‘A prince came out of a dead-end door? A fairytale prince, who had to return to his kingdom because his bride was waiting? Even kids these days know that such a story doesn't make sense—it's all just a lie. Did all the problems in my life make my subconscious mind try to escape from reality?’ Grace wondered, holding her head with both hands.But suddenly, a sound from the door caught her attention and made her turn her head. A man with glass blue eyes walked in and stared directly at her."Oh, you are done?" Adro asked, closing the door and approaching Grace. "I’m sorry, I went out without telling you. I was getting bored in this room alone, so I thought of taking a short walk. Then, how are you now?"The brown-eyed girl just stared blankly at Adro. Her body looked frozen, leaving Adro puzzled."Well... Is there something wrong? Are you okay?" Adro sat on the corner of the bed.Grace swallowed hard before turning her face away. Her eyes were still trembling, and she had to regulate he
Sarah chuckled and then looked back at the man with squinted eyes. "Are you seriously unable to unfasten it?"In the back seat, Grace could only watch the scene with frustration. Because of her cast foot, she was placed in the back passenger seat, while Adro sat in the front passenger seat next to Sarah.Earlier, Adro had difficulty opening the car door and fastening his seatbelt. Those things had Sarah baffled to the point that she thought he was just joking."Adro comes from an extremely… remote village, Sarah. He rarely rode a private car, so, you know, Grace tried to explain.Sarah just took a deep breath and shook her head briefly. She couldn't believe there was someone as primitive as Adro in this world. To her, it was utterly absurd. Moreover, she had heard that Adro was something like an opera or theater actor, so it was hard to believe that he had never been in a private car, let alone didn’t know how to open a car door as basic as hers.As time passed, Sarah's suspicion grew
Grace smiled as she rolled her wheelchair closer to Adro. She tilted her head up to look at the paintings she saw every day without getting bored."What do you think of this painting?" Grace asked."I love it. The faces of the three women have different expressions. The positioning of each of them seems to convey a deep meaning. The background is also dramatic with its dark colors. It makes me curious about its true meaning," Adro answered.Grace looked at Adro with sparkling eyes. It was the most beautiful feedback she had ever received for her artwork."Can I ask you something?" Grace inquired.Adro turned to her and nodded once. "Of course."Then Grace took a deep breath and asked, "If you were the painter of this artwork, how would you interpret it?"“Well... this is the first time I've been asked a question like that by someone." Adro said, slightly furrowing his brow and tilting his head."If-If you're not willing to answer, that's fine. It's just a silly and unimportant questio
Gently, Adro helped Grace back into the wheelchair. Then he let go of his hand after making sure the girl was seated properly."Th-thank you," Grace said, hanging her face down.Adro nodded slightly. "You're welcome!" Then he placed the cup on the counter. "You should ask for help if you need it. That was very dangerous. Just imagine if you were alone here, and no one could help you.""That's because I'm used to it," Grace muttered."Pardon?" Adro looked at Grace and squinted his eyes. "Did you say something?"Grace shook her head and gave an awkward smile. "Nothing. It's not important.""What were you trying to do? Let me help you with it," Adro asked."I wanted to prepare a drink for us. