The surprise etched in the man's voice snapped Aria back to reality. How the hell did this person know her? Her chest tightened with a wave of shame and disbelief.
She was Princess Aria, yes, even though in the palace, her role as a princess was ignored, and her name carried little weight.
The thought of someone recognizing her in such a humiliating scenario, it was unbearable. Worse still, it seemed to suggest something scandalous.
Unable to mask her confusion and panic, she demanded in a trembling voice, "Who... who are you? How do you know me?"
The man, still caught in a storm of shock, reached up and tore the mask from his face. His features were revealed, and Aria's breath hitched. His face was astonishingly handsome, but it was unmistakable
That face was burned into her memory from childhood, even if she had hardly seen him in years.
It was Medrick!!.
