The assembly was over, but the air still buzzed with whispers of the returning students—particularly one name:
Evelyne Ardent.
Nobles muttered her name behind fans. Some in awe. Most in suspicion. Yet none could deny the striking presence she carried, standing straight and alone beneath the stained glass of the academy hall.
From the balcony above, someone watched her.
Zane Elcross.
Crown Prince. Hero candidate. Her fiancé.
His silver armor gleamed beneath the light, untouched by battle yet shaped for war. He leaned against the railing, arms folded, eyes unreadable as he followed every step Evelyne made.
She had changed.
Not in beauty—she was always ethereal. But something colder, sharper lingered beneath her gaze. It wasn't fear, nor sorrow. It was purpose.
Zane clenched his fist.
He remembered the girl who used to trail behind him like a shadow. The one who smiled brightly when he visited the Ardent estate. Who cried when he left for sword training. That Evelyne was gone now.
Was it his fault?
"Your Highness," came a voice from beside him. A tall, handsome student with tousled black hair and sharp green eyes. "You're staring."
Zane glanced sideways.
"Reinhardt Velleius," he said flatly. "You transferred from the western capital, didn't you?"
Rein smirked. "Correct. And I came because I was curious… about her."
He pointed directly at Evelyne.
"I've never seen someone turn an entire hall silent just by walking in."
Zane's expression cooled. "She's dangerous."
Rein's smile widened. "So am I."
Far below, Evelyne felt the weight of their gazes. She didn't look up—but she knew.
The pieces were moving.
The prince who once abandoned her.
The noble rogue who seeks something deeper.
And the common girl she once watched from afar.
Her second life had begun.
And she would not let it slip through her fingers again.
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