As Niatina nodded in agreement, Kai, now in Ray’s body, exhaled a sigh of relief. Yet, a storm of thoughts raged within him, leaving him unsure of what to say next. His internal struggle was interrupted by a knock on the door. “Princess, it’s Setz. I’ve brought your afternoon tea,” a voice announced from the other side.

Hearing this, Kai sprang to his feet. “We’ll continue this later,” he said, hastily opening the door and darting out, leaving a bewildered Setz in his wake. Niatina tried to call after him, but he had already disappeared.

Setz turned to Niatina, her face etched with confusion. “Did something happen, Princess?” she asked. Niatina responded with a warm smile, “Yes, something wonderful!”

Meanwhile, Kai was making a beeline for the library, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts. “I must retrieve the artifact first,” he thought, slowing his pace to a walk. He replayed his encounter with Niatina, her question, and the concern etched on her face. “Eva,” he called out, and she responded. “Can you show me what happened between those two yesterday?”

As he spoke, a screen materialized before him, playing a video.

Back to Ray, now in Kai’s body. Staring at the blank space, in deep thoughts. He sighs, whispering, “Nino…” as he began to reminisce.

The day before:

Ray and Niatina were returning to the palace in their carriage, seated across from each other. Niatina kept stealing glances at him, but Ray maintained his composure, his gaze fixed on the passing scenery.

Niatina took a deep breath, bolstering her courage. “It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?” she ventured, looking at Ray. But he remained silent. Undeterred, she continued, “The little duke will be alright, don’t you think?”

Ray remained impassive, seemingly oblivious to her presence. But even he had his limits. His gaze hardened, his jaw tightening as Niatina prattled on. “and so,” she was saying when Ray interjected, “Enough,” his voice icy. His eyes narrowed, as if he couldn’t bear to look at her.

Niatina was taken aback by Ray’s frosty demeanor. She stammered, “I… I was just trying to…” Her voice trailed off as she looked down at her hands, nervously fiddling with her dress.

Ray sighed, “You don’t need to.” His voice was cold as he turned his gaze back to the window. Just then, the carriage jolted. Caught off guard, Niatina fell towards Ray. He reacted swiftly, catching her before she could hit the carriage wall. For a moment, they froze, their eyes locked.

Ray, acutely aware of their proximity, tried to push her away. But Niatina leaned in, pressing her lips against his. Ray was stunned, freezing for a moment before pushing her away. Niatina stumbled back onto her seat as Ray called for the driver to stop.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

The carriage screeched to a halt. Ray flung open the door and stepped out. “Your Highness?” the driver called out, but Ray didn’t respond. Niatina too emerged from the carriage. “Ray!” she called out, but he didn’t look back.

“I’ll return on my own. Take the princess back to the palace,” he said, his voice devoid of warmth. Without another word, he walked away, leaving Niatina standing there, watching his retreating figure.

A memory from her childhood flashed in her mind. She remembered a time when she, as a child, had told something to Ray and had walked away from him, while Ray had tears forming in his eyes. She lowered her head, a single tear trickling down her cheek.

Back to the present:

Ray, now in Kai’s body, let out another sigh. The memories of the past day were still fresh in his mind, playing out like a movie. He rolled flat on the bed, his gaze lost, staring at the ceiling.

Meanwhile, in Niatina’s room, she was sitting by the window, a soft smile playing on her lips. “Ray…” she whispered, her voice barely audible. The afternoon sun streamed in, casting a warm glow on her face. She closed her eyes, her heart filled with a newfound happiness.

On the other side of the palace, Kai, in Ray’s body, had just finished watching the incident from yesterday. He let out a sigh, running a hand through his hair. “Guess I messed it up a bit,” he muttered to himself. His brows furrowed in worry, reflecting his inner turmoil.

But then, a thought struck him. He paused, his eyes widening slightly. “Wait… So, Niatina likes Ray, but what about Ray’s feelings?” he wondered aloud, raising his eyebrow. A smirk slowly spread across his face as he pondered over this new revelation.

With a newfound determination, he looked ahead, making his way to the library. As he walked, his mind was already formulating a plan.

After some time, Kai entered Ray’s room. Ray, in Kai’s body, noticing him enter the room, quickly started to scribble a note. “Did you get it?” he asked. Kai responded with a smile, revealing the artifact in his hand.

Ray let out a sigh of relief and scribbled another note, asking Kai if he had found anything. In response, Kai pointed at the timer on the artifact. “Currently, the hand is at 2, which clearly shows that it’s been 2 hours since we switch bodies. So, if I am correct, my guess is, once the timer hits 12, we’ll be back in our bodies,” he looks at Ray. “Which means we will be in each other’s body for a whole day,” he said. Hearing this, Ray sighed in relief.

Kai studied Ray’s expression, his eyes narrowing slightly. “By the way,” he began, causing Ray to look up at him. “What do you think of Niatina?” he asked. Ray froze for a few seconds before scribbling another note. “Why do you ask that?” he questioned.

Kai smirked, a gesture unnoticed by Ray. He scratched his head, a smile forming on his face. “Well… what do I say now,” he chuckled lightly. Ray raised an eyebrow, prompting Kai to continue. “Well, when I was going to the library, I met her and…,” he trailed off, looking the other way. “Well, something happened,” he finally said.

Ray started to wonder to himself before showing another note. “What happened?” he asked. Kai quietly spoke up, “… kiss…,” he said, loud enough for Ray to hear. Kai started to laugh when he suddenly felt Ray pulling at him. Kai looked down, smirking at Ray tugging at him, looking down.

Ray showed another note. “What was that again?” he asked looking up, his expression a mix of emotions. Kai acted shy again, as he said, “We kissed…”

-To be Continued