Chapter 1

The royal family once helped the Foxkin of Moonveil.

For generations, the Foxkin had sent their youngest daughters to the royal palace to repay that debt. Each prince had a Foxkin companion who looked after him and kept him safe.

My elder brother, Alaric Ashbourne, had a Foxkin who fought fiercely by his side on the frontier for years. In the end, they fell in love and married.

My Foxkin was named Evelina Wrenwood.

I felt sorry for her. She had left her home and would never be able to return to her clan, so I never restricted her freedom.

I always gave her the finest things first, never expecting anything in return.

People said I spoiled her rotten, but I pretended not to hear them.

Yet Evelina ignored all I did for her and kept urging me to put brotherly love first and entrust Alaric with greater authority.

That day, I personally brought her a basket of summer peaches from the southern duchies. But when I stepped out of her room, I saw a swarm of tiny words floating in midair.

[That's what you get for chasing a woman who doesn't want you. You end up with nothing!]

[Why force Evelina to be yours? Her heart belongs to Prince Alaric. Doesn't he get it?]

[She's doing everything she can to put Prince Alaric on the throne. Cassian, the crown prince, is just a fool!]

Chapter 1

As I stared at the words in a daze, I heard Evelina Wrenwood's voice from inside the room.

"Yolanda, do you think Prince Alaric will return to the capital today?"

"You ask every day, Ms. Wrenwood. Surely His Highness will come back after all that thinking about him," Evelina's maid, Yolanda, replied with a laugh.

"Then I can give him the peaches! He said last time that the peaches from the southern duchies were the best."

Yolanda hesitated. "Ms. Wrenwood, these peaches were a gift from Prince Cassian."

"I know. His Highness won't mind that I gave them to Prince Alaric. He's always been generous."

The swarm of words appeared before my eyes again.

[That's hilarious! She's using the crown prince's gifts to impress someone else.]

[What, is that really appropriate? How can she act like that?]

[What's wrong with it? Evelina loves Prince Alaric, not Prince Cassian. If Prince Cassian insists on giving her gifts, that's his problem.]

I said nothing, turned around, and wrecked my chambers.

That night, I stayed up late reviewing state papers. Anthony, my personal attendant, hesitated several times before finally speaking.

"Your Highness, Ms. Wrenwood sent all the peaches to Prince Alaric's manor."

I set down my pen and pinched the bridge of my nose.

It wasn't as if I didn't know. Everyone at court was aware that Evelina loved my older brother, Alaric Ashbourne.

The year she was first brought to my side, custom required her to pay her respects to me. When she looked up from the foot of the steps, the first person she greeted wasn't me. It was Alaric, who stood beside me.

She would go to the city gates before dawn to wait for Alaric on the day he returned to the capital.

She would also choose the finest pieces of fabric I gave her, make clothes from them herself, and send them to his manor.

I never called her out on it because I only wanted her to be happy.

A Foxkin like her who could never return to her clan was trapped in the palace for life. What else could she wish for?

There was also nothing wrong with her loving someone.

I had never treated her well because I wanted something in return.

I did have feelings for her, but I never forced her to love me back. I felt sorry for her, and I believed she deserved to be cared for.

Even if she wanted to marry someone else in the future, I would let her go. I would even give her wedding gifts and send her off in style.

However, the words in my vision saw things differently. They appeared more and more often, mocking and blaming me.

Sometimes when I looked at those words, I felt lost.

I had never forced Evelina to repay my kindness. I never made her do anything against her will.

She could visit Alaric's manor whenever she wanted and give him whatever she wished. I had never stopped her.

Even when two boxes of rare delicacies arrived as royal gifts before the New Year, I gave one to my mother and the other to Evelina.

Evelina smiled and thanked me when she received it. Then she packed it up, saying Alaric had worked hard on the frontier and needed it to regain his strength.

I said nothing.

Looking back, I realized that every time she thanked me, there was always a "but" afterward.

Chapter 2

Evelina would say, "Thank you for the silk, Your Highness, but Prince Alaric looks better in black."

"Thank you for the treats, Your Highness, but Prince Alaric doesn't like sweets."

She used my gifts to try and win Alaric's favor.

[Prince Cassian is so pathetic. He doesn't even realize he's chasing someone who doesn't love him.]

[Evelina is something else, using her admirer's gifts to win over the man she loves.]

[Calling the crown prince her admirer is giving him too much credit. Prince Cassian is using his power to take what he wants by force! She's only playing along because she has no choice.]

Staring at the words before my eyes, I felt a sudden tightness in my chest.

-

A few days later, Alaric returned to the capital to report to our father, the king. He brought his new wife, Rosaline Wrenwood, with him.

Rosaline was also a Foxkin from Moonveil. She was Evelina's older cousin and had arrived in the capital a few years before her.

She and Alaric had fallen in love over time and married before returning to the capital.

The day Evelina heard the news, she shut herself in her room and didn't come out all day. The royal physician said she was simply upset and prescribed something to calm her down.

The words before my eyes erupted into another argument.

[Evelina is so pitiful. The man she loved married someone else.]

[What's so pitiful about that? Prince Alaric never even gave her a second glance.]

