Chapter 3
As her face instantly turned red, Ruban let out a faint sigh.
“You lost consciousness in the corridor, and I didn’t know which room was yours, so I brought you to my room. There was no need to wake everyone up at dawn.”
“Ah…”
“Then why were you sitting in the corridor? When the physician checked on you in the evening, he said you were still unconscious. Did you come out as soon as you woke up?”
“When I opened my eyes, I was in an unfamiliar place, so I got scared… Without realizing it, I left the room and then got lost. I’m sorry for causing trouble again.”
“…It’s understandable that you were startled. You don’t need to apologize, so rest now.”
After answering with a small nod, he crossed his long legs the other way and slightly adjusted his posture.
Nayeun’s conscience pricked her for having unintentionally taken over the owner’s bed.
“Um… I’ll sit on the chair, so you can sleep on the bed.”
Seeing that he did not reply, Nayeun fidgeted with her lips.
“I just… feel uncomfortable about it.”
“Would it be more uncomfortable than leaving someone who just woke up after a week of unconsciousness sitting on a chair?”
At his quiet remark, she was left speechless. Biting her lip, she carefully lay back down on the bed.
“Then… I’ll trouble you just a little.”
Murmuring softly toward him, Nayeun turned over and pulled the sheet up to her chin.
She needed to come up with a plan to get through this absurd situation.
First, I have to hide the fact that I came from another world.
If I’m not careful, they might mistake me for a witch or something strange, like in the movies.
I’ll pretend I lost my memory and endure it until I can return safely.
If I go through the gap in the cliff in the forest, I should be able to go back the way I came.
Until then, I need Ruban’s help…
Nayeun bit her lip, trying to calm her anxiously pounding heart.
Before she knew it, dawn had passed, and sunlight streaming through the window brightened the room.
From far away, she could hear the sound of people coming and going.
Judging by the savory smell of food, they were preparing breakfast.
Ruban, who had quietly left around daybreak, had not yet returned.
Nayeun sat leaning against the head of the bed, waiting restlessly for him to come back.
After a while, Ruban knocked on the door a couple of times and opened it.
“You’re awake. How are you now?”
“I feel much better than before.”
“That’s a relief. You haven’t eaten for days, so you must be hungry. Let’s have a meal first.”
“Um… I’d like to talk first.”
Holding the doorknob as he was about to call a servant, he nodded at her words, closed the door, and came inside.
Watching him pull a wooden chair over to the bed and sit down, Nayeun hesitantly opened her mouth.
“I don’t remember anything except that you saved me from being eaten by a wolf in the forest. I don’t know who I am… or where I came from…”
The awkward act she had put on at dawn began its second performance.
I’m doomed… Even I wouldn’t believe this.
Disheartened, Nayeun pressed her lips together.
While she was silently cursing herself, she stiffened at the faint sigh she heard and raised her head.
“What about your name? Do you not remember your name either?”
“Yes… I don’t know my name either.”
“You even forgot your name. It seems your condition worsened while you were ill.”
Her silent curse instantly turned into a cheer.
“Your name is Inael. You told me before you collapsed.”
“Inael…? That’s my name?”
Still dazed, she remembered that he had asked for her name right before she passed out.
—What’s your name? At least I need a name to find your home.
—Ina… Ina… e…
Had he misunderstood her slurred “Nayeun” as “Inael”?
“My guess is that you were kidnapped while sleeping and dumped there. That forest is full of beasts, so you couldn’t have gone there alone. You said you fell asleep and woke up in the forest, so you were confused about whether it was a dream or not.”
“I see…”
Not wanting to miss her chance, Nayeun carefully spoke up.
“Um… you said your name was Ruban, right? I’m really sorry, but could I ask you one favor?”
Ruban’s eyebrow twitched slightly upward.
Aside from the Emperor and his longtime friends, no one addressed him by name without honorifics.
But he let it pass.
In her state of having lost her memory, it seemed unreasonable to expect her to worry about such things.
And somehow, hearing his name in her clear voice did not feel bad.
“Go on.”
“Could you take me to the forest where I was first found?”
“Why?”
“It’s the only place I remember, so I thought that if I go there, my memories might come back. …You’ve already helped me so much, and I know I’m being shameless, but please.”
Nayeun clasped her hands together and begged earnestly.
Without Ruban’s help, it would be almost impossible for her to go into that forest alone.
