MELT MY FROZEN HEART
Chapter 55 — Between Duty and Desire
The palace walls pressed in like ice, every corner dripping with tension.
Prince Kimo stood outside the servant's quarters, sharp eyes scanning the dim hall. He found her by the window, green eyes reflecting moonlight, arranging flowers like nothing was wrong.
But everything was wrong.
The foreigners. His stepmother's whispers. The kingdom hanging by threads of deceit.
And the ache in his chest — that old emptiness his mother's disappearance carved into him — it gnawed worse than ever.
"Oki," Kimo's voice was quiet, unusually soft for the prince known to freeze hearts with a glance.
She turned, surprise flickering across her face. "Your Highness?"
His icy composure cracked, just enough for the raw edge of vulnerability to show. "I need… comfort," he admitted, the word foreign on his tongue, pride scraping his throat.
Oki's eyes softened, but before she could answer, the distant bell chimed — the king's council was gathering.
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In the Grand Hall…
The king sat tall on his throne, his silver crown gleaming under torchlight. The foreigners filed in with rehearsed smiles, masks of diplomacy hiding their true intentions.
But the king's sharp gaze drifted to his wife—the stepqueen—standing poised at his side.
Her eyes glittered with something dangerous. Something familiar.
She's too calm, the king thought, suspicion twisting his gut. He had ignored the rumors for too long, but now? Even the queen's silence screamed betrayal.
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Back in the Garden…
Kimo's hand brushed Oki's wrist, barely holding himself together. His icy eyes burned with frustration. "Take me to the magical lake," he pleaded, voice low. "I need to see her. I have to see my mother."
Oki's heart ached. The lake — hidden deep within the enchanted forest — was where reflections showed memories, even lost souls. But it wasn't a place for weakness.
She gently pulled her hand away, stepping closer, her presence warm but firm. "You can't let your emotions drown you," she warned softly. "Your mother wouldn't want that… She wouldn't want this kingdom falling apart while you're lost in the past."
Kimo's jaw clenched, his usual stubbornness rising. "You think I care about the throne more than her?"
"I think," Oki whispered, reaching up to touch his cheek, "your mother would care. She gave everything for this kingdom — for you. Don't let her sacrifice mean nothing."
Their eyes locked, green meeting blue, tension thick as the midnight air. His breath hitched as her fingers lingered on his skin — the first time anyone dared touch him so gently.
Oki's voice lowered, her words carrying a fierce tenderness. "We'll watch the visitors together. We'll protect this kingdom… then, I'll take you to the lake. But you need to stand tall, Your Highness. Be the prince your mother believed in."
Kimo's walls cracked, the frozen mask slipping just enough to reveal the longing beneath — for peace, for truth… for her.
He stepped closer, his hand grazing hers, their fingertips brushing, the air between them charged with unspoken words.
"Oki," his voice dropped to a near whisper, raw and vulnerable, "how do you always say exactly what I need, even when I don't want to hear it?"
She smiled softly, teasing but sincere. "Maybe I'm not just a maid after all."
Kimo's lips curved — rare, genuine — the storm in his eyes settling for a heartbeat.
Their foreheads nearly touched, breaths mingling, the space between them tight with longing but held by duty — the kind of slow, aching romance only they understood.
No kisses yet. No lines crossed. But every glance, every shared breath — it was a promise.
And both of them felt it.
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To be con....