[Have you no heart? Is it wrong to love someone?]

[Stop blindly defending Evelina. There's nothing wrong with loving someone, but chasing after your cousin's husband is ridiculous.]

After Alaric returned to the capital to report on his duties, he brought Rosaline to visit me at my manor.

After greeting me, Rosaline took out a brocade box and handed it to me.

"Evelina sent this to our manor a while ago." Her voice was gentle and measured. "Your Highness gave her these delicacies as a gift, and I cannot accept them. I've come to return them."

"There are also clothes, confections, and writing materials," Rosaline added slowly. "They're being kept in storage at our manor. I'll arrange for them to be returned as well."

She lowered her eyes. "I don't think it's appropriate for Evelina to give my husband things that Your Highness gave her."

I held the brocade box and suddenly found the whole thing absurd.

Evelina had used my gifts to win Alaric's favor, yet now they had all been returned to me.

The words appeared before my eyes again.

[Well done, Rosaline! That's how a proper wife should act!]

[Now I feel embarrassed for Evelina. What was she even hoping to gain?]

[Evelina wants to have it both ways. Is anyone actually siding with her?]

[Who cares what she wants? She's using Prince Cassian's gifts to pursue a man. Does she really think she's someone special?]

I stared at the words and said nothing.

Rosaline looked up at me.

Her eyes looked much like Evelina's. They shared the same sharp, foxlike gaze. However, Evelina's eyes always seemed hazy, while Rosaline's were clear and easy to read.

"Your Highness," Rosaline suddenly said, "there's something I'd like to say, if I may."

"Please go ahead, Rosaline."

"Evelina was sent to the capital as a child, far from our clan and without an elder to guide her. I've always felt terrible about that."

She spoke clearly.

"Now that I'm here, I'll keep a closer eye on her. Your Highness doesn't need to indulge her in everything."

After Alaric and Rosaline left that day, I sat alone in my chambers for a long time.

[Prince Cassian being betrayed by the Foxkin he cared for is actually kind of sad.]

[What do you mean, betrayed? Evelina's always loved Prince Alaric. Prince Cassian chose to treat her well despite that. Who's to blame here?]

[Choosing to treat her well is one thing. Using the crown prince's gifts to win someone else over is another.]

[Exactly. If she loves Prince Alaric, she can go after him. No one's stopping her. But living in Prince Cassian's manor and using his gifts to try to win Prince Alaric over? What kind of behavior is that?]

I set down the brocade box, stood up, and walked to the window.

Chapter 3

Evelina came from Moonveil at this time of year, too.

She stood at the foot of the steps, so tiny that she barely seemed more than a kit. Only one tail had begun to grow. When she looked up, her eyes were wide with fear in this unfamiliar place.

I told her not to be afraid, that this would be her home from then on.

Back then, I thought she would grow up and learn, in time, who truly cared for her.

She did grow up. One by one, all nine of her tails grew in. They were beautiful.

And yet, I was never the one she looked at with love.

Sometimes I wonder if, without those words, I would never have come to see her in this light. I would have kept telling myself she was simply reserved, that she struggled to show her feelings and only needed time.

But now, I knew better.

A cold snap hit in March, and I caught a bad cold. I had been coughing on and off for days, but I still wasn't getting better.

Evelina finally came by that evening. "Your Highness, I heard you were unwell. I made this cough syrup for you. It's easier to take than the royal physician's medicine."

I took it from her. "Thank you."

"You don't need to thank me, Your Highness."

Evelina sat by my bed. For once, she stayed a little longer than usual.

"Your Highness, has the Treasury still not approved the supplies for Prince Alaric's troops at the frontier?"

I paused.

"I'm not trying to meddle in state affairs," she said, lowering her head. "It's just that Prince Alaric's life is at risk on the front lines. If his troops don't even have enough supplies, how can he fight?"

Her tone grew urgent. Only matters concerning Alaric could make her lose her composure.

"Your Highness has always been kind. Please…"

I cut her off. "Is this the only reason you came to see me?"

Evelina looked up, momentarily at a loss. "I came to see how you were, too."

I set the bottle of cough syrup aside and closed my eyes. "I'll look into the supplies. You may go."

She wasn't satisfied with my answer, and her brows drew together. "Your Highness!"

For the first time, I had no patience for her demands.

"Go back," I said sharply.

Her face flushed red. All her concern vanished, and she stormed out in anger.

Perhaps she had been angry that I hadn't pushed for the supplies to be released right away. Evelina didn't come to see me for half a month.

Unlike before, I no longer bent the rules for her, even though I was the crown prince.

The Treasury had to approve the supplies at every stage before they could be sent to the frontier. No matter how urgent the matter was, I couldn't break the rules with a single order.

She was so worried about Alaric that she couldn't bear to wait another moment. Evelina never considered that I could be impeached for it.

One day, an urgent report arrived at my manor. Alaric's army was trapped. Only then did Evelina, whom I hadn't seen in days, rush into my chambers.

"Your Highness!" She stumbled toward me and pleaded, her voice breaking with emotion. "Please send troops to save Prince Alaric!"

