Chapter 02
“So, you’re Sonettine.”
That alone was enough to explain the woman’s identity.
A young lady with a small, pale face and streaked ash-blond hair, loosely braided here and there.
This was Sonettine. The last princess of Izaris. The only remaining Sonettine in the world.
Claude couldn’t help but be a little surprised. She looked exactly like he had imagined a Sonettine would look.
Just as he was about to unconsciously admire her bewitching appearance, the princess—who had been staring at him intently all along—moved her small lips first.
“Are you really Claude?”
It felt as if a thin sheet of glass inside his head had shattered, waking him fully.
To be addressed directly by name rather than title or family name—it was unexpected.
Claude was momentarily flustered, but he quickly composed himself and knelt on one knee before her.
“All the mysteries of the world originate from Izaris.”
His hand, wrapped in white gloves, was extended politely.
As a gesture of respect, a knight asks permission to kiss the back of a lady’s hand.
However, the princess tilted her head slightly, and only after a pause did she mutter, “Ah, you want my hand?” and lightly placed hers atop his.
‘Well then.’
It wasn’t a charitable act, yet somehow it made him slightly happy. Like a cat that normally wouldn’t give its paw, lightly tapping his hand with her nose.
“Your hands are very small.”
Claude gauged the size of her hand with a light kiss.
He instantly judged that the bloodstains found in the forest were not from her palms.
“It is an honor to meet the bloodline of the Archmage. I am Claude Devonshire, Holy Knight of Valoran. While the princess was away, I have been protecting Izaris. The Emperor of Valoran has been concerned about the situation here.”
Claude chose the word “protecting” carefully. In truth, it was closer to an unauthorized intrusion, so he tried to use neutral phrasing.
“Our Emperor always says that when a land is left without an owner, one must send troops quickly. Please understand that my presence here is not by personal will.”
In other words, he honestly revealed the selfish nature of his Emperor.
The princess blinked with a somewhat bewildered expression, unsure whether she understood.
Since ancient times, Izaris had been ruled by mages—a mysterious land, called the birthplace of magical civilization.
The small city-state had collapsed due to the mistakes of the previous king. It had not been attacked by foreign nations.
Rumor had it that the king, called the Mad Mage, had violated divine prohibitions and was cursed—but no one truly knew if it was true.
The only undeniable fact was that monsters, symbols of the curse, ran rampant in the Black Forest at the kingdom’s heart.
‘And the daughter.’
Specifically, the princess who had fled to survive during the past calamity.
“…Princess?”
Claude felt a growing unease under the gaze that had been fixed on him from the start.
Her eyes, observing him carefully, reflected surprise and awe.
‘I expected hatred or disgust, but…?’
Claude had not prepared for this kind of reaction.
Though it was an uninhabited land, he had come in freely and acted as governor. From her perspective, he could easily be seen as an invader, and he had come ready to accept her animosity.
“If I have made any mistakes…”
“Are you really Claude?”
“Yes, I am truly Claude.”
She addressed him directly by name, as if meeting an old friend, leaving him again in unfamiliar fluster.
“Do you happen to know me?”
Otherwise, she wouldn’t be so uninhibited. He could be considered a looter or thief in her eyes.
“No, it’s not that. I’m just a little glad to see you.”
“Glad… hmm?”
Claude was truly stunned this time. His smooth voice faltered.
How could she just say she was glad without feeling hatred, dislike, or disgust?
He had even imagined the worst-case scenario: juice from the table being thrown in his face.
But Taeri’s eyes shone genuinely.
For her, it felt like a beautiful statue she had admired had come to life, spoke to her, and even allowed her to kiss its hand.
And Claude Devonshire—
He was the protagonist of the game, the very knight she had controlled just hours ago in front of the monitor.
He had an impressive physique and appearance, befitting his role as a holy knight. His white uniform contrasted with his dark hair.
His cold gray eyes perfectly matched his flawless aura.
‘As expected, every protagonist in the world is overpowered. A suspiciously perfect, talented, icy-cool male lead.’
But beneath his composed exterior, he had a boyish side.
Even appearing perfect, he had weaknesses no one could see.
Through the game, Taeri had already come to know Claude’s human vulnerabilities.
‘He seems like an honor student but is just a tsundere. Never thought I’d sit across from a tsundere protagonist and drink tea with him. Crazy, absolutely crazy.’
Suddenly, she reflected on her own situation.
Though this wasn’t reality, the man before her was undeniably real in this world.
But what about her?
‘I’m a character that doesn’t even exist. What do I do?’
In the game Black Forest of Izaris, there was no princess of Izaris.
The region existed, but the story was set with Claude, the knight of Valoran, as the protagonist.
He would arrive as governor, clear monsters in the Black Forest, lift the curse, and be celebrated as a hero. That was the purpose of the game—to enjoy overcoming high-difficulty battles.
The princess never appeared, no matter how grotesque the monsters were.
‘It’s strange to appear when I have no role. I don’t belong here.’
If no one had called her princess or Sonettine when she entered the village from the forest, she might never have realized her identity.
When she arrived, everyone recognized her crimson eyes and exclaimed:
“Good heavens! The princess has returned!”
They spoke of the princess who had been sent to safety by mages during the Great Curse.
But could she really claim to be that princess? Taeri tilted her head slightly.
“Um… Claude.”
The man, still recovering from her joyful approach, raised an eyebrow at her familiar tone.
“Please call me Governor.”
“Oh, okay. As you like, Governor.”
As you like? She could say that casually, but he had a million thoughts rushing in his mind.
Claude calmly cut through the chaos inside and replied:
“Governor is enough. Please speak freely. I do not wish to be a rogue who treats the princess improperly.”
She nodded comfortably again.
“Then I shall.”
“You seemed about to say something.”
“I did. Do you know my name?”
“….”
Just when he thought things had settled, she asked another perplexing question. Claude touched his temple, slightly throbbing.
“I’m afraid I don’t know.”
“You really don’t?”
“Why are you curious?”
“Everyone here calls me either princess or Sonettine.”
Friendly people say princess; hostile people say Sonettine. She knew Sonettine was the royal house of Izaris, but no one ever mentioned the princess’s name.
Claude’s answer confirmed it: the character she had possessed never existed and had no intended identity.
Thus, she had no name.
Nothing was decided about the character called “princess.”
‘Maybe that’s for the best.’
It could work in her favor when figuring out how to return. Since Claude was destined to defeat the final dragon, she could roughly assume that the “ending = return home.”
Sigh. What the hell was going on? Her heart, just calmed, tightened again.
‘Rising to fame through a game, falling through a game. That’s my life.’
A top-level pro gamer, richer than a baseball player, Olympic gold medalist in e-sports. Yet now, after a casual game, she had been thrown into another world.
With no particularly precious people or remaining family, she had no regrets if she died tomorrow—but she did not plan to conclude her life in this sudden new world.
“I should’ve at least written a will to donate to society…”
“Pardon me, what are you saying?”
“Oh, nothing. Just talking to myself. Anyway, thank you for answering.”
Even if life felt absurd, she gulped the juice, pushing aside her growing frustration.
Meanwhile, Claude had yet to touch the drink, wearing a complicated expression. He thought: the suspicious princess is asking all sorts of strange questions.
‘Of course I don’t know. How could I… Wait, why is that obvious?’
Suddenly, he realized he had no information about the princess—not even her name.
