The Duke and the Girl from Nowhere

Rain poured from the heavens as if the skies wept with her. Yuna stood beneath the looming trees, soaked to the bone, hair plastered to her cheeks, heart unraveling thread by thread.

She didn't hear the horse until it was nearly upon her.

The Crown Prince reined it in just feet away, eyes wide as he took in the sight of her—drenched, trembling, lost.

"Yuna?" Lee Sun-Woo dismounted instantly. "What are you doing out here? Alone?"

She didn't answer. Her lips parted, but only a sob escaped.

Without hesitation, he slipped off his outer cloak and draped it over her shoulders. "You'll catch your death in this storm."

When she didn't move, he reached for her hand. "Come with me. Just for tonight. I'll make sure you're safe."

For a moment, she looked at him—not as a Prince, not as a suitor—but as someone who simply saw her. Not the mystery girl from nowhere. Just… her.

She nodded.

––

The ride to the Crown Prince's palace was silent, save for the wind and the faint crackle of thunder. His guard led the way, but Sun-Woo remained beside her, shielding her from the worst of the rain until they reached the covered courtyard.

Servants appeared with towels and concern etched across their faces.

"Prepare a guest chamber," Sun-Woo ordered softly. "And bring something warm."

A maid led Yuna through quiet halls lit by lanterns. Inside the room, a fire was already flickering to life. Thick robes awaited her. She changed slowly, drying her hair with the offered cloth, trying not to look too long at the girl in the mirror—half-drowned, half-broken.

When she emerged, Lee Sun-Woo was waiting in the adjoining sitting room, standing by the fireplace with two cups of warm tea. His mask was gone now, his eyes softer than she remembered.

"I hope it's not too strange… being here," he said.

"No stranger than anything else in this world," she murmured, settling into the chair across from him.

They sat in silence for a while, the warmth creeping into her limbs.

Finally, Yuna spoke.

"Do you ever feel like you're not where you're supposed to be?"

His gaze didn't waver. "All the time."

"I don't belong here," she whispered. "I don't know how I got here, or how to get back. But even if this world feels real… my real life is somewhere else. I can't stay. Even if… even if a part of me wants to."

He didn't interrupt. He simply listened.

"Ji-Hwan doesn't see it," she added quietly. "He sees me. Wants me. But he doesn't understand that I'm not… his. I'm not even mine right now."

Sun-Woo leaned forward, elbows on his knees.

"You don't owe anyone your heart just because they offer you theirs," he said. "Not Ji-Hwan. Not me. Not anyone."

Yuna looked up at him, surprised.

He smiled faintly. "If you choose to stay, let it be because it's your choice. And if you leave… then I'll still be grateful I met you, even just for a moment in this strange timeline."

Her eyes stung. "Why are you being so kind to me?"

"Because I see you." His voice softened. "Not who the court thinks you are. Just you."

She couldn't speak. Instead, she nodded, eyes shimmering.

"You can stay here tonight," he said, rising. "Your chamber is yours for as long as you need. No one will disturb you. Not even me."

He bowed slightly, more reverent than royal.

"Goodnight, Yuna."

As the door closed behind him, she stood alone by the fire, Lee Sun-Woo's words lingering in the silence like a balm.

And for the first time in days, she felt like she could breathe.

End of Chapter 17