I set down the report. "I already have. 10,000 light cavalrymen left during the night."

Her legs gave way, and she fell to the floor.

"No, that's not enough!" Evelina shook her head in panic as tears rolled down her cheeks. "Your Highness, 10,000 men aren't enough. The enemy is 20,000 strong!"

"We can't send all the troops away from the capital." I kept my voice low. "Father is gravely ill, and the capital is poorly defended. If we send every soldier away, the kingdom itself will be at risk."

"Then I'll go." Evelina stood up and turned to leave.

"Stop right there!" I chased her to the door, but she had already disappeared into the snowstorm.

Yolanda came running over in tears. "Your Highness, Ms. Wrenwood took your horse and rode out of the city!"

As I stood in the snowstorm, I suddenly felt exhausted. "Get my horse."

Anthony froze. "Your Highness, you're still unwell."

"Get my horse," I repeated.

I ignored the mocking words before my eyes and mounted my spare horse, taking my guards with me to the frontier.

Ten days later, I found Alaric and Evelina amid the chaos of battle.

Alaric's battle standard lay tilted to one side, and bodies covered the ground.

Chapter 4

Evelina was on her knees among the bodies, cradling Alaric and using her own body to shield him from an arrow.

Four of her nine tails had been severed, and her core had shattered.

"Prince Alaric, please wake up." She shook Alaric by the shoulders, her voice hoarse. "The reinforcements are here. Please, wake up!"

Alaric stirred in her arms.

Evelina trembled with relief. Even the blood covering her face couldn't hide her joy.

"Your Highness, you're finally awake! I knew you'd be alright!"

Alaric opened his eyes. He glanced at her, then quickly turned away. His gaze fell on me. I was sitting on my horse a short distance away.

"Your Highness," he said.

Evelina's smile froze for a moment.

"Your…" She followed Alaric's gaze and turned to look at me. "Your Highness, you're here."

I swung down from my horse and walked over.

Blood still seeped from the arrow wound in Evelina's shoulder, and the wounds where her tails had been severed were deep enough to expose bone.

I reached out to help her up, but she shrank away without thinking.

"Save Prince Alaric first." She didn't look at me. "I'm fine."

"Get the royal physician," I commanded, keeping my voice calm. I withdrew my hand. "Treat Alaric first, then examine her."

When the royal physician pulled the arrow from Evelina's shoulder, she bit through her lip but didn't make a sound.

She kept her eyes fixed on Alaric's tent.

The comments kept appearing before my eyes even after she lost consciousness.

[Evelina is still the best! She risked her life to save Alaric. Her core shattered, four of her nine tails were severed, and she lost all her powers!]

[What about Prince Cassian? Did he just stand there and watch?]

[He came to save them, didn't he? What more do you want? Are you all idiots?]

[He showed up but didn't help. They still had to rely on Evelina!]

Alaric finally woke up the next day. He sat propped up in bed, pale but clear-eyed.

He seemed like a different man.

Evelina sat beside the bed, her forehead pressed against Alaric's hand. Her shoulders shook as she cried.

"Prince Alaric, you're awake. You're finally awake!"

Alaric glanced down at her. His expression was distant, almost disgusted. He pulled his hand from hers.

"Ms. Wrenwood," he said evenly. "Please leave."

She looked up at him, tears still on her cheeks. There was confusion in her eyes. "Your Highness?"

"I already have a wife and have never intended to take a mistress. A man and a woman shouldn't be alone together in a room."

Alaric turned away. "Someone escort Ms. Wrenwood back to her tent."

Evelina stared at him in shock. "Your Highness, I…"

Alaric cut her off, his tone hardening. "Get her out."

Two guards half-carried, half-supported her out of the tent. As Evelina passed me, she glanced at me.

Her eyes were full of confusion and hurt, as if she wanted me to speak up for her.

Of course, I said nothing.

If Alaric had no feelings for her, no one could force him to love her. It had all been one-sided on her part.

After she left, only Alaric and I remained in the tent.

"Your Highness, I need to speak with you," Alaric said.

I sat beside his bed.

"That Foxkin…" he said bluntly.

"She shouldn't be allowed to stay in the palace any longer. She's lost her powers and is no different from an ordinary fox. It isn't proper for her to remain in the palace.

"Besides, she's stubborn and reckless. She charged into battle alone this time. Though she saved me, her actions also cost me 3000 soldiers.

"Your Highness, please send her out of the palace and back to Moonveil."

I looked into Alaric's eyes. They were full of weariness.

"You weren't like this before," I said.

Alaric had never been warm toward Evelina, but he had never been this harsh, either.

He knew how well I treated her, so he was always willing to accommodate her for my sake. He never slighted her or interfered with her freedom to come and go.

"That was then." Alaric turned away. "All you need to know is that I'm doing this for your own good, Your Highness."

"She owes you far more than this," he added, almost as if speaking to himself.

After that, Alaric refused to see Evelina.

After we returned to the capital, Evelina went to Alaric's manor many times to see him, but she was turned away every time.

One day, Alaric rode out through the front gate.

Evelina stumbled toward him and cried, "Why are you treating me this way? What have I done wrong?"