Vol 1 Chapter 1: Prologue — The Silver Prince Who Everyone Loves

Arclight Kingdom

The Kingdom of Arclight – a jewel in the west, as beautiful as a never-ending fairy tale.

At the western end of the continent stood a country that looked like a painting of eternal spring. The sky is always glowing with the rose colour of dusk. Marble towers tower like white symphonies, hugging the sky. The flower festival seems never-ending, because even time, perhaps, fell in love with this place.

In the palace, the dance floor echoed with harp music. The laughter of the nobles mingled with the fragrance of roses and wine. Everything looked perfect. And amid that perfection… There was a prince.

—

The Silver Prince Charming

Twilight cast a golden glow on the streets of the capital. Cherry petals fell like pink snow. Behind the effervescent crowd came a name that made the air vibrate softly:

“Prince Lune!”

“The Light of Arclight has returned!”

On his white horse, a young man with silver hair as beautiful as moonlight smiled softly. One wave of his hand was like magic. Petals were thrown at her… as if time wanted to stop at that second.

Lune Arclight.
The crown prince.
Young heroes.
The young man who… he said, was loved by the whole world.

He wasn’t coming home with a victory from a bloody war, just keeping the peace on the frontier.
But… his smile was enough to put people’s hearts at peace.

— 

The Two Girls Who Greeted Him

At the gates of the palace, two maidens had been waiting since morning.
The wind fluttered the strands of their skirts like a dancing fairy tale.
Rubea—the prince’s fiancée- ran ahead.
Her blue hair gleamed like wet sapphires in the twilight sun.

"Lune! You came back unscathed… I was worried…"

Rubea ran and then hugged him tightly, shamelessly.
Lune is shocked when Rubea hugs him.
But in his arms, Lune responded with the poise of a returning knight.

“I’m back,” he whispered, gently patting her back.

"I missed you so much… Lune. Why didn't you come home sooner?"

“I want to go home as soon as possible, Rubea.
But in the north, the situation is still unstable.
The Kingdom of Darkness is in chaos.
We must remain alert.”

“And now?”

“For now, everything is safe.
I will protect you.”

Rubea’s face flushed, like the petals of a rose touched by the sun.
But suddenly, a small hand pulled the end of Lune's arm.
At his side, a little girl stood shyly.
Her face was like soft porcelain easily cracked by worry.
Lys, Lune’s younger sister, spoke softly:

“Big Brother, are you alright?”

Little Lys hugged Lune's waist cheerfully.
Lune smiled and let go of Rubea's embrace, then knelt down to hug her little sister.

“Lys…”

"You come to say hello, Big Brother?
Of course. I’m fine.
Your Big Brother is strong.”
He added softly, ruffling the little girl’s hair.

"I'm glad... You're fine.
The palace is deserted without you, Big Brother…”

"I'm sorry, Lys. Your Big Brother misses you, too.
We'll play together again, won't we?"

"Really? Promise?"

Lys said while holding her big brother's finger.

"Of course.
When has your Brother ever lied to you?"

“Hore!”

Rubea watched from behind.
There was a complicated shadow that momentarily enveloped her face before she brushed it away with a polite smile.

Lune grabbed both girls' hands gently.

"I'm home... thank you for having me."

—

The Palace That Welcomes Love

Lune, Rubea, and Lys walk together.
Their steps were like dream rows on a marble floor.
The waiters bowed.
The knight paid his respects.

Lune reciprocated everything with such a warm smile.
When they arrived at the great hall, the nobles stood up.
The applause resounded like a shower of flowers.

“The Crown Prince has returned!”

“Prince Lune… the future king is second to none!”

At the far end of the hall, the King and Queen stood.
The twilight light painted their faces in golden silhouettes.
Lune bowed gracefully, followed by Rubea and Lys.

“I’m back, Father King.”

“I’m back, Queen Mother.”

“Welcome, my son,” greeted the King and Queen in unison.

The queen looked at him with the tenderness of a mother.

“How was your trip up north, my son?”

“Smoothly, Queen Mother.
But the situation there… is not yet stable.
The Kingdom of Darkness is still in chaos.
A new king has been elected, but the people have not accepted it.”

The Queen's face darkened for a moment, but the King soothed it with a gentle pat.

“Lune has won many wars.
I believe in him.”

"Father King is right.
Don't worry, Queen Mother.
I will protect you."

A slight smile puckered on the Queen's lips.

“Then… I believe.”

“Come on, honey.
Our son is back.
Isn’t it time to celebrate?”

The king stood up and said to all the nobles:

“Let us celebrate a feast for the Prince!”

—

Ballads and Looks

The party begins.
Wine is poured.
Music waves.
Compliments and jokes were tossed like petals.

Lune greeted the nobles one after the other, accompanied by Rubea and Lys.

“Prince, you are getting handsome.”

“Thank you for your help, Prince.
My daughter was healed because of you.”

"Equally, Count.
As a fellow academy member, I was only doing my duty."

“My daughter, Cinderella, is very grateful for Mr. Prince’s help.
Since you treated her, she has not stopped writing poems about you.
She looks forward to your return visit.”

Rubea, who stood at Lune's side, gripped her fiancé's hand tightly at the sound of the name.
But her face was still sweet.

—

Sweet Bites

After the greeting line is over, Lune feeds Lys.

“Open your mouth, Aaa…”

"Hmm ... very good, Big Brother.
Especially the one who feeds you!"

“Eat a lot, yes.”

Rubea stared at their proximity, the smile on her lips not quite reaching her eyes.

—

The Gorgeous Knight

The girl with long blonde hair and a knight's uniform came over.
She bowed gracefully.

“Prince Lune, how are you?”

"Hestia! I'm good. You too?"