Even in daylight, it was a dangerous place teeming with fierce beasts.
And even if she managed to enter, there was no way she could find that cliff in such a vast forest.
Seeing the desperation in her eyes, Ruban thought for a moment, then made up his mind and spoke.
“Fine. Since I bear some responsibility for your memory loss, I’ll take you to the forest once you recover. That should be enough to take responsibility for my mistake, right?”
“Yes, of course! Thank you so much.”
I’ll be able to go back soon.
At last, a bright smile appeared on Nayeun’s face.
“It’s been raining for days, but today the weather is really nice.”
“Is it?”
At Roziana’s words as she brought her fresh clothes, Nayeun nodded.
Roziana was an inn employee who took care of her meals and necessities, and thanks to her gentle personality, Nayeun felt quite comfortable with her even though they hadn’t known each other long.
Nayeun’s eyes turned toward the window and narrowed on their own at the bright sunlight piercing through the thick curtains.
It would be nice to open the window.
She wanted to breathe in the outside air deeply, but she soon turned her head away.
The scenery visible far through the window unsettled her so much that she could not bring herself to open the curtains.
Seeing her let out a faint sigh, Roziana asked casually,
“Don’t you feel stuffy? You haven’t stepped outside the room even once in the two days since you woke up.”
“I’m fine.”
Unlike her forced smile, Nayeun’s shoulders drooped weakly.
Time passed both dully and quickly here.
She had not met Ruban again since their brief conversation, but he had called the physician every day and assigned a servant to take care of her, helping her in thoughtful ways.
The more she accumulated a debt she could never repay, the heavier her heart felt.
She was not a person of this world, and once she returned to her original world, she would never come back here again.
Lost in thought, Nayeun heard Roziana speak.
“Since the rain has stopped today, how about taking a walk along the promenade?”
“The promenade?”
“If you go straight down the side road next to the inn, there’s a promenade. There are lots of trees and flowers, so it’s nice to look at. It gets a bit chilly after sunset, but during the day the breeze is really cool, so I’m sure you’ll like it.”
At Roziana’s words, Nayeun found herself listening closely.
Staying cooped up in the small room all this time had made her feel suffocated.
“Will there be a lot of people on the promenade?”
“Well, it depends on the day, so I don’t know about today. Are you afraid to go alone?”
I’m afraid of meeting people…
In truth, after her parents had died on the same day in an unexpected accident, Nayeun had spent a long time cut off from the outside world, drowning in grief.
Living alone, moving only between the house and the garden, the thought of meeting strangers in an unfamiliar world frightened her.
Unable to say what was swirling inside her, Nayeun gave an awkward smile.
Because she was on duty, Roziana said regretfully that she couldn’t go with her and tried to reassure her.
“There’s nothing to be afraid of. And thanks to the Blayer Grand Duke and his knights staying here, even the petty thieves and bandits who used to show up now are completely gone. The residents are more at ease than ever.”
At the mention of Ruban again, Nayeun’s ears perked up.
The inn staff, including Roziana, often talked about him like this.
With faces full of respect and pride.
She had vaguely known he held a high position as a Grand Duke, but he must be an incredibly important person.
Was it because he was the one who had helped her in this unfamiliar place?
Hearing that it was safe because he was here gave her courage.
Nayeun nodded slightly, as if making up her mind.
“Could you tell me the way to the promenade?”
“So… at the second corner, turn right…”
Repeating the directions Roziana had given her in her head, Nayeun left the inn, clutching the thick skirt and peeking around.
Just as she wondered if she had gotten lost, a dense forest came into view in the distance.
“Ah! There it is—”
Nayeun started to run happily toward the promenade, then stopped abruptly.
Perhaps because the weather was so nice, the entrance to the promenade was crowded with people.
Red hair, blond hair, green hair, and blue hair…
Brilliant hair colors fluttered in the breeze, reminding her that she was in another world.
There were black-haired people like her among them, but they did not register in her fear-filled eyes.
Should I just close my eyes and go in? It’s not like anyone will talk to me…
Hiding behind a stone pillar set a short distance from the entrance, Nayeun peeked out and took a deep breath before stepping forward.
Unless I say it myself, who would know I came from another world?
But after taking only a few steps closer, she turned around again.
From straight ahead, a massive crowd was surging toward her.
