Breakfast continued quietly, but Chyna barely touched her food.
Most of the conversation happening at the table revolved around Jordan and Myra, and Chyna found herself unable to follow along.
Worse—
Jordan seemed completely distracted by Jody's presence.
Chyna lowered her gaze slightly, irritation bubbling inside her.
I'm supposedly someone special to him, she complained inwardly. Yet the moment his "relative" appears, he completely forgets about me.
Her eyes narrowed slightly as she watched the two laughing together.
And what kind of relatives behave like that anyway? They're acting more like overly attached siblings.
Finally, unable to remain silent any longer, Chyna spoke.
"Jordan?"
Jordan immediately turned toward her.
"Yes?"
"What about Leon?" she asked softly. "Is he alright? I'd like to see him."
Jordan nodded.
"Your personal knight woke up this morning. He's currently resting in the left wing of the mansion."
He gestured toward a man standing nearby.
"If you'd like, Jorge can escort you there."
Chyna glanced briefly at Jorge before looking back at Jordan.
"Oh…" she murmured quietly.
Disappointment flickered through her eyes when she realized he had no intention of accompanying her himself.
"I'll visit him later."
The rest of breakfast passed in silence.
Once she finished eating, Chyna rose from her seat.
"Excuse me."
Just as she turned to leave, Jody suddenly called out cheerfully.
"Chyna, why don't you come with us? Jordan and I are heading to the market later."
Chyna forced a polite smile.
"No thank you. I'm feeling a little tired, so I'd rather rest."
Jody nodded understandingly.
"Alright then."
Without another word, Chyna quietly returned upstairs.
The moment she disappeared, Myra turned toward Jordan with concern.
"What's wrong with her?"
Jordan leaned back slightly in his chair, amusement flickering in his eyes.
"Nothing serious." A playful smile appeared on his lips. "I think someone's jealous."
Myra's eyes widened instantly.
"Wait…" She stared at him. "She's your Yna?"
Jordan's expression softened immediately.
"Yes," he answered quietly. "She is."
Myra placed a hand over her mouth dramatically.
"Oh no, Brother!" she exclaimed. "What have you done? She's obviously misunderstanding the situation!"
Jordan chuckled softly.
"She'll survive."
"But she doesn't even know we're siblings!"
"She's stronger than you think."
Still laughing quietly, Jordan stood and led Myra toward the garden.
Meanwhile, far away within the abandoned palace near Camelot's borders, Prince Dylan and his allies gathered once again around the same large table.
This time, their expressions were far more serious.
"I have an idea," Alena announced suddenly. "We lure the princess away using an illusion."
Dylan leaned forward with interest.
"That could work." He narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. "But what kind of illusion?"
Cole immediately spoke up.
"We recreate the moment Jordan and the princess were separated years ago."
The room fell silent briefly.
Then Stephen nodded slowly.
"That might actually fool her."
"But how do we capture her afterward?" he asked.
A sly smile spread across Kiera's face.
"That's where I come in."
Everyone turned toward her.
"We create an illusion of Jordan," she explained smoothly. "Once she trusts him, he knocks her unconscious."
Dylan grinned widely.
"I must admit… that's brilliant."
"Then let's assign roles," Kiera continued confidently.
She pointed toward Alena first.
"Alena, you'll make sure the illusion feels believable."
Then she looked toward Cole.
"You'll impersonate Jordan. Thankfully, you're roughly his height."
Cole smirked proudly.
Kiera then turned toward Dylan.
"You'll create a distraction to separate the princess from him."
Finally, she glanced toward Stephen.
"You'll stand guard and make sure we aren't discovered."
The group nodded in agreement.
"Good," Kiera said coldly. "Then we move tonight."
One by one, they dispersed to prepare.
Back at the mansion, Chyna sat alone on the balcony outside her room.
The evening breeze gently moved her hair as she stared blankly into the distance.
Yet her thoughts remained a complete mess.
I can't believe Jordan actually ignored me for Jody…
She folded her arms with annoyance.
Even if they're relatives, I thought I was more special to him than that.
Then suddenly, another thought surfaced.
Wait… why am I even angry?
Chyna blinked.
Jordan isn't yours, is he? So why are you upset?
Her grip on the balcony railing tightened slightly.
And how do you even know you're truly special to him? What if he was only saying those things to tease you?
Her cheeks slowly warmed.
Or maybe… he's become special to you instead.
Chyna froze completely.
The realization hit her harder than expected.
Her heartbeat quickened slightly.
Have I really started falling for him…?