The story begins with the impoverished noble family, the Holgers, forced to relocate from the capital to the countryside. Nine-year-old Sera, the protagonist, discovers a young boy named Al collapsed in the forest. Al is beautiful, ethereal, and suffers from amnesia, unable to recall his name or origins. Sera's kindhearted parents decide to take him in, and Sera is delighted to have a new, obedient companion.
Life in Yodel village is modest but peaceful. Sera, her older sister Marni, and Al spend their days together, with Al remaining particularly attached to Sera. Sera struggles with her bright red hair, which she dislikes, while Al finds it beautiful. Sera dreams of a grand house, and Al promises to build her one by selling pots, a profession Sera's father currently pursues with little success. Al also suffers from nightmares, often waking up and fleeing to the garden, which Sera comforts him through.
As Al grows, his striking beauty becomes more pronounced, causing Sera to feel self-conscious and begin to distance herself from him. On Sera's tenth birthday, she sets a trap for game but finds nothing. A handsome knight, Elias, appears and chastises her for the dangerous trap, forcing her to fill it in. He then offers her a ride to Yodel village. Upon learning her family name is Holger, Elias becomes intensely interested and offers Sera money for information, asking about her family's history in the village. He learns they moved from the capital and are rumored to be nobles. Elias, a seemingly wealthy and influential knight, asks Sera to return later for more questions, giving her a substantial sum of money.
Al, witnessing Sera's interaction with Elias and the money, becomes distressed and accuses her of selling him out. He reveals he remembers being a prince and that the Royal Knights are coming for him, implying Sera's actions have endangered her family. A massive contingent of Royal Knights arrives at their small house, surrounding it. Al is identified as a prince who was kidnapped years ago and is now being brought back to the Royal Palace. Despite his apparent reluctance and Sera's pleas, Al is taken away by the knights, along with Sera's father who had gone to pursue them.
Ten years pass. Sera, now twenty-four, works as a teacher. Her sister Marni is married and pregnant. Sera's family has been receiving a large, unexplained income since her father's disappearance, which has kept them financially stable. Marni arranges for Sera to meet a potential suitor, Henri. However, Elias, now a prominent figure in the Royal Knights, reappears. He informs Sera that Prince Al wishes to see her and that she is to come to the Royal Palace as his wife, claiming they are already married through church arrangements. Sera is shocked and protests, but Elias insists it's for her safety and his own convenience, as he doesn't want to live with her otherwise. He also reveals her father is alive and working at the Royal Palace, sending money home.
Sera is taken to the Royal Palace, a magnificent and imposing structure. She is given luxurious accommodations and instructed to act as Elias's loving wife. She learns that Al, now a prince, is to meet her. Upon entering the throne room, Al, who looks nothing like the boy Sera knew, greets her as his "sister" and expresses his displeasure at her presence. He claims to have no memory of his past with the Holgers, despite his earlier distress. The story ends with Al being forced to return to the palace, leaving Sera to navigate her new, complicated reality.
