"Oh my God… I hope no one sees me!"
the girl whispered as she quickly glanced over her shoulder, her breath uneven from running.
"Oh… I barely made it… the guards almost saw me!"
Her light footsteps echoed over the stone pathway as she hurried away from the grand palace walls.
Dawn was still in its earliest moments, the sky suspended between the darkness of night and the first hint of light. A pale gray washed over the horizon, while the stone lamps lining the الطريق remained lit, casting small circles of yellow light onto the dew-damp ground.
A young woman ran through the side gate the servants usually used.
She was wearing a simple cream-colored dress, completely different from the luxurious clothes she normally wore inside the palace. Her long red hair was hastily tied behind her head, though a few loose strands had slipped free, lifting with her quick movements.
She finally stopped behind a low wall near the trees.
Placing a hand over her chest, she caught her breath.
"This is the third day in a row I've snuck out…"
she said quietly, pressing her fingers to her forehead.
"I just hope… no one finds out."
She lifted her head and looked around cautiously.
The place was quiet.
Tall trees concealed the palace behind them, and a narrow dirt path led toward a slightly abandoned small garden… the place where they used to meet.
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
Then she moved toward it with lighter steps.
Standing in the middle of the المكان, she raised her voice slightly and called out in an exaggerated, almost sing-song way:
"Yuuriii!… Yuri, my dear!"
No answer came.
She frowned slightly, turning around herself.
"Where did he go…?"
But she suddenly stopped.
Because when she turned—
she found him standing right behind her.
She jumped back a step.
"Why do you appear behind me like that?!"
A tall man stood before her, his mere presence enough to alter the calm of the المكان.
His eyes… were an unusual pure white, as though light itself was reflected within them.
Their glow was clear even in the faint light of dawn.
His hair was a bright turquoise, falling lightly over his shoulders.
His features were strikingly handsome, and the elegance of his appearance—even in the simplest clothes—gave the impression that dignity was simply a part of him.
But his smile…
was far simpler than that imposing aura.
He stepped closer, then took both her hands in his.
"Arian."
he said warmly.
"Good morning, little runaway."
Arian laughed immediately—a clear, unrestrained laugh.
"I was so scared sneaking out!"
she said quickly, as if still under the effect of the tension.
"My mother was already awake… and my brother too!"
Then she sighed dramatically.
"I would've preferred if only Julia and Lilia were awake… at least I could bribe them into staying quiet."
Yuri laughed as he imagined the scene.
His noble fiancée… sneaking out of the palace like a runaway child.
He shook his head slightly.
"Aren't you supposed to hide nothing from your family?"
he said, giving her a light wink.
She immediately shot him a defiant look.
"Don't say that."
She lifted her chin slightly.
"You didn't tell your family either."
He paused for a moment—
then burst out laughing.
"Well… that's true."
He shrugged casually.
"My mother just doesn't know."
Then he added in a normal tone:
"My brother does."
Arian thought for a moment.
"And your niece?"
Yuri smiled to the side.
"It doesn't matter if she knows."
Then he suddenly straightened his posture, imitating an overly strict stance.
"And sooner or later, she'll stand in front of me like this—"
He abruptly changed his tone into a mocking childish voice:
"Where were you, Yuuriii?!"
Arian burst into laughter.
A real laugh, from the depths of her heart.
"Your acting is terrible."
she said, wiping a tear of laughter from the corner of her eye.
"But at least she won't say 'uncle'…"
She pointed a finger at him.
"She'll say Yuri."
Then she added with a sly smile:
"And that's exactly what you want."
Yuri returned to his normal stance, laughing.
"True."
Then he clapped his hands once, as if remembering something important.
"By the way!"
he said enthusiastically.
"I brought you gifts."
His smile widened.
"They're all very beautiful."
Arian smiled gently.
But she shook her head slightly.
"Don't overwork yourself."
she said softly.
"There's no need to spend all your money on gifts for me."
Then she added lightly:
"Give someone else gifts too."
But Yuri shook his head firmly.
"I won't give anyone else anything."
He raised his fingers and began counting.
"My mother? If I give her something, she'll say: nice… but your father has better taste."
Then he raised another finger.
"My brother? He'll say: this is a waste."
Then he smiled sarcastically.
"And the funny part is, he spends all his money buying gifts for his daughter."
He paused.
Then raised an eyebrow.
"As for Karina…"
He suddenly returned to that same annoying stance from before.
And changed his voice again into a childish imitation:
"Daddy's gifts are the best!"
Then he returned to normal, laughing.
As for Arian…
she couldn't help but laugh with him once more, as the light of dawn finally began to spread slowly between the trees.
---
As they laughed and exchanged light conversation that eased the tension of the morning, another feeling slowly crept into Arian's heart—something heavier, like a shadow passing over a beautiful moment.
Her laughter gradually faded, and her gaze lowered to the grass, where dewdrops shimmered like tiny glass beads reflecting the pale dawn light.
