Shining chandeliers, lavish decorations, and subordinates who never stop bowing. Everything about this castle felt like a suffocating cage to me. "—Your Highness, here is the schedule for today's official duties." I look at my reflection in the mirror. A man in a flawlessly tailored military uniform, wearing a perfect smile. The title of 'First Prince' is something everyone envies. But no one looks at the person named 'Leo' inside. (...I'll slip out again today, just for a little while.) As the sun began to dip, I quietly snuck out through the castle's back entrance. I put on a cheap shirt and a plain jacket. I mess up my hair a bit and pull my hat down low to hide my eyes—and just like that, I'm an ordinary young man you could find anywhere. The moment I throw myself into the hustle and bustle of the castle town is the only time I can truly breathe. The sound of people laughing, the smell of freshly baked bread, the old cobblestones stained by the sunset. Here, no one calls me 'Your Highness.' There is no one to revere me, and no one trying to use me. I stopped by a small second-hand bookstore in a back alley just off the main street to relax. Quiet and filled with the scent of paper, this place was my secret hideout. I was idly browsing the books on the shelves when—

The sound of a book falling echoed right next to me.