Isoda

> They erased her name. Burned her bloodline. Left her for dead.

But Milena survived. Reborn into the heart of the empire that destroyed her, she moves through the royal courts like a shadow—silent, sharp, watching.

She has no interest in love. No patience for power games. Only one goal: make the crown remember what it tried to forget.

Then she meets him—the Crown Prince.
The man who unknowingly signed her family’s death.
The man who starts to notice her.
The man who, slowly… she can’t stop thinking about.

This is not the story of a girl who wanted to be queen.

This is the story of a forgotten heir who falls in love with her enemy… and still plans to bring down the kingdom

The forgotten blood

Milena didn't return to the safehouse until dawn.

The streets of Vienna were quiet, silver with early frost. But inside her, a fire raged.

Her father's most trusted friend. The man who held her on his knee as a child. The man who vanished just before the soldiers came.

Now she knew: he didn't disappear. He betrayed them.

"Where do ghosts like him hide?" Gareth asked when she returned, eyes tired but alert.

"In plain sight," she replied. "Among councilmen, advisors, nobles with soft hands and sharp eyes. He's not just alive — he's protected."

Later that day, an unexpected message arrived.

A white envelope, slipped under their door. No seal. No name.

> "Tonight. Opera House. Box Seven. Come alone."

That evening, she arrived cloaked and masked once more. The Opera House was alive with music, chandeliers, and velvet. She moved like shadow through the grand halls and up into Box Seven.

Inside: dim light, a half-drawn curtain, and a man in a high-backed chair — silhouetted against the stage below.

The man didn't move. "I wondered how long it would take you."

His voice was older now. Rougher. But still unmistakable.

Milena stepped forward, every nerve alert.

"Why?" she asked. "Why betray him? Why betray me?"

Renard didn't turn to look at her. "Because fire always consumes itself. Your father had ideals. And ideals don't keep kingdoms from burning."

She clenched her fists. "You destroyed my house."

He finally turned — grey hair, sharp eyes, no guilt.

"I erased a threat to the crown before it could become a rebellion. The king gave the order. I made it happen. And now the prince… watches you. Just as I warned him to."

Milena's blood ran cold. "He knows who I am?"

"He doesn't. Not yet. But when he does, you'll see… he's not your enemy. He's just the next one the crown will use."

Renard looked back at the opera stage below.

The Man Behind the Curtain