~ The Next Day ~
I woke up groggy, mostly because Kaelen had spent the entire night standing in the corner of my room, watching me sleep like a hawk.
Apparently, he was terrified I might have another "weird dream" or collapse again. Talk about being a mother hen. And yet, when I asked him to sit, he just gave me the standard "I am following orders" line.
Today has been weirdly... boring.
I got up, bathed, ate breakfast—all under heavy surveillance—and that was it. For some reason, I've been banned from attending the Morning Assembly. Apparently, I'm "recovering."
So, since I have absolutely no role or job in this massive palace, I'm just sitting here in the Royal Library. Again.
I flipped a page of the history book aggressively.
So, apparently, my System lied, I thought, glaring at the empty air where the blue screen usually appeared.
It said, "To stay alive, find the Library." It said, "To survive the Encounter, tame Kaelen."
Bullshit.
Fake System. I'm sitting here, bored out of my mind, eating cookies. Kaelen is just standing there. We are safe. The only thing that attacked me was that stupid void, which the System admitted was its own doing!
SCAM.
I kept reading The History of the Eryndor Empire until noon.
Well, "reading" is a generous term. There was no way I was memorizing a thousand years of dates, decrees, and royal bloodlines. I just skimmed what felt important—major wars, treaties, geography—and slammed the heavy book shut.
I turned my chair toward the massive library window, staring out at the sprawling grounds.
I've finally realized what kind of world I've fallen into.
It wasn't just Humans, Elves, and Dragons. This place was a "Kitchen Sink" fantasy. Dwarves, Beastkin, Spirits, Demons...
It was like every single fantasy webtoon on Earth had been smashed together into one chaotic continent.
And the scale...
My god, this world is huge.
It isn't just a continent; it's an endless expanse of islands, oceans, and unexplored territories. It's as big as the fucking One Piece world!
A sudden, sharp pain of regret shot through my chest.
Oh, damn it.
I clutched my chest dramatically. It actually hurts. I really died before finding out what the One Piece is.
Of all the regrets I have about my past life... that one stings the most.
Kaelen darted forward instantly, his hands hovering just inches from me, ready to catch me before I hit the floor.
"My Lady?!" his voice cracked with panic.
"Don't worry," I said, waving him off and straightening my posture. "I'm not going to fall. I'm just... thinking about stuff.
Regretting life choices."
I sighed, shaking off the One Piece grief. "I need fresh air, I guess. Let's go to the training arena."
He hesitated, scanning my face for signs of fainting, then finally nodded. "As you wish."
We headed toward the massive double doors.
As we passed the central tables, I felt a chill run down my spine. I glanced over.
Lucian was there, just like yesterday. And just like yesterday, he didn't say a word. He just shot me a look so cold it could have frozen hell over.
Yeah, he's here today too.
Kaelen had mentioned earlier that Lucian is working on "very important research."
I frowned as we stepped out into the hallway.
That's so weird.
He is the Crown Prince—the next Emperor of the entire Eryndor Empire. And yet, instead of holding court, passing judgments, or attending the Morning Assembly like a ruler, he acts like a shut-in teenager preparing for a National Entrance Exam.
I shook my head.
What a weird husband I have.
We walked toward the training arena. And let me tell you—yes, I am actually managing to walk properly now.
No stumbling, no wobbling. Just smooth, elegant strides. Real character development in just one day.
As we passed through the corridors, maids and guards stopped what they were doing, bowing low as I passed. I kept my chin up, acknowledging them with a nod. I could get used to this.
When we reached the arena, I decided not to go down to the ground level this time. I didn't want to interrupt their flow—or get dust on my dress.
"I'll watch from up here," I told Kaelen, taking a seat in the raised VIP viewing area.
Below me, the training grounds were a chaotic symphony of steel and light.
They weren't just sparring; they were showing off. The knights moved with superhuman speed, their movements fluid and deadly. But it wasn't just physical skill.
Almost every strike was influenced by magic.
I saw a knight swing a broadsword, and a trail of fire followed the blade. Another moved like the wind, disappearing and reappearing behind his opponent. It was mesmerizing.
And there was Elena.
She was doing amazing. despite her smaller frame, she was holding her own against a hulking knight. She moved like a dancer, her sword glowing with a faint, sharp light as she parried a blow that should have crushed her.
I sighed, resting my chin on my palm.
She is so cool.
A pang of jealousy hit me hard.
Everyone down there is a magical superhero. And then there's me. No magic force, no sword skills, no cool glowing aura.
I'm just... normal.
"Kael, can you leave me alone, please?" I asked, resting my cheek on the railing.
"No," he answered instantly.
Wow. I blinked. Zero hesitation. He didn't even pretend to consider it.
I sighed. Fine. If he's going to stick to me like glue, I might as well make him useful.
"Kael, can you tell me what it feels like to have magic force?"
I paused, then pivoted in my seat to face him fully, my eyes lighting up.
"No, wait," I corrected myself. "Tell me exactly what kind of magic you can do."
Yup. This is way better.
Why should I suffer through reading a dry, dusty textbook on 'Magic Theory'—especially when I don't even have any magicmyself? That's just depressing.
I'll just get the 'Audiobook' version from him. I need to understand the basics quickly.
Because the next book on my list is 'The History of the Elven Dominion.' And I have a feeling that one is going to require my full mental energy.
"Magic force answers instinct faster than thought," he said. "That's why it's dangerous."
But before he could even open his mouth to answer further, a bright blue light flickered in my peripheral vision.
The System.
It popped up right in front of Kaelen's face, obscuring his stoic expression.
[ Tip: Go out of the palace for a walk. ]
Huh?
I stared at the floating text.
What kind of weird tip is that? And at such an odd time? I literally just sat down.
I'm in the middle of a magic lesson here. I don't want to go for a walk.
I frowned and swiped my hand through the hologram, dismissing it.
Whatever. Ignore.