It might not be love; he's not sure. But since he was 10, Prince Casper has followed Nova everywhere. That black-haired girl with sharp-looking eyes always appeared confident, unlike him. She was a blessed girl; it seemed like she could do everything perfectly, again unlike him.

That fact should make Casper hate her. After all, he has hated himself because he isn't talented enough, confident enough, or good enough, especially compared to the current king, his dad, who has many accomplishments. He had nothing.

Yet, instead of hating or envying her, this super-talented little girl actually captivated him. Probably because she was the only one who saw him as he is.

The first time they met, when their parents decided they would be engaged, Casper said, "I'm sorry if I disappointed you. I'm not like the prince you might think." Nova looked right into his eyes and said, "What are you even talking about? Why are you randomly deciding what I think about you?"

"We-well, I mean... everyone always has an idea of how I should act or what I should do. So I'm sure you had one too," the little prince said.

So what?" Nova said. "You think you need to match yourself to other people's delusions? How stupid."

"B-but if I didn't match your accomplishments, people would say bad things about us," Casper said.

"Who are these people you're talking about?" Nova said. "If someone badmouthed me, I would make them pay."

"I didn't mean someone specific," Casper said. "That's just an example."

"So, just your imagination?" Nova snorted. "If it's not someone real, why even bother?"

Casper was stunned. It was obvious, yet he had failed to figure it out himself. That's true. People might whisper bad things about him, but the most cruel one was himself.

He kept imagining what people said about him and what they expected from him.

This should be it, Casper thought to himself. He had found the answer. He didn't need to follow other people's expectations. He just needed to do what he wanted to do. And he did. Since then, he had been spending a lot of time visiting Nova.

The time he spent with her was fun. She could be harsh at times, but Casper found her cute enough. Everything seemed like it was going to be fine.

But then his brother started to show how exceptional he was. The second prince was the exact opposite of Casper - he could do everything better and faster.

Unlike before, this was a real threat. Everyone thought the second prince was the prince that Casper should be. His anxiety grew worse as he found out that some nobles were starting to form factions in favor of his brother.

The only way he could calm himself was by constantly visiting Nova. He became overly cautious, scared that she would leave him behind for his brother. To the point where it annoyed Nova.

"Prince," she said, "I know you're my fiance, but isn't it too much to come every day? And please stop giving me gifts unless something special has happened. I don't need them."

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"Sorry," Casper could only say.

All his efforts ended up making things worse, yet he didn't know what he should do.

Nova sighed. "I think I know why you act like this. After all, I've heard all over the place how great your brother is."

Casper gulped.

"But don't worry," Nova said. "Others might turn to him, but I will always be by your side."

That was the promise, something that Casper had held onto for years. But then why...?

For some time now, Casper had noticed that Nova had been busy doing things he wasn't allowed to know. Not only had he tolerated Finnick, but now Nova was getting close to James, the son of the Prime Minister.

He didn't want to interfere with whatever Nova was doing, but he was getting more and more anxious, not just about Nova but also because his younger brother was catching up fast. Despite being too young according to the rules, his brother was promised to be accepted as a student at the magic academy next year as an exception.

His only hope was Nova.

He overlooked her bad attitude and her unfair treatment of Aurora, for example. He let her do whatever she wanted, including being in contact with a lot of other boys, even though she was supposed to be his fiancé. But then why?

Nova, she suddenly disappeared, at the same time James did. She didn't tell him anything or contact him.

He was trying hard to keep his mind in check, but his intrusive thoughts made him feel like he had been abandoned. He thought she had chosen James over him.

Every single day felt miserable without Nova, and Casper felt as though he had nothing. He didn't put any effort into his studies, which only made him feel worse as he was falling further behind his brother. However, that wasn't the worst part. Later on, he met with Dante, the leader of the mysterious information guild who had been contracted by his father, and he discovered the truth about everything.

Casper yelled in disbelief, "That's impossible!" as he punched the table hard. "There's no way Nova was in cahoots with my brother! Not to mention, she was close with Finnick! There's no way she's connected to his father's death!"

Dante calmly sipped his tea. "My job was to tell you the truth," Dante said. "That's what the king asked of me. How you deal with that information, that's not my business. And please, I'm a professional. Information is my selling point. If I give people wrong information, it would heavily damage my reputation, wouldn't it?"

"But why...?" Casper asked.

"That's something you should ask her yourself," Dante replied. "Because even for me, I can't figure out what's inside someone's heart."

Casper groaned. "This can't be real..."

Dante put his cup down and pushed a bunch of papers toward the prince. "You're going to be king in the future," Dante said. "I hope you can think and make decisions based on sound logic, not just emotion. Read this. All of this is proof of the connection between Nova, James, and the rebels. Unfortunately, we still can't find proof showing that their activity is connected to your brother. But I believe it's just a matter of time."

"Why..." Casper murmured in disbelief as he read the papers, struggling to hold back tears.

Why my brother? he thought. If she was on his side, would she not only abandon me, but also try to kill me for him?

The revelation was too difficult for him to accept, and every night he struggled to sleep. Even when he did manage to sleep, he was plagued by nightmares.

Casper could only laugh bitterly at himself. How pathetic am I? he thought. This is the future king of the kingdom? What a joke.

But then, a few days ago, a letter came from Nova. The message was simple. She asked him to meet her and even specified the time and place.

This is what he needed - closure. He felt like there were a million questions he wanted to ask Nova. The letter gave him a glimmer of hope, but he quickly pushed that idea aside, remembering his conversation with Dante. Yes, he thought, even if... in the end Nova really decided to abandon him, at least he wanted to know the reason.

And then the day arrived. The prince had been anxiously waiting for this moment, but then an explosion ruined everything. He saw a gigantic snail-like monster, trying to break the academy barrier.

"Prince! What are you doing? Hurry, evacuate!" his classmates said.

The prince touched the letter from Nova in his pocket. Could this be a coincidence? Was Nova still waiting for him? He wondered if this was a test. Despite the chaos, should he try to meet her?

It might be the worst idea. The rebels, his brother, and Nova meant business. They were willing to go this far. If he decided to meet Nova, it would be the same as giving her his life. He might be killed on the spot without the chance to talk.

But Casper didn't care. Despite the yelling of his classmates and the teachers trying to hold him down, Casper ran away, heading towards the place where Nova was waiting for him.

Ignoring the giant monster that was destroying every building around the academy, and the teachers and staff who were fighting with the black-clothed rebels, Casper carefully moved from shadow to shadow, trying to hide himself.

He arrived at the side of a small pond and kept walking towards a small area to the north. There he saw that familiar girl, sitting and drinking her tea.

Nova Wilder, the black-haired girl, noticed him, but she didn't say anything, nor did she even look at him.

As he walked towards her, hundreds of questions filled his mind. What was he going to say first? What was he going to ask?

But before he had a chance to say anything, a voice came from behind him.

"Explain what happened here, Nova," Aurora said.

The prince reflexively looked back and saw a blue girl standing there, with a small girl with twintails behind her.

"Why are you doing all this?" Aurora continued. "I thought I was your target, but why are you antagonizing Finnick and Casper? Why are you cooperating with the second prince?"

A smile slowly appeared on Nova's lips. She put down her cup and her sharp eyes looked directly at Aurora.

"Why do you ask?" Nova replied, her voice calm. "I believe I told Ruby over there before. It's for revenge, of course."

***