Seraphine, Kael Arisugawa, and Lionel Kisaragi were finally leaving Mizurelle. Seraphine was thrilled to have Kael, her best friend and source of comfort, beside her. Lionel, however, spent the whole morning grumbling loudly about the lack of space and Kael's constant, easy flirting.
As they boarded a larger boat to take them down the canal toward the outskirts of the water city, a new presence stopped them.
Yuzael's Dramatic Entrance
A beautiful, large boat—clearly more expensive and royal than anything else in the canal—pulled up right beside them, violently blocking their path. The water churned beneath the sudden stop.
On the deck stood a man who was the definition of perfection: Yuzael Valestrian. He was handsome in a flawless, elegant way, with an intimidatingly cold aura. His sharp blue/silver eyes fixed on Seraphine, a look of quiet assessment on his face.
Seraphine's jaw dropped. "Yuzael! What are you doing here?" she gasped, her hands flying to her mouth in surprise.
"Seraphine," Yuzael said, his voice calm, smooth, and utterly nonchalant, sounding like he was bored of the world. "I apologize for the disturbance. I was asked by your father to ensure your safety. And," he added, a slight, almost invisible smirk forming, "I need to ensure the future of the alliance is secure. I am joining your journey."
Kael and Lionel looked at each other with identical expressions of pure hostility.
"Absolutely not!" Lionel roared, instantly feeling threatened. He rushed to stand in front of Seraphine, his face fierce. "We don't need the likes of a cold prince. We're doing fine without you!"
"Yes, we are just fine!" Kael chimed in, quickly moving to Seraphine's other side. He looked polite, but his flirty smile was gone, replaced by a gaze that was dangerously cold. He hated Yuzael's distance and superiority.
The Silent Battle.
Yuzael simply glanced at both Kael and Lionel, a look of faint annoyance crossing his face. He didn't raise his voice, which only made him more irritating.
"I wasn't asking for your permission," Yuzael stated, his voice quiet but commanding. "I am here for the princess's safety. And I believe she needs supervision, given her tendency to be so..." he paused, his eyes traveling over her soft face, "...careless."
Seraphine, ever the "stupid-act adorable" heroine, felt embarrassed but couldn't argue with the truth of her clumsiness.
Yuzael then took a confident step and smoothly offered Seraphine a small, beautifully wrapped box. "I brought you this. It's a new, improved map that glows in the dark. Perhaps you won't lose this one."
It was a perfectly cold, honest, but also subtly thoughtful gift. Seraphine took it, momentarily distracted by the beautiful design.
The air was thick with tension. Lionel was shaking with suppressed anger, and Kael's usual easy smile was completely frozen. Both boys were desperately jealous of how easily Yuzael had managed to both insult and charm her in one move.
The New Group Dynamic.
Reluctantly, they had to let Yuzael join. His boat was too fast, and his logic was too cold and perfect to argue against. He kept his distance, always observing the group, his arms often crossed, looking like he was completely bored.
But Seraphine noticed that whenever she started to stumble on the rough dirt path, Yuzael would somehow be walking a tiny bit closer to her. He was still the cold prince, but his protective instinct was definitely working, even if he pretended it wasn't.
The journey was officially a five-star romantic mess: a princess, a tsundere bodyguard, a flirty best friend, and a cold, elegant royal observer.