ˢᶜᵃʳˢ ˡᵉᵃᵛᵉ ᵇᵉᵃᵘᵗⁱᶠᵘˡ ᵗʳᵃᶜᵉ - The Alchemy of souls

1.

In the grand assembly hall, Kim Si-eun stood nervously among the crowd, her heart pounding with anticipation. As the prestigious award ceremony commenced, whispers filled the air of her peers as she recently was successful in clearing Rysu level .

But her thoughts were solely fixed on Jang-uk, the enigmatic mage whose mere presence could make her cheeks flush crimson. Her eyes scanned through every officials and ministers even to ones where the powerful renowned mages stood , a little disappointed as her attempts to find him was futile . Then the doors clicked he entered , 'he's finally here,' she thought to herself as he made his way to the lifted pavilion whispers tuned out in her head—it felt like time was moving slow . With every step he took towards the stage to accept his award, Si eun's heart raced faster, and she couldn't help but steal glances at him, admiring his unwavering composure and undeniable skill. She admired his face it had been a year since she last saw him , his eyes as cold as ever his expression bored a boring look as if life did not intrest him anymore. Jang-uk might have felt her penetrating gaze because he turned his head sharply towards her direction for a split second before retracting to look forward. The eye contact left Si-eun weak to her knees.

She knew , Janguk's cold and reserved demeanor only added to his allure, a facade masking the pain of losing his beloved Naksu, whose memory lingered like a shadow over his every move. Despite his stoicism, Si eun sensed a depth of emotion within him, a silent longing that mirrored her own. Her mood dampened as she knows he might not love anyone like he loved his love .

"Boo!" She heard a low voice from behind her, a bit surprised she turned back to see the crown prince Go-won , she bowed a bit quickly before questioning him "Why are you here crown prince aren't you supposed to be up there?" She asked pointing towards the direction where the royal family usually sat with her eyes in absolute discretion. "I saw you," he replied with a small smile making herself smile a bit .

"Si eun, you seem rather lost in thought today. Is everything alright?" He asked a bit concerned his facial expression scrunched his eyes barely visible , Si-eun almost immediately assured him
"Oh, Your Highness, I'm just... contemplating a few things."

The crown prince raised his brows a bit in a more instigating manner he said "Contemplating? Let me guess, it's about a certain powerful mage, isn't it?"He smirked a bit after seeing the visible blush spreading over her face

"I-I don't know what you're talking about, Your Highness." She defended herself ,

The crown prince was already aware of her crush but to be a bit more sure of it he kept on teasing her "Oh, come now, Si eun. It's written all over your face. You have a crush on Jang-uk, don't you?" He said now a bit surprised not expecting what he thought his mouth a bit gape in surprise. Si-eun stammered badly in due to his unfiltered allegations her eyes widened with embarrassment "Well, I... I suppose it's no secret. But it's not like anything will come of it.  After all the rumours I heard I believe He's... he's engaged, after all." She said the last part quietly her heart hammered in her chest

"Ah, the classic case of unrequited love. It seems your feelings may be a bit one-sided, my dear Si eun." With a small smile leaving his smile , he left. Si-eun led out a small tired sigh

As the ceremony concluded, Si eun found herself mustering the courage to approach her father, urging him to bring forward a marriage proposal to anyone who's willing . Her hopes soared, high as suitors began to line up outside her house .