When Kai and Wendy surprise Lei with her overdue birthday party the following Saturday (nine long days after her official birthday on the 21st of June), not only does she feel like it’s unnecessary, Lei actually wants to just go home in order to avoid the guests. The guests, after all, include Lucas and his friends. Wendy told Lei a few hours before the party that uninviting Lucas or his friends would only cause suspicion of rifts—especially dangerous since Lei has known connections to Lucas. While Lei is glad for the warning, she finds herself walking off in the opposite direction or finding someone new to talk to when she sees Lucas in proximity.

The party is gorgeous, she has to admit.

Kai hired several party planners to collaborate on creating a birthday bash worth at least a few thousand helions. Since the party is outdoors, there are tents with glass roofs to allow in natural lighting and those from hanging lanterns. Underneath these artificial stars, guests have the opportunity to dine from the finest cuisine that can be made on the island—or imported from outlying territories. And finally, a central theme of “masquerade” brings the party together more elegantly than Lei imagined in her head.

It would be a dream come true. Lucas looks handsome in his suit, and while his mask hides half of his face, anyone can see who he is. There are people with beauty too beautiful to hide with flimsy masks. Kai is one of them and so is Baekhyun. Lei doesn’t want to be jealous, but it is her birthday, and she doesn’t want two princes to outshine her.

She thinks about spilling drinks on Kai and Baekhyun, but that involves being near them. While she and Baekhyun may be on calmer terms, she can’t imagine what her brother thinks of her—especially if he already knows about what she did. So, instead of causing trouble, Lei finds her conversing with people she wouldn’t talk to on normal occasion. It’s all to get away from everyone who matters.

But then she catches Jaehyun take off his mask and nudge his head towards the back area of the main tent.

Lei doesn’t want to talk to him, and she knows that she shouldn’t, but at the same, she feels guilty for the onslaught of consequences that Jaehyun will have to face as a result of her actions. She looks around for Wendy and Baekhyun, and she sees them by the food tables, so she makes a dash for the back of the tent where she sees Jaehyun’s shoulder disappear behind the corner.

When she rounds corner, the sight of his beauty astounds her at first. She knows that this a stressful time for the both of them—or at least her—yet he looks calm about it. Maybe it’s a player thing or maybe it’s a Jaehyun thing, but not a single hair is out of place, and his hands are tucked in his pockets.

“You told Wendy,” Jaehyun states, spitting the words. “I told you not to tell anyone, and you told Wendy.” He narrows his eyes and scoffs. “Don’t deny it. She came to me, she confiscated bed sheets, told me to take an STD test, and then she warned me with prison if I tried anything near you again.” Lei stays silent. It feels like someone yanked the ground from underneath her. “I’m pretty sure she’s getting a restraining order on me.” Those words bring a wave of worry to Lei, but still, she can’t find the right thing to say. “Well?” Jaehyun raises his voice, but only slightly. “Do you have anything to say for yourself?”

Lei swallows the lumps in her throats, but it only makes it harder to speak. “I’m sorry.”

“Why did you even tell her?” Jaehyun crosses his arms. “What changed? We had a deal.”

“I f-felt bad. Guilty.” Lei wants nothing more but to look away from the condescending gaze Jaehyun gives her, but his eyes—being a pale mixture of blue and green—pull her in like Baekhyun’s do. “I wasn’t thinking straight, and I didn’t know I’d regret it that much.” She pauses, thinking about it sounds. “Not in that sense. I enjoyed myself and you, but afterwards, I just—I couldn’t understand myself.”

They stare into each other’s eyes with even gazes for a while.

“I’m leaving the country before they can punish me,” Jaehyun abruptly announces. Lei’s jaw falls, but before she can say anything, he beats her to it. “I’m going to America.”

“You don’t have to do that!” Lei protests. She moves towards him and holds his hand, and he looks down at their connection with an ajar mouth. “Please, Jaehyun. It’s not your fault. I’ll protect you. I’ll make sure my mother and no one else touches you.”

Jaehyun stares into her eyes again, but he cracks a smile that shows his dimples. It’s an innocent look on an otherwise guilty person. “You’re not as mean as you show yourself to be. I like that.” He lifts his free hand and holds her by the cheek. “But I know what happened to your father, and I’m not sure if you know about this, but I also know about Krystal.”

