The kitchen had never been so quiet.
The moment the man entered — draped in silk robes, his face powdered and perfumed — the air shifted. The bakers lowered their eyes. The assistants moved slower. Even the head chef stiffened.
He was a royal.
No one knew his name. But they knew the crest on his collar, the way his boots didn't touch mud, and the way he walked like the world owed him a bow.
His gaze landed on Colden.
And didn't leave.
Colden, sleeves rolled up and hands deep in dough, tried to ignore it. He moved to the sink to wash vegetables. The man followed. He carried trays to the prep table. The man followed.
Always watching.
Colden finally turned, flour streaked across his cheek. "What are you doing here?"
The room froze.
A baker dropped a spoon.
The royal blinked, amused. "I'm observing."
Colden's jaw clenched. "You've been following me."
The man smiled. "Is that a problem?"
Before Colden could answer, the head chef rushed over and pulled him aside. "Are you mad?" he hissed. "You don't speak to royals like that."
"He's staring," Colden said. "It's—"
"I know," the chef whispered. "But they can do anything. Anything."
Colden looked back.
The man was still watching.
His eyes traced Colden's shoulders, then drifted lower — slow, deliberate, unsettling.
Colden felt something twist inside him.
He had never been looked at like that.
Not with admiration.
Not with hunger.
In his town, when he went undercover, people treated him like anyone else. They laughed with him. They shared bread. They didn't tremble at his title.
Here, everything was different.
Here, royalty meant power.
And power meant fear.
At the local inn, Francis stood by the window, the morning light casting long shadows across the floor. He held a small photo in his hand — faded, creased at the corners.
It was him and Noir.
They stood behind the great fountain in Velloria, arms around each other, smiling like the world hadn't yet broken.
Francis wiped his eyes.
He placed the photo gently on the desk.
And turned toward the door.
There was work to do.
To be continued…