Chapter 2

Fragments of a dazzling dream surfaced. Though still groggy and half-asleep, a small smile played on my lips. My good mood was fleeting, however, as the sensation of my body feeling like it had been beaten up quickly chased the sleepiness away.

‘Ugh… I have to go to work…’

Was it because I had finished several days of terrible overtime, returned home, drank a beer, and fell asleep? My whole body, which clearly suffered from poor circulation, must be completely swollen.

‘Should I start exercising?’

No way. I barely have enough time to rest. Shaking my head, I dismissed the thought and painfully lifted my heavy eyelids, weary with exhaustion.

I stared blankly at the unfamiliar bedroom scene before my eyes. My eyes rolled around before snapping wide open. A silver-haired man lay sleeping soundly next to me, his upper body exposed, a faint smile on his lips.

“Am I still dreaming?”

I slowly sat up, and the pristine white blanket covering my body slid down, revealing my bare skin.

“Whoa!”

I hurriedly pulled the fallen blanket back up over my exposed body, quickly glancing over at Freyer. He didn’t seem to have woken up from the sound, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

“Phew, that’s a relief.”

The accumulated fatigue from several nights of overtime was definitely real. A dream this long surely meant I had collapsed into sleep.

‘But what if I wake up and I’m late for work?’

The image of Manager Kim, the chronic latecomer who would threaten me if I was even a minute late, flashed in my mind. I frowned and shook my head from side to side to erase the image.

“I don’t want to go to work.”

With regret-filled eyes, I gazed at Freyer, who was deep in sleep.

“No! I have to earn money. I have to make money to buy the merchandise so the author will keep their promise for a side story. Only then can I see you one more time…”

Gazing at Freyer with eyes dripping with longing, I clenched my fist.

“I don’t know when I’ll have another dream where I can see you like this. But this unnie will earn a lot of money and definitely buy a poster of your handsome self!”

Having made up my mind, I gently pinched my cheek. But when the scene didn’t change, I pinched my cheek hard once more.

“Ow, that hurts!”

Far from waking up from the dream, the pain I felt made me quickly rub my cheek with my palm. I had pinched myself so hard that my eyes were glistening with tears. If it were a dream, I should have woken up immediately.

“Does this mean it’s not a dream, but that I’ve been transmigrated into the novel I was reading before I went to sleep?”

It was an absurd thought, for sure. The silly notion made me chuckle.

“Eh… no way.”

But now that I hadn’t woken up from the dream, the preposterous idea that I might actually be inhabiting someone else’s body wouldn’t leave me.

“Mmmn.”

“Hmph.”

Just then, Freyer stirred. Startled by the sudden movement, I gasped and made a decision.

‘First, let’s run away.’

Then, I would figure out the situation.

I cautiously got up so as not to wake Freyer and picked up the clothes and shoes scattered on the floor. As I dressed, I kept glancing at him, but he remained in a deep sleep.

I quietly stepped out the door and walked down the long corridor until I found what looked like an exit door. I steeled my resolve and forcefully pushed the door open. The landscape that unfolded before my eyes, resembling medieval Europe, caused me to freeze and bury my face in my hands.

‘Why won’t the dream end…?’

I couldn’t understand anything, from beginning to end, about what was happening.

“Miss!”

Someone called out, and I lifted my head. A young girl, leaning out of a carriage window, was waving her hands and shouting.

“Miss Lilithia!”

At the call, I looked around with dazed eyes. But there was only me here.

“I guess I’m Lilithia…”

***

“Miss! Do you have any idea how worried I was? If you were going somewhere, you should have at least let us know!”

The girl’s sharp voice made me flinch slightly.

“Ah… about that?”

I stammered, wondering what to say. The girl, seemingly oblivious to my confusion, sighed and said,

“Phew, it’s a blessing the Baron is not at the manor right now.”

I gulped, swallowing dryly under the glare of the maid’s wide, alarmed eyes.

“Miss, why are you dressed like this?”

‘I think I’ve actually transmigrated into this body? No, am I still dreaming? But I thought it was a dream and spent the night with Freyer. Anyway, I rushed out, but what should I do now…? Oh, and the reason my clothes are like this is because this is the first time I’ve ever worn a formal dress.’

A torrent of words swelled up to my throat. But knowing that speaking them would surely lead to strange looks, I just mouthed silent words.

“Such a heavy sleeper.”

With those words, the girl began to straighten my clothes. I let out a quiet sigh of relief as she tidied me up.

‘Is it better if she just misunderstands this as a bad sleeping habit?’

My relief was brief. The maid’s face suddenly turned pale, and she murmured quietly.

“The Baron is due to return soon. I can’t believe I forgot.”

Before I could blink, her hands shoved me into the carriage.

“This is no time to be relaxing! Hurry and get in, Miss!”

