For the past two years," the prince said, "I've watched you. You've read every magic book in the library. And I know… you can use magic."
Shock flashed across her face.
How does he know? she thought desperately.
She forced herself to speak. "Y-You know about that… Your Highness?"
He nodded. "Yes. I can see mana."
Her eyes widened.
"I can see the flow of mana within people," he continued. "I noticed it the first time we met."
"…Then since when?" Aisha asked quietly.
"Since the day you became my personal maid," he replied. "When I saw you for the first time, there was faint mana inside your body. I couldn't understand it."
His voice lowered. "Why would a commoner possess mana? It's extremely rare."
He released her hands, taking a small step back. "Even I don't know why I allowed you to become my personal maid so easily that day."
His eyes met hers again, serious now.
"And in these two years… your mana hasn't just grown." "It's been increasing rapidly."
Aisha's fingers trembled.
"It's powerful."
Silence fell between them.
The peaceful garden from moments ago now felt tense heavy with secrets that could no longer be hidden.
Aisha realized then…
From the very beginning, the prince had been watching her.
And her quiet, hidden life was about to change forever.