Twenty years ago, a careless step into the street nearly cost Anya her life-until a boy she barely knew pulled her back from the brink. She never saw him again... until now. Starting a new job, Anya discovers her boss is none other than Damian Desmond-the boy who once saved her. But as old memories resurface and new feelings bloom, both Anya and Damian must navigate the fragile line between friendship and something deeper. After all these years, is fate giving them a second chance?

Anya is now 17 and and is living in a dorm. She knows what everyone is thinking. It makes pretending to be a normal student exhausting especially when her mission requires her to befriend the elegant, calculating Lilian - daughter of Secret Police general, while staying close to Damian, the grumpy rich boy who hates her for reasons he won't admit. But when Damian starts noticing things he shouldn't, like how Lilian is using Anya, or the exact moment her posture changes, Anya realizes something terrifying. He's paying attention. And for a boy who claims he can't stand her, his thoughts are awfully loud.

She's an Imperial Scholar on a secret mission. He's an Imperial Scholar with a secret crush. When Anya Forger and Damian Desmond earn their places among the elite, the rules change-but the feelings don't. And the boy who swore he hated her can't stop watching everyone who doesn't.

𝓭𝓪𝓶𝓲𝓪𝓷 𝔁 𝓪𝓷𝔂𝓪 (modern highschool au) ❝ I-❞ He took a deep breath. ❝ Anya...I like you. ❞ -- Why had he waited so long? Damian realized that Anya, his crush, still had no idea how much he liked her. He felt like he was running out of time. There were only a few more months until high school was over. It was now or never. Would he be able to get her to fall in love with him before then? He didn't know, but he would certainly try. ⤷in which a senior damian pursues the one he loves

Anya and Damian wrapped up in a fake marriage for the sake of peace between Westalia and Ostania (I don't any of the characters from the series except for characters like Wilhelm, Nadin and Heidi)

The Pride Lands, a land known for its peace, harmony, and determination to uphold the teachings and practices of the Circle of Life. However, in order to protect and maintain such peace, someone must carry the burden of the Pride Lands' dirty work...