The maid immediately climbed into the carriage after me and shouted to the coachman.

“Driver! Let’s return to the manor quickly!”

***

A bright light streamed through the window and settled on Freyer’s closed eyes. Freyer shifted his body because of the light but soon woke up.

‘Light, so it’s not dawn.’

It was common for him to wake up in the dark hours of the early morning, drenched in cold sweat. How long had it been since he woke up in the middle of the day? As a child, he occasionally woke up at noon after fainting from a nightmare.

‘I haven’t fainted since I got older…’

Had he woken up at dawn, only to faint again? He searched his memory but found no recollection of it.

‘Did I not have a nightmare?’

It had been a long time since his entire body felt so refreshed from a deep sleep, and the feeling was strange. When he tried to recall the reason, there was only one difference from usual.

A night spent with the blonde lady he met at the banquet hall after several sleepless nights.

Freyer recalled the violet eyes that held only him in the darkness of last night.

Even though he was a hidden prince, he still carried the blood of the imperial family. He had met countless people who approached him, coveting the imperial name. Therefore, Freyer could be certain.

‘It didn’t seem like she approached me with an agenda.’

Even if she had an agenda, it didn’t matter. If she could stop the nightmares that had plagued him his whole life, what wouldn’t he do? If a night with her stopped the nightmares, he had to keep her by his side.

But if she stayed by his side, she would undoubtedly face many threats. Knowing his own predicament, he had vowed never to give his heart to anyone.

‘She could lose her life.’

He always thought happiness was something he didn’t deserve, living in the swamp of nightmares. But if she was a ray of light in his unhappy life, he had no other option.

‘First, I need to confirm if she is the one who stopped my nightmares.’

Freyer opened his eyes and looked at the spot next to him where he expected her to be. But the spot was empty. Freyer quickly sat up and scanned the room. As expected, he was the only one in the empty bedroom. He put his hand on the bedding next to him, but she had been gone for a while, and he felt no warmth.

“I didn’t think she would be gone…”

He felt the hope he had grasped slipping through his fingers. Freyer ran both hands over his face. Just then, he heard a vibrating sound and turned his head. A communication device on the floor was lighting up and vibrating.

“That must be Sir Derek.”

His escort knight must have contacted him through the court mage since he hadn’t returned. Freyer got up and picked up the clothes lying on the floor. As he picked up his coat, a black ribbon fell to the floor with a soft swoosh. It looked exactly like the ribbon he had untied from the blonde lady’s waist last night.

A black garter belt. Freyer draped his coat over his arm and carefully picked up the ribbon from the floor.

“Did she engrave her name?”

At the end of the black lace-decorated ribbon, the name ‘R. Mary’ glittered. He grasped the lost hope once again.

“Even if it was a trace left intentionally, it’s a welcome clue for now.”

Freyer put the ribbon in his pocket and walked out the door.

***

Whoosh-

The sharp sound of the wind being cut rang out continuously in the training grounds as the sun set. As the sounds filling the training grounds ceased, the thick cloud of sand and dust slowly settled.

The lingering trace of blue aura remained in the air, and Freyer, drenched in sweat, emerged from it.

Freyer used his finger to brush back his wet silver hair that tickled his face, gasping for breath. Sweat from his forehead ran into his green eyes, which resembled a lake reflecting a forest, causing Freyer to squint one eye. Freyer calmed his aura and sheathed his sword into the scabbard at his waist.

“The sun seems to be setting early today.”

Freyer looked up at the red sunset and spoke.

“Your Highness!”

He turned his head at the low voice calling him. A sturdy, red-haired knight in a black uniform ran toward Freyer.

“Do you know how long I searched for Your Highness at the banquet? I was terribly worried that something might have happened to you.”

Freyer crossed his arms as he watched Derek pour out his concerns.

“You must have known that I contacted you directly through the court mage. Why didn’t you answer the communication device? And please tell me where you were last night.”

“…”

Derek glanced at the silent Freyer. At his expression, which betrayed no emotion, Derek lowered his head.

“I was worried about Your Highness…”

“Yes, Sir Derek. I appreciate your concern. But I have returned safely, so let’s leave it at that.”

Derek nodded with a mournful expression. Just then, he noticed the black ribbon tied to the hilt of Freyer’s sword.

‘His Highness hates decorating his sword…’

Derek tilted his head and asked Freyer.

“I’ve never seen that ornament before, Your Highness. Is it… from another kingdom?”

Derek peeked closely at the black ribbon. Even if it was a gift, it didn’t suit the sword hilt. Suddenly, Derek’s eyes widened, and he asked Freyer,

“Did you perhaps receive it as a gift at the banquet yesterday?”

“In a way, yes.”

Freyer silently untied the ribbon from the hilt and held it in his hand.

“It is both a clue and a gift she left behind.”