Gently, Adro helped Grace back into the wheelchair. Then he let go of his hand after making sure the girl was seated properly."Th-thank you," Grace said, hanging her face down.Adro nodded slightly. "You're welcome!" Then he placed the cup on the counter. "You should ask for help if you need it. That was very dangerous. Just imagine if you were alone here, and no one could help you.""That's because I'm used to it," Grace muttered."Pardon?" Adro looked at Grace and squinted his eyes. "Did you say something?"Grace shook her head and gave an awkward smile. "Nothing. It's not important.""What were you trying to do? Let me help you with it," Adro asked."I wanted to prepare a drink for us. I was thirsty, and you might be too," Grace replied as she moved her wheelchair back when Adro stepped to the side of the counter."I see. Can I use the cups over here?" Adro pointed to the dish rack.Grace nodded and pointed upward. "I usually use cups in the hanging cabinet, but since I can't reac
"I hope you'll find a man who treats you well and sincerely," Adro said, giving a warm smile.Grace stared into those crystal eyes with a pounding heart. She almost drowned in that gaze. However, she had to quickly realize that she shouldn't get too close to Adro. Besides their different worlds, Adro was engaged to another woman.Clearing her throat, Grace forced a chuckle and said, "Sorry for saying unnecessary things. Oh... look! I've become skilled with the crutches. It's thanks to you."Adro smiled and nodded once. "Glad to help you. You're an independent woman.""Everyone becomes independent when circumstances force them to. My grandmother used to say, As humans, we must be able to adapt quickly—even though I still struggle with that, to be honest," Grace replied, her voice dwindling to a murmur."Your grandmother was a wise woman. No wonder you grew into a woman with a beautiful heart. No need to judge yourself," Adro said."Well, that’s so kind of you, but it seems I've only gr
"Um... is there something wrong?" Grace asked."It's just..." Adro stopped. His eyes were still fixed on the flashlight. "I just remembered that it's inappropriate for a royal to put their head low, and moreover, near the floor."“What?” Grace muttered with a furrowed brow. Then she realized and pulled the flashlight back before turning it off. "Oh my God! I'm so sorry! I forgot that you're a prince, and I don't know the rules in the kingdom." Then she placed the flashlight back in the drawer. “I'll look for it again when my ankle has healed. It's not so important, anyway.""I’m sorry, I can't help you with this," Adro said with a slightly lowered face.Grace shook her head. "No… You're a prince in your kingdom. Of course, I understand that.""Thank you for being understanding." Adro smiled a little.Silence enveloped them for a few seconds. They stood there, staring at each other with blinking eyes.Clearing her throat, Grace finally found something to say, "Well, you said you couldn
Adro opened the large door of the mansion. Sunlight streamed through the holes in the roof and its large windows, illuminating the hall inside."Be careful," Adro said as he guided Grace inside."This is my second time coming here, and I'm increasingly aware of how beautiful this mansion is," Grace murmured, gazing around. Then, she noticed an open door. It was the one she and Adro had opened and left unclosed. "It’s the door that leads downstairs, isn’t it?"“You are right. We didn’t close it.” Adro said.As they approached the door, the two of them looked down the steep and narrow stairs. Then Adro said, "I don't think you can go down there on your own with your current foot condition.""I guess you are right," Grace mumbled, still looking down and gulping."What if I carry you?" Adro suggested."Wh-what?” Grace turned to him, then slowly turned her warm face back to the front. “But that's a bit..." "The only way to get you downstairs is by carrying you. If you're uncomfortable wit
Because their search yielded no results, Grace and Adro decided to return to Grace's house.On the way, Grace noticed that Adro remained silent, staring out the window. The man must be disappointed. The mansion was the only place they could rely on to find his way back. The absence of any clues in the mansion indicated that the possibility of Adro returning was low or even impossible."I’m sorry if today's search gives no results," Grace said, almost whispering.Adro turned to her. He realized his face might look sullen, even though he didn't mean it that way. He quickly carved out a smile. "You don't need to apologize. It's not your fault. I should be thanking you for helping me, even with your injured foot.""Since my parents and eventually my grandmother passed away, I often feel scared," Grace uttered. She inhaled deeply and continued, "It's an inexplicable fear. I feel alone in this world, even though I have Sarah and Bella as friends. And even though I'm an adult, and it's norma
"A paper? Isn't your fridge door always filled with sticky notes? Can you be more specific?" Sarah asked.Grace fell silent for a few seconds. From Sarah's response, it was clear that she didn't know which paper she was referring to. Could it be that she didn’t find it?"So, you didn't find any notes at all?" Grace asked again.Sarah rolled her eyes. "I just asked you, what kind of paper are you talking about, Grace? If it's just a piece of paper, I see plenty of it on your fridge door, and of course, I wouldn't pay attention to all the nonsense I didn't understand."Sarah's answer was a stamp that validated Grace's thought that she didn't find her suicide note. Sarah wasn't someone to conceal things; she would speak up immediately if something was wrong. Grace, who was on the verge of suicide at that time, wouldn't leave Sarah as calmly as now. She would have attacked her with various questions and advice if she knew."Oh, I guess you didn't find the paper I meant. It's a … to-do lis
“Sarah said that you are currently staying with your relatives. Is that true?”Grace nodded, giving a faint smile. "And she doesn't seem too happy about it.""She sounded like that when she told me." Bella chuckled and continued, "But isn't the presence of your relatives supposed to be somewhat helpful given your current condition?""It is. He has helped me a lot at home," Grace replied."Oh, that's good. But, you know... I hope you're not being too nice to him like you usually are. Haha..."Finding her words sent Grace to fall silent, Bella cleared her throat and continued, "I don't mean to offend or lecture you, Grace. I'm sorry if you feel offended by my words. But we all know that sometimes you're... well... too kind to people, and without realizing it, you end up being taken advantage of by a shameless and selfish person. I'm genuinely worried about that. Maybe I'm influenced by Sarah? Well... I'm not sure,""Perhaps Bella is a bit influenced by Sarah. But as an outsider, I would
"Oh, I’m so sorry! I just..." Grace bit her lower lip."I understand. You're just worried about me. But it's unnecessary, Miss Menken. Now, let me try this for a moment so we don't waste any more time," Adro said."A-all right," Grace stepped back and pointed to her back with her thumb. "I'll wait for you behind this wall.""Very well," Adro replied before closing the dark blue curtain.Grace walked out of the fitting room, which contained four stalls, and only one was occupied. She sighed long. ‘That was so embarrassing! It wasn’t what I meant, though. But... why did I ask that stupid question?’“I’m lucky it’s not crowded here like every weekend. I should walk around to cool down my face.” Grace muttered.While waiting for Adro, Grace browsed through the clothing aisles with slow steps because of her foot condition. At least she wouldn’t have to worry about bothering people because the department store has few visitors. A long sigh escaped her nostrils again as her shoulders slumped
"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