Knock. Knock.
The sound echoed faintly in Daniel's ears. He stirred, groaning at the persistent knock.
'Whoever's making that annoying ruckus is so fucking dead'.
Knock. Knock.
"Grrrr…" he growled, cracking his eyes open. Morning light filtered through the curtains, stabbing at his vision.
Morning?
He blinked, confused.
Shifting slightly, a sharp ache flared in his right side, jaw, and the back of his neck.
'Damn. What the hell happened?'
He groaned, pushing himself upright.
His gaze swept the room—
A toppled chair.
A bath towel near the door.
Crumpled clothes scattered across the floor.
And… a bra!
"What the hell…" he muttered.
Knock. Knock.
"Urrgh! Who is it?" he barked, massaging his aching jaw.
"Apologies for the disturbance, my Prince," came a voice from the other side. "But your presence is required immediately in the Royal Dining Room. The Queen Dowager herself has summoned you."
"I'm coming," he growled, rising from the bed and surveying the scene again.
'What the hell happened last night?
One thing was certain—this wasn't what it looked like.
I didn't invite anyone back with me. I didn't bring a woman here'.
He hissed under his breath.
'Why the hell can't I remember?'
He walked toward the door, pausing to pick up the fallen towel. He examined it for a moment.
'How the hell did you get there?'
With a sigh, he tossed it onto the chair and headed to the bathroom to freshen up.
.....
The soft clinking of porcelain cups and plates echoed through the small palace dining room. The table, dressed in white and gold, gleamed beneath the morning light, adorned with mouthwatering pastries and delicacies fit for royalty.
King Reginald sat at the head of the table, his posture rigid. At the opposite end, Queen Dowager Alicia sipped her tea with regal calm. To Reginald's left sat Queen Esmerelda, and to his right, Prince Eric, seating one seat down the line. The chair closest to the King—reserved for the Crown Prince—remained conspicuously empty.
It had been that way for years. Reginald was quietly grateful. The thought of sitting so close to his "beastly" son, even out of protocol, made his skin crawl.
Prince Edward and Princess Elizabeth sat across from each other at the center of the table. The only absentees were Lord Archford Devonte and Lord Alberto Devonte with his family, who had departed early that morning back to their homes.
"I still can't believe that after flaunting himself at the royal hunting derby, Daniel didn't even bother to attend his own celebration ball—or the event marking the start of his bridal selection," Esmerelda said, her tone laced with disdain. "Such unfilial behavior is… concerning. Especially considering the duties he'll be expected to uphold as King."
"Do you really think he cares?" Reginald muttered. "All he's ever done is drag our family name through the mud. He's already showing signs of tyranny—something that goes against every value this family stands for. But of course, some people refuse to see it." His eyes flicked toward his mother, who continued eating her breakfast in silence completely ignoring him.
"Don't be upset, Father," Eric said smoothly. "What matters is that the events were a success. We demonstrated unity and duty to both family and kingdom—even if some choose not to appreciate it. We still stand as one."
Esmerelda beamed. "Wise words, my son. At least one of you understands the meaning of filial duty. Unlike others who treat the sacred pact like garbage. It does make one wonder… if they truly belong in the pack—or were placed in it by accident, while belonging elsewhere." Her sneer was unmistakable.
"Mmm." Reginald cleared his throat and shot her a warning look.
"What?" Esmerelda asked innocently, as if she hadn't just implied Daniel was a bastard.
Alicia set down her cup and spoke without looking up.
"It seems the chefs have outdone themselves today. The food is so good, even dogs are breaking protocol and are now eating at the royal table and barking out the contents of their delights without a slightest care that it is all but noise, which will get them in some serious trouble soon." She took a bite of her hot chocolate muffin, calm as ever.
Esmerelda gasped at the insult. "Haa… you… bi—!"
"What?" Alicia cut in, finally turning to face her. "Go on. Say it. And that crown you cling to so desperately will be off your head in two seconds. Go on. Say it."
Esmerelda froze, her glare sharp enough to cut glass. But she said nothing. Instead, she turned back to her plate and took a savage bite of toasted bread, her face twisted in silent fury.
Reginald shook his head and sighed. "Mother…"
"What?" Alicia snapped. "Don't you dare give me that glare. You know very well she was asking for it. If this were the old days, her head would've been rolling across the floor for saying such things. You should be grateful I'm lenient. Otherwise..." She shot Esmerelda a pointed look.
