The Crown Prince In Hiding

Group 7:

Dan Burn

Nora Ophilis

Rafinya St. Pauli

The trio had one week to complete Professor McClaff’s grueling assignment.

“Why do I always draw the troublemakers?”

“‘Always’? What do you mean ‘always,’ Mr. Fury?” (First one drawn.)

“Shh… here she comes.”

“Who?”

Rafinya strode up from below, all the way to them.

“Am I important enough now?”

She threw Dan’s own words back at him.

He and Nora exchanged awkward glances.

Looks like she was holding quite a grudge.

“If you’re not happy, we can request a swap. It’d benefit everyone.”

Nora spoke.

“I’m satisfied with this group.”

Rafinya shot back, eyes on Dan.

“But I’m not.”

“Why, Nora? You usually carry the whole group alone. What’s one more leech?”

“I can’t believe that came from a noble like you. No shame?”

“No shame in the craft of us non-wand-waving peasants.”

!

In Luminus, mages who fought with pure magic instead of swords—outside of medics or support roles—were looked down upon. It wasn’t the knightly way they prided themselves on.

This stigma was too deep to uproot in one generation.

Nora wasn’t offended; she was versatile with fists, swords, axes, or magic. If anyone was offended, it’d be someone from Velmount.

“Then go join the wandless peasants elsewhere.”

“Didn’t you hear? I’m satisfied with this group.”

Whoosh.

Nora raised her hand to the TA.

“Can we change members?”

>

“…Fine, then.”

Dan held Nora back, stopping her from speaking for him, and turned to Rafinya.

“Let’s continue this at the library.”

Sheffield Library

Naturally, with McClaff’s assignment, many groups rushed to finish. Group 7 wasn’t the only one there.

It was a scene of pure awkwardness: Dan sitting across from Rafinya St. Pauli.

“Let’s divide the work.”

Dan spoke.

Rafinya glanced up from her book, eyeing him.

“Three problems, all analytical… Let’s split them—one per person, work separately, then regroup.”

Nora: “Good idea, Dan.”

“That’s how you usually do it?”

Rafinya asked.

“Split up, do the work, then combine it on submission day?”

“…Uh, yeah… it’s efficient.”

It wasn’t, really. Since Nora learned the truth, assignments were stress-free. She’d head to a cabin, work while eating grilled fish, and Zeedee would copy her answers to submit.

This time, they’d have to play it straight.

They planned to tell Rafinya to work separately, but do things differently behind her back.

Of course, Rafinya saw through it.

“Efficient? How do I know you’ll do it right? How do I know Nora’s analysis will be thorough?”

“…”

“Trying to ditch me? Not that easy.”

Dan and Nora exchanged another awkward glance.

“I suggest we tackle each problem together, every day until it’s done.”

“Every day?!”

“Why? Oh, right…”

Rafinya leaned in.

“You don’t stay in the dorms, do you?”

“!”

“You’re not in the city or the outer dorms… I’m curious where you even live. In the woods or something?”

!!!

Nora and Rafinya shared a dorm, saw each other regularly. But Dan? No one knew where he lived.

Rafinya thought Nora knew, but why would Nora tell her?

“Or maybe… you’re living with Lady Casca.”

“Not true.”

Actually, both were true.

“Where I live doesn’t matter. But meeting every day—”

“Why not? You’re a student. Got other plans? Same class schedule, right?”

“!”

Cornered with no excuse to argue.

If he tried saying, “I have special work,” she’d grill him on what, who’s the employer, and so on.

So it came to this.

“Fine, then.”

Decided by a 2-to-1 vote.

“Mr. Dan… let’s go.”

Nora stood. Dan followed.

Nora glanced back.

“We’re leaving. Thanks.”

“Go right ahead.”

“…”

Evening

Zeedee Lamb emerged from the lab, heading toward the academy’s gates. She spotted Dan hiding under a tree, waiting, looking wary.

“Let’s get home quick.”

“What’s wrong?”

Anfield.

“That Thomasin girl, Your Majesty?”

“Casca’s getting me out, but I’ve gotta endure one more week.”

“Just one week, right?”

