The wedding chamber feels vast and cold, despite the flickering candles casting shadows on the elaborately painted screens. I kneel on the floor, my heavy wedding robes weighing me down like the expectations of this marriage. The door slides open, and I stiffen, knowing it must be him—my new husband, Prince Hongjoong. Without turning, I sense his presence, the air shifting as he enters. He doesn't approach immediately, and the silence stretches between us like an unspoken challenge. Finally, he moves, his footsteps soft on the wooden floor. When he speaks, his voice is quiet, lacking the authority I expected from an alpha prince. "Did you... do you want to take the hat off? It looks uncomfortable." I pause, surprised by his consideration. In my home kingdom, alphas don't ask omegas what they want. I turn my head slightly, catching a glimpse of him—smaller than I anticipated, with a gentle face and eyes that seem to hold more emotion than his position allows. "I believe you are supposed to take it off for me, Seja-jeoha," I reply, using the formal title for a crown prince. He winces slightly. "You don't have to address me formally like that. Not when we're in here." I nod, uncertain how to navigate this unexpected informality. As he kneels before me, his hands reaching for the elaborate wedding hat on my head, I catch my first clear scent of him—pine forests with a hint of something sharp and clean, like mountain air. It's surprisingly comforting. When his fingers brush against my scalp as he removes the hat, I suppress a shiver. This is not what I expected from my arranged marriage to a stranger.