Centuries ago, in the Kingdom of Magic and Love, a kind-hearted king ruled alongside his beautiful queen. To their people, they seemed happy and blessed. They had two sons and two daughters. Yet behind the palace walls, they carried a sorrow known only to them.
Their sons were kind and brave, always helping the poor and treating everyone with respect. Their eldest daughter, however, was the complete opposite. She was spoiled and arrogant, rude to servants, and enjoyed ordering others around.
As for the youngest princess, no one knew where she was.
No one in the kingdom had seen her since the day she was born.
Years passed, and the princes and princesses grew older. Yet no one in the kingdom knew where the youngest princess was. Only the king and queen knew the truth.
Today was a special day.
The entire kingdom was decorated with flowers, glowing lanterns, and countless candles. Music filled the streets as people celebrated the birthday of the youngest princess.
Although no one had seen her since the day she was born, the people still loved their missing princess and wished her happiness wherever she was.
But not everyone was pleased by the celebration.
Among the cheering crowds was someone whose heart burned with anger.
Inside the palace, Crown Prince Adrian and the second prince, Lucien, were busy decorating the grand mansion. Flowers filled the halls, ribbons hung from the walls, and lanterns glowed warmly throughout the palace.
Their baby sister was finally coming home.
Both princes could hardly contain their excitement. They had waited years for this day and couldn't wait to meet her.
Princess Seraphina, however, was far from pleased.
"Brother, why are you wasting your time on a stranger?" she said impatiently. "Let's go out instead. And why do you still keep that pendant?"
Before Adrian could answer, Seraphina grabbed his hand and tried to pull him away. Then she snatched the pendant from his grasp and threw it onto the floor.
The room fell silent.
Adrian's eyes widened.
He quickly picked up the pendant and held it tightly against his chest as if it were the most precious thing in the world.
Then he turned to Seraphina.
His usually gentle eyes had become cold and sharp.
"How dare you?”
Seraphina froze and took a step back. She had never seen her brother this angry before.
"B-Brother, I..."
"SHUT UP!" Adrian snapped.
"I am tired of your tantrums and your bratty attitude. How can you call your own sister a stranger?"
Seraphina flinched.
"She is better than you in every way. Even though she has been far away all these years, she never forgot us. She always sent me letters and gifts filled with love."
Adrian held the pendant tightly in his hand.
"Her heart is full of kindness and innocence, while yours is filled with jealousy and spite."
He looked down at the pendant.
"This pendant is precious to me. She made it herself and gave it to me with love. Yet you threw it onto the floor as if it meant nothing."
The room fell silent.
Seeing the tension rise, Lucien quickly stepped forward.
"Brother, please calm down," he said gently.
Then he turned toward the royal bodyguard.
"Cassian, please escort Princess Seraphina to her room."
Cassian bowed respectfully and looked at the princess.
"Princess, this way, please."
Seraphina clenched her fists and stomped her foot in frustration before turning around and leaving the room.
The moment the doors closed behind her, an uneasy silence settled over the palace.
Lucian looked at his brother.
“Brother, please calm down. She is just a child. Don’t be angry at her.”
Adrian frowned.
“She needs to learn. How long are we going to tolerate her tantrums? One day she has to get married.”
Lucian sighed softly.
“You really do care about her, don’t you? Don’t worry. She will learn. Let’s forget about this. We should get ready. The baby princess will arrive soon.”
His eyes lit up with excitement.
“I can’t wait to see her. It has been so many years. She must be around seventeen now. I wonder if she will be as cute as me,” he said proudly.
Adrian scoffed.
“You? Cute?” he laughed. “She will regret meeting you.”
“Ugh, brother, stop making fun of me,” Lucian said, pouting.
“Alright, alright,” Adrian chuckled.
He leaned against the wall, trying to control his excitement.
A few hours later, a beautiful carriage entered the palace grounds. Servants rushed forward to greet it, and a royal guard stepped up to open the door.
King, Queen, Adrian, Lucian, and Seraphina stood in a line waiting.
But Adrian couldn’t wait any longer.
The moment the guard reached for the carriage door, Adrian stepped forward and opened it himself.
Silence fell.
A little girl stepped out.
Her eyes were wide like a deer’s, her cheeks soft and round, her lips red like roses. She was breathtakingly beautiful. A small mole rested on her cheek.
Everyone froze as they stared at her.
Before anyone could speak, Adrian quickly pulled her into his arms.
“My princess… you’re finally here. I missed you.”
Liyana hugged him back.
“Brother… I missed you too.”
“Ahem, ahem,” Lucian interrupted dramatically, puffing his chest. “What about me?”
Liyana turned her head and blinked innocently at him.
Lucian gasped. “You don’t remember me?”
Before she could react, he pulled her cheeks. “Ah—eh—oh—ahh!”
“Stop pulling her cheeks!” Adrian said sternly.
But Lucian didn’t listen.
Both brothers began arguing dramatically, each trying to pull Liyana toward themselves.
“Mine!” Lucian said.
“No, mine!” Adrian shot back.
Liyana stood in the middle, being gently tugged from both sides before suddenly giggling at their behavior.
Seraphina scoffed and looked away, clearly uninterested.
Meanwhile, the king and queen watched the scene with soft smiles, quietly amused by their children’s chaos.
But there was pain behind their smile.
“Enough, let’s go inside. She must be tired. Let her rest,” the king said gently.
He took Liyana’s hand and began walking her toward the palace. Then he looked back at both princes.
“She belongs to me for now, not to you two.”
Both brothers froze for a moment, looking completely betrayed.
“Father!” they shouted, before quickly running after him.
Soon, laughter echoed through the palace as the family entered inside together.
For a brief moment, everything seemed peaceful and warm.
But in the shadows of the palace gardens, someone was watching.
A slow smirk appeared on his face.
“Finally… they dared to bring their precious daughter back,” he whispered.
“Ha… she belongs to me now.”
