The Crown Prince In Hiding

“You’re right, Rafinya. It’s rare we get to cut loose in a fun game like this… Getting serious won’t hurt.”

Nora grabbed a new ball, the atmosphere shifting. Dan shrugged and reloaded his own ball.

Rafinya was ready. Her teammate was ready…

Then—

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A massive surge of pressure erupted from Nora Ophilis. Her glowing eyes locked on, arm cocked mid-air, body aloft. She hurled the ball in a single throw, splitting into two arcs aimed at both opponents simultaneously.

Though dodgeballs were designed to be safe, the force Nora put behind it made the other side rethink—getting hit might be disastrous.

Whack!

Rafinya’s teammate took a ball to the head, knocked out of the game instantly.

But Rafinya dodged with a quick sidestep, tracking the ball until it sailed out of range. She retaliated, throwing at Nora with equal ferocity.

“!”

Prince Fury nearly stumbled out of bounds.

Sure this is a “fun game”?!!

Nora dodged with matching speed, but then…

Thud!

A lightly tossed ball grazed Rafinya.

Clang!

Her fierce eyes snapped to Dan.

“Got you.”

1-1.

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Pow! Bang!

Dan and Rafinya’s teammate were hit by balls launched so fast they couldn’t react. Before they could move…

“Ugh… what the?!”

The teammate trembled. When had Nora thrown at him?!

Dan was shocked, too. Rafinya…? To human eyes, she was a demon in her own right!

Once out, Dan turned back to the field…

Two demons clashed, their power on a different scale from everyone else.

Pow! Bang! Pow! Bang!

Balls ricocheted off the court, left and right. Rafinya and Nora battled relentlessly, neither yielding.

This wasn’t dodgeball anymore—it was volleyball, deliberately smashing at each other!

“Bit too cocky, Rafinya. Kill Iskaryx? You Luminus nobles? Dream on.”

“At least I know you didn’t slay that beast alone.”

“What was that?”

Dan: “?!”

As the ball-throwing paused, Rafinya spoke, not even winded.

“A beast no one could defeat for generations, then one day a blessed princess slays it single-handedly… Sounds like a fairy tale. Believe what you want, but I know you couldn’t have done it alone.”

Rafinya pointed her ball at Nora.

“We Luminus have fought dragons enough to write our own manuals. Dragons live 600 years on average, but Iskaryx’s records only go back 300. You expect me to believe it was coincidentally sick? No way, unless…”

She shifted her aim to Dan.

“Someone helped you… someone pretending to be a nobody. You went to Snowhaven with Nora, didn’t you?”

!!!!

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Time ran out. The set ended in a tie.

Still 1-1.

Both teams prepped for the next round.

“Hey, you.”

“Yes?! Lady Rafinya!”

“Get lost.”

“Yes, sir!!! I won’t bother you anymore!!!”

Rafinya’s teammate was banished, never to return.

Now it was just her, Dan, and Nora.

She picked up a ball.

“At first, I didn’t buy Chiesa’s theory… but now I’m starting to.”

Rafinya had dug into something.

Whether through the Pauli family’s connections or otherwise…

She’d learned that the week Nora went home to slay the dragon, Dan had tagged along.

“What are you talking about?”

“Don’t play dumb, princess. Not convincing. Two weeks in Snowhaven—you didn’t go alone. This guy was on that train with you.”

“…How’d you know?”

“Walls have ears, doors have cracks.”

Nora and Dan exchanged looks.

“Probably not even an orphan from Zentinel, huh? Are you even from Zentinel?”

The whistle blew. The third set began, but here, no one moved, ignoring the chaos around them.

Rafinya stepped toward Dan, confronting him.

“Lady Rafinya… what do you want from me?”

“The truth.”

She said,

“Tell me who you are… now.”

Her demeanor was fierce, her eyes always seeking a worthy rival, burning to surpass her limits again and again. Her energy and mindset were the polar opposite of Nora’s.

While Nora Ophilis acted out of duty and position, Rafinya Saint-Pauli was driven purely by ego.

Her personality was a complete departure from Nora’s. She never stressed, never felt burdened—she acted for herself, all to fuel her ego to one day rival Casca Saint-Maximin.

Fury didn’t dispute that. Rafinya might be the next Casca—he had no issue with it.

But he thought… maybe it was time for the tiger to show its claws. He needed to set boundaries, or things would spiral.

Rafinya was like The Raven.

Not to be underestimated… her wit and sharpness were top-tier.

So, might as well…

“I’m Dan Burn, a student at Artheris Academy. My friends are Nora Ophilis and Zeedee Lamb. That’s the truth. That’s all you get, Lady Rafinya.”

Dan picked up a rubber ball…

“Soon, I’ll be gone. You won’t see me again. The scholarship will go to someone who deserves it. You’re right—my swordsmanship’s mediocre, my fighting’s garbage.”

Suddenly… Nora and Rafinya felt a chilling, mysterious energy, goosebumps rising. A pressure seeped from the boy’s voice.

And then…

Before they could react, before they could move, before they knew it… a ball shot through the air, grazing Rafinya’s ear with a speed surpassing anything she or Nora had thrown. It was so fast it seemed fired from a weapon.

Eyes wide, Rafinya stood stunned, unable to believe what she’d seen.

If that had been a rock or pebble, her head would’ve been obliterated by the sheer force.

And Dan… had thrown it… secretly using the index and middle fingers of his true form, hidden under a glove.

Rafinya slowly glanced at the ball’s path… Dan let the remaining ball roll toward her.

“But one thing I’ll say… I value my privacy deeply, and I don’t like people meddling.”

“!”

“You don’t need to know everything. Tell the seniors… you’re not important enough for me to share my personal life.”

“!!!”

Rafinya’s eyes twitched at his words. Coming from the quiet Fury, it was clear he meant it—a warning not just for her, but for others through her.

“Nora.”

“Yes, Dan?”

“Let’s go. I’m done playing.”

“Same here, Dan.”