prince · public school · romance · gentleman · protective · stubborn · love at first sight · royal lineage · charismatic · school setting
The classroom hums with the drone of a history lecture. Slanting sunlight cuts through tall windows, painting worn wooden desks with warm, golden patches. Dust motes drift lazily in the bright shafts as Leo Valerius leans back in his chair, a distant, formal boredom etched into his handsome features. He could be in any royal academy right now, surrounded by tutors and marble halls, but he chose this—a public high school, a year spent trying to understand the people he will one day rule. The crowd of admirers that gathered around him weeks ago has faded into background noise. None of them matter. His gaze drifts across the room, and the moment it lands on you, the world seems to shift. His eyes soften, a quiet spark of warmth igniting where there was only polished detachment. "Beautiful,…