If You Take the Enemy Prince as Your Knight

He hadn’t seen Sasha all day. Since dawn, Sasha had been confined to the dressing room, preparing for the banquet. She hadn’t even shown her face at breakfast or lunch. The only people Regen had seen were Hamel and Demia, who rushed in and out of her quarters, carrying accessories and garments.

“So busy! So busy! A banquet day is basically a battlefield!”

“Is Her Highness ready yet?”

“Almost done!”

“Is there anything I can do to help—”

“No! I’m off to the palace doctor to get some calming medicine. Hopefully, the wait isn’t long!”

As soon as Demia disappeared outside, Hamel entered from another door, carrying a tray with simple food.

“For Her Highness?”

“Yes. She hasn’t eaten anything all day. I thought she should at least have a small meal before the banquet—oh no, I forgot something!” Hamel suddenly gasped, remembering something. “I left her outer coat in the laundry! Sir Regen, could you pass a message to Lady Demia for me? Tell her to handle this carefully and cut it into small bites so it doesn’t ruin her makeup.” With that, Hamel ran off, leaving the tray in Regen’s hands.

Demia wouldn’t be back for a while, and soon, they would need to leave for the banquet. Meanwhile, beyond the door, the princess remained hungry.

Faced with the situation, Regen did what he had to do. Just beyond the parlor, the dressing room was only one door away. As he approached, he noticed something—the door was already open, just enough for a person to slip through.

Sunlight streamed through the latticed windows, illuminating a figure with her back turned. It was Sasha. Her platinum blonde hair cascaded in delicate strands over her nape, her wing-like shoulder blades faintly visible beneath the sapphire-blue dress that cinched at the waist before flowing elegantly. Even from behind, she was breathtaking.

Regen stood frozen, forgetting to knock.

“Hamel, my ribbon came undone. Help me.” She reached behind her back, struggling to fix it.

Regen placed the tray on a nearby table and stepped forward. With long, steady hands, he tied the ribbon into a neat knot.

“All done? Let me just check—”

Their eyes met. Both of them flinched. Sasha was startled by his presence. Regen, on the other hand, was startled by her beauty.

“…Sir Regen?”

“…”

As she turned to face him, her appearance resembled a scene from a masterpiece painting. She resembled a being born from the ocean’s foam—a pearl within a grand seashell carried ashore by the winter sea. Even her soft blue eyes, wide in surprise, were mesmerizing. Regen’s throat tightened for a moment.

“I brought some food.”

“I thought you were Hamel…”

Sasha barely registered the food—the undone ribbon was all she could focus on. Regen himself wasn’t sure why he had stepped in, but he found a reasonable excuse.

“It reminded me of tying my sister’s ribbon.”

“…Ah, right. A brother would do that for his younger sister. Yes.”

“Yes.”

“…”

“…”

The initial awkwardness faded, replaced by a brief moment of unease. Sasha’s effort to act as if nothing had happened played a big role in this. She turned to the mirror to check the ribbon Regen had tied.

“This ribbon reminds me of you, Sir Regen.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s pretty and neat.”

“…I’m glad you like it.”

Regen picked up a knife and cut the pound cake into small, bite-sized pieces. It was filled with wine-soaked fruit and topped with nuts. Using a fork, he lifted a piece and held it out to her.

“I can eat on my own…”

“Didn’t your older brother do this for you?”

“He did. Of course he did…”

Sasha’s sudden change in attitude with just one sentence left Regen honestly surprised. It was just something I said on a whim. But it worked unexpectedly.

Apparently, Sasha’s older brother had been the type to feed his younger sister. Regen found it strange but didn’t question it too deeply. After all, there could be at least one overly affectionate brother like that in the world. More importantly, he made an interesting discovery—the word ‘older brother’ seemed to be a magic key with Sasha.

One by one, the cake pieces disappeared past Sasha’s lips.

Was it because the pieces were cut too small? As he thought he resembled a bird feeder, a faint memory suddenly crossed his mind. Haven’t I experienced something like this before?

A faint memory surfaced. A little girl, lying on the ground, barely breathing after days of starvation. He had torn small pieces from a white loaf of bread and placed them into her mouth. She had chewed and swallowed without hesitation, as gentle as a fledgling being fed by its mother. Though, in the very beginning—when she had no consciousness—she had bitten his thumb multiple times.

Sasha’s voice pulled him back to the present. “The figs are delicious.”

Regen instinctively picked another fig-filled piece and offered it to her.

After a sip of tea to cleanse her palate, Sasha’s meal was over. From Regen’s perspective, she had eaten even less than that starving little girl had.

Before Regen could insist she eat more, Sasha stood up. She spun in place, letting her dress fan out slightly. “How do I look?”

“You look beautiful.”

“…” Sasha’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s too plain. It sounds like a polite, routine compliment.”

That wasn’t true. In fact, he had been thinking about it so much that he answered immediately, without hesitation. If she were not a person but a painting or a landscape, he could have stood there and admired her for hours.

“I meant it.”

“Thank you. You look handsome too, Sir Regen.”

Now, it was Regen’s turn to feel the same way about Sasha. He wondered if her words just now were truly genuine. It felt like something she could have said with her eyes closed, even in front of someone like Dominic. Still, Regen, as a trained knight, kept his inner thoughts well.

“I already feel exhausted. I don’t know if I’ll have the energy to heal your mana core later tonight.”

“You don’t need to push yourself. Rest tonight.”

“But I need to help you recover faster. Lately, your healing seems slower, and I’m worried.”

Regen had noticed it too the slow recovery rate of his mana core. At this rate, there was no telling when the treatment would be complete.

“Which is why we must keep at it consistently.”

“…”

Regen unconsciously rubbed his right index finger. His thumb traced the exact spot where Sasha’s lips touched every night.

“Oh gosh, Sir Regen. Why are you here?”

At that moment, Hamel returned, holding a fur-lined coat. Her innocent question could sometimes sound like an interrogation. Fortunately, Hamel figured it out on her own.

“Ah, I see. Lady Demia was gone, so you stepped in to assist Her Highness in her place. Thank you.”

“It was nothing.”

Just then, Demia returned.

“Your Highness, here. A calming potion. Please drink it.”

“I don’t need it.”

“Of course you do. You always pretend to be calm, but you’re actually really sensitive…”

“I am not. Forget it. Just give me my ring.”

Demia slipped a vintage silver ring with a rose engraving onto Sasha’s index finger. It wasn’t her silver-bird emblem, nor was it extravagant enough for a banquet.

“You always wear this to banquets.”

“It was something my mother gave me.”

“Aha, then the madam will protect you, Your Highness.”

Demia’s cheerful voice filled the room, but Sasha only smiled faintly. Hamel draped a winter coat over Sasha’s shoulders.

“The banquet has begun. It’s time to go.”

Now, it was Regen’s turn. He extended his right hand to her.

“It would be an honor to escort you, Your Highness.”

“With pleasure.”