𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐈𝐧 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞

Chapter 1

Fourth Nattawat stood at the edge of the grand ballroom, his eyes sweeping across the room with the precision of a hunter. He leaned slightly against one of the marble pillars, the chill of the stone matching the coldness in his heart. His expression, like always, was unreadable, perfected over years of masking his true feelings. After all, a prince had no use for emotions-especially emotions as fickle as love.

The ballroom was lit by a thousand chandeliers, each one dripping with gold and crystal, casting light over the sea of people gathered for one purpose: to vie for his attention. His parents had insisted on throwing this grand event, the so-called "Royal Selection," in hopes that among the countless attendees, he would finally find a suitable partner. But Fourth had never believed in love, much less the kind that came from forced meetings and polite conversations.

He hated every second of it.

The room was stifling, the lights too bright for his liking. He longed for the coolness of night, for the peaceful glow of the moon to soothe his nerves. The press of bodies, the endless conversations, the way the heat seemed to cling to his skin-it was suffocating. He didn't want to be here, and yet, as the perfect prince, he had no choice.

"Prince Fourth, perhaps you would honor Lady Suthida with a dance?" a voice interrupted his thoughts.

He turned to see a well-dressed courtier standing nearby, introducing yet another potential partner. The lady in question stood beside him, her gown shimmering with effort, her eyes gleaming with hope. Fourth barely glanced her way. He had no patience for such formalities tonight. His heart was as closed as the dark night sky beyond the palace windows.

"No," he replied curtly, his voice cold and final. "I'm not in the mood for dancing."

The courtier hesitated but knew better than to push the matter. With a stiff bow, he led Lady Suthida away, her disappointed gaze following Fourth as she retreated into the crowd.

Fourth turned back to the window, searching for any sign of the moon beyond the glowing haze of the ballroom. But instead, something else caught his attention.

Across the room, near the grand entrance, stood a man who seemed entirely out of place amidst the opulence and glamour. He was dressed in simple, well-worn clothes, a striking contrast to the glittering guests around him. Yet, it wasn't the man's attire that caught Fourth's attention-it was the way he stood, so confident and at ease, a soft smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

Fourth's gaze locked on the man's face, on the easy warmth that radiated from his expression. His skin was sun-kissed, glowing in the golden light of the ballroom. His eyes sparkled, filled with a light and energy that seemed to challenge the gloom that had always clung to Fourth's soul.

For the first time that night, Fourth felt something shift inside him. An unfamiliar sensation. His chest tightened as he realized that this man, whoever he was, had somehow captured his attention in a way no one else had. He didn't know whether to be intrigued or furious.

"Who is he?" Fourth murmured to himself.

Fourth Nattawat couldn't tear his gaze away from the man across the room. There was something about him that didn't fit with the carefully crafted elegance of the event, and yet he seemed more comfortable in his own skin than anyone else in the ballroom. The man wasn't competing for attention like the others, nor was he forcing his way into conversation. He simply existed, like the sun breaking through the clouds, casting warmth into the cold world Fourth had built around himself.

Fourth narrowed his eyes, trying to shake the strange sensation growing in his chest. Who was this man, and why did his presence feel so... unsettling? He hated it. He hated how someone could walk into his perfectly controlled life and make him feel anything at all. His instincts screamed to dismiss the man, to return to his usual indifference. Yet his gaze kept slipping back to him, drawn by an invisible force.