"It's damp and smelly here. Are you sure you're okay?" Adro asked.
Grace sighed. "This is the third time you've asked the same thing, Adro. I'm fine. Don't worry."
"Alright," Adro replied, then reached for Grace's hand and held it tightly. "But you have to stay close and not let go of my hand."
Then, they walked through the hallway, which led to the underground prison specifically designed to confine dangerous criminals.
"I can't believe that after entering the death cave, fighting various monsters, and defeating the Magical Stone spirit, you're still being overprotective of me," Grace said, feeling Adro's grip tighten.
"I don't care how strong you are now. You're my woman; I'm responsible for your safety," Adro replied, then sighed. "Your severely injured leg is enough."
"Alright, I understand. Thank you for worrying about me," Grace said, embracing his arm.
Arriving at the underground chamber, they encountered three iron doors
"Princess Grace Menken will not be a queen," Adro stated, causing everyone to turn to him. "I, Adro Alymer Groendez, will renounce my position as the crown prince of this kingdom." "What did you say?" King Groendez stared at Adro with wide eyes. "You can't do that. Since birth, you have been destined to be the future king." "I apologize, Father, but I refuse that destiny," Adro replied. "What's your reason? Now you can marry the woman you desire. This kingdom is free from monsters and witches. There's no reason for you to refuse to become the future king." "There is," Adro replied. "I have found a life that makes me happy, and that life is in a world where I am stranded. I returned to this world only to save this kingdom and bid farewell to my family, not to return to my old life as a prince." "Adro," the Queen looked at her eldest son with teary eyes. "I apologize for my decision that has disappointed this kingdom, but I wish to get your understanding. I relinquish my heir title
"Let's break up,""What? W-what do you mean?" Grace stammered. A cold sweat started rolling down her back."I want to end this relationship," Victor said."B-but we've only been dating for two months. Why do you want to break up? What did I do wrong?" The girl asked, almost crying."I realized that I've been feeling uncomfortable with you." The boy with thin lips let out a long sigh. "I don't know about you, but I really want to break up. Please don't bother me anymore. Live well. Goodbye,"Grace was stunned as she watched Victor walk away, leaving her alone in the cafe near their campus. Victor Sbastian; her first love, whom she had a crush on for six years - since high school.Tears trickled down Grace's cheeks. Her chest felt tight, as if she were drowning in the deepest sea on earth. She cried alone, like a stupid girl.Arriving home, Grace was pensive in her room. It was raining heavily outside, just to add more gloom to the atmosphere.Suddenly, a notification sound came out of
With a little force, Grace managed to open the mansion's door and go inside. There, she was amazed by the beauty of its architecture. As an artist, Grace could tell how stunning the mansion was and how high the artistic value was.However, the mansion's condition was poor; many roofs collapsed and wooden floors were damaged. The windows were also broken. Dry leaves, dust, and cobwebs were seen everywhere.Suddenly, Grace wanted to explore the mansion out of curiosity. She might find the most beautiful room to be the place where she ended her life. Then, her pair of brown eyes spotted a magnificent staircase in the middle of the grand entrance.'Let's see what the second floor has,' She thought.Then Grace stepped on the wooden stairs slowly, just to hear the creaking sound. However, she paid no attention to it; She didn't care. All she wanted was to reach the second floor, and according to her, the stairs should be strong enough to supporther light body.Grace continued to step into
'Okay. I don't care about this crazy guy. The most important thing now is that I have to get out of this place. I'm afraid he will do something bad to me. His brain must be damaged!' Grace thought."O-okay." She nodded. Then she pointed to the door that the crazy man had used to enter. "This really is the way out, isn’t it?"The man nodded. "Yes. That's the door leading to the forest."Grace smiled wryly. What forest? This mansion was located in the coastal area of the city, where there was no forest at all.Then Grace took a glance at the man before stepping fast and pulling the door open."Hey! Are you insane!?" The man snapped. However, he stopped, and his body froze, just like the impudent girl, who was also stunned as if she had just seen Medusa's eyes.Grace turned her head to look at the man who kept talking nonsense. Her feeble hand pointed at what was behind the open door, trying to confirm to him that he also witnessed the same thing.They couldn't believe what they saw. Beh
Grace jumped a little when she realized the man was looking at her suddenly, along with a burst of questions. It was so embarrassing that he caught her staring at his handsome face, which became much prettier because of the outdoor lighting. However, Grace couldn't even tell whether she was admiring his good looks or being dumbfounded at his strangeness."Eum... that..." Grace stammered."I don't understand. This place is supposed to be a dense forest. This kingdom is far away from the ocean. The road, the building, and the things are strange here. You are also strange ... Everything is strange. What is happening here?" The man said, Then he looked again at the house he had just left. It was different from the house he had entered before. Now, the house looked damaged, as if it had been abandoned for decades. This must be magic."Sir, you have to calm down. But first, can you tell me what your name is and where you come from?" Grace asked slowly.The man stared at her for a second, na
