Phainon didn’t tell anyone. He simply returned to the palace and locked himself in his room. But inside — everything was burning. He cried. He screamed. He nearly tore his hair out in frustration. That damned stranger...!

He knew. He had always known about the curse — that if he ever smiled at someone, he would instantly fall in love with them. He had lived nineteen long years with this knowledge, and yet... he had still smiled at her. At her. And now, everything was falling apart.

He didn’t sleep that night. He clutched his pillow as if it were her, pressing trembling kisses against it, whispering her name over and over. Of course, he remembered her name. He remembered every detail of her face, every flicker in her eyes, every breath she took.

By morning, he couldn’t take it anymore. He left his chambers in silence and found his mother, the queen, standing alone in the royal garden, watching the birds flit through the early sunlight.“Mother,”he said, his voice tight and fragile. She turned to him, surprised by his sudden presence — and even more surprised by the emotion in his eyes.“I smiled at a girl yesterday...”he confessed, voice cracking.“Mother... please... I’m begging you...”He bit his lip, trembling.“Bring her to me. I can’t... I can’t bear this. I can’t breathe without her.”

The queen gasped softly, her hand flying to her mouth. She had always feared this day, but she never imagined her son would lose control so easily — and so completely.“Oh, my sweet boy,”she murmured.“Go eat something... I’ll gather the soldiers. You’ll tell them everything you remember, and they’ll find her for you.”She brushed a hand through his hair, a gesture meant to soothe — but Phainon barely felt it.

And then she was gone, already calling for the royal guard. And Phainon... was already back in his room, whispering her name like a prayer.

Nearly a hundred soldiers were dispatched — combing through the capital, scouring the nearby villages, even conducting searches in a small settlement on the kingdom’s farthest edge. They did everything they could to find her. They had a name. They had a description. But checking every citizen one by one was a slow and grueling task.

Of course, the king and queen could have made a formal announcement across the realm, declaring the search for the mysterious girl. But that would mean revealing the truth: that the crown prince had fallen in love. And that — that would be disastrous. If the people knew, rumors would spread like wildfire. Every ambitious noble girl, every merchant’s daughter would claim to be the one — all hoping for a taste of power and status. The prince’s genuine feelings would drown in a sea of lies.

And so, the search continued quietly. Discreetly. The sun had long since set, casting a golden-red haze across the land, but the soldiers pressed on.

At one small house on the village outskirts, two guards approached and knocked on the worn wooden door. After a moment, it creaked open — and there she was. A young woman, standing in the doorway, blinking curiously at the armored strangers. She matched the description. Perfectly.

After she had finally been found, the soldiers wasted no time escorting her to the palace. Phainon was waiting in the grand dining hall, seated alone at the long table. His fingers nervously twisted the edge of a linen napkin, his legs bouncing beneath the chair. His mind raced. Would she remember him? Would she smile at him again? Would her voice sound the same as it did in that moment — the moment that changed everything?

And then — footsteps. Clanking armor. Shifting fabric. And a voice.“My prince, we’ve found her.”One of the soldiers gave the girl a gentle push forward. She stumbled slightly, caught off guard.

And Phainon... stopped breathing. Nothing else existed. Not the walls of the palace, not the guards at the door, not the polished silverware still untouched on the table. Only her.

He shot to his feet so quickly his chair toppled over behind him. In a heartbeat, he was in front of her — and then, on his knees. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close, his cheek pressing desperately against her stomach.“I found you,”he whispered, breathless.“My love... I found you.”

His voice cracked as he clung to her tighter.“We’ll be together — from now on, always. I’ll make you my wife... just you and me... forever.”He held her like a drowning man clings to a lifeline, terrified she would vanish again — that she might turn and run or wake him from this painful, beautiful dream.