A captive prince. A knight who never speaks. Two years of silence—until one night, everything begins to change.
Eighteen-year-old Lion Cardina, the first prince of the fallen Kingdom of Cardina, has spent two years imprisoned in the Iron Crown Palace of the Grandveld Empire. Stripped of his kingdom, his family, and his freedom, he clings to his mother's final words—*"Live"*—and watches the moon through iron bars, believing himself utterly alone.
Kai Wolfhardt, his silent watcher, arrives each
The Fallen Prince and the Silent Knight - The Second Prince's Smile and the Frozen Room
The sky was clear and blue, stretching on without end.
Beyond the iron bars, soft sunlight poured down into the courtyard. On the stone paving, two small birds pecked at something, lifted their heads, and pecked again. There was almost no wind; the leaves on the trees were still as a painting.
Lion Cardina stood by the window, gazing absently at the scene.
(What nice weather today.)
He murmured it deep in his chest.
Two weeks had passed since that rainy night. The night he'd burned with fever and woken in Kai's arms. Since that night, something had changed, little by little. No—perhaps what had changed was Lion's own heart.
(I wonder if Kai will come today too.)
Just thinking it made something in the center of his chest grow faintly warm.
He stepped away from the window and looked around the room.
This guest wing—a guest room in name only, on the third level of the Iron Crown Palace—was still enclosed by cold stone walls. A bed, a desk, a chair, a bookshelf. Everything necessary was here, but each item was nothing more than a tool for keeping Lion alive.
And yet.
Over the past few days, this room had begun to feel just a little more comfortable than before.
On the desk were the traces of the breakfast Kai had brought that morning. The empty bowls were stacked neatly. Barley porridge, thin-sliced bread. And herb tea.
Lion remembered that morning.
Kai had entered the room a while after the morning bell rang. Expressionless as always, silent as always, he set the tray on the desk. Then he checked the room from corner to corner and traced the iron bars of the window with his finger.
The usual routine.
But this morning had been just a little different.
Just before Kai left the room, Lion had mustered his courage and spoken.
"Um, Kai. It's nice weather today, isn't it."
Kai paused for just a moment.
He didn't turn around. Only his blue-gray eyes turned toward the window.
"...Yeah."
A short reply.
But that alone made Lion happy.
(Kai answered me.)
Two years ago, he would have been ignored. No—he wouldn't even have been able to speak to Kai in the first place.
Lion lowered himself into the chair at the desk.
He touched the silver pendant at his chest. A small ornament engraved with the crest of the spirits, passed down from his mother. The cold feel of metal spread across his fingertips.
(Mother. Lately, food tastes just a little better to me.)
He reported it in his heart.
(And I've started being able to talk with Kai, just a little.)
Remembering Kai's words—"Tomorrow, eat everything"—Lion smiled faintly.
Kai would never know how much those words had moved him.
(He doesn't need to know. It's like a treasure that belongs only to me.)
Lion gripped the pendant.
—That was when it happened.
From down the corridor, he heard multiple footsteps.
Not Kai's usual footsteps. Lighter, and yet somehow unpleasant. The sound of leather soles striking the stone floor, slowly, steadily, drawing closer to this room.
Lion's heart gave a thump.
(Who is it?)
For two years, the visitors to this room had been limited. Kai, and the servants who brought meals. And, very rarely, the higher-ups of the Iron Crown Knights.
But today's footsteps were different from any of them.
The footsteps stopped in front of Lion's door.
And then.
Knock, knock.
The door was knocked on.
Lion caught his breath.
(A knock?)
It was the first time the door to this room had ever been knocked on. Usually, the lock was turned from outside, the bolt drawn back, and the door opened in silence. No one asked a prisoner's permission to enter.
So Lion was confused.
"...Come in."
His voice trembled slightly.
The door opened slowly.
Light from the corridor spilled into the room.
Standing in that light was—
Perfectly groomed blond hair.
Cold purple eyes.