Grace and the paramedics exchanged glances."We … will take her to the hospital for treatment. Maybe she will need minor surgery," the paramedic answered before glancing at his friend.“They are right. I will be treated," Grace quickly added, giving a stiff smile. She didn't want other people to suspect Adro was crazy.Adro took a deep breath and nodded once. Then he did as he was asked: moving Grace from his arms onto a strange-looking iron bed.Then, the paramedics began to attach various tools and straps to Grace's body and legs so that she wouldn't fall. Once finished, they put her in the car.Behind them, Adro stared in disbelief at the iron carriage, which had no horses pulling it and had strange interiors. This place was insane."Are you coming along? Are you the guardian?" One of the paramedics asked Adro.Looking at Adro, Grace didn't know whether he would come with her or return to the abandoned mansion. In fact, Grace didn't want to bother because he was basically a strange
"Gosh… This sounds crazy, but I don’t have any option but to believe it because I saw for myself that you came out of that door. Then, what will you do?" Grace asked. Adro let out a long sigh while massaging his forehead. "Actually, I don't know. So far, I have never encountered a witch. The type of magic that is familiar to me is sorcerer magic, and they only use their power for weapons in war and protection. Witches are very dangerous because their magic comes from demonic power passed down through the bloodline. They have an evil heart and use their power to harm people." "You said earlier that you were getting married. So … does that mean your bride is waiting?" Grace asked a little hesitantly. Adro nodded briefly. "Joselyn; she is my future wife. It shouldn't be long before our wedding ceremony begins. She must be very confused, waiting for me now. The king and queen ... they must be looking for me too." "I'm sorry for not being able to help,” Grace said slowly. “Just so you
"Can I find my way home using this phone thing?" Adro asked with a wide smile.Grace sighed. "The phone can connect you with people who are far away from you, but it can't take you anywhere. Sorry,"“Oh, I see,” Adro muttered.Grace just looked at him with her lips sealed. That man had a soon-to-be wife waiting for him. Grace could imagine how that woman felt when her future husband suddenly disappeared just a few hours before their wedding ceremony. She must have been panicked and afraid."But … I'll try looking on the internet about where you're from. Maybe it’s in another part of the earth." Grace stretched out her hand, asking for her cell phone back."The name of my kingdom is Groendez a Lend," Adro said as he handed over the cell phone.Grace nodded and typed the name into an internet search. She even spelled it for Adro so she wouldn't write it wrong. But unfortunately, the search brought them nothing."I’m so sorry. I've looked for it, but there is no name Groendez a Lend in t
"Princess Grace Menken will not be a queen," Adro stated, causing everyone to turn to him. "I, Adro Alymer Groendez, will renounce my position as the crown prince of this kingdom." "What did you say?" King Groendez stared at Adro with wide eyes. "You can't do that. Since birth, you have been destined to be the future king." "I apologize, Father, but I refuse that destiny," Adro replied. "What's your reason? Now you can marry the woman you desire. This kingdom is free from monsters and witches. There's no reason for you to refuse to become the future king." "There is," Adro replied. "I have found a life that makes me happy, and that life is in a world where I am stranded. I returned to this world only to save this kingdom and bid farewell to my family, not to return to my old life as a prince." "Adro," the Queen looked at her eldest son with teary eyes. "I apologize for my decision that has disappointed this kingdom, but I wish to get your understanding. I relinquish my heir title
"It's damp and smelly here. Are you sure you're okay?" Adro asked.Grace sighed. "This is the third time you've asked the same thing, Adro. I'm fine. Don't worry.""Alright," Adro replied, then reached for Grace's hand and held it tightly. "But you have to stay close and not let go of my hand."Then, they walked through the hallway, which led to the underground prison specifically designed to confine dangerous criminals."I can't believe that after entering the death cave, fighting various monsters, and defeating the Magical Stone spirit, you're still being overprotective of me," Grace said, feeling Adro's grip tighten."I don't care how strong you are now. You're my woman; I'm responsible for your safety," Adro replied, then sighed. "Your severely injured leg is enough.""Alright, I understand. Thank you for worrying about me," Grace said, embracing his arm.Arriving at the underground chamber, they encountered three iron doors
The darkness enveloping Grace slowly faded. She fell onto both knees and faintly saw the Magical Stone kneeling, still in the same spot.Grace squinted her eyes and furrowed her brow. If she heard correctly, didn’t that monster say that she would walk on her stomach and her head would remain bowed? But why was her perspective still the same as before?"Y-you..." The Magical Stone stammered. The red light shining around his hands, which were covering his stab wound, slowly dimmed. "How... how is this possible?"Shifting her gaze from the pensive Magical Stone, Grace raised her hand and found she still had her human form. "I... haven't changed?""It's impossible!" The Magical Stone exclaimed. "I cursed you. No one in this world can escape my curse after touching me!"The old man's words brought a s
