When he stepped out of the carriage, the cold breeze swept through his hair, blowing it slightly out of place. He lifted his gloved hands, fixing them right away.

"This cold will be the death of me..." he murmured.

"If you had dressed properly, you wouldn’t be saying that," a familiar voice remarked. Although the speaker was someone he had known for years, Rihaan could feel the distance in Soren’s tone.

He snorted, glancing at the man before him. It wasn’t as if Soren was dressed any better—a thin black jacket wrapped around his lean figure, no muffler, no gloves, only a white hat perched atop his red hair.

Meanwhile, Rihaan was bundled up in a thick white coat, gray gloves, and a muffler, yet he was still shivering like a leaf in a storm.

"Why are you here?" Rihaan asked, adjusting his jacket. "Didn’t the hunt already start?"

"Oh? So you do know the hunt has begun, yet you came this late?" Soren folded his arms, one eyebrow lifting.

Rihaan’s muscles stiffened instantly. He’d said too much. Again. Maybe it was a curse—some strange spell that made him reveal everything he meant to keep secret whenever Soren was around.

When no answer came, Soren exhaled quietly, his arms falling back to his sides.

"We should head back," he said, turning on his heel.

"Well, you can go without me."

Soren stopped mid-step, his gaze shifting sharply toward him. A faint frown formed on his otherwise expressionless face.

"There is a limit to how much I’ll tolerate, Crown Prince Rihaan," he said evenly. "As my fiancé, you’re expected to participate in the hunt by my side."

"Bring a servant," Rihaan muttered, looking away. If he met his eyes now, he feared Soren might see something he wasn’t ready to explain.

Soren’s jaw tightened. Even so, he forced himself to maintain his composure—something an empire’s crown prince was expected to excel at.

"A servant?" he repeated, his voice low, almost pressed beneath his breath. "Do you really think I should bring a servant instead of you?"

"It’s not as if we are some loving couple, Your Imperial Highness," Rihaan shot back. "Don’t drag me into this, please."

Something snapped inside Soren. He didn’t know what it was, but he knew one thing: he had to bring Rihaan to the hunt with him. Otherwise, the nobles would spread their usual nonsense—whispers about the crown prince failing to appear with his partner.

They always found a reason to complain about him, and he couldn’t allow this to be one of those moments.

"Follow me," Soren said, ignoring Rihaan’s protest. "It’s an order." Having said so, he began walking away.

Rihaan, unsurprised by the display, fell in step behind him. It wasn’t the first time Soren had tried to get his way simply by stating, It’s an order.

Is this some kind of hereditary disease?

He grimaced, shaking his head. Even the Emperor had said the same. And, he reminded himself, it was the very reason he was here today in the first place. Otherwise... he would have returned to his kingdom long ago.

***

Ren was unexpectedly lifted onto the horse, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, just as they were about to enter the forest. Before he could protest, he realized it was pointless—would Zayden have listened even if he had?

"My Lord," he murmured, voice barely above a whisper, yet it carried faintly through the quiet, chilling forest. His gaze fell on Zayden, walking beside him, holding the reins as if Ren were a child in need of protection.

"Yes?" Zayden replied, forcing a bright grin to mask the nervous flutter in his chest.

He had instructed Eiran to stay with the others at the camp center days ago, but now, alone with Ren, all he could think about was the confession he had rehearsed countless times.

"Why am I riding the horse and not you? I should be the one holding tha—" Ren began, but Zayden cut him off before he could finish.

"Well, as a friend, I can’t let you walk into a place this dangerous. Especially since you can’t even use magic. What if some wild animal attacked you?"

Ren averted his gaze. He could use magic—he just hadn’t told Zayden yet. He lowered his head, a sigh slipping from his lips. How much longer was he supposed to keep all these secrets?

"My Lord—"

"Shh..." Zayden pressed a finger to his own lips, signalling Ren to remain quiet.

"I heard footsteps..."

"Animals?" Ren frowned, his heart beginning to race. Could he hold himself back if beasts surrounded them?

Zayden shook his head.

"Footsteps. Not animals. Someone must be there," he said, pointing toward the left. "We should head right so we don’t cross paths with them."

And we can have some privacy...

He thought, though it wasn’t as if he could say that out loud.

Before they could turn, sharp snaps of dry branches behind the large trees confirmed Zayden’s suspicion.

Soon, a figure emerged, dressed in deep green hunting attire, moving with the grace, straight posture, and deliberate steps of someone accustomed to the forest. A noble, no doubt, who had taken a slightly different path and was used to it as if it were his own territory,

Ren stiffened, pressing himself closer to the horse once the stranger figure approached them.

Meanwhile, Zayden’s hand rested lightly on the reins, his eyes narrowing as he assessed the passing figure.

The noble paused mid-step, glancing at Ren perched atop the horse. A faint smirk tugged at his lips, as if he found amusement in seeing a servant riding while a general walked beside him as if the roles were reversed.

Zayden’s sharp gaze met the noble’s—his expression unreadable yet threatening.

"Keep moving," he said evenly, a subtle warning laced beneath the calm tone.

The noble’s smirk faltered, but he inclined his head slightly, choosing to ignore the warning. He continued on his path, the crunch of boots fading into the distance.

Ren exhaled softly, lowering his shoulders.

"Well... I did not expect to encounter other participants. I thought we all took different routes."

Zayden’s lips twitched, half-smile, half-grimace.

"Indeed. But at least now, we are all alone again," he added, his eyes flicking toward Ren with a mix of mischief and relief. He couldn’t allow anyone to ruin his plans.