Mira stepped out of the small washroom in the Adventurer’s Guild, her hair still damp from her morning shower.
A little warmth from the steam still clung to her skin as she crossed the quiet room and pushed open the balcony door.
A soft, cool sea breeze swept in to greet her, brushing her cheeks and playing gently with her hair. She leaned against the wooden railing, letting the wind finish drying it.
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmSvixP8dVO
From here, she could see the rooftops of Mermaid’s Cove, the morning sun glinting off tiles still wet with dew. The salty scent of the ocean mingled with the warm smell of breakfast drifting up from the kitchen below.
Far off, fishermen called to one another as they pushed their boats into the water. The breeze carried their voices, along with the cries of gulls and the steady hush of waves rolling against the shore.
Mira closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath, filling her lungs with the fresh ocean air. The sun warmed her shoulders, chasing away the last chill from her shower.
She ran her fingers through her hair, tugging at a few stubborn tangles. The wind caught the loose strands and swayed them like ribbons in the light.
Below, the cobblestone street was waking up. A merchant pushed his cart past, its wooden wheels rattling softly. Two children dashed by, laughing as they chased a stray cat, their joy ringing through the street.
Mira smiled to herself. Mornings like this felt rare and precious.
She rested her chin on her folded arms, letting her mind drift while sunlight danced across the waves, turning the sea into scattered gold.
Then—a gentle knock broke the quiet.
Mira looked up, tucking a damp strand of hair behind her ear. “Come in,” she called.
The door opened, and Lucien stepped inside.
He was nothing like the man from last night—no torn clothes, no blood.
His hair was clean, neatly combed, and still faintly damp. A crisp white shirt rested under a blue vest trimmed with silver thread, and polished boots caught the morning light.
For the first time in weeks, he truly looked like a prince again.
Mira blinked. “…You clean up well.”
Lucien’s lips curved in a small smile, his golden eyes warm. “So do you.”
She glanced down at herself—just a plain shirt and shorts, her hair loose from the shower—and gave a little shrug.
Lucien stepped closer, joining her at the balcony. His gaze followed hers out to the sunlit sea. “Beautiful view,” he said softly.
Mira leaned against the railing again. “Yes, it is. I’ve been seeing the same view for seventeen years… and I’m still not tired of it.”
They stood for a while in easy silence, letting the cries of gulls and the crash of waves speak for them.
A light breeze tugged at Mira’s hair, carrying the scent of salt and sun. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Lucien watching her—not with last night’s guarded distance, but with something gentler.
“Is there…” she asked quietly, “something on your mind?”
Lucien gave a quiet laugh, though it didn’t hide the weariness in his eyes. “Yes… there is.” His gaze lingered a moment longer than necessary. “More than I can say.”
Mira’s lips curved faintly, though she turned back to the sea before her pulse could give her away. “Then maybe,” she murmured, “save it for another day. Some things are better spoken when you’re not so tired.”
He studied her for a heartbeat longer, as if committing the moment to memory, then let out a slow breath. “Perhaps you’re right.”
The sunlight mellowed into amber, gilding the ripples of the harbor. Neither spoke; the silence between them felt like a breath they shared, one neither wanted to end.
At last, Lucien straightened, the faint curve of his lips not quite reaching his eyes. “I’ll be returning to the capital.”
Mira glanced at him, her eyes hesitating for a heartbeat before smoothing again. “When?”
He sighed. “As soon as possible.”
His gaze lingered on her, reluctant to leave, before drifting toward the window where gulls wheeled lazily in the distance. “I don’t want to bring more danger to Mermaid’s Cove.”
She followed his glance, the cry of the seabirds suddenly sharper in her ears. “Then I hope the roads treat you well.”
Lucien’s eyes softened, a flicker of something unreadable passing through them. “And I hope,” he said quietly, “that Mermaid’s Cove stays as it is. Peaceful… untouched.”
The breeze stirred again, brushing against them both. Mira’s fingers curled lightly around the railing, the morning warmth on her skin feeling suddenly fragile.
“You’ll have to send word,” she said after a pause, her voice steady but low. “Or I’ll think you’ve forgotten this place.”
“I don’t think I can,” he said—and his eyes told her he wasn’t talking about the sea.
They stood close, shoulders nearly touching. It wasn’t enough to bridge the space between them, but it was enough to feel it.
The air felt heavier, filled with the scent of the sea and something neither could name.
Lucien’s gaze lingered on her profile—the damp strands of hair catching sunlight, the faint crease between her brows when she thought too hard.
It looked as if he might speak… but instead, he drew a slow breath and turned toward the door.
“I’ll see you before I go,” he said.
Mira nodded, not trusting her voice.
When he left, the quiet returned—but it wasn’t the same.
It felt… emptier.
Meanwhile, from the street below—
Kael leaned against a weathered post, arms crossed, his eyes tracking Lucien as he stepped away from Mira’s balcony.
Leila’s gaze followed his. “They seem… close,” she said quietly, her tone light but cautious.
Rook grinned and gave a low whistle. “Close? You see the way he looked at her? That’s not ‘thank you for the hospitality,’ that’s ‘I’ll be thinking about you for the next hundred miles.’ Prince-sama is falling for her.”
Grey said nothing at first, his mask hiding any hint of thought—but his eyes stayed locked on the balcony, silently gauging the space, the angle, the variables.
Kael pushed off the post with a lazy stretch.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyzzV9UghOU
“Alright… place your bets,” he said. “What’s His Highness’s next move?”
“Back to the capital,” Leila answered without hesitation. “That’s why he hired us, right?”
Rook snorted. “Yeah, and I wish we hadn’t said yes.”
“Too late now,” Kael said, shaking his head.
Grey finally spoke, his voice calm but edged. “Silver Fang doesn’t quit halfway. We’ll get him back to the capital.”
Leila’s brow furrowed. “In that case, we need to stay off the main road. I don’t want crows catching up to us.”
Rook gave a short chuckle. “Good thing I know a few roads that don’t show up on any maps.”
“More like goat trails,” Leila muttered. “Last time you took us on one, I twisted my ankle and nearly fell into a ravine.”
Kael smirked. “Don’t worry. I already have a route in mind—and it doesn’t involve bushes or swarms.”
Grey cut in. “Maybe we should ask the prince before we plan anything.”
The three exchanged glances, then nodded. None of them argued.
From above, Mira had stepped back inside. The balcony was empty now.
Rook shifted his weight. “I hope she comes too. Then we’d have nothing to worry about.”
Leila gave him a side look. “You want Mira, a seventeen-year-old, to do all the heavy lifting? That’s low—even for you.”
Rook shrugged. “Hey, she’s not just a girl. She’s the Saintess of the South. Why not?”
Grey shot him a look. “She’s not part of this job.”
“Not yet,” Rook said, with that infuriating glint in his eyes.
Kael let out a faint laugh. “Alright, enough jokes. We need to get prepared.”
Grey nodded. “We should. I don’t want to be empty-handed with crows lurking in the dark.”
Leila folded her arms with a sigh. “Great. More coin to spend. Let’s pray Lana feels generous with her prices.”
That drew the faintest twitch from Grey’s shoulders, like he was almost willing to laugh.
And so Silver Fang drifted back into the guild, their voices echoing soft with banter—making the long road ahead feel just a little less heavy.
ns216.73.217.15da2
and then Add to home screen.