Everything was quiet.
My heart began to pound loudly as Prince Jack's eyes met mine. For a long moment, neither of us looked away. Then, suddenly realizing how I was sitting, I lowered my legs and pulled my frock down.
No… my panties were showing! I whispered to myself, mortified. My entire face turned red. Quickly, I knelt on the grass and bowed my head.
"Prince Jack… how long have you been sitting there?" I asked shyly, my voice trembling.
"I was here before you came," he said calmly. "By the way, what kind of ritual were you doing just now?"
My lips parted, embarrassed and flustered. "It wasn't a ritual," I murmured softly. "I just enjoy doing childish things sometimes… And, um, you saw all of that, didn't you?"
Prince Jack smiled faintly. "I could've told you I was here," he said. "But you never seem comfortable when I'm around, so I just watched you quietly."
I raised my head a little. "Prince Jack… the way I spoke this morning, I'm sorry."
He shook his head. "Why are you apologizing? Telling the truth isn't a sin. And… how long are you going to keep your head bowed like that?"
He stood up, stepped closer, and sat beside me on the grass.
"By the way," he said, glancing toward the stream, "the water you drank earlier could've had germs. There's a proper well nearby—you could've drunk from there."
I smiled faintly but my eyes stung. "Since childhood, I've always drunk dirty water. People used to call me a monster. No one ever offered me a drink… sometimes, I even lived in the forest because animals made me feel safer than people."
Tears filled my eyes as I spoke, but there was a strange warmth in my heart—because for the first time, I was telling someone about my life.
Prince Jack placed his hand gently on my cheek. His touch was warm, soft, and safe—like something I'd longed for all my life.
"You won't have to see such days again," he said quietly. "You're with us now. You'll have everything you deserve. And as for your past… everyone has one. It's like a bad dream—it's better to forget it."
His eyes shimmered with tears, and though he smiled, it was the kind of smile that hid years of pain.
"Prince Jack, why are you crying? What's wrong?" I asked softly. "If there's pain in your heart, you can tell me. Sharing sorrow makes it lighter."
He hesitated, then sighed. "I didn't want to tell anyone this… but I trust you. When we look at the sky while talking, imagination works better. Lie down."
He lay on the grass, gazing at the stars. I lay beside him, the cool wind brushing against my skin.
"I was a child," he began, "and our kingdom was peaceful. Until one day, a powerful king from another planet came—he possessed more stones and power than anyone. He wanted to conquer the entire Earth. My father had no stone powers, but my mother held the Water Stone."
His voice grew heavy as he continued. "That man was unstoppable. Our soldiers fought bravely, but he defeated them easily. My mother and father tried their best to stop him… until a woman appeared—his wife. She ran to him and held his face. 'You'll destroy the world like this,' she cried. She took his stone, merged it with hers, and released both. Then, in one last moment, they kissed—and both vanished into the air, dying together.
Peace returned… but the sky wept. The released stone became enraged. To it, its master had been everything."
Prince Jack's eyes grew distant. "The stone spoke: 'You killed the purest soul. You'll understand my pain only when your loved ones are taken from you.' It sealed my mother inside a massive block of ice and buried her deep in the ocean. Then, consumed by guilt, the stone dissolved into the sea forever."
He smiled bitterly. "My mother was only protecting our kingdom. She didn't deserve that. But the past can't be undone. Living with it… is madness."
I sat up, determined. "Your mother will be freed one day!" I said with fire in my voice.
Prince Jack smiled faintly. "There's no hope now. The part of the ocean where she rests belongs to that same king's domain. No one can reach it. And the only one who could break the curse was that stone… which is gone forever."
"You're wrong," I said quietly. "Nothing in this world is truly permanent."
He looked away toward the sky. "Let's end this talk here."
After a moment of silence, he asked, "By the way, why were you out here so late?"
"I couldn't sleep," I admitted softly. "So I came out for a walk."
He looked at me, his eyes amused. "This is the first time I've seen you in girl's clothes," he said with a teasing smile.
I flushed and tried to pull my frock down, but it was already as low as it could go. "I usually don't wear things like this," I mumbled. "Girls wear only panties beneath these dresses… if the wind blows, everything shows—still they wear it."
Then I realized what I had just said—to Prince Jack! My face burned hotter than fire.
He turned red too, fumbling for words. "Well… I, uh, saw something too."
"What did you see?" I asked, confused.
He didn't answer. His face turned scarlet.
My own cheeks felt like they might explode from the heat. I jumped to my feet, gathered my frock, and hurried to leave.
"Wait," he said softly. He stepped in front of me and gently lifted his cloak, wrapping it around me. "Now you can go safely. No one will see you."
His voice was calm, kind, and full of quiet care.
My heart was racing. My eyes spun, and sweat rolled down my face. I ran—ran straight back to my room, changed my dress, and finally took a deep breath.
For the first time that night, I realized something.
My heart wasn't pounding from fear anymore—
It was because of him.