“Good, Prince.
Glad to see Mr. Prince back.
Still nursing little sister, huh?
Good brother~”

Lune gave a small giggle.

"Lys doesn't like to eat vegetables unless her brother feeds her.

Hestia then added:
“Starting tomorrow, I will serve as the Prince’s personal bodyguard.
Direct orders from the Queen.”

“The Queen Mother is indeed too worried…
But I hope we can work together.”

“I also seek guidance, Prince.”

Rubea suddenly hugged Lune's arm tightly.

“Hestia, do you wish to say something else?”

"Nothing, Rubea.
See you tomorrow, Prince."

“Good luck.”

—

Dance and Silence

Rubea invites Lune to dance.

“Lune, let’s dance~”

“Alright…”

"Lys, wait here?"

“Please, brother.”

On the dance floor, Lune led Rubea in perfect moves. But in his heart…
…there is still a space that no one can reach.

—

Night. And Whispers of Destiny

The party is over.
The lanterns went out one by one, leaving the dim corridors of the palace as if drowsy with the night.

The sky over the park hung a full moon.
A thin cloud marched slowly, closing it for a moment, like the eyelids of a god testing a dream.

Lune stepped alone into the middle of the garden.
The shadow of the rose tree stretches long into the footstone.
The scent of wine wafted from his breath, mingling with the soft fog coming down from the mountains far to the north.

"Why… does everything feel too wonderful today?" he thought.

"Love everywhere. Smiles everywhere. But my heart… is still empty."

Leaves fell from the tree above him.
But not an ordinary leaf.
Red.
Old.
Like old blood drying up.

He looked at her with a frown.
The wind blew gently, then for a moment… silence.
The air became heavy.
His breath hitched. And in that silence—
A voice sneaked in, not from the ear, but from his soul.

“Prince Lune… whom everyone loves.”

He turned quickly.
At the far end of the garden, under the arch of the rose gate, stood a mysterious woman.
When Lune saw the figure, he stared.
But somehow the figure's aura felt warm and harmless.

“Who… is she?”
"Why is my body not moving?”
“I should have called the guards… but why wasn’t my heart afraid?”
“As if I knew her… as if she had been waiting for me… ”

Lune said in her mind.

For a few moments, Lune was silent.
The mysterious woman kept getting closer.

Tap… tap… tap…

Under the moonlight, stood a woman in a red robe, her face shrouded in shadow, yet her voice… clear as water from the autumn mountains.

“Who are you?”

“Not anyone. But they call me… Red Sage.”

Lune stood alert.
His hand almost reached for the hilt of the sword—
But the woman’s voice carried no threat.
Just… a question.

“Everyone loves you.
But… is it true love?”

“I feel loved.
Isn’t that enough?”

Red Sage smiled softly, almost like a twilight that didn’t want it to end.

“Untested love… is it really love?”

She whispered, holding up one hand.

A red aura crept slowly through the air like fallen petals.
It surrounded Lune's body, warming her, but not with fire. With… sincerity.

“Your level is now Grandmaster equivalent.
But this is not a gift.
It is merely a reflection of their expectations of you.”

“…Hope?”

“Yes. But if they love you for the hope you embody…
What if that hope is extinguished?
Does their love remain?”

Lune paused.

“If you follow my challenge…
I will bless your kingdom for a hundred years.”

“What’s the challenge?”

Red Sage did not answer directly.
She pulled something out from behind her cloak—
A glistening red apple, like a congealed blood moon.
Then, he took out a small knife from the end of her robe sleeve and slowly split the apple…
Until two perfect halves were formed.

She ate one piece in front of Lune.
Small nibbles, like the habit of someone who wants to make sure something doesn’t hurt anyone else.

“See. Non-toxic.”

She uttered, chewing slowly.
Her voice was clear, like the sound of a spring running through autumn.

Then she held out the other half.

“This apple is not a curse.
But… a choice.”

“Eat! This apple helps you sleep for a year.
When you wake up, you will remain as you are now.”

Lune stared at the fruit.
His hands lifted hesitantly.
But there was no pressure.
Just a soft whisper from the night air.

“If you sleep for one year, and they wait for you…
Then their love is right.
But if, when you wake up, everything has changed…
Then the crown is no longer yours.
Are you willing to lose everything…
In order to see the truth of the love you believe in?”

Lune looked up at the sky.
Stars blinked softly.

“I believe they will wait.”

Red Sage stepped back into the darkness.

"There is no compulsion, Prince.
Keep it.
This apple can only be eaten of your own free will."

Lune accepted the apple, cold in her hand.
When he turned around, the Red Sage had disappeared.
Like a leaf blown away by the wind and never returned.

—

The Prince’s Bedroom

Lune stared at the red apple he had now placed on the table.
He removed his robe slowly.
Wash the face.
Sitting on the edge of the bed.
His eyes fixed on the window, where the moon hung like the only eye still vigilant in the world.

“Will Rubea be waiting for me?”

"Will Hestia still stand at my door?"

“Will Anna still serve me?”

“Will Lys continue to hold onto her Big Brother’s finger while waiting?”

His hands were shaking.
But not out of fear.
Because it’s empty.
For not being sure if the love he received… was truly his.

He took the red apple.
Staring at his reflection in the shiny skin of the fruit.
The shadow of his face.

“If they truly loved me… they would wait for me.”

One bite.
A foreign sweetness.
Warm and tingly at the same time.
His eyes started to get heavy.
The world began to spin slowly.
He collapsed on his bed, hugging the rest of the unfinished apple.

—

While Lune Sleeps…

The night sky above Arclight Castle felt even quieter than usual.
And outside, the world began to change.
Waiting for someone they might… no longer recognise when he wakes up