"Lun? Lun, where are you?"
"Dad! I'm here—over here!"
Panting as he ran, the young Gwynnslun threw himself into his father's arms.
"Where did you go? How did you end up all the way up this mountain path? Do you have any idea how worried I was?"
His father held him tightly, worry written all over his face.
"Hehe."
Though he knew he had done wrong, the warmth of his father's embrace made young Gwynnslun giggle.
"Alright. Alright. I'm just glad you're safe."
His father laughed softly with him.
Then he noticed the dirt and bits of grass clinging to Gwynnslun's hands.
"Were you playing in the dirt?"
"No. A pretty sister, like a princess, was crying… so I picked some flowers and gave them to her!"
"I see. So you comforted her. Well done, Lun."
His father gently patted his head.
Enjoying the touch, Gwynnslun let out another small giggle.
"Now, let's go home."
"Yes, Dad!"
***
Gwynnslun's father, who had run a small business in the capital, eventually decided to move to a small village when things grew difficult.
"Lun, we're moving tomorrow. Did you say goodbye properly to that sister?"
"Tomorrow? Not yet… We said we'd meet again, but I haven't seen her since…"
His voice trailed off as young Gwynnslun lowered his gaze.
Wondering whether that beautiful sister was still sad, he went back to that place every day, hoping to see her again.
But she never appeared.
He only wanted to meet her one more time. They had promised.
"Um… can I go out just once more?"
"All right. But be careful, and come back before it gets dark."
"Yes!"
With that, Gwynnslun left the house, hurrying toward the place where he had first met her.
"Oh!"
At the far end of an alley, he spotted a girl with crimson hair slipping out from beneath a hat.
Instinctively, he knew it was her.
'It's that sister!'
Gwynnslun ran toward the alley, but she had already boarded a carriage and was leaving.
"Wait! Wait!"
However, his voice didn't reach her.
The carriage disappeared into the distance.
He stopped where he stood, staring blankly in the direction it had gone.
"…I just wanted to say goodbye… I wanted to see her one more time…"
Quietly lowering his head, he returned home.
Seeing him, his father asked playfully.
"So? Did you meet her? Just who was that princess-like sister who stole our Lun's heart?"
Gwynnslun shook his head and answered weakly.
"No… I missed her. Even though she was wearing a hat, I could tell. She had red hair—really beautiful."
"Red hair… that's not common. I feel like I've seen someone like that before…"
His father thought for a moment, then spoke while looking at the dejected Gwynnslun.
"Ah, that's right. Long ago, on the day of Their Majesties' wedding, I briefly saw the Queen from afar. She had red hair too. But after that, she never appeared in public again, and there was no news of her."
He continued, searching his memory.
"Very little is known about the Princess either. Even her hair color was never revealed… but red hair is rare…"
Then he smiled at Gwynnslun.
"Could it be… that the sister you met wasn't just your princess, but truly Her Royal Highness?"
Gwynnslun's eyes widened.
'So she really was… a princess…!'
Though the regret of never seeing her again lingered in a corner of his heart, something else—far harder to name—filled his chest.
He couldn't put it into words. He didn't know what that feeling was.
He only knew one thing.
He wanted to meet her again.
***
After moving to a small village near the capital, Gwynnslun's family lived day by day, working the fields.
As Gwynnslun grew, day by day, his silver hair shimmered beneath the sunlight, and his clear blue eyes shone as if they held the sky itself.
He grew into someone who would not have looked out of place in the heart of the capital.
Yet there he was, in a quiet corner of a small village, hands covered in dirt as he diligently helped his father farm.
A few weeks later, he had the chance to travel to the capital with his father.
Deep in his heart, a small hope stirred.
'What if… I can see her again? The sister… no—the Princess…'
From the moment they arrived, Gwynnslun kept glancing around restlessly.
Noticing this, his father smiled.
"Still hoping to see her? I'll take care of my business. Why don't you look around? Who knows, maybe you'll run into her again like last time."
"Then I'll be back quickly!"
Gwynnslun dashed off toward the crowded streets without looking back.
On a whim.
On a hope that might never come true.
As the sun began to sink and they were about to head home, a familiar laugh reached his ears.
Instinctively, he turned.
His heart began to pound.
It was her.
The Princess he had longed to see again.
Though she wore a hooded cloak, Gwynnslun recognized her instantly.
Drawn by her joyful laughter, his feet moved toward her on their own.
But after taking only a few steps, he realized that her smile was directed at someone standing beside her.
The man looked older than Gwynnslun, much taller.
He, too, wore a cloak and hat, his face hidden, but his presence alone said enough.
'A noble… no, perhaps even royalty like her.'
At that moment, Gwynnslun stopped.
Before she could notice him, he quickly slipped into a nearby alley.
He didn't know why he did it.
He only knew that he couldn't approach her.
In the quiet alley, he folded his arms over his knees and buried his face in them.
No words came out.
After a while, he lifted his head slightly and gazed at the sunset light spilling into the alley's entrance.
Beyond the warm orange glow, he sat in shadow.
The boundary between light and darkness felt like the distance between her and himself.
Gwynnslun ran a hand roughly through his silver hair.
'I was never someone who could even stand beside the Princess.'
***
On the way home, riding in the cart beside his father, Gwynnslun remained silent.
But inside his heart, he made a firm vow.
If they ever met again, he would become someone who could stand by her side—or at least behind her.
Even if he could only watch her from afar, that would be enough.
To do that, he knew he had to become stronger than he was now.
And so, Gwynnslun made his resolve.