"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
Concluding someone's life based on one’s conversation with strangers was not a wise thing to do. However, Adro couldn't help but conclude that Grace's social and romantic life wasn't going well.It seemed that Grace had been dumped by a man who took advantage of her kindness and innocence. Suddenly, Adro remembered their previous conversation when Grace mentioned that the men in his world were not good. And those women were other evils who deliberately used Grace's situation to make her the subject of their jokes.Every word those girls threw made Adro have to restrain his legs from bringing him out of the fitting room. He itched to stop them, but he had to think twice. He knew very little about this world, and he wasn't sure if Grace would be happy if he interfered in her private life.In silence and with clenched fists, Adro stood there, waiting for those disrespectful women to leave. Not long after, Adro finally heard their annoying goodbyes. Then, thei
"Earlier, you mentioned that living alone is boring, even for a quiet person like you," Adro said."That's true, but you still have to go home, right? I'm not trying to kick you out. Honestly, I'm quite glad you're here to liven up the atmosphere in this house. I just don't want to take advantage of your situation just to make myself feel better," Grace explained as she gazed blankly at her cereal bowl.Adro was silent, staring at Grace. "Then, my presence makes you feel better?"Realizing what she had just said, Grace raised her face and looked at Adro. She blinked several times, feeling her cheeks getting warm. "I-I mean, my feelings about this house. You know, I used to have my grandma; we lived together. But when I suddenly had to live alone, it felt a bit strange. If there's someone else living here, it wouldn't feel as lonely as when I'm alone.""I-I think everyone would feel the same as I do. I once invited Bella to live with me, but she chose to live with her boyfriend after h
Grace, Bella, and Adro walked Sarah to the departure gate. The girls hugged each other tightly, and Bella and Grace couldn't help but shed tears as they had to part with Sarah for a long time."I'll miss you so much, Sarah," Grace said, hugging Sarah once again.Sarah smiled faintly and patted Grace's back. "Me too. Take care, Grace. Avoid stress because it will make you age quickly. Chase your dreams, and don't listen to what others say. They just want to see you fall, so don’t be too kind to give it to them."Grace nodded. "I know. Don't forget to call me whenever you have time.""I will. My time might be limited after this, but I'll try to save a little for you two," Sarah replied.When Sarah felt Grace was about to release the hug, she tightened her arms around Grace's back. "And, Grace. Remember not to be too kind and trust people easily, especially men.""We can't judge someone's heart just by their appearance and words, right? B
The streets were illuminated by streetlights and car lights. Inside a moving taxi, Adro watched the business from the window. "What's that large vehicle?"Grace, who was lost in thought while staring out the other window, leaned over to see what Adro was pointing at. "Oh, that's a bus.""I saw many of them on the road. They carry a lot of people who often get on and off at the roadside," Adro observed."Buses are a common mode of transportation used by the residents of Torben. You can travel to almost anywhere by bus," Grace explained.Adro furrowed his brow. "Are bus fares cheaper than taxis?""They are. But buses are often crowded, and they only stop at designated stops, so it's easier and more comfortable to use a taxi.""Why do we always use taxis then?" Adro raised an eyebrow."Well... that's because my ankle is injured. On the other hand, I'm also not sure you would be comfortable squeezing into a bus," Grace explained."
"Are you done?""Y-yes," Grace replied. "You can use the bathroom.""I'll take a shower later. I've prepared dinner for us. I hope you like it," Adro said, arranging plates on the counter.Creeping towards the table, Grace felt a dryness in her throat that made it difficult for her to say a word. However, Adro's smile and body gestures were like a flowing stream that allowed her to breathe."Thank you for doing so much," Grace said, looking at two servings of mashed potatoes, grilled chicken breast, and boiled fresh broccoli.“No problem," Adro replied, then sat on a bar stool next to Grace.Scooping the mashed potato into her mouth, Grace discreetly glanced at Adro, who was enjoying his meal. It seemed like he was genuinely pleased to be more useful here."You can say it if you want to," Adro suddenly said, his eyes still focused o
"Gosh! You know that is hard to believe, right, Grace?" Sarah said."Believe me, Sarah; I'm more depressed than you about this because I experienced it myself. Now you should understand why from the beginning, I was reluctant to explain it to you all," Grace replied."Fine!” Sarah clucked. “So, Adro comes from another world, and he's a prince who was about to get married, and now he can't go back to his world because the door that brought him here is broken?" Sarah shortened Grace's lengthy explanations."That's correct. But if you don't believe it, that's okay. I won't force you," Grace said. Even after explaining at length, she still heard clear doubt in Sarah's voice."No. No. I do believe it. Well, more precisely, what I believe is that you're not lying to me. But that doesn't rule out the possibility that you're the one being used by him, right?"“I don't know about that, Sarah… I hope he is indeed a good guy. But agai
"That's a … great idea," Grace forced a stiff smile. "But I'm afraid I won't be able to capture it according to your expectations. I'm afraid of ruining it."Shaking his head, Adro replied. "You don't need to worry about that. Your hands are talented. Whatever the result, Joselyn will surely feel honored to be painted by an artist like you."Seeing Grace silent with her head down and hands constantly rubbing her arms, Adro moved his seat closer to him. He smiled gently as he pulled Grace's hand to stop her from rubbing her arms. "You're very talented, Grace. Believe in yourself."Grace took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay... I'll give it a try."Grace understood that she had a weak heart. Adro's charm was undeniable to any woman; she was aware of that. However, she wouldn't usually have strong feelings for a man just because of his looks. If she felt pain in her heart now, didn't that mean she liked Adro, and it was not just for his physical appear
"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