The Grand Hall of Aradelle was drenched in the glow of crystal candles that night, their flickering light dancing across the cold, white marble floors.
The air was thick with the scent of expensive roses and the sharp aroma of fermented wine, sipped slowly by nobles draped in heavy silks. Yet, the center of all this opulence wasn't the King sitting on his throne it was the girl standing in the middle of the room.
Princess Vanka.
At nineteen, she was the very definition of perfection. Standing tall in a flowing cream-colored silk gown, she possessed sharp, captivating eyes, ruby-red lips, and skin as flawless as polished alabaster. In front of her, a young man knelt on one knee.
Noah.
He wasn't the wealthiest prince, but he had a rugged, defined jawline and eyes as blue as the ocean eyes that held nothing but sincerity. He held out a black velvet box. Inside was a simple silver ring with a small blue gem. It was his mother's heirloom.
"Princess Vanka of Aradelle," Noah's voice was deep, trembling with affection.
"For three years, I have adored your beauty from afar. For three years, I've dedicated my magic to guarding your borders. Today, with the stars as my witness... will you be my life partner?"
The entire hall fell into a suffocating silence. The nobles held their breath. Vanka looked down at the ring box, then at Noah.
The corner of her lips curled not into a sweet smile, but a cold, mocking smirk.
"Stand up, Noah," Vanka commanded, her voice like ice.
Noah stood, his eyes sparkling with a flicker of hope. "Vanka...?"
Vanka took a step forward, the tip of her golden heels touching Noah's slightly dusty boots. She reached out, her slender fingers tilting his chin up, forcing him to look her in the eye.
"Do you see the gems in this crown?" Vanka pointed to the massive diamond resting on her head.
"The price of this single stone could buy ten of your home villages. And you... you come here bringing this piece of dull, tarnished silver?"
"It belonged to my mother, Vanka. It's a symbol of my sincerity-"
"Sincerity?" Vanka let out a sharp, melodic laugh that sounded like a death knell.
"Noah, listen closely. Sincerity doesn't build palaces. Sincerity doesn't buy me silks from the East. Look at yourself. You're just a prince from a tiny, crumbling kingdom. You look more like a palace guard than a husband for me."
Noah's face went pale. "I love you, Vanka. More than anyone in this room."
Vanka rolled her eyes and turned toward the guests, flaunting her power.
"Did you all hear that? He says he loves me! Noah, do you want to know what I think when I look at you?"
Vanka leaned in close, whispering loud enough for the front row to hear.
"You're disgusting. Every time you look at me, I feel like mud is clinging to my skin. Those rough hands of yours... aren't even fit to touch the hem of my nightgown."
"Enough, Vanka!" Noah snapped, his voice shaking with a mix of rage and utter humiliation.
"You can reject me, but do not insult my dignity."
"Dignity? Do you even have any?" Vanka reached into his box, plucked the ring out, and dropped it onto the marble floor.
Ting.
The sound of the metal hitting the floor was agonizingly sharp. "Oops. That's exactly where you stand in my eyes, Noah. Right under my feet."
Noah clenched his fists. "You love your beauty more than anything, don't you? You think you'll stay this young and radiant forever?"
"Of course," Vanka replied smugly, tossing her long black hair.
"I am the Rose of Aradelle. And this flower will never wither for a man like you."
Noah's once-gentle eyes suddenly turned dark. The ocean-blue depths transformed into a pitch-black storm.
A sudden, unnatural chill filled the room, blowing out several candles on the walls. Noah stepped forward, his presence now terrifyingly dominant.
"You're wrong, Vanka," he whispered, his voice echoing with a haunting, supernatural layer.
"You are a flower grown from the fertilizer of lies. You crave praise, you worship sweet words, even when they are nothing but hollow deceits."
"What are you doing? Guards! Throw him out!" Vanka shrieked, a flicker of unease finally touching her heart.
But the guards remained frozen in place, their feet seemingly nailed to the floor by dark magic.
"You think I'm disgusting?" Noah laughed bitterly. "Then let the world see how disgusting your soul is through your face."
Noah raised his hand, a violet-black light pulsing from his fingertips. Vanka tried to scramble back, but she was trapped against a marble pillar.
"Hear my curse, Princess of Aradelle," Noah spoke in a low tone that vibrated through her bones.
"From this second on, every time a man lies to you every time you accept the fake flattery you so dearly love you will age by one day. Wrinkles will etch your eyes, gray will haunt your hair, and the beauty you boast of will rot away."
Vanka's eyes widened in horror. "You're insane! You can't do this!"
"And remember this," Noah continued, leaning into her trembling ear.
"Only I the sorcerer you insulted can be your cure. Only my honesty can restore your youth. But remember, Vanka... I no longer have any reason to be honest with you."
Noah released her. He turned, his black cloak billowing as he marched toward the grand doors.
"Noah! Come back! Break this stupid spell!" Vanka screamed hysterically.
Noah stopped at the threshold, glancing back with the coldest gaze Vanka had ever seen.
"Enjoy the short remainder of your youth, Princess. Don't forget to look in the mirror tomorrow morning."
He vanished into the darkness of the night, leaving a haunting silence behind.
Vanka gasped for air, her chest heaving with rage. "Hah! A lowly sorcerer! Who does he think he is? I don't feel anything. I'm still beautiful!"
She rushed to a large mirror in the corner of the room, staring at her reflection. Still perfect. Still firm. Still breathtakingly gorgeous.
"See? He was just bluffing," Vanka laughed, trying to steady her racing heart.
A young noble, Duke Hans, approached her with a charming smile. Hans was notorious for his silver tongue and wandering eyes.
"Princess Vanka, pay no mind to that madman," Hans said softly, taking her hand and kissing the back of it.
"To me, you are an eternal goddess of beauty. You will never age; your radiance will last a thousand years."
Vanka beamed, her ego instantly restored. "Thank you, Hans. You always know exactly what to say."
But the moment she finished her sentence, a sharp, strange sting pricked the corner of her eye. She looked back at the mirror.
Vanka let out a muffled scream.
At the corner of her right eye, a tiny, faint wrinkle had appeared out of nowhere. She rubbed at it frantically, but it wouldn't go away. A single strand of her jet-black hair suddenly turned a dull, lifeless gray at the tip.
Vanka remembered Noah's words:
"Every time a man lies to you... you will age by one day."
Duke Hans had just lied. He said her beauty was eternal. It was a lie. And Vanka had just lost a day of her youth.
"No... it can't be..." she whispered, her trembling hands covering her face.
In the distance, outside the palace gates, Noah looked back at the Princess's tower one last time before disappearing into the forest.
"The game begins, Vanka," he muttered to the night wind. "Let's see how long you survive in a palace built on lies."