Kai Veyren had faced dragons, death squads, drunken mercenaries, and a lunatic warlock who thought love potions made good wedding proposals.
But nothing — absolutely nothing — had prepared him for walking through a hallway with breasts.
They bounced.
They jiggled.
They moved independently like two chaotic animals strapped to his chest. And the worst part? Every time he tried to adjust them, he looked like a perverted assassin copping a feel of herself.
"How the hell did Valeria do anything in this body?" he muttered, storming down the castle corridor in heels that felt like medieval torture devices. "She stabbed a warlord wearing these? No wonder she was always pissed off."
His leather boots clacked too loudly against the marble floors as he moved, every guard bowing to him with wary eyes.
"Lady Knox," one of them said with a stiff nod.
Kai forced a smirk and tilted his head the way he'd seen her do during their missions. He gave a dismissive wave and muttered, "Try not to die today."
The guard blinked, confused.
Oops. Too much.
Kai quickened his pace, mentally punching himself.
He had two priorities right now:
1. Figure out what Valeria was planning, and
2. Avoid accidentally getting himself (or rather, her) killed.
Unfortunately, both objectives became complicated the moment he turned the corner and slammed into Prince Rael.
Literally.
His face hit the prince's chest like a bird crashing into a window.
Kai stumbled back and growled, "Watch where you're—"
Then remembered he was supposed to be a graceful, deadly assassin woman and quickly shut up.
Rael chuckled, catching him — her — by the waist.
"Careful," the prince said, eyes dancing with amusement. "You're unusually… clumsy today."
Kai gritted his teeth and stepped back, adjusting his balance. "Just testing your reflexes."
Rael raised an eyebrow. "You've already tested my patience. That should be enough."
He was infuriatingly attractive. Tall, golden-brown hair slightly tousled, that annoyingly perfect prince-like smile — and worst of all, he smelled like citrus and danger.
Kai hated him immediately.
"You're in a mood," Rael said, folding his arms. "Do I assume it's because of the mission, or is this just how you act before killing someone?"
Kai's brain scrambled for a response.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" he replied with forced coolness.
Rael leaned in, eyes sharp now. "I would. Very much. Which is why I asked to speak with you in private."
Kai's stomach dropped.
This was it. The mission. The kill.
He was supposed to stab this guy in the neck with one of Valeria's hidden blades and vanish into the shadows. That was her style. Efficient, cold, clean.
But Kai? He didn't even know where she kept the blades. Her clothes had more pockets than his ego had layers, and none of them made any damn sense.
Rael motioned for him to follow, and Kai had no choice but to trail behind him — trying not to look suspicious and also trying not to fall in these ridiculous boots.
---
They entered a candle-lit chamber tucked behind the throne hall. Rael shut the door behind them and gestured to the chair across from him.
Kai sat, crossing his legs like a lady, then immediately uncrossed them because it felt wrong.
"You've been… off lately," Rael began, his voice lower now, like they were both part of a secret too dangerous to speak aloud. "You're late. You're distracted. And you haven't killed anyone in two days."
Kai blinked. "Is that... a problem?"
Rael tilted his head. "For you? Yes."
Kai faked a smirk. "Maybe I'm turning over a new leaf. Meditation. Poetry. Kittens."
Rael stared at him for a long moment.
"I don't believe in second chances, Valeria. You know that. And I certainly don't believe in assassins suddenly getting soft."
Kai sat up straighter. "Are you threatening me, Your Highness?"
Rael leaned forward, their faces inches apart. "No. I'm trying to understand you before I decide if you've become a liability."
For a moment, Kai didn't speak. The air between them grew heavier. His instincts screamed to play it cool, stay detached, act like Valeria. But something in Rael's gaze cut through the performance.
He wasn't just suspicious. He was curious.
And worse?
He trusted her.
Which meant Valeria was more than just a knife-for-hire to him. There was history here. Something deeper.
Kai needed to know what it was.
"Why me?" Kai asked quietly. "Why not just hire someone else to do your dirty work?"
Rael's eyes darkened, the prince facade cracking.
"Because you never ask questions," he said. "And now you're asking too many."
Kai forced a smile. "Maybe I'm just finally interested in the answers."
A pause.
Then Rael stood. "The convoy leaves at dawn. Be ready."
Kai rose too, adjusting his cloak and giving a little bow. "Wouldn't miss it."
Rael opened the door but didn't leave. Instead, he turned slightly, his voice softer this time.
"By the way… your eyes are different today."
Kai froze. "What?"
"They used to be colder. Deadlier." Rael gave him a half-smile. "Now, they look like someone else is living behind them."
With that, he vanished into the corridor, leaving Kai standing there in stunned silence.
---
Back in Valeria's room, Kai dropped onto the bed and groaned into the pillow.
"This is bad. This is so bad."
He grabbed the diary again and flipped to the next page.
> "If you're reading this, Kai…
Then I failed.
And you're probably very confused.
Just know this:
I didn't kill you because I hated you.
I killed you because I loved you."
Kai stared at the words.
His heart didn't know whether to break or scream.
Then someone knocked on the door again.
"Lady Knox, we've spotted a bounty hunter near the palace. Orders?"
Kai took a deep breath, wiped his eyes, and stood.
"Tell them to run," he said coldly, voice eerily steady now. "Before I remind them why they fear the Ghostblade."
Because whether he liked it or not…
He was her now.