Karl lay on the luxurious bed, unable to move.The ceiling above him was adorned with golden patterns, and the air was filled with a faint floral fragrance he had never known before.
He slowly lifted his head and looked at his hands… they were clean, untouched by hardship or backbreaking labor.
"This isn't my body… and this… is not my world."
With difficulty, he sat up, still feeling dizzy, then turned toward the window.Outside, he saw vast gardens, stone walls, and soldiers wearing uniforms unlike anything he had ever seen before.
Before he could think further, the door opened quietly…
A young girl entered, wearing a simple lavender-colored dress, carrying a silver tray with a hot drink upon it.When her eyes met his, she froze in place—then immediately knelt.
"My prince… I thought you were still asleep… forgive me for disturbing you."
Karl was stunned. He stared at her for a moment, then muttered:
"Prince? Who am I? And where am I?"
She looked at him in confusion.
"Has your memory not returned yet? You are… you are Prince Karl, the youngest son of His Majesty King Valius, ruler of the Kingdom of Valma."
"Kingdom… what?"
She approached cautiously, set the tray aside, and said:
"You lost consciousness a week ago after collapsing in the training yard… the physicians said you survived by a miracle."
Karl sat on the edge of the bed, his heart pounding rapidly.
"Is this some kind of joke? A kingdom? A prince? I'm a construction worker… or… I was."
He stared at the girl for a long moment, then slowly stood up, murmuring:
"Wait… if I'm in another world… then that means…"
He looked out the window once more. The soldiers, the palace, the strange sky—everything felt real.Thoughts collided in Karl's mind, his confusion unmistakable.
He thought to himself:
"This can't be a simulation… everything feels too real. It doesn't matter… whether this is a trick or a miracle, I won't let it go to waste."
Karl also noticed that he felt lighter, stronger…
He hurried to the large mirror in his room—and saw a fair-skinned young man with long black hair, strikingly handsome, with a well-built, athletic body.
"Is this… me?!"
He turned back to the girl, who looked visibly nervous, and asked:
"How old am I?"
"Y-you are nineteen years old, Your Highness."
Karl thought to himself:
"Nineteen… hmm… that's suspiciously perfect."
He looked at her and asked:
"And who are you?"
"I-I am your maid, Eva."
"Nice to meet you, Eva… could you take me on a tour of the palace? It might help refresh my memory."
"Of course, Your Highness."
Karl stepped out of his room with hesitant steps, examining the ornate walls and heavy curtains that seemed to conceal whispers of the past.He saw many soldiers, servants, and guards. He walked among them like a ghost…
Some averted their eyes. Others stared at him as if inspecting a strange relic pulled from history.No warmth. No respect. Only heavy silence and looks that seemed to say: "Do not forget your place."
They whispered his name with cold, mocking glances, carrying a quiet sense of disdain.
As if their thoughts spoke aloud:
"A prince? Perhaps… but only in name."
As he passed between two rows of guards, one whispered to the other—loud enough for Karl to hear:
"If he weren't the king's son… he'd be in the stables with the horses."
A tight grip closed around Karl's chest, but he did not respond.He merely raised his head higher and continued walking, as if their words meant nothing.
Then…
He noticed an old guard at the end of the corridor, staring at him in long silence, as if searching for familiar features.Before Karl could move away, the guard murmured softly, barely audible:
"I haven't seen those eyes since the days of King Argan…"
Karl was overwhelmed with confusion.Who was that old man?Who was King Argan?
But with his emotions in turmoil, Karl ignored it and proceeded toward the royal wing.
When he tried to enter, the guards stopped him, saying coldly:
"Apologies, sir. You are still recovering. You need not concern yourself with political matters."
It was an obvious lie meant to keep him away—one that planted deep doubt in Karl's mind about the state of the palace.
The same thing happened when he attempted to enter the military wing, confirming that his suspicions were well founded.
On his way back to his room, Karl noticed a group—clearly nobles—gathered around someone, which piqued his curiosity. He asked Eva:
"Eva, who is that person the nobles are surrounding?"
"That is your elder brother, Your Highness… Prince Rainer Valenstor."
Rainer cast Karl a cold, condescending glance, then ignored him completely.As Karl passed by, he overheard one of the nobles say:
"The son of a concubine is unfit for the throne, even if he escaped death."
A surge of rage rose within Karl—so intense he didn't even understand why it affected him this deeply.Still, he restrained himself.
He returned to his room, slamming the door shut behind him.Standing before the mirror, he stared at his reflection as if it were an enemy he had to defeat first.
He clenched his fist and spoke in a low, furious voice:
"If they refuse to see a king in me… then I will make them kneel before me."