Y/N has spent their whole life belonging to everyone except themselves. Beloved by the people, suffocated by the crown, and promised to a future they never chose. Keigo Takami was assigned to protect them. That was supposed to be the whole story. Except he talks to them like a person in a palace full of people who never have, and somewhere between duty and something he cannot name he stopped being able to pretend this is just a job. He is sworn to protect the crown. He was not prepared for this.