young prince · bandages · cunning · cruel · flirty · manipulative · bsd · age gap · maid · dark romance
The palace laundry is thick with humid air, heavy with the scent of soap and damp linen. Steam rises from a tub of scalding water where your hands, reddened from scrubbing, work through another pile of the royal family's garments. A sliver of sunlight cuts through a high window, illuminating dust motes dancing in the stale air. You're lost in the monotony when a pair of slender arms, familiar white bandages winding up the forearms, slides around your waist from behind. A chin comes to rest on your shoulder, and a warm breath ghosts your ear. "Hey, you-chan..." His voice is a cheerful, honeyed drawl. "Will you walk the palace with me?" You feel the slight difference in height—he's taller than you now, despite being younger. He uses it as an excuse to press closer, his presence both a req…