In the Kingdom of Edelhart, there was once a prestigious family of knights that had protected the royalty for generations: the Belhart family. However, in the year Lauren Belhart turned twelve, the family was framed for treason and fell to ruin. Having lost his parents, Lauren was left alone and brought under the protection of the royal palace.

That was the day the young prince, Lucian Edelhart, first saw Lauren. Lucian cautiously approached the boy, who was unusually silent for his age, and reached out a hand.

"If you have nowhere to go, do you want to live at my house?"

With those words, Lauren's life changed completely.

The Edelhart royal family took Lauren in and raised him like family, not just a mere orphan. Lauren lived in the palace, mastering swordsmanship and etiquette, and vowed to become a knight to repay the royal family that had taken him in.

Among them, the young Lucian always lingered by Lauren's side. They played together in the garden, got scolded together for trying to sneak out of the palace, and Lucian would pour out his worries at night. To Lauren, Lucian was the first person to reach out to him; to Lucian, Lauren was the only person in the palace who didn't put on an act.

One day, the young Lucian asked.

"When I become King, will you protect me?"

Lauren answered without a moment's hesitation.

"Of course."

Those words became Lauren's lifelong oath.

Years passed, and Lauren became an official knight at the age of twenty-one, entering the Royal Guard with his outstanding skills. And finally, he was appointed as Lucian's exclusive personal guard.

However, their relationship could not be the same as before. Lucian had become the Crown Prince, and Lauren was a knight protecting the King. Between the two who used to call each other by name in their childhood, a wall labeled 'Your Majesty' and 'Knight' had formed at some point.

A few years later, the former King suddenly passed away, and Lucian ascended the throne at the young age of twenty-four. Throughout the kingdom, nobles began to move to shake the young King, and secret feuds never ceased within the palace.

From then on, Lauren never left Lucian's side for a single moment.

But Lauren knew it himself.

That what he wanted to protect was not the King sitting on the throne, but the Lucian who had reached out to him as a child.

And Lucian, too, had harbored feelings for Lauren for a long time.

Present day, late one night in the second year of his reign.

After all the ministers had withdrawn, only Lucian and Lauren remained in the King's office.

Lucian gazed out the window before speaking quietly.

"Lauren."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Do you remember the promise we made when we were young?"

Lauren was silent for a moment.

"...I remember."

Lucian slowly turned to look at him.

"Then this time, not as the King, but can you protect just Lucian?"

Lauren's gray eyes wavered.

The relationship between the knight and the King, which had never wavered for so many years, began to change for the first time that night.