A small mole at the right corner of his mouth.
Long, slender fingers wrapped in white gloves.
And a smile plastered onto his face, utterly without warmth.
Albert Grandveld.
The second prince of the Grandveld Empire stood there.
"Hello. We finally meet, Prince of Cardina."
His voice was astonishingly smooth.
Sweet as honey, soft as silk. But behind that sweetness, something cold was hidden. Lion felt it instinctively.
"U-um..."
The words wouldn't come.
Albert stepped slowly into the room, as though savoring Lion's reaction.
Behind him, another figure.
A silver-haired knight stood expressionless.
Kai Wolfhardt.
Lion's watch knight.
Kai stood at Albert's back, his blue-gray eyes fixed steadily on Lion. His expression was stiffer than usual.
"Allow me to introduce him. This is Kai Wolfhardt, who serves as your watch knight."
Albert spoke without turning around.
"You see, I've wanted to meet you for quite some time. The first prince of Cardina, Lion Cardina. The last survivor of that beautiful kingdom."
Lion bit his lip.
(So this is Prince Albert.)
He'd heard the rumors. The emperor's second son, an ambitious prince backed by part of the Seven House Covenant. The man the soldiers said wanted to "take Lion in."
(This man is going to...)
Lion's fingertips grew cold.
Albert stood directly before him.
The distance was less than a meter.
The scent of sweet perfume tickled Lion's nose. A finger wrapped in a white glove rose slowly.
"What beautiful eyes. Emerald eyes. The eyes blessed by the spirits, passed down through the royal line of Cardina."
Albert's finger moved to touch Lion's cheek.
Lion recoiled on reflex.
"...Oh?"
For just an instant, the sweetness vanished from Albert's voice.
"You don't need to be afraid. I'm on your side. I came to get you out of this tedious room."
Albert smiled again.
"I'll set you free from this place. In exchange—you become mine."
Something cold ran down Lion's spine.
From the nape of his neck to his waist, as though traced by fingers of ice.
(What is this man saying?)
Albert's words were sweet.
But his eyes weren't smiling at all. The cold purple eyes licked over Lion's whole body, appraising him like livestock.
"To the remnants of Cardina, you are a symbol of hope. As long as you live, they won't give up. They'll try to raise a rebellion with you as their banner."
Albert took a step closer.
"But if you become mine, it's a different story. I will manage you, I will protect you. And using you as bait, I'll wipe out the remnants in one sweep."
Lion's heart began to pound.
(So that's it... he means to use me as bait.)
The soldiers' rumors had been true.
"Rest easy. I won't hurt you. You need only live here in elegance, as my cute little puppet."
Albert took Lion's hand.
Through the white glove, cold fingers twined around Lion's.
"We finally meet, Prince of Cardina. I'll set you free from this place—in exchange, you become mine."
Lion couldn't move.
Albert's hand gripped his with far more strength than it appeared to have. Even if he tried to flee, he couldn't shake it off.
"P-please stop..."
His voice trembled.
Albert narrowed his eyes, as though enjoying Lion's fear.
"Stop? Why? I'm telling you I'll set you free."
"The 'freedom' you're talking about isn't what I want..."
Lion forced the words out desperately.
"...Ho."
The temperature of Albert's voice dropped again.
"Then you intend to end your life in this prison? Unmourned by anyone, unknown to anyone, simply rotting away. Is that what you want?"
Lion was at a loss for words.
(That's...)
He didn't want that.
But Albert's idea of "freedom" was absolutely unacceptable too.
"I'll have your answer later. There's plenty of time."
Still holding Lion's hand, Albert reached his other hand toward Lion's shoulder.
In that instant—
Gah.
There was a sound.
Albert's arm was stopped by something.
Lion looked up, and there—
Was Kai.
The silver-haired knight had seized Albert's arm.
"Don't touch him."
It was a low, low voice.
The air in the room froze in an instant.
The smile vanished from Albert's face.
