That day had been an exhausting one for Heeju.
A mistake she had never made before in her entire career. The harsh criticism that followed, and the boss who relentlessly pushed her to the edge.
It was, without a doubt, an incredibly tough day.
“Haa…”
10 p.m. That was the time she saw when she finally came home after work.
She had no energy to eat, no strength to wash up. Throwing her bag aside, Heeju collapsed onto her bed.
The unlit room was pitch black, not even a sliver of moonlight seeping through.
It had already been five years since she started living alone. Yet, in moments like this, the loneliness weighed down on her heavily.
No. She couldn’t let herself sink into this. She had to stay strong.
Hadn’t she been so happy when she finally escaped that hellish home?
Thinking so, Heeju tried to get up—only to be struck by a sharp headache that made her lie back down.
Her chronic migraines always acted up at times like this.
In the end, she gave up trying to move and turned on the bedside lamp.
The once-dark room was now bathed in warm light. Soon, she pulled out a book from the shelf and sat on the bed, flipping it open.
She had decided—today, she would just take it easy.
And before she knew it, she was fully engrossed in the story.
It was a novel she had been deeply into lately.
However, before long, her eyes started to droop. Fatigue overwhelmed her, slowly dragging her into slumber.
Eventually, she fell asleep without finishing the book.
Thud–,
As Heeju let out steady breaths, the book slipped from her hand.
On its cover, the title of the novel < Prisia’s Diary> flickered briefly—then faded away.
.
.
.
“…W-What?”
Startled by a cold, damp sensation, Heeju’s eyes flew open. She immediately pushed herself up.
Half of her body was submerged in water.
“What the hell is this…?”
Water. Water everywhere.
The entire space was flooded, the dark liquid rippling ominously even in the dimness.
‘But my apartment is on the third floor…?’
No matter how much it rained, there was no way water could reach the third floor.
Face drained of color, Heeju waded through the water and rushed toward the front door.
But the door wouldn’t budge.
The rattling noise as she shook it only heightened her panic.
“S-Somebody! Please help!”
She cried out desperately, but the surroundings remained eerily silent.
And then—
The water suddenly began rising.
What had once reached her waist was now up to her chest. Then her neck. Then her chin.
It was rising too fast.
Heeju struggled, overwhelmed by the crushing pressure on her body.
“Hmph—”
Before she could even process what was happening, the water swallowed her whole.
Her consciousness faded into darkness.
* * *
“……Sia!”
A desperate voice calling out to someone rang in her ears.
The sound echoed so loudly in her head that she frowned.
‘What the hell… is this…?’
Just as she was about to get irritated by the voice disrupting her sleep, she suddenly opened her eyes.
Wait, my house was submerged in water!
At that thought, Heeju quickly sat up. However, the sight before her left her speechless.
A large chandelier was swaying above her field of vision.
……Why is that here, in my house?
Heeju stared at the golden chandelier with trembling eyes, her mouth slowly falling open.
Now that she thought about it, something felt off. This wasn’t the familiar house she knew.
The furniture had a classic, antique feel but also seemed strangely unfamiliar. The luxurious curtains, the old-fashioned architecture visible outside the window…
This was like something straight out of *Prisia’s Diary*…
“Prisia!”
“Ahh!”
But Heeju couldn’t finish her thoughts.
A desperate voice echoed relentlessly in her ears.
Startled, she turned to find the source of the sound.
When she looked to the side, a strikingly handsome man was staring at her with trembling eyes.
She had never seen him before, yet Heeju recognized him instantly.
“Y-You’re…”
With trembling fingers, Heeju pointed at the man who had leaned close to her.
At that moment, the contents of the novel she had read before falling asleep flashed through her mind.
「Jet-black hair with a faint, almost luminous blue sheen. Thick, dark eyebrows, deep-set eyes, and an arrogantly high-bridged nose. Firm lips that seemed incapable of even the faintest smile.」
A detailed description of a man.
The very man who appeared in <Prisia’s Diary>.