“That was all rumors,” Lei pleads. “She moved to America because she wanted to. My mother—”

“Krystal Jung is my cousin.”

Lei chokes on the air. “You’re lying.”

“I wish I was.” Jaehyun shakes his head and laughs a humorless laugh. “But I’m not lying. Krystal was deported to America and forced to cut all contact with your brother after their scandalous night together.” Jaehyun drops his hand from Lei’s face. His expression is somber. “She’s not allowed in Helios anymore. Your mother threatened her with capital punishment.”

“But—”

“Krystal had a reputation too. That’s why your mother didn’t like her. But her reputation isn’t as bad as mine. Which is why I have to leave. They’re going to send me to prison.”

“You don’t know that,” Lei whines. “Please.”

“I can’t risk anything.” Jaehyun shakes his head. “I’m glad my family was kept out of the drama regarding my cousin, but I can’t risk it again. I have to leave.”

“No.”

“You don’t understand,” Jaehyun hisses. He then sighs and grabs Lei’s face with his cold hands. “I slept with the princess of Helios. We’re not dating. We’re not married. I have a reputation. Cheating can get you fined. ion makes people shun you. I know because I’ve been there.” Lei suppresses a sob, and Jaehyun’s hands grow colder. “This is goodbye, princess.”

“But why?” Lei wants to pull away and run, but her feet remain anchored to the ground. “Why would you say goodbye? I thought we weren’t responsible for what we felt afterwards.”

“People say things all the time that they don’t mean,” he mumbles. “And I’m sorry I couldn’t help myself.” Jaehyun sighs, and even his breath is cool. “I’m sorry.”

Her breaths hitch in , and she can’t control her temperature from rising. “You couldn’t help yourself?” Lei mumbles a question. “From what?”

Jaehyun doesn’t answer the question. “I’m going before anyone sees us together.”

He does the opposite, however, and he pulls her in for a hug.

“Stop.” Lei tries to pull away to prevent herself from hurting Jaehyun with her fire, but he keeps her close, and his hands keep dropping in temperature.

Lei’s body continues to heat up as Jaehyun’s lowers and lowers in temperature. It isn’t enough for the both of them, however, because the skin on his neck feels moist, and Lei can see the grass around them beginning to wilt and dry.

“You should find someone else,” Jaehyun says when they pull away. “And I don’t mean Lucas. He’ll never be enough for you.”

“What?”

Jaehyun only gives her a small smile (his pretty and darling and hurtful smile) in response, and he lets his hand linger around hers before turning around and walking towards the party. As he rounds the opposite corner of the tent, Lei’s bottom lip begins to tremble—and a hand places itself on her shoulder.

“You okay?” The soft voice can only belong to Baekhyun.

“He’s leaving because of me.” Lei turns and looks upward at Baekhyun. This is the first time all night that she’s him up and close, and she has to admit that he looks even more so gorgeous with eyeshadow matching the hues of the famed sunsets. His confidence in wearing makeup even as a guy renders her words immobile in , and she forgets what to say.

“Your actions always have consequences.” Baekhyun doesn’t take notice of her pause and stares at her right in the eye. “You can’t ignore that. And you’re royalty. The consequences are bigger for you than they are for normal people.”

“Still,” Lei whines. She moves past Baekhyun who follows her out back to the party. “I can’t believe something like this can happen. I mean, it doesn’t make sense. He didn’t do anything wrong. It was all me. I was the one calling the shots. I was the one at Lucas’s house anyways.”

“Lei.” Baekhyun grabs her wrist and drags her to the dancefloor. “First of all, don’t blame yourself. And second, your toy is looking this way.” He takes her hand in his and lifts it to take standard position in slow dancing. “You can’t act out of the blue, remember?”

“I know,” Lei hisses, but people begin to take pictures near her, so she puts on a smile. “And toy?”

“Yosul has a term for people you don’t date but keep around for affectionate activities.”

“Ugh.” She rolls her eyes at the definition. “I don’t like him anymore. And it’s not like he’d ever return the feeling if