"It was a very long and complicated family tree," Sarah folded her arms across her chest as she pictured the family tree that Grace had described in her mind."Let me introduce myself. I am Princ- ... I mean, Adro Alymer Groendez." Adro stood up and stretched out his right hand. He remembered that in this world, people get to know each other by shaking hands, even women."I'm Sarah Park. Nice to meet you," Sarah replied, still a little surprised at Adro's rather strange name. However, she remembered that he was from another country."So, the men's clothes you asked for were for him?" Sarah turned back to Grace.“Yep,” Grace answered as she checked the inside of the paper bag from the luxury clothing brand. "Thanks for helping me, Sarah. I'll pay you back in two terms. Will that be okay?"Sarah shook her head. "No need. Those are clothes that I bought for Harry, but I haven't given them to him.""Harry? Oh, I see..." Grace muttered.Harry was Sarah's thirty-fourth ex-boyfriend. However
"Well, I can try to make this case property damage. So, Miss Grace doesn't have to pay any compensation." Said the female nurse who accompanied the plumbers. She glanced at Adro and smiled."Thank you for your kind help, Ms." Adro bowed slightly, placing his hand on his lower chest."It’s nothing. It looks like you're not from here, are you?" The nurse asked before clearing her throat, while everyone in the room looked at her in disgust.Adro nodded. "I come from a faraway land.""I see. No wonder you're so polite," She said with a chuckle."I think you should excuse yourself if you're finished. My friend needs to get enough rest. She is an injured patient." Sarah interrupted the unimportant conversation with an emphasis on words.Glancing at Sarah with narrow eyes, the nurse cleared her throat and said, "Then we'll take our leave.""Th-thank you, everyone," Grace said."Dammit! They're so annoying!" Sarah cursed."Sarah, you don't need to pay anything. If they ask for compensation, I
"ARGH!!" Grace screamed as soon as her sanity returned. She immediately covered his eyes with her hands.Grace's scream shocked Adro. He stopped his movements and looked at the girl with the t-shirt still in his hand. "What's wrong? Are there monsters?" He turned to the wide window behind him."Th-there are no monsters. But why are you taking off your clothes here?!" Grace asked, still closing her eyes. She felt bubbling heat all over her face."Didn't you just say you don't mind if I open my tunic here? Are women not supposed to see shirtless men in your world? Forgive my impudence. I wasn't aware because in my place, many men are shirtless when doing combat sports in public." He said, while putting his t-shirt back on.Grace blinked, then she grimaced. 'Why are you so stupid, Grace? It doesn't matter if men are shirtless here! Why should you be the one to feel embarrassed? That's the same as saying that you are the one who thinks dirty about his sexy body!'In a hurry, Grace touched
Adro smiled gently before continuing to eat. After finishing his meal, he threw the plastic wrapper into the trash."There are lots of things made from strange materials here," Adro said after returning to his seat."Yes?" Grace looked at him. "Can you show me the example, please?""The food containers you said should be thrown away after use, the wrappers, and the cutlery - They're all made from materials I've never seen before.""Oh," Grace nodded in understanding with a chuckle. "That's called plastic,""Plastic?" Adro repeated."Yep. Plastic is the most widely used material in modern times. Many daily items are made from plastic. Even clothes contain plastic, even though it is small and invisible. Plastic is an essential raw material in this world.""That's amazing. Thank you for explaining it to me," Adro said."Is there no plastic in the world you come from?" Grace asked carefully. She was afraid of offending Adro's feelings. He might think that she was indirectly calling him pr
"My apologies, princess. I didn't come to pick you up myself. I thought you were still on your way." Adro stepped closer to Joselyn with a warm and enthusiastic smile.Joselyn shook her head gently, a smile still blooming on her lips. "I actually came here silently to surprise you, Your Highness.""Oh... Haha..." Adro laughed, forming a deep dimple on his left cheek. "You never change; Princess Joselyn is always full of surprises. And I'm always taken aback by them."The two of them lingered together along the palace corridors, ending up in an admirable indoor magical garden.Turning to the side, Adro found Joselyn gazing ahead at the mattress of flowers in the garden. Glowing, colorful butterflies seemed to dance above it. When he was a kid, to Adro, Joselyn was a sweet, pretty little girl. But he didn't expect that the girl had now grown into an incredibly charming woman. He was lucky to have a perfect woman like Joselyn, who was admired by many men as his fiancée. However, everyone
"My goodness, Adro, you're so stubborn!" Damian hurried to catch up with his wide-striding older brother.With those steps, they reached the palace's entrance in no time. Then, Adro approached one of the guards stationed there."Your Highness," the guard immediately bowed, recognizing the arrival of their princess."Get me a horse and five men. It seems there's a disturbance at the edge of the forest," Adro ordered."Yes, Your Highness." The guard ran to carry out the eldest prince's command."Adro, are you sure about doing this yourself? If father and mother find out, you will be done," Damian said, pulling his brother’s shoulder again. He stared at him with wide eyes and panting breath.However, Adro chuckled while lightly patting his twenty-two-year-old brother's shoulder. "I'm mature enough to judge how I should handle myself, Damian. I'm no longer at an age to worry about scolding from my parents."Damian snorted with a sardonic look at his older brother. "How arrogant,"Before l
The agonized cries of his soldiers snapped Adro out of his reverie. He swiftly turned to approach his men, who were struggling to save their comrades. Two survivors were trapped with their legs squeezed down under the rock, while another lay dead, crushed by it.Adro clenched his fists in frustration. This was meant to be his day of joy, filled with laughter and smiles from the palace's residents and his people. The shedding of blood and the loss of friends were heartbreaking. It shouldn’t have happened today."Your Highness, could this be the work of a witch?" Asked one of the men who was Adro’s right-hand man in leading this group.Adro nodded. "Whoever it was, one will pay dearly for this. I've lost my warriors and Azer," he muttered, staring at the ground. Then he lifted his gaze to look at his man. "You lead the team in evacuating the wounded and the fallen. I'll investigate further.""But, Your Highness-""Leo," Adro said, lowering his voice. "I’ll be fine."Then Adro gazed at t
Adro glanced back and realized the wolves were far behind, out of his sight. Yet their howls still sounded close. As the situation remained unsafe, Adro proceeded with his intention to hide in the house. Emerging from the forest, he found himself in the yard of a rather large and nice-looking house. He hurried towards the door and tried to open it, only to find that it was locked. However, Adro could see through the window that the lights inside were still on. Then he knocked on the door as hard as he could. "Excuse me! Is anyone inside? Please open the door!" Adro's brow furrowed. His hands clenched harder. He continued knocking on the door faster and harder, but no one was answering, and the wolf howls drew nearer as if encircling him. Suddenly, his eyes opened, revealing a pair of crystal blue irises with pupils rapidly constricting as they were exposed to the light from the room's lamp. Adro raised his head only to meet a pair of brown eyes staring at him. Grace observed the
"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