"What should I do now?" thought Sarah. Her eyes filled with tears as she ran toward the palace gate. She had just witnessed her beloved's death. Helpless, she wished this were all just a nightmare.
"Just one more chance… please, give me one more chance."
She prayed to God, begging for the chance to save her friends. Even one day—just a single day—would be enough. Her cheeks were flushed from crying, her mesmerizing beauty hidden beneath sorrow. Her heart felt like it had shattered.
Time flew as if to mock her. Night came, then morning, yet Sarah was still there—like a statue. Not knowing what to do, she just sat there for hours, remembering her friends: their meaningless chats, the laughter they shared, the meals they enjoyed together.
She remembered how she used to quarrel with him, how his lame jokes annoyed her, how he always defeated her in sword fights, and how she eventually fell for him—how everything had started...
Until one year ago, Sarah had been just an ordinary high school girl. She loved learning, trying new things, and mastering whatever caught her interest. People thought she had it all—but it wasn't true. Her parents were never home, always busy making money, leaving her alone in their vast house with only servants and her nanny for company.
It was during this lonely time that Sarah discovered her love for fantasy novels. She read so much that she sometimes wished she could live in those worlds. Maybe… God had heard that wish.
One day, while on her way home, Sarah saw someone saving a child from being hit by a car. He was Lucas — the most popular guy in school. He was from Class B, while Sarah was in Class A. A sports champion, admired by almost everyone.
Sarah wanted to walk away; she didn't want to get involved in anything unnecessary. But Lucas noticed her. Since it would be rude to just turn away after he saw her, Sarah gave a small wave and said hi.
To her surprise, Lucas looked… annoyed. His blue eyes turned sharp and cold as he glared at her, then walked off without a word.
Sarah was left standing there, confused.
Even after returning home, she couldn't stop thinking about him. She just wanted to say hi — why was he so rude? The more she thought about it, the angrier she felt.
The next day, she saw Lucas again. This time, he looked worried about something. Still, it wasn't her business, so she ignored him.
Soon after, Lucas and Sarah ended up in the same class. Not only that, they became deskmates.
Because of it, Sarah's desk was flooded with love letters meant for him. Her friends constantly asked about Lucas like he was some sort of celebrity.
She was so annoyed that she started dumping all the letters right on his desk.
But there was something about Lucas that only Sarah knew — something she discovered two or three weeks ago when he became her deskmate.
From that day on, she realized Lucas wasn't as kind as he looked.
He had hidden her homework, making her get punished by the teacher.
He tripped her on purpose and even made her do his share of classroom cleaning by pretending to be sick.
Sarah had asked the teacher if she could change seats, but the teacher refused since the seats were assigned according to roll numbers .
---
One evening, while returning from her friend's house, Sarah noticed Lucas walking down the street with a suspicious-looking man. The man was wearing a hood, and something about the scene made her uneasy.
She had seen that same man with Lucas once before.
They both looked nervous.
Then, a sudden breeze blew the hood off the man's head—
and Sarah froze.
Cat ears.
On a human man.
She blinked rapidly, thinking she was seeing things. But the image didn't change. Shocked, she hid behind a nearby tree.
From that day on, suspicion grew in her heart.
Lucas was always late to school on Mondays. Maybe he was meeting that man on Sundays. So, she decided to follow him.
The next Sunday, she trailed Lucas to the woods near their school.
Lucas and the man were talking in a language she didn't understand. The man suddenly knelt and bowed his head to Lucas.
Sarah's eyes widened.
Ears again…?
She was right — the man had the same cat-like ears.
Her heart pounded so loudly she almost forgot to breathe.
Then a twig snapped beneath her foot.
Lucas turned. Their eyes met.
She wanted to run to her car, but the man stepped in front of her, blocking her way.
"Did you follow me all the way here?" Lucas asked calmly.
"..."
"Good job," he said with a faint smile.
Sarah's heart dropped. Did he just say good job?
Did… did he know I was following him all along?
"I knew you were curious about me," he continued. "But to follow me all the way here? You're quite something, Sarah."
"Wh-what are you?" she stammered.
"Me? Don't you already know that?"
"What are you going to do with me?"
"Hm… should I kill you?"
Sarah froze, terror flooding her chest. Is he serious? Is he really going to kill me?
"Pfft… hahaha!"
"..."
"Ha! I was just kidding. Did you really think I'd kill you?" Lucas laughed.
Sarah's face burned with embarrassment. She really wanted to hit him for teasing her like that, but the man with cat ears looked deadly serious — she didn't dare move.
"I apologize for following you here," she said stiffly, "but I'd like to leave now."
"You can't," Lucas replied.
"What?"
"You can't leave," he said, smiling faintly. "Because you're coming with me."
'What the hell is he talking about? Why would I go anywhere with this guy?'
Sarah opened her mouth to ask what he meant, but the man interrupted.
"Your Highness! We don't have much time. We need to move."
Sarah's breath caught.
Did he just say… Your Highness?
She turned to Lucas, but his gentle smile was gone. His expression had hardened — calm, sharp, and commanding.