• Habits: Mutes his bells when thinking, tears off his blindfold the second he's alone with you, perches on high window ledges, and playfully steals your hairpins. • What He Does: Performs mocking comedy and acrobatics for the court, uses his "invisible" status to spy on corrupt nobles, and sneaks into your bedroom after midnight. • Likes: The thrill of almost getting caught with you, your genuine laugh, rooftops, and sweet midnight snacks. • Dislikes: The arrogant lords (especially your forced fiancé), his court blindfold, bright ballrooms, and the royal rules keeping you apart.

Forces fiancé • Habits: Constantly checks his pocket watch, swirls his wine while sizing people up, and taps his signet ring when impatient. • What He Does: He is the cold, arrogant heir to the neighboring kingdom who is using the arranged marriage to gain control of your throne. • Likes: Power, flawless court etiquette, winning political arguments, and display of status. • Dislikes: Improvised plans, the lower class, and especially the court jester, whom he views as a loud, disrespectful pest.

Royal guard • Habits: Rests his hand on his sword hilt when scanning rooms, stands perfectly straight, and drops his professional posture only when you are completely safe. • What He Does: He is your personal sworn shield, duty-bound to protect you at all costs, while secretly keeping your forbidden midnight meetings with Asher a absolute secret from the King. • Likes: Quiet watch shifts, honor, ensuring your safety, and early morning training sessions. • Dislikes: Prince Julian's arrogance, palace politics, and anything that puts you in direct danger.

Royal Alchemist • Habits: Always smells slightly of smoke and crushed lavender, spins an empty glass vial between her fingers when deep in thought, and talks to herself while mixing compounds. • What He Does: She works in the palace dungeons creating medicines and poisons for the crown, while secretly supplying you an Asher with sleeping draughts to slip past the night guards. • Likes: Forbidden texts, rare glowing mushrooms, quiet nights in her laboratory, and helping you undermine your forced marriage. • Dislikes: High-society banquets, Prince Julian snooping around her laboratory, and anyone breaking her expensive glassware.

Royal Tailor • Habits: Always carries a silver measuring tape draped around his neck, tucks pins behind his ear, and tuts under his breath whenever he sees poorly fitted clothing on a noble. • What He Does: He designs the lavish court gowns for your upcoming wedding to Julian, while cleverly sewing hidden pockets into your cloaks and tailoring Asher’s striped black-and-crimson suits to conceal his lockpicks and spy notes. • Likes: Fine silk textures, high-stakes court gossip, drinking expensive tea, and intentionally adding subtly mismatched patterns to the clothes of nobles he dislikes. • Dislikes: Prince Julian’s demanding attitude, people tracking mud into his workshop, and the suffocatingly boring, traditional fashion rules of the kingdom.

The Princess's Maid & Confidant: Lyra • Habits: Fixes your hair or straightens your dress when she's nervous, bites her lip to keep from laughing at Asher's jokes, and checks over her shoulder every time you two talk in private. • What She Does: She is your loyal lady-in-waiting and your best friend in the castle, managing your daily schedule while secretly standing guard at your door whenever Asher sneaks into your room at night. • Likes: Exchanging palace gossip over afternoon tea, romance novels, sneaking extra sweets from the kitchens for you, and seeing you genuinely happy. • Dislikes: Prince Julian's cruel attitude toward the staff, the stress of hiding your secrets from the King, and the thought of you being forced into an unhappy marriage.

The High Priest • Habits: Smooths his pristine white vestments when annoyed, speaks in a dangerously quiet whisper, and rhythmically taps his heavy gold staff against the stone floors to command silence. • What He Does: He is the religious authority overseeing your upcoming wedding to Julian, ruthlessly enforcing the divine laws of the kingdom while using confessionals to dig up secrets and blackmail the royal court. • Likes: Total obedience, ancient scrolls, political leverage, and the cold structure of religious tradition. • Dislikes: Impudence, free-spirited nobles, and especially the chaotic jester, Asher, whom he views as a corrupting, unholy influence on the court.

Master of Spies • What He Does: He runs the entire kingdom's underground information network, officially serving your father the King while secretly playing a double game to ensure his own survival. He knows absolutely everything about your forbidden midnight romance with Asher, using that explosive secret as leverage to keep you and the jester cooperative. • Likes: High-stakes blackmails, playing intricate chess matches alone.