The Cool Sensation of Fate
His eyes, quietly gazing back at her, were endlessly blue and deep. Upon closer inspection, flecks of gold and gray seemed to swirl within them, evoking a refreshing sea or the profound depths of a twilight sky.
“I don’t know who you are… but you truly are beautiful.”
She felt she ought to say something, yet her breath came short as though she had sprinted a great distance, her heart hammering so fiercely that the words tumbled out in disarray.
The man offered no reply. He simply stared at her, utterly dazed. Then, as if embarrassment had suddenly caught up with him, a rosy hue slowly bloomed across his pale cheeks.
“Rest assured. I have no intention of punishing you.”
Nefetia drew in a steadying breath and spoke clearly in the common tongue.
“I am Princess Nefetia of Kepet.”
His blue eyes gradually focused, and he furrowed his brows ever so slightly. The faint scowl only made him more captivating, so Nefetia tilted her head down to study his gaze more intently. As her face drew closer, his Adam’s apple bobbed visibly. He looked as though he wanted to speak, yet he only pressed his lips together and remained silent.
“It seems your tongue still won’t obey you. There’s no need to be afraid.”
Nefetia wanted to put him at ease. Wearing a gentle smile, she stroked his flushed cheek. Their bodies touched once more, but the overwhelming intensity from before did not surge through her this time. Even so, a sweet, buoyant feeling still danced lightly through her heart.
“Can you feel it? I wonder if a cool sensation washes over you as well.”
“…….”
“Poor thing. I keep telling you not to be scared.”
Emboldened, she lifted her other hand and ran it through his golden hair. His gaze remained locked on her, but his face flushed far more deeply than before—a vivid, intense crimson.
“This must be confusing, but please listen without alarm. This is my first time experiencing anything like it, so I feel every bit as awkward as you do.”
The princess cleared her throat.
“I am considering purchasing you and taking you back to my homeland. It would be best if you could speak with your master at once.”
She could feel his cheek growing hotter beneath her palm. Strangely, that warmth felt refreshingly cool to her. It was so sweet and intoxicating that she had no desire to pull away.
“If you have family who must come along, I will pay any price required. I have never bought a person myself, so I am unfamiliar with the customs of common folk… but rest assured, I will treat you with the utmost generosity. Whoever your master may be, I can treat him dozens—or even hundreds—of times better than he ever has.”
Nefetia smiled kindly. She rather liked how quietly he had remained. He did not seem the type to overstep, and his apparent prudence suggested he would not act rashly at court.
“I will provide you with far finer clothes than those you wear now. Delicious food as well…”
Nefetia’s gaze swept over his powerful frame, and she faltered briefly. He appeared far more solidly built than the men of Kepet, which was slightly disconcerting. Still, if she could take this man with her, what did such details matter?
“In the Kepet Kingdom, your duties will not be numerous. Simply eat well, sleep well, and live comfortably. Then, when I have need of you…”
“Wait a moment.”
The man finally spoke. His voice was utterly unlike those of the men she had heard in Kepet—deeper, calmer, rich and smooth as the finest honey.
“From the very beginning, this has been truly…”
He seized her wrist and pulled it away. His voice grew firmer, and his eyes flashed with sudden sharpness.
“The more I look at you, the more ridiculous this becomes.”
Eyes as cold as a winter gale pierced her. In a voice laced with anger, he snapped sharply.
“Who do you think I am, to behave with such insolence?”
Nefetia’s eyes widened.
“Then… you are not a slave?”
“A slave? I am royalty. Arkin Seilir of Solinar.”
“Ah…”
The confusion lasted only a moment before delight flooded Nefetia’s face. If that was the case, then he and she were the “equals” Shadia had spoken of—friends!
“Good heavens, why didn’t you say so sooner? You’re royalty! A prince!”
“Ha…”
The man gave a short, disbelieving laugh and straightened his posture. He stared at the overjoyed Nefetia with pure bewilderment, then clicked his tongue as the absurdity of it all sank in.
“So I may call you Arkin, then?”
Nefetia’s eyes curved into a soft smile. She had finally met her first friend, and coincidentally he was my….
Wait. The thought snagged abruptly.
Nefetia frowned and studied him closely. How could she possibly explain why she had tried to take him to Kepet? If he was not a slave but the prince of Solinar, matters had just become far more complicated.
“Um… Arkin.”
Nefetia called his name with care. It seemed wisest to explain the “sensation” from earlier, step by step.
“About that ‘sensation’ earlier. Have you ever felt it with anyone else?”
“What sensation?”
The prince, arms crossed and leaning back at an angle, blinked slowly. He appeared not to understand. Nefetia continued, choosing her words even more deliberately.
“When I touched your cheek… that feeling.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
The blunt reply came back at once. Arkin could not know it, but for Nefetia this matter carried the weight of her entire future. She had to ask.
Arkin Seilir. The promising heir to the Winter Forest Kingdom of Solinar.
The international competition he had anticipated was not supposed to resemble this in the slightest. A refined and fierce contest among stars. A sacred hall of learning where nations forged friendships in solemnity and pursued constructive wisdom. A place where healthy bodies and disciplined minds were forged through rigorous training and strict rules….
Yet the first person he encountered upon reaching Credo Island was, regrettably, some insane princess. Arkin felt as though every ounce of his common sense had shattered. And now….
“Prince of Solinar, do you truly feel nothing? Not even a cool sensation or a hot one?”
To have his face cupped by a princess from a foreign land he had only just met, inadvertently offering his cheek to her bizarre antics….
“I feel none of that nonsense, so stop touching me.”
Irritated, Arkin shoved away the persistent Nefetia, who kept stroking his cheek and peppering him with questions.
“No, wait… That cannot be right.”
Her golden-disk eyes flew wide. The princess was stubborn. She insisted on verifying it to the end and reached for his face once more with fierce determination.
“Enough.”
Arkin turned his gaze toward the distant trees and exhaled. What was this nonsense? It felt like some form of torture. And what was with her clothing? Was fabric so scarce in Kepet? The sand princess’s attire left nowhere safe for his eyes and was driving him to the brink of madness. Every time the curves of her body showed through that fabric as thin as dragonfly wings, he felt his sanity slipping.
“Excuse me… Princess Nefetia of Kepet, correct?”
Evading her hand, Arkin forced the words out.
As the well-educated heir of Solinar, he should have maintained a dignified tone, yet even before the Kepet princess’s sudden assault his nerves had been stretched taut. His body and mind were both frayed, and he had only stepped into the forest to steal a moment of peace….
“What exactly are you trying to accomplish by touching my face? What do you wish to confirm? Have you lost your mind?”
Nefetia let out a long, frustrated sigh.
“Prince of Solinar, I would ask that you not grow so angry. If you listen carefully, you will understand the reason.”
“Then tell me the reason.”
“From what I can tell, you are my… Hetasept.”
“What?”
“Fated soulmate.”
Fated what? Soulmate? Arkin had reached the limit of his bewilderment. Should he listen to whatever madness she was about to spout, or simply dismiss her as a lunatic and walk away…?
Endure. He must endure. The spiritual virtue of the great Winter Forest Kingdom lay in its generous tolerance and patience toward others. Though irritation simmered inside him, Arkin drew a deep breath and steadied his voice.
“…I understand none of this. Explain it to me slowly, from the beginning.”
“All right. When I touch you like this—”
Nefetia reached for his wrist. In that instant he swept her hand aside with lightning speed.