"Anyway… you're all busy spouting nonsense without proof. How are you so sure Daniel wasn't at the event? Did you actually not see him there—or are you just making assumptions?"
"Of course he wasn't there, Mother," Reginald spat. "If he cared about his duty as Crown Prince—or as a member of this family—he would've been seated with us, overseeing the event. But no. As usual, he's a huge disappointment."
"Oh, Reginald, for Pete's sake—it was a masquerade ball," Alicia said, exasperated. "And you know how exceptionally handsome Daniel is. Every noble lady in the room would've swarmed him for attention, decorum be damned. He probably attended in disguise to avoid the chaos. Even your father did that once, you know—it's not uncommon."
"Oh please, Mother, spare me the theatrics. We both know your unfilial grandson doesn't care about such things. You're just defending his bad behavior, and that's dangerous. He needs to be reprimanded, not coddled. Otherwise, he'll never change."
Alicia shook her head, lips parting to respond—
"He was there…"
The voice was quiet. But it sliced through the room like a blade.
All heads turned.
It was Edward.
Esmerelda cleared her throat and forced a smile. "Edward, darling… what did you just say?"
Edward turned to face his mother, then shifted his gaze to his father.
"Big brother Daniel was there. At the masquerade ball. He was standing right behind Father's throne when Grandmother gave her speech. But no one noticed. None of you. You just kept criticizing him—saying awful things. I don't understand why you hate him so much when he hasn't done anything wrong. Why don't you like him? What's wrong with you people?"
He pushed back his chair, climbed down, and walked out of the room—leaving everyone in flabbergasted silence in his wake.
Esmerelda sat frozen, unable to grasp the fact that her own son had just questioned the very foundation of her hatred toward her stepson.
Alicia dabbed her lips with a napkin and stood.
"At least someone in this family has the sense to see the truth," she said coolly, before turning and walking out.
A tiny smirk played on her lips as she caught one last glimpse of Esmerelda's bewildered expression.
'That hit hard, didn't it?
Slowly, you'll lose control—until there's nothing left. And I can't wait for the show.'
With that thought, she glided toward the East Wing, her steps light, her satisfaction heavy.
...
Inside a lavish study
Daniel sat in a high-backed chair, eyes fixed on the tablet in front of him.
On the screen, he watched himself enter the room, head to the shower, then return to the bed to check his phone for messages. He paused, set the phone down, and walked to the door—leaning against it, as if listening for something.
Then—
A glitch.
A flicker.
And suddenly, he was lying on the bed, fast asleep until morning.
He replayed the footage again, eyes narrowing at the moment of distortion, searching for anything—anything—that might explain what happened.
"Mmm… mmm…"
A soft throat-clear pulled him from the screen. He looked up slowly—only to meet the gaze of Queen Dowager Alicia, seated across from him.
Her eyes were fixed on him, sharp but warm.
"Grandmother," he said, startled. "I didn't see you there."
"Clearly," she replied, arching a brow. "You're very busy. Replaying your little ' fun activity' from last night. Obviously far more important than your dear old grandmother." She pouted dramatically.
Daniel flushed, quickly switching off the tablet and staring at the desk in embarrassment.
Alicia studied him for a beat—then burst into laughter.
"Ha! I'm just teasing you, Danny. You're twenty-six year old adult. I have no business meddling in your intimate affairs. As long as that woman doesn't try to wear the crown, I'm perfectly fine with it."
Daniel chuckled nervously. "Grandma, seriously…"
"But I did get you good, didn't I?" she grinned. "Besides, gossip in this palace travels faster than the wind. By the time you catch it, half the kingdom already knows."
She sighed, her tone softening. "Anyway...I didn't see you at breakfast. It seems like...not even I can get you to sit at the table with the family anymore. Daniel… did I do something? Is it because of my folly for allowing my son to bring that woman into this family? Have I driven you away? Is it my fault you've gone so cold? That you don't even want to see me anymore or listen to me?"
Tears shimmered in her eyes threatening to fall. "Is that it?"
Daniel stood abruptly, moved to her side, and knelt, taking her hands in his.
"No. No, Grandma. Please don't say that. None of this is your fault. It's just that...I just.." He sighed. "I just can't pretend that...everything is okay, Grandma. That's one thing that...I told myself that I will never do. Forgive me for hurting you like this but none of this is your fault. It's just I.."