「He was Kyle Kelton, the youngest prince of the Kelton Empire.」
“…Kyle Kelton?”
He was none other than her favorite character.
Heeju, her face filled with confusion, glanced between Kyle and the unfamiliar room, muttering,
“Why… why are you here…?”
“……”
“No, why am, am I here…?”
Kyle’s pupils trembled violently.
“…Prisia?”
“……”
“Prisia.”
Kyle called out ‘Prisia’ several times.
But Heeju, unable to even imagine that he was addressing her, could only keep looking over herself in disbelief.
Seeing this, Kyle hastily approached her.
“Prisia, what’s wrong? What’s going on?”
“Huh? No, wait a second…”
“Look at me.”
Kyle cupped Heeju’s cheeks with his large hands.
His touch was urgent yet gentle, making Heeju flinch and instinctively look up.
There, right in front of her, was Kyle Kelton.
The second prince of the Kelton Empire.
The Empire’s swordmaster.
And her ultimate favorite character—that Kyle Kelton.
“Ahhh!”
Without thinking, Heeju shoved Kyle away with both hands.
She was so startled that her heart pounded, and she acted without even processing her thoughts.
But instead of pushing Kyle back, she found herself tilting backward.
It felt like trying to push against a solid rock.
Just as she was about to lose her balance, Kyle’s arm swiftly extended behind her.
“…What are you doing?”
They were so close she could feel his breath.
Heeju barely stopped herself from screaming again.
Kyle frowned as he studied her constantly changing expression.
After setting her upright, he locked eyes with her, his gaze sharp and piercing.
“Are you playing games with me?”
“…What?”
“Are you pretending not to know to brush this situation aside? Or are you just mocking me?”
“……”
“You’re cruel until the very end.”
Kyle shot the words at her, clearly furious.
Heeju had no idea what was happening, so she could only dart her eyes around, completely lost.
Seeing this, Kyle ran a hand through his hair, exhaled a long sigh, and closed his eyes.
“Prisia… What on earth… What on earth is going on with you?”
Moreover, Kyle had been calling her ‘Prisia’ from the start.
Prisia was the protagonist of the novel <Prisia’s Diary>.
If the man standing before her was truly Kyle Kelton, then Prisia should exist in this world, too.
But why was he calling ‘her’ by the protagonist’s name?
Could it be…
“…Did you just call me Prisia?”
“…What? What are you talking about, Prisia?”
Kyle responded as if her question was completely absurd.
Ah. This is, no matter how you look at it…
It seems I’ve entered a novel.
‘…How could this happen?’
It felt like a dream, but it wasn’t.
If it were a dream, there was no way everything would feel this vivid.
Her mind was spinning, but she forced herself to stay calm.
‘…Alright. I get that this is a novel, but why is Kyle acting like this?’
She cautiously glanced at Kyle again. He was staring at her intently, just as the novel had described.
With an expression that seemed almost accusatory.
She had to say something.
“…Um, P-Prince Kyle.”
The name felt strange as it left her lips, as if she were saying it for the first time.
But as soon as she addressed him, Kyle’s face paled.
“…What did you just say?”
“…Huh?”
“What did you just call me?”
“Prince… Kyle…?”
It was simply the way Prisia referred to him in the novel, but the more she said it, the more Kyle looked as if he had lost something precious.
He even clutched his forehead, his lips pressed tightly together.
Kyle remained silent for a long moment before finally calling someone.
Soon, the door swung open, and a man with a well-groomed beard entered.
“You called for me, Your Grace?”
The man approached Kyle and bowed his head.
Kyle, who had been sitting there darkly, swallowed hard.
Then, in a cold voice, he spoke through his clenched lips.
“…The Grand Duchess has lost her memory.”
* * *
TL/N: ANOTHER NEW ROMANCE FANTASY WEBNOVEL, THAT I’M HAPPILY PICKING UP!
HOPE Y’ALL ENJOY READING IT WITH ME AS WELL >.<
* * * *
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