“Remember the Arrowhead War?”

“Hmph.”

“One week’s enough to change the game if you’re careless. Even a few days with Lamar blew my cover. I’m not screwing up again. Take a different route home and move fast, got it?”

“Mm.”

“…”

Dan craned his neck to look at Zeedee.

“What’s with you, seriously? Why’re you acting like you’re begging for execution?”

“Then execute me!”

“What?”

They reached the cabin. The door swung open, lights flickered on, the heater hummed. Zeedee dropped her bag, yanked off her socks, and tossed them aside.

“You’re running off with that hag anyway! Just go!”

“What now?!”

“I’m not even in your sights anymore!”

“What did I tell you? I don’t know who taught you to act like this or if it’s some new strategy, but it’s not working.”

Dan suspected her fairy clique, but he had no proof.

“This sneaky behavior you’ve been pulling for three or four days? It’s not working! It’s a flop! You can’t replace what I have with Casca. Our time—you need to let it go.”

“Don’t say that!!!”

“!”

Dan froze, shocked. Zeedee’s voice boomed, and she stomped the bed in fury.

“Freya… you need to face reality.”

“This is my reality!”

She clutched her head, curling into a shrimp-like ball, sinking into the white sheets, now damp.

“I just… want your attention like I used to…”

Dan heard sobs from his guard.

“!”

“Why… hic… why are you leaving me? hic… Waaah!!!”

Zeedee broke down, curled up, soaking the sheets.

“Why!!! Thud. Why!!! Thud. Waaah…”

Freya had never been like this.

Not once in his life had he seen her cry.

He was stunned.

He never imagined Freya would show this side.

“No matter what, you’re leaving me!!! Hic. What’s the point of living?! Waaah!!!”

“What are you talking about? Me, leave you?!”

Dan dropped his things and grabbed Zeedee.

“Where’d you get that idea?!”

“Hic… Hic… Your Majesty… Hic… You don’t know how much this hurts…”

Maybe it ran deeper than he realized.

Freya might have lost all will to live, like he nearly had before discovering evolution.

“How could I leave you? Never.”

Dan propped Zeedee up. When she turned to him, he saw tear-soaked eyes and skin red as a tomato.

“Hic… Liar! Total liar!”

She collapsed onto him, forcing him to hold her. Her arms wrapped tightly around him.

“Liar!!!”

“I’m not lying.”

“Then prove it! Prove you love me!”

“How?”

Suddenly, Zeedee grabbed the back of his neck, pulled his face close, and…

Kissed him.

She pushed her weight down, toppling them onto the bed, straddling him.

“This is the proof… Your Majesty… Just once…”

“Nuh-uh, no way.”

Dan pushed her off, but froze when she looked ready to wail.

“!”

“…See? You don’t love me at all.”

“I don’t love you like that!”

“Right! I don’t love you like that either! And I don’t follow that hag’s ways! My love is what we used to have! That’s my love!”

“But what we did doesn’t align with my current beliefs.”

“I still believe in it!!!”

Her hands pressed his chest, leaning her full weight onto him.

“…You’re the one who walked away from us. You abandoned our ways for that religious lunatic. I never blamed you… but I’m asking, just once, come back to me… just one time… to let me know you still love me… Please… You don’t know how much I’ve suffered these ten years…”

Tears welled again, and hesitation stirred in the prince’s heart.

“You’re not the only one who felt alone on that island… My mate… it’s only ever been you…”

“Freya…”

“Your Majesty…”

Her hands slipped under his shirt, unbuttoning it without asking.

Before he knew it, Freya, in her human form, sat atop him, bare from the waist up.

!

His body reacted—blood pumping, eyes wide, ears burning red under the glow of her red earrings. Freya was more than ready.

“F… Freya…”

“Thirty years… Am I still just a follower to you?”

“…You’re my family. What else were those thirty years?”

“Exactly. If he didn’t care, you’d have been tossed into the sea ten years ago, bitch.”

!!!!

Suddenly—

Freya’s dramatic expression flipped to utter shock.

The one person who could interrupt her seduction, unnoticed—

Casca was back.