Not only would Grace transform into a hideous monster, but she might also lose half of her sanity, leaving her constantly craving human flesh. She would be separated from Adro and everyone she knew to live as the slave of the half-monster man until the end of her days.Grace didn't want her tears to fall. She didn't want the Magical Stone to see her weakness. She had come this far, overcoming all obstacles that drained her strength and emotions.'Since I was a kid, I've always been Grace the loser. But can a loser walk this far? Can a loser face kings, future in-laws who hate her, and even monsters?’“You don't know how strong you are, Grace!” She gritted.Clamping her jaw, she nodded. "I agree.""Naive. With a weak body like that, the words coming out of your mouth sound as if you're a great knight. But don't you know that I can hear the quickening of your heartbeat?" The Magical Stone said. Then he dug into his large ears before pulling out a strand of hair that turned into a massiv
A small gust of cold wind sent shivers down Grace's skin. Despite the fact that the underground air was cold from the start, she felt as though the dark tunnel ahead held something sinister waiting for them.Damian turned to Grace. "I think I should check inside.""We're on the same page. I will go too." Grace nodded. "But what about the others?""We just need to climb up that plant to get to Jocelyn, but I'm afraid she might not be able to continue the journey further," Damian said."I don't mind going in without an escort. I have a feeling there's something in there." Grace whispered.Damian nodded once, then looked upwards. "Elvaro!""Yes, Your Highness?""We've found a way here. We're going to check it out, so you all wait there.""Damian," Jocelyn's weak voice sounded."Jocelyn, stay there and don't move much. Elvaro and Kederic will protect you. I'll try to return as soon as possible. But if we're not back in about
Damian grimaced as Jocelyn poured water over the burns on his back and limbs."This is the medicine Lady Camelia gave me before I left. I hope it can alleviate Prince Damian's injuries." Grace handed a small black bottle to Jocelyn."The spring we found doesn't lead to anything. That means King Absolen mentioned another spring," Damian spoke."Thank you for saving us. You are badly injured.” Grace said."My task is to protect you. And I might have turned into ashes by now if you people hadn't helped me," Damian chuckled."That's not funny," Jocelyn muttered, wiping away her tears that started flowing again. She lowered her face as Damian sat up."Sorry for making you worry. Thank you for treating me," he said, wiping away her tears, then stood up with his sword. "I will check the conditions outside.""You need to rest, Damian. Elvaro and Kederic have gone out to find torchwood." Jocelyn stood up as well."There are other
In that area with rocky dry soil, carnivorous plants thrived alongside giant bushes, forming a small forest.Through the cracks in the ground, gas appeared several times. Damian noticed it when they were surrounded by the plants. During the fight, he kept looking for the nearest gap to the plant's growth center and studied the moments when the gas spurted.Damian knew this was a daring move. He might have to risk his life if he made even a slight mistake, but he had seen who Grace Menken was. Unexpectedly, she had a great leadership spirit. When facing people, she seemed weak, but when on a mission like this, she could make quick and courageous decisions. If he died here, he was sure she could lead the others out.According to his calculations, Damian threw the still-burning torch right into a hole near the entrance to the giant bush forest. Just as the torch entered
"Grace." Jocelyn gazed at her, pulling out her arrow with trembling hands."We need to run from here," Grace whispered, preparing her sword. "On the count of three, shoot the one blocking our way, and run."Jocelyn nodded; meanwhile, the snakes hissed louder and crawled closer."One.""Two."Grace tightened her grip on the sword, taking a deep breath. "Three!"Jocelyn's arrow flew, striking the snake standing in front of them right in the neck. This angered the other snakes to attack them.One of the nearest snakes moved to strike Grace, but she swung her sword as quickly as possible, injuring it. Before the other snakes could reach them, they ran as fast as they could."Oh... darn it..." Grace huffed in her run.Jocelyn looked back, only to find the snakes were almost catching up to them. At the same time, her untrained legs began to give in."Hold on!" Grace shouted, reading Jocelyn's condition.Seeing on
The group entered the forest with minimal lighting to avoid attracting attention. Grace rode a horse alongside Damian.After ensuring they were far enough from the palace, Damian raised one hand, signaling the group to stop. "Open the baggage carriage!"Damian jumped off of his horse, followed by Grace. He climbed onto the small carriage and opened a food box placed on the top stack."Are you okay?" Damian asked while pulling out a girl dressed as a boy."Jocelyn, are you alright?" Grace joined.Catching her breath, Jocelyn nodded. "I'm fine. Thank you.""Princess Jocelyn? How did you end up in there?" A guard asked.Damian carried Joclyn down from the carriage. "Stretch your legs first. It must feel stiff after bending for so long." The