NOVEL NEXT Chapter 00
I have no thoughts. Because I truly have no thoughts.
“Do you see that down below?”
A stranger I’ve met for the first time today points out the window and asks me. I blink my eyes, trying to make sense of this unfamiliar situation.
A hallway I’ve never seen before. A woman in an unfamiliar outfit. And a completely foreign landscape…
‘What on earth is happening?’
Still dazed, I followed her finger and shifted my gaze out the window.
“That is your fiancé, Duke Yobern.”
“Fiancé…?”
The direction she pointed led to a barren garden devoid of flowers.
Amidst the withered branches, where frosty snowflakes clung, two men stood.
It was then I realized that this was a high vantage point. The men below were so tiny I couldn’t make out their faces, and I was looking down at them from above.
They were standing still with their swords poised at each other, but suddenly swung them mercilessly. The sudden movement startled me, making me flinch.
“…Swords?”
“That’s Duke Yobern and the commander of his knights. They spar every morning at this hour.”
“Spar…?”
“The one with the black hair is the Duke.”
Among the two, the man with short, black hair was apparently my fiancé and the Duke. Not that I could tell, considering they were so far away.
“There is only one week left until the wedding.”
What?!
“You arrived here in the Duchy of Yobern five days ago. Do you remember now?”
The woman explaining all this to me looked at me with a worried expression. But of course, I was still completely blank. Frozen in place, I could only move my eyes around aimlessly.
The woman let out a deep sigh and clicked her tongue.
“This is bad. We can’t even send word to your family… What should we do?”
What should I do?!
I had no idea where I was or who I was supposed to be. I wasn’t even sure if this situation was real or not, so I just kept staring blankly out the window.
The absurdity of waking up to this mess left my mind utterly blank.
‘What on earth is going on?!’
Everything had happened while I was sound asleep during a long flight. I distinctly remember boarding the plane with my family, headed overseas for vacation.
[Wow, look at that lightning. It’s relentless.]
Having worked right up until we left for the airport, I’d been dead asleep when I vaguely heard someone murmuring.
That uneasy tone had roused me slightly from my sleep. The moment I opened my eyes halfway, a flash of blinding light erupted outside the airplane window. Then, the plane jolted violently mid-flight.
‘…Did we get struck by lightning?’
I’d heard that airplanes are equipped with lightning rods to safely redirect electrical currents, so I reassured myself and closed my eyes again. But just then, the plane shook so hard my body lifted off the seat, and then everything plummeted downward.
[Aaaaahhh!]
[Calm down! Everyone, stay calm!]
But there was no staying calm. Even the flight attendant standing nearby hit her head against the ceiling.
[We’re crashing! The engine must’ve failed!]
Amid the chaos and screaming, the plane rapidly descended. I truly thought that was the end for me.
But somewhere in that madness, I passed out. When I woke up, I found myself here.
Was this reality or just a dream? I couldn’t tell.
[Huh? What…?]
It felt like I’d become Sleeping Beauty.
I was lying alone on an enormous, lavish bed adorned with fluttering curtains. Wearing an elegant silk nightgown I’d never even imagined owning.
‘Am I dead? Or alive?’
At first, I thought this was the afterlife. This place was nothing like my home or my room.
The massive bedroom looked straight out of the Renaissance, like an extravagant hotel suite. The unfamiliar yet luxurious bed and blankets felt oddly comforting and soft.
Rubbing the smooth fabric of the blanket, I pinched my cheek to check if I was dreaming. The sharp pain told me otherwise.
[It’s too vivid to be a dream.]
Getting up, I wandered around the grand and resplendent bedroom until I passed by a mirror. That’s when I saw my reflection, and it’s been downhill from there.
Everything still felt like a hazy dream.
“Wait a second. So… you’re my head maid?”
“Yes, I am your head maid, my lady, soon to be Duchess.”
Head maid? Duchess?
Words and titles I’d never heard before made my vision go white once again. The only thing familiar to me was the act of breathing.
“You must get ready now. It seems the sparring session will soon be over.”
“Yes…? Wait, ready for what?”
“You are required to attend every meal without fail, as per the Duke’s wishes.”
“…Who decided that?”
“Why, the Duke himself, of course. Now, let’s get you dressed beautifully for today.”
By now, my focus was long gone. My maid dragged me somewhere, while I remained completely dazed, flopping around like seaweed.
I was trapped in a limbo between consciousness and unconsciousness.
Can someone… please explain all of this to me in detail?