Aira sat there for a long moment, the silk sheets crumpling under her fists. Her heart was still trying to process what had just happened.
'Okay...' she muttered to herself. 'Let's recap, Aira. You got isekai'd into a world full of men who apparently haven't seen a woman in, what, probably a hundred or thousand years? or so whatever. And now you've been kidnapped by some sparkly-eyed emperor who thinks you're his treasure.'
Ugh!!
She groaned, dragging her hands down her face.
Fantastic. Absolutely fantastic!
I always wanted to live in a fantasy world, but not as the main course of a possessive males' buffet!
Where were the cute animal companions, the sparkly magic powers, or the epic adventures through enchanted forests?
Nope, of course not. Instead, I had to end up as the only woman in a land overflowing with testosterone-deprived men and an emperor who apparently thinks kidnapping me is the same as adopting a pet.
She buried her face in her hands, groaning.
'Why couldn't I be reincarnated as a cool swordmaster or a mysterious mage?
But no, of all things, the universe decided, 'Let's make her the walking temptation everyone wants to lock up.' Great. Just great!'
A soft knock echoed through the golden chamber.
Aira froze.
"Who's there?" she demanded, eyes darting to the massive door.
The door creaked open just enough for a little boy to slip through.
He looked about ten years old, maybe younger, with silver hair tied in a neat braid and wearing a maid's uniform that looked way too perfect to be comfortable.
Wait. Was he dressed as a girl?
"P-please, don't be alarmed!" the boy stammered before bowing so fast she thought he might snap his spine. "I was sent by His Majesty to attend to you."
"Oh, great," Aira muttered. "So I get a babysitter too."
The boy blinked in confusion. "B-babysitter?"
"Never mind." Aira sighed, rubbing her temples. "You can start by telling me where the hell I am."
The boy hesitated. "Uhm… You're in the Imperial Palace of Eldarion, Your Grace."
"Your Grace?" Aira repeated, pointing at herself. "No, no, no. You must've mixed me up with some fancy lady who actually belongs here. I'm just… me. Aira. My name's Aira—from, uh, Earth."
The boy's eyes widened. "Earth? Is that a kingdom?"
"Oh my god," Aira whispered, resisting the urge to slam her head against the wall. "No, it's another world!"
The boy looked horrified, like she'd just confessed to being a demon.
"Then… the rumors are true. You really are the woman from the prophecy."
Aira blinked. "I'm sorry, what prophecy?"
The boy's voice trembled. "It is said that one day, a woman from another world will appear, her scent and presence alone would drive the kingdom to madness and bring the Emperor to his knees."
Aira's mouth fell open. "Oh come on! That sounds like the plot of a bad fanfiction!"
The boy flinched. "I—I beg your pardon, Your Grace—"
"Stop calling me that! I'm not a—"
Aira froze mid-sentence when the golden doors opened again.
The temperature in the room seemed to drop.
The Emperor stepped in.
Every guard outside instantly dropped to one knee. The little boy scrambled to bow so low he nearly kissed the floor.
Aira, however, just stared at the man with wide eyes.
His abs were on full display, he wasn't even wearing a shirt!
Now that she thought about it, everyone here dressed weirdly, as if they were deliberately showing off their abs.
But why was she thinking about his abs?
Damn it—she just couldn't stop her eyes from wandering over the Emperor's body… and the guards', too. All of them were ridiculously good-looking.
Are they testing me? Trying to see if I can survive without drooling at the sight of their magnificent bodies?
No. No—what the hell was she thinking?!
She shook her head hard to snap herself out of it.
When she looked at the Emperor again, his expression was unreadable and stern.
His brows furrowed as if he found her strangely weird, but calmer than before.
"Are you settling in?" he asked.
"Define settling in" Aira said weakly. "If you mean accepting the fact that I've been abducted into a shiny jail by a man who won't stop sniffing me, then yes, I'm totally fine."
The Emperor's jaw tightened, but there was a faint flicker in his gaze.
"You are a bold woman. The people of this kingdom would be trembling just to face me right now, afraid of losing their heads. You should be thankful that I'm protecting you."
"Oh, trust me, I'm trembling," Aira said, crossing her arms. "I'm just too panicked to show it properly."
A small smile ghosted across his lips before fading again. "Tsk. What a fearless woman. You should rest. The court will not be calm once word of your arrival spreads."
"Wait—what do you mean 'spreads'?" Aira asked quickly. "You're not seriously telling me you'll keep me here forever, right?"
He paused. "I cannot hide you. The moment you appeared, the palace reacted, the ancient wards awakened. The whole empire knows. Just think of staying here as a way to keep yourself safe."
Aira's stomach dropped. "Oh no. Oh no no no. So basically, I'm now public property in a kingdom full of love-starved men."
The Emperor's eyes darkened. "You are mine."
Her breath caught.
"Until I find a way to suppress this curse," he continued, "no one will touch you. No one will even look at you. I will make sure of it."
Aira's mind screamed, That's not comforting at all!
But before she could argue, he turned and placed something small and glowing on the table beside her bed.
It was a necklace, thin gold with a single white gem that pulsed faintly, like it was breathing.
"This will protect you from your own power," he said. "Wear it always."
Power? What power is he talking about? Is it about my weird scent to them again?
Aira eyed it suspiciously. "It won't, like… explode or brainwash me, right?"
For a moment, his serious façade cracked; his lips twitched. "Not unless you remove it."
Her eyes widened. "That's not funny!"
But he only gave her a look that was somehow both intimidating and absurdly calm before walking out again, leaving her with more questions than answers.
As the doors shut, the little boy peeked up nervously. "Your Grace… he has never spoken to anyone like that before."
"Yeah, well," Aira muttered, flopping backward on the bed. "lucky me."
She stared up at the golden ceiling, the necklace glinting in her hand.
If this really was a manhwa world, then she had one goal.
Step one: Survive.
Step two: Don't fall for the hot emperor.
Step three: Find the portal and get the hell home.
She groaned, pressing a pillow over her face.
"…Why do I get the feeling step two is going to be the hardest?"