Chapter 1 –
In the kingdom of Asteria, magic was everything.
Every girl born in the kingdom received a special power.
Some controlled fire.
Some controlled water.
Others commanded wind, lightning, or earth.
The boys were different.
They could control time.
But in the entire kingdom…
there was one exception.
Guriya.
She was the only girl born without magic.
People whispered whenever she walked past.
"Useless."
"A disgrace."
Even her own father sometimes looked at her with disappointment.
Guriya worked in the royal palace with her mother, who served as a maid.
One morning she climbed a tall ladder to clean the palace walls.
The marble floors below looked far away.
She stretched her arm to wipe the top corner.
Suddenly—
Her foot slipped.
The ladder shook violently.
Guriya gasped.
Her body fell backwards.
She closed her eyes, waiting for the painful impact.
But it never came.
Strong arms caught her.
Her eyes slowly opened.
And her breath stopped.
Prince Casper.
The coldest man in the kingdom.
Girls chased him everywhere, but he never showed interest in anyone.
Yet right now…
he was holding her.
Their eyes met for a moment.
Then he gently placed her down.
"Be careful," he said quietly.
Before she could say anything, he walked away.
But from that moment…
Prince Casper never stopped noticing her.