Love either makes a man feel something beautiful… or it breaks him so completely he can't even recognize himself anymore.
I said it quietly, almost to myself, before taking a slow sip of tea. The steam brushed against my face, warm — unlike the thought.
"Oh, really, Mr. Starlyx…" a girl's voice came from behind me, smooth and edged with mockery. "Are you trying to be a lover boy to impress me, hmm?"
A faint smile pulled at my lips the moment I heard that voice.
I didn't turn around immediately.
"Impress you?" I scoffed lightly. "You've got to be kidding me. I don't want to get myself executed for flirting with Princess of Immortals… is that right, Princess Nyxaria?"
Only then did I turn.
She was standing there, arms crossed, eyes narrowed — that royal glare sharpened like a blade. I leaned back in my chair, letting a playful smirk settle on my face.
She hated it when I addressed her formally. Hated it more than she would ever admit.
"What is it?" I tilted my head slightly. "Cat got your tongue?"
I enjoyed this — irritating her just enough to make her lose composure. Especially when she made that face. The one where anger and embarrassment fought for dominance.
"You…" she exhaled sharply, jaw tightening. "How many times have I told you not to call me so formally? Call me Anfreycia. Or Anfy. Nothing else should come out of your mouth."
Her eyes darkened — not playful now.
"Or I swear," she stepped closer, voice lowering into something dangerous, "I will eat you alive."
Anfreycia's tone wasn't loud.
It was controlled.
And that was far worse.
…Okay.
Now I realized I'd fucked up.
Anfreycia stepped closer without a word. Before I could react, her fingers caught my ear — and twisted.
"Ouch—ouch! Hey, Anfy! That hurts—! Sorry! I'm sorry! I won't mess with you again, I promise!"
She released me just as suddenly. No lingering touch. No softness.
She stepped back and crossed her arms, chin lifting with quiet authority.
Damn… that ear grab actually hurt.
I rubbed my ear and looked up at her — straight into those sapphire eyes.
They weren't just beautiful.
They were distant.
"Hey, Anfy—"
She turned her face away before I could finish.
Huh?
What the hell?
Is she actually mad?
Why? I was just teasing her… that's what we always do.
…Right?
Oh, come on. Don't tell me I actually have to make it up to her now.
I exhaled slowly.
Now I really regret messing with her.
"Anfy… please." My voice dropped, less playful this time. "I'm sorry. Did me calling you by your formal name really hurt you that much?"
She didn't look at me.
But she nodded.
Just once.
And that silent movement hit harder than the ear twist.
Wait…
Why would it hurt her if I called her by her formal name?
"Why does it hurt you if I call you by your formal name?"
Yeah, I sounded blunt. But what else was I supposed to do? Dance around it?
She slowly turned back toward me.
Her eyes narrowed.
"Arv Starlyx," she said flatly, each word precise, controlled. "How the hell did you even become Vice-Captain of a royal squad while being this dumb?"
Her gaze sharpened.
"You know very well why I hate hearing my title from your mouth."
"I actually don't," I replied, quieter now. "You never told me."
For a second, I thought she would snap again.
Instead, something shifted.
"Fine," she said. "Then hear it for the first and final time."
Her jaw tightened.
"I hate when you call me by my title because it reminds me of my burdens. It reminds me…" Her voice faltered — barely. "It reminds me that I am royalty. A princess."
She inhaled slowly, as if the word itself tasted bitter.
"And when you remind me of that… it hurts."
My heart clenched.
A tear gathered at the corner of her sapphire eye, trembling but refusing to fall.
"It hurts because it feels like you're putting a wall between us," she continued, softer now. "Like you're stepping back. Like you're choosing distance."
Her fingers curled into her sleeves.
"And it reminds me of your suffering too… of how people treat you. Like you're something wrong. Something lesser."
Hybrid.
She didn't say it again.
She didn't need to.
My eyes opened as sunlight spilled across my face.
I sat up slowly, leaning back against the headboard, stretching my arms with a quiet yawn. The room was still — too still.
I exhaled.
"I dreamt of her again… didn't I?"
I swung my legs off the bed and stood. A faint smile formed on my face — one I didn't even notice — the moment my eyes fell on the photo frame resting on the desk.
A picture of me and Anfy.
From when we were kids.
"I get to see her less now… don't I?"
The words felt heavier in the morning silence.
Ever since I became Vice-Captain of the royal squad, White Fang, my responsibilities had grown — multiplied — pressing down on me in ways I hadn't expected. Duty didn't ask whether I was ready. It simply arrived.
"I wonder…"I murmured, my gaze shifting to the wall."If Father was still around… would he have been happy? That his boy has grown this much since he left?"
My eyes lingered on his portrait.
"…Who knows. The only one who truly knew what he felt… was him."
I smiled — not widely.
But proudly.
There was weight in that smile. And something unspoken beneath it.