He faltered as Alicia cupped his face gently.
"Shhh… it's okay," she whispered. "I understand. You don't have to force yourself to do something you don't want to. I just… I miss you. You've been so distant lately. I miss spending time with my grandson."
She brushed a loose strand of hair from his face.
"Oh, my poor boy. You must be carrying so much. I pray the Heavens send you a good wife—a soul partner who will take that pain away and fill your heart with the love it once knew." She smiled softly.
Daniel returned the smile, his hand resting on her arm. "Thank you, Grandma."
"It's okay, Danny."
But the warmth in the room shifted—replaced by a sudden tension.
Alicia's eyes sharpened.
"Now, to the serious matter at hand."
Her voice dropped.
"Someone broke into the Royal Archives last night."
Daniel stiffened, as a memory tugged at his mind.
"Fortunately, the guards were alerted before anything was taken. But such a breach… is a risk I'm not willing to tolerate. Those archives hold secrets—deep, dangerous ones. If our enemies were to get their hands on them..." She paused, inhaling deeply.
"It will unleash a calamity neither of us will be able to stop."
Her words echoed in Daniel's ears, but his mind was already drifting—back to the glitch in the footage, back to the moment everything went dark.
Last night…..
He held the mystery woman by the wrists, gripping tightly to keep her from escaping.
He watched her squirm, struggling against him—and he relished it.
"You'll have to do better than that," he murmured. "I'm not letting you go this time."
But fate, as always, had other plans.
As if he couldn't get unluckier than the last time.
Something loosened. Dropped.
The woman froze. Her eyes flicked downward—then shot up immediately, wide and horrified.
The towel had fallen.
She'd seen something she wasn't supposed to.
'Oh fuck.'
Daniel was caught in a dilemma and wondered how he was going to fix the mess.
However, his mystery woman was way ahead of him.
Seizing the awkward situation, she raised her leg and slammed it into his side. Hard.
He groaned, his grip faltering—just enough for her to wrench free and land a punch squarely on his jaw before sprinting across the room.
He recovered quickly, lunging after her and grabbing her arm. She toppled over a chair near the bed, but before he could secure her waist, she drove her elbow into the same spot she'd kicked earlier.
He stumbled backward, crashing onto the bed.
She spun, swift and precise—and jabbed something into his neck.
A syringe.
The drug worked fast.
His limbs numbed. His vision blurred. He collapsed onto the mattress, breath shallow.
Through the haze, he saw her standing a few feet away, watching him.
"Don't… worry…" he gasped, voice slurring. "I'll… catch you… just… wait… I'll get you…"
A faint smirk tugged at his lips.
Then everything went dark.
Back to the present….
"Daniel. Daniel. Daniel!"
He snapped out of his reverie at the sound of his grandmother's voice. Alicia watched him closely, concern etched across her features.
"Are you alright?" she asked.
Daniel cleared his throat and stood. "Yes, I'm fine, Grandma."
He returned to his chair, his tone shifting. "I'll speak to the head of security. We need tighter protocols in the Royal Archives. Whoever broke in bypassed the heat detectors with ease. We'll have to raise the standards—make sure they can't pull the same trick again."
Alicia nodded. "That's reassuring. I trust you'll see to it that everything is fully mobilized?"
"Yes, Grandmother. I'll make sure it's handled. This won't happen again."
"Very well. I'll leave you to it, then." She rose from her seat.
Daniel escorted her to the door. Just as she was about to exit, she turned to face him.
"I'll be hosting a special guest at the palace the day after tomorrow. I want you there. Ten a.m. sharp. Don't be late."
Daniel nodded silently. Alicia held his gaze for a moment longer, then swept out of the room.
He closed the door quietly, then moved to the window, gazing out at the palace gardens. Raindrops from last night's storm shimmered across the courtyards, casting a soft glow over the stone paths and trimmed hedges.
He sighed.
"Wisp."
A figure in black and gold materialized from the shadows—silent, swift, and precise.
"Yes, Your Highness."
Daniel gestured toward the tablet on the desk.
"Find out who did this. And bring them to me."
"Yes, Your Highness." Wisp took the tablet and vanished into the shadows, as if he'd never been there.
Daniel stared out the window, his voice low.
"You'd better not be one of my enemies, mystery woman. Because if you are…"
His eyes glowed crimson for a brief moment.
"…this game will become very… deadly."