The Silver Princess

A Strange Boy

"Fine," Rina sighed, relenting to the situation. "Sylphrena is one of the Three Angels of Dawn, messengers of the God of Life. She's the one who ushers in the dawn each day, hence the name – Light Bearer. Legend has it that she carries the sun in her hands at sunrise, bringing light and warmth to the world. Her presence is said to bless our kingdom, ensuring peace and prosperity."

"I see... how amazing."

"Yes!" Rina replied, her tone softening. "Our kingdom was founded on the belief that her grace watches over us. She's a symbol of hope, a guardian of our land."

The young man nodded earnestly. "I promise I'll do my homework from now on."

Rina, although still a bit annoyed, couldn't help but smile at his sincerity.

"Wait, you mentioned there are three angels. So, there are two more statues then, I guess."

"..." Rina resisted the urge to slap her own forehead; this was common knowledge. She could understand if he didn't know about one angel, but all of them? That was something else.

Where did this country bumpkin come from?

Rina took a deep breath, preparing herself for an educational monologue. But he spoke up first.

"If the Kingdom of Sylphrena is named after the Angel Sylphrena, and the other two kingdoms are named Kael and Zephir... Then the three Angels must be Sylphrena, Kael, and Zephir?"

Hearing the boy's theory, Rina let out a sigh of relief. So, he is not stupid; perhaps he never had the chance to attend school.

Rina was aware that in some parts of the kingdom, parents preferred their children to help with family work instead of sending them to school. At least he has a loving family – parents, brothers, sisters, and probably friends...

She envied the boy, roaming carefree, asking naive questions to a disguised princess, beloved by his family; he lived the life of her dreams.

"You are a quick learner."

"Oh, I never thought to hear a compliment from you. But thanks, "he chuckled.

The sincerity in his voice eased some of the tension that had been holding Rina's body tight. She wasn't accustomed to such freely spoken interactions, aside from her father. Rina felt at ease enough to steal a covert glance at this intriguing boy.

The first thing that caught her eye was his hair, a cerulean blue, much like her rare silver. It looked as if the blue sky had been woven onto his head, with the wind playing with his hair, like ripples on a lake. In a few spots, black streaks were visible, like boats navigating the endless blue. From the side, she could not see his face properly.

Equally striking were his clothes – worn-out leather shoes, a linen short, and a once-white, now grey shirt that appeared a bit too small, revealing the contours of muscles threatening to burst through the fabric.

He must have been working hard on the farms to get such a nice body.

Her cheeks turned red as she realized her thoughts.

Strong. A strong body... not nice.

Rina shook her head vigorously, trying to dispel that train of thought, but her mind wandered in various directions.

Could this be a scandal? The beginning of an impossible romantic relationship between a farmer and a princess... Father would never approve.

"Rina, stop!" She scolded herself, her gaze returning to the ground as if searching for hidden treasure beneath the dirt.