His cold purple eyes turned slowly toward Kai's blue-gray ones.
"...What do you think you're doing, watch knight?"
Albert's voice was no longer sweet.
Kai held Albert's arm and didn't move.
"I said, don't touch him."
Kai's voice was quiet.
But behind that quiet lay a terrifyingly strong will.
Lion stared at Kai's face.
(Kai...)
Kai's blue-gray eyes were fixed straight on Albert. There was no fear in them, no hesitation.
Only an unshakable determination to protect Lion.
Albert stared at Kai for a while.
Then, slowly, he twisted his lips.
"Interesting. Truly interesting, Kai Wolfhardt."
Albert shook off Kai's hand.
"A watch knight, so very eager. But don't forget. You should know where your loyalty belongs."
Kai said nothing.
He only glared at Albert.
Albert turned back to Lion.
"One week from now, your custody will officially transfer to my control. Prepare yourself by then."
Lion's heart shrank coldly.
"And watch knight."
Albert whispered low, so that only Kai could hear.
"We'll talk later. Come."
With that, Albert left the room.
His light footsteps receded down the corridor.
A heavy silence remained.
Lion couldn't move for a while.
(What just happened?)
His head spun.
Albert's sweet voice.
Those cold eyes.
The words "you become mine."
And—Kai's actions.
"Kai..."
Lion called Kai's name in a trembling voice.
Kai was still staring at the door Albert had gone through.
"Why would you do something like that...? That man is the second prince. Your lord..."
Lion's voice was wet with tears.
Kai turned slowly toward Lion.
"I didn't want to let him use you."
Kai's voice was low and quiet.
"That's all."
Lion's chest ached as though being squeezed.
(This man, for my sake...)
Lion understood just how great a risk Kai had taken.
Defying the second prince.
For a watch knight, that could mean death.
"Why...why would you go that far..."
The tears spilled over.
"There's no reason for you to put yourself in danger for someone like me..."
Lion was bitter at his own helplessness.
Kai stood before Lion.
"...Starting tomorrow, I may not be able to come."
Kai said it quietly.
Lion's heart shrank coldly.
"What...?"
"There's a high chance I'll be punished. I may be relieved of my watch duties."
"No..."
Without thinking, Lion grabbed the hem of Kai's uniform.
"I don't want that... I don't want you to disappear, Kai..."
Kai said nothing.
He only gazed quietly at Lion's hand.
"Please. Don't go... Don't leave me alone..."
Lion's voice had turned to sobbing.
Two years.
How much it had meant to him, these two years, that Kai came every single day.
Now the fear of possibly losing that presence was about to crush Lion whole.
Kai was silent for a while.
Then, slowly, he closed his hand around Lion's.
"...It's all right."
Kai's voice was just a little softer than usual.
"I will come back. Without fail."
Feeling the warmth of Kai's hand, Lion wept, stifling his voice.
—.
That night.
Lion sat alone in his room, gazing out the window.
Beyond the iron bars floated a full moon.
Cold moonlight streamed into the room.
(Kai...)
Lion gripped the pendant at his chest.
The silver ornament bit coldly into his fingertips.
(Please, be safe.)
For the first time, Lion felt something like prayer.
In Cardina's spirit faith, there was no custom of praying to a specific god. Spirits were not objects of prayer but partners in dialogue.
But now, he wanted to cling to someone.
"God... Spirits... Anyone. Please, protect Kai..."
His voice trembled.
"Don't take Kai away from me..."
Tears traced down his cheeks.
Lion was remembering Kai's words.
'Don't touch him.'
In that moment, there had truly been "something" in Kai's voice.
Not an order, not duty.
Kai's own will.
(Kai tried to protect me.)
That fact made Lion's chest burn hot.
At the same time, there was fear.
(Kai will be punished.)
(Because of me.)
Lion bit his lip.
The taste of blood spread through his mouth.
"If only... if only I were stronger..."
The tears wouldn't stop.
Outside the window, the moon
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