Chapter 15: The Greymark Heir

Elara:

For several long seconds, I simply stared at him. My brain seemed incapable of processing the fact that there was a man standing inside my changing room.

A stranger.

A very handsome stranger.

"What are you doing in here?" My voice came out steadier than I felt. Inside, however, my heart had begun racing so hard that I was convinced he could probably hear it.

The young man merely shrugged one shoulder, looking perfectly at ease despite the situation as he answered, "Appreciating the view."

I blinked, completely caught off guard. "Excuse me?"

"The view." His gray eyes swept over me once again without the slightest embarrassment. "It’s rather... breathtaking."

For a second, I forgot how words worked. Did he really just-

I opened my mouth, only to close it as nothing came out. Heat rushed into my cheeks despite every effort to remain calm.

I had spent my entire life hiding beneath oversized T-shirts, hoodies, and baggy jeans. Mom used to joke that if fashion designers ever saw me, they’d cry over how determined I was to hide the body they’d designed for. It wasn’t that I lacked confidence. I knew I had a good figure. I simply hated drawing unnecessary attention to it.

And now, I was standing in front of an almost complete stranger wearing the most revealing dress I’d ever put on. Every inch of exposed skin suddenly felt painfully obvious beneath his gaze. My fingers instinctively twitched toward the fabric, wanting to pull it higher somehow despite knowing that wasn’t even possible.

Instead, I forced myself to remain perfectly still. When I finally trusted my own voice again, I spoke as calmly as I could. "Since you have finished appreciating the view, you should leave."

For a brief moment, neither of us moved. Then, the corners of his lips lifted ever so slightly. It wasn’t really a smile, but more like quiet amusement. He unfolded his arms, and instead of walking toward the exit, he walked toward me.

I watched him approach without moving.

One step. Then another. He stopped only when he stood directly before me. But he was far too close, enough that I had to tilt my head slightly upward to maintain eye contact.

He wasn’t quite as tall as either Lorien or Reign. But he was still considerably taller than me. And apparently, personal space wasn’t something these men believed in.

"My apologies." His voice remained calm as he spoke, "I neglected introductions."

His expression softened ever so slightly. "Princess."mHe inclined his head politely. "My name is Kairo Greymark."

The name meant absolutely nothing to me. Though considering he spent his time in Reign Valemont’s company, I doubted he was just another ordinary student. If there was one thing I’d already learned about Reign, it was that he didn’t strike me as the type to surround himself with average people.

Kairo studied my face quietly as I stood there silently. After several long seconds had passed, he suddenly chuckled. It was a soft, almost inaudible sound.

"You have absolutely no idea who I am."

It wasn’t a question. Simply an observation.

I hesitated. Part of me considered remaining silent. Perhaps he would grow bored and leave. Instead, the question escaped before I could stop it.

"Should I?"nThe words carried more sarcasm than I had intended.

I folded my arms across my chest instinctively. The movement lasted barely half a second before I realized my mistake. The position pushed my chest upward beneath the dress. My eyes widened and I immediately lowered my arms again.

But it was already too late.

I noticed how his gray eyes had dropped from my face to my chest. They stayed there only briefly, barely a second, before they returned to my face. He hadn’t lingered. Yet... he had noticed.

Mortification washed over me. If the changing room floor had opened beneath my feet at that exact moment, I would have gladly disappeared into it.

To my surprise, he didn’t tease me. Nor did he apologize. He simply looked faintly amused. Then, he nodded.

"Yes."

I blinked.

"...Yes?"

"You should." There wasn’t even a trace of arrogance in his voice. Only matter-of-fact certainty. "If you have chosen to return to Starfall and accept your position as the Crown Princess, then you should know. You need to know."

He took a slow step back, finally giving me a little room to breathe.

"You should know the Five Noble Houses.?The Five Regents currently governing the realm. And... the four heirs who’ll eventually inherit those positions. The four people who’ll rule Starfall alongside you."

Silence filled the changing room.

I simply stared at him. There was no mockery in his expression. No superiority. No challenge. Just... seriousness. And I realized that I couldn’t immediately dismiss what he was saying. Because he wasn’t wrong. If I was indeed going to stay in this world, then perhaps, I really should know about this world and its important figures.

The thought alone felt overwhelming.

Deciding I’d had enough of this conversation, I searched desperately for another topic. "You don’t have classes?" The question slipped out unexpectedly. "It’s a weekday. Weren’t you supposed to be at the academy?"

Kairo looked at me for several silent seconds. Then, he leaned forward until our faces were almost level. His gray eyes studied mine with quiet amusement. "Are you becoming interested in me, Princese?"

I stared. "What?"

He shrugged lightly. "You asked about my schedule. I assumed you were becoming curious. I wasn’t talking about that kind of interested."

The calm way he said it somehow made the situation even worse.

I exhaled slowly. No. This was enough. I pointed firmly toward the changing room entrance.

"Out."

He raised one eyebrow.

"I need to change." I kept pointing toward the door. "So leave."

To both my surprise, and relief, he actually listened. He straightened before turning toward the exit. He reached the doorway, paused, and then glanced back over one shoulder. His gray eyes traveled over the dress one final time.

"I meant what I said." His voice remained calm. "That dress looks like it was made for you."

Before I could think of a response, he stepped through the doorway, leaving me alone inside the changing room once again.