She remained silent for a moment, then whispered in a soft voice that almost disappeared with the morning breeze:
"I know… you'll be leaving soon."
She paused, as if the next words were too heavy to pass easily through her lips, then added, lightly tapping her fingertips together in shyness:
"And you'll return to the south…"
At last, she lifted her eyes to him. There was clear shyness in her gaze, but it was mixed with a sincere certainty.
"I… I'll wait for you… for the day you come back… and marry me."
A small, timid smile formed on her lips, as though she feared the boldness of what she had just said.
Yuri looked at her for a long moment. His bright white eyes observed her features with a quiet warmth, before a genuine smile appeared on his lips. He reached out, taking her hand between both of his, gently squeezing it.
"Yes… when that time comes… I will return."
He stepped closer, adding in a calm, steady tone:
"I'll come to take you… as my wife… and as a woman of Vershi."
Arian's heart trembled slightly at those words.
It wasn't a fleeting promise—it was a promise of an entire future. A future she had imagined many times, yet never dared to speak aloud.
Not long after, Yuri stood on the dirt road leading away from the small garden, as the light of dawn slowly spread between the tall trees.
He turned back one last time and saw Arian standing at the edge of the trees, waving at him with a smile that tried to appear strong.
He smiled back, then turned and walked away with calm steps, his figure growing smaller and smaller among the trees… until he disappeared completely.
Arian remained standing in her place for a long moment after he left.
A single tear slipped down her cheek, and she didn't wipe it away.
It wasn't purely a tear of sadness… nor purely one of happiness… but something in between.
She knew that circumstances didn't allow for marriage right now…
She knew that families, duties, and titles stood like high walls between them…
And yet, she would wait for him.
She would wait with happiness too—because she had found in him something she had never found in anyone else.
She let out a slow breath and whispered to herself:
"I should go back… before anyone discovers me."
She turned to leave—
but heavy footsteps suddenly echoed behind her.
Slow, firm steps, as if the ground itself announced the arrival of their owner.
Her body froze for a moment before she slowly turned—
and the instant her eyes fell upon the man standing behind her, she gasped sharply.
He stood there like a tall shadow cutting through the dawn light.
A broad-shouldered man, his white hair gleaming coldly under the gray light, and his eyes carried a sharp, cold gaze that moved over her as if evaluating every action she had taken.
He spoke in a low, heavy voice, carrying a frightening weight:
"What are you doing, clever one?… Did you think I wouldn't find out you left?"
Arian's heartbeat quickened violently, pounding against her chest.
She stepped back—but her legs failed her, and she fell to the ground.
"Please… please, Alex, forgive me… please don't tell my mother… please!"
The man stood watching her in cold silence.
He was Alex de Shanely—her stepmother's son; the man most of the palace servants feared. Not because he shouted often… but because he rarely did. And his silence was often harsher than others' anger.
He approached her with calm steps, then grabbed her wrist firmly and pulled her up.
"Stop begging… it doesn't suit a noble."
Arian trembled slightly, but nodded quickly, trying to steady her breathing.
After a moment, he said in a low voice:
"Next time… I'll punish you."
She nodded again, quickly.
"It won't happen again."
He didn't reply. Instead, he simply turned and began walking toward the palace.
She followed him in complete silence.
Minutes later, they entered the main hall of the palace—a vast space with a polished marble floor reflecting the morning light streaming through the tall windows.
But the moment Arian took a few steps inside, she suddenly stopped—
because a woman was already standing there… as if she had been waiting.
She wore an elegant dark dress, her hair styled with strict precision, and her sharp eyes immediately fixed on Arian.
It was Carmen.
She approached quickly, grabbing Arian's shoulders firmly.
"Where were you?!"
The words stumbled in Arian's throat.
"I—I… was… in the garden…"
Carmen's gaze darkened.
"Didn't I tell you that you're forbidden from going out?!"
Her voice suddenly rose, echoing through the hall:
"How many times do I have to repeat that?!"
Arian's body trembled as she quickly tried to defend herself:
"It was just the garden, Mother!"
But Carmen's hand suddenly lifted into the air—about to strike her across the face—
when another hand caught her wrist before it could move.
"Stop."
The voice came calm—but firm.
Carmen turned in anger to see Alex holding her hand.
He said coldly:
"I'm the one who allowed her."
A brief silence fell over the hall.
Arian's expression relaxed slightly when she realized he had lied for her.
But Carmen's anger didn't fade.
"And what does that have to do with you?!" she snapped.
"She's my daughter… she's not even your sister!"
Alex's expression didn't change.
He slowly pushed her hand away, then took Arian by the wrist and pulled her a step behind him.
He spoke in a clear, cold voice:
"As long as she lives in the House of de Shanely… the rules are mine."
Then he looked directly at Carmen and added with harsh coldness:
"And if she's not even my sister… then take her."
He paused briefly—
then continued in a sharp tone:
"And let her go live with her father… or anywhere else."