Far from our heroine, who had just awakened from her coma, in a corner of this strange world, Olivia was wandering through the market of the Kingdom of Zephyria.
A young woman with a gentle smile and bright emerald green eyes, her long brown hair tied in a ponytail. She was surrounded by the bustling atmosphere of the market, with people greeting her warmly and showing their admiration. Beside her walked a tall young man, cloaked from head to toe, moving with calm, measured steps.
"Olivia, good day!"
Called out one of the merchants with a wide smile.
"Thank you, sir. The sweets I bought from you last week were delicious!"
She replied with a shy smile, holding a small basket in her hand.
"My dear Olivia, take this. I made this flower crown for you."
Said a lady, extending a flower-decorated crown toward her.
"Thank you. You are very kind."
As she moved from shop to shop, the young man beside her watched silently, until he finally spoke in a quiet voice:
"It seems the lady has adapted to the kingdom over the past three months."
Olivia turned to him, smiling, placing her hands behind her back.
"How could I not? I feel as if I was born anew here. Zephyria is beautiful, and its people are kind, aren't they, Sir Walter?"
Walter paused for a moment, smiling faintly beneath his cloak, before patting her head gently and leaning toward her ear to whisper:
"Don't trust them too much. The kingdom's inhabitants aren't always as they seem. If they knew who you truly are, that affection might turn into hatred."
Before he could continue, he noticed a tear sliding down her green eyes. He stepped back quickly and held her shoulders carefully.
"Are you feeling unwell?"
She shook her head, denying it, then wiped the tears with a trembling hand and said softly:
"Sorry if I worried you. I just… when you patted my head, it reminded me of my sister, Anastasia. She always did that after our fencing practice."
Walter felt something strange stir inside him, but he concealed his feelings, speaking in a reassuring tone:
"Anastasia… the sister you always mention. Perhaps one day the two of you will meet again, Olivia. Until then, I am here to protect you."
Olivia smiled, though she couldn't hide the sadness in her eyes. She resumed her walk through the market while Walter followed silently, more vigilant than ever.
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Walter's POV
Everything began that morning when I was following Emperor Lucas during his tour of the imperial palace gardens. The air was rich with the scent of roses, and sunlight gently filtered through the trees. Suddenly, we noticed a gathering of maids near the fountain, their voices filled with astonishment and fear.
We approached to see what had happened, and there she was. A girl who looked as if she had stepped out of a painting. Her luxurious dress and long brown hair flowing onto the ground clearly showed she wasn't from here. She lay on the ground, pale like a broken doll.
The greatest surprise came when Emperor Lucas suddenly approached her and ordered her to be taken to his personal chamber. For someone like Lucas, who was used to keeping people at a distance—especially women—this was completely uncharacteristic. Even I could not hide my astonishment, but orders are orders…
Lucas, the emperor, who inspires both awe and fear, possessed sharp features that reflected his power and ruthlessness. His glowing red eyes held only coldness and cruelty, like a mirror to a soul that knew no mercy. His fair skin added an extra severity to his rigid features, while his messy black hair gave him an air of deliberate chaos, enhancing his intimidating aura.
His strong and sturdy build made him seem like an invincible war machine. Broad shoulders and tall stature added to his authority as a ruler who commanded respect from anyone approaching him. His confident, firm steps spoke of a strength that knew no compromise.
He was not an ordinary ruler, but a tyrant in every sense. Deep within, he harbored a love for domination and bloodshed, seeing power in absolute control, unhesitant to crush any enemy or opponent. His reputation as a merciless man preceded him; he eliminated his enemies with cold precision, using fear as a tool to rule.
After placing her in the royal chamber, I stood beside the emperor, observing her as she lay there. She appeared so fragile that I felt any movement might make her collapse. When she opened her eyes for the first time, terror was evident, as if she had awakened in a nightmare. Her first words were urgent:
"Anastasia… where is Anastasia?"
We exchanged a quick glance with the emperor before he replied in his usual cold voice:
"You are now in my chamber, inside the royal court of the Kingdom of Zephyria."
The words struck her like lightning. Her hands trembled, and she seemed on the verge of collapsing again. For a moment, I felt an unfamiliar stir inside me: a strange compassion. She looked like a small bird with a broken wing, afraid of everything around her.
After gathering her courage, she began speaking. She introduced herself as Olivia, the second princess of the Kingdom of Russia. She described the day of her coming-of-age feast and how she had been forced into engagement with the crown prince of Hiram, the neighboring kingdom. Her words were fragmented, full of pain. She told us about her sister, Anastasia, who had come to her wearing strange clothes before the prince threatened to kill them both if she refused the marriage.
But what happened next was stranger. She said a bright light filled the space, causing her to lose consciousness. When she awoke, she found herself here, in the room she now stood in, surrounded by our gazes that seemed to watch her like prey.
As she spoke, I couldn't push away the sadness I felt for her. Her words, the trembling in her voice, and the way she clung to memories of her sister made me feel as if I were standing before a broken soul in need of protection.
Yet at that moment, I also realized that behind her green eyes lay a great secret—a secret that could change everything in this kingdom… and in my life.
As Olivia told her story, my eyes never left her confused and fragile features, but Emperor Lucas focused on the details. Suddenly, he cut her off with his cold, direct voice:
"If you are from a kingdom that does not know magic, then how do you explain that strong aura emanating from you?"
Olivia looked at him in astonishment, as if she didn't understand. She shook her head firmly, denying:
"I am not a sorceress… in my kingdom, magic doesn't exist. It's something that simply isn't real."
A heavy silence followed. She exchanged a quick glance with the emperor. In this world, the Wonderland realm, it was impossible to live without a connection to magic. I reorganized my thoughts and cautiously said:
"That's impossible. Here, in Zephyria and throughout this world, magic is not merely power—it is the foundation of life. How can someone have no connection to it?"
Lucas's expression remained rigid, but he examined her more closely. Then he added sternly:
"You say you are from the Kingdom of Russia, yet no such land exists in this world. What are you hiding?"
At that moment, we realized without a doubt: Olivia is not from this world. Perhaps not even from this dimension.
Before we could ask more, Lucas's gaze shifted toward the necklace hanging from her neck. He pointed at it and asked sharply:
"And what about this necklace? It seems… special."
Olivia lifted her hand to touch it, a faint smile appearing on her face. She spoke softly, as if more to herself than to us:
"It is a gift from my sister, Anastasia. She gave it to me shortly before… before I arrived here."
But Lucas did not stop. His eyes pierced her defenses. He asked another question, but this one was different:
"Your sister… was she a sorceress?"
At this question, Olivia's expression completely changed. She paused for a moment, then turned her face away, as if trying to escape the answer. Her voice barely audible, she said:
"I don't know…"
Yet I sensed something else. In the way she avoided the answer and in that fleeting look carrying a mix of worry and loyalty, it was clear she didn't want to put her sister in danger. She was trying to protect her at all costs.
Although she sat before us, I felt as if she stood between two worlds, bearing a heavy secret and a small hope of finding her sister again. That moment was not merely an interrogation—it was the beginning of understanding that we were dealing with something beyond anything we knew about this world… and ourselves.
After a long silence, Emperor Lucas rose from his chair, moving with calm but commanding steps. He looked at Olivia with a warning gaze and said sternly:
"Let me be clear, young lady. Do not attempt anything foolish. You are now in a world unfamiliar to you, and any mistake may cost you your life. Nevertheless, you have mana within you. Weak, but it exists. You must train to awaken and strengthen it. It is the only thing that will ensure your survival here."
He gestured toward the necklace she wore, then added:
"But your necklace… it holds immense magical power, surpassing even the level of the Master of the Magical Tower in Zephyria. There is no doubt that this power belongs to your sister you mentioned."
Olivia's eyes widened in shock. She did not fully understand the meaning of this power or why she carried it. Lucas's tone softened slightly, as if reassuring her:
"If you remain calm and cooperate, I will find your sister for you."
Then he turned to me, his tone commanding:
"Walter, you will personally oversee her. Train her in magic and combat. If she is weak now, there is no excuse for her to remain so."
I did not argue and simply nodded in agreement. I looked at Olivia for a moment; she seemed still trying to comprehend everything happening around her.
After a few days, Olivia began training seriously. At first, she was weak and unfamiliar with using magic, but over time, she gained confidence. We discovered that her magical ability was healing—a rare power in Zephyria—but it required extensive training to hone.
At the same time, she proved skillful with a sword, much to my and the emperor's surprise. Whenever we asked her about it, she would smile and say:
"Anastasia, my sister, is the reason. She taught me fencing and horseback riding. She always pushed me to be strong."
Over the course of a month, she improved dramatically. Gradually, the emperor began assigning us joint missions, Olivia and me. We traveled across Zephyria, and I watched her discover this new world around her.
Zephyria—the Wonderland realm combining magic and unique beauty. The palace city pulsed with life, its magical towers reaching the sky, and markets bustling with people using magic in everyday life—from cooking to transporting goods. The surrounding forests were full of strange creatures, some friendly, some unimaginably dangerous.
Each day Olivia explored the kingdom, her smile never leaving her face. She possessed a spirit of optimism despite everything she had endured.
During this short period, I began feeling something unusual toward her. I didn't know exactly what it was. I thought it was merely a sense of responsibility, like a father protecting a daughter. I simply wanted to protect her smile—that smile that seemed capable of healing everyone around her.
But I did not realize that these feelings were something deeper. Perhaps I was not ready to admit it even to myself. To me, Olivia was someone different, pure, like a star lost in a sky that did not belong to her.
And with each passing day, I became more determined to do everything I could to protect her—not just because she was a stranger in this world, but because she had become a beacon of hope amidst the darkness.
End Walter 's POV