The Prince's Defiant Smile
The moment the priest's thick lips parted, two names spilled out together, and for some strange reason, Arkin's nerves tightened into razor-sharp focus. He couldn't help but draw a sharp breath.
“I ask of the princesses. Where are Nefetia and Zafiri?”
“Uh, well…”
The priest's eyes landed on the table where the princesses sat clustered. A swift exchange of glances darted between Petra and the Floria princess. A tense silence crackled between them for a heartbeat, then, despite the Floria princess's pleading insistence, Petra opened her mouth with grim resolve.
“To tell the truth simply to the priest: Prince Zafiri called Nefetia in front of our quarters, and I saw him take her away alone.”
The entire room fell deathly quiet. Seneca asked with an incredulous expression.
“What? Where to?”
“Oh, toward the beach? They were chatting happily, and then they vanished….”
“You should have been warned that men and women must not be alone. The apprentice priest who led you to your rooms should have spoken plainly, shouldn't he?”
Arkin felt something snag in his throat. His gaze flicked from the priest to Petra. The men had reached the quarters and received clear instructions from Titus. Zafiri had not been there. What defense could he offer? Would punishment be avoided?
“Seneca.”
Arkin raised a hand to summon the priest.
“Um, when the announcement was made, Zafiri seemed absent….”
The priest drew a hesitant line.
“Then Nefetia should have firmly refused the notice.”
With nothing left to say, Arkin shut his mouth, feeling utterly awkward. It wasn't his place to speak, yet here he was adding fuel.
“I don't understand how you can be so unreasonable. If you're going to break the rules from the first day, why come here? Is the promise a joke?”
The priest's words poured out in a relentless, biting tirade when suddenly the dining hall door burst open, and a bright, cheerful voice rang inside.
“Sorry I'm late! My apologies. Oh, everyone's already here?”
A tall man with deep chestnut skin and long limbs stepped in. With an unhurried gait, he swept his purple-glowing eyes across the room. The strange, ambiguous beauty somewhere between man and woman—unless one overlooked the bare, sculpted chest revealed in his tunic, and he would have been mistaken for a princess.
“What were you doing all this time to arrive so late?”
Seneca snapped at him, but Zafiri waved it off casually.
“Nothing much. I just needed a walk because it was boring.”
As he shook his head, his long curly brown hair flowed lushly in the breeze. Watching the prince's brazen demeanor, Arkin clicked his tongue. A flower wreath sat atop the prince's head, fresh and still perfect—must have been crafted moments ago. By whom?
“I was playing around with the Kepet princess until the time ran out. Nefetia, come in already.”
Nefetia entered. With a slightly flushed face, she walked lightly, and the moment her eyes met Arkin's, she offered a faint smile.
…Smiling?
Arkin could not smile back. He had only spoken nonsense to help her, only for her to stand there grinning as if she had no idea what he meant.
“Truly exasperating.”
Just as irritated as Arkin, Seneca's tone grew even sharper.
“During your training on Credo Island, men and women must remain strictly separated. Did you not hear me?”
“Ah, but Nefetia did say as much.”
Zafiri flashed a cheeky smile.
“But anyone would have done what I did if given the chance to be alone with the Kepet princess. She's a goddess, after all.”
What utter nonsense was that…?
Arkin's brows furrowed deeply. Across the room, Draconis lowered his head and chuckled, while mocking laughter burst from the princesses' table. Unperturbed, Zafiri patted Seneca's shoulder and grinned.
“I'm sorry. I couldn't help myself. I can't stop when I see something pretty.”
“Sit down at your place.”
Seneca sighed deeply, visibly irritated. The vine prince swept back his long hair and strode in. For a fleeting moment, his purple eyes flicked toward Arkin—perhaps just an illusion?
“Already losing your mind on the first day.”
Seneca ran a hand over his face in exasperation. He stared at Zafiri beside Nefetia with incredulity, then shot him a sharp glare.
“Wait, what is this attire? Why no tunic?”
“I didn't like it, so I altered it a little. I prefer to bare my skin. See? It's pretty, isn't it?”
Zafiri gestured at his own body with a cocky flourish. Not a speck of fat, his smooth, bulging muscles filled his toned frame perfectly.
“If you break the rules because your body is pretty, then I will provide a new tunic. Change immediately.”
“Hah, what a shame. Don't you all agree? Especially me, who is such a treat for the eyes.”
Zafiri flashed a playful grin, revealing white teeth. He rubbed his palm over his stomach and tapped his broad chest, the sound of wood striking wood echoing.
“Shame? Please, just do as I say… it is what it is.”
Seneca sighed heavily and waved him off. Feeling the delay, he moved to the next topic with one final warning.
“As you have already been informed, you will remain on this island for the next six months. During this period, you will receive education on the founding histories and customs of each kingdom, undergo various training processes to develop the virtues of a ruler, and learn to master body and mind.”
The princesses' table was on the verge of losing focus—everyone had heard the same tale—when the priest's voice suddenly grew solemn.
“Each training process will include trials to build your patience, mental fortitude, and courage.”
“Wait, trials? I thought we only needed to receive the oracle at the end.”
Someone from the princesses' table asked urgently. It was clearly Petra of Stonegard.
“Naturally. We must convey to your home kingdoms whether you approached your training with sincerity. That is why we must strive for the best evaluation possible in this competition. Any questions?”
Petra reacted with unusual sensitivity.
“I dislike surprises… uh, is there enough time?”
“Fear not. We will only assess whether you mastered the virtues of a great ruler and whether you passed the trials. It will surely be a most enjoyable process for all of us.”
Yet the priest continued with an inscrutable smile.
“Tomorrow, for the next ten days, we will establish basic living habits. Without an attendant to wake you, you will rise at the set time, bathe alone, dress alone, tidy your quarters, and gather precisely on schedule. Even this alone takes considerable time.”
“Anyone can manage that. How dare you treat us like children?”
Kaichen grumbled, but the thunder prince's hair shot up in irritation and instantly deflated under Seneca's fierce glare.
“I will observe whether you arrive on time. The bell announces class and meal times five times; those who miss the deadline will be punished. Take note.”
With every word the priest spoke, his thick beard and deep scars twitched.
“Once this period ends, we will begin the true education. Until then, master only basic living habits. Understood? On the first day of instruction, you will tour the island. You will learn the World Tree where the World Alliance began, the sites of future trials, places you may enter, and places where entry is forbidden. We will show you the training grounds for physical conditioning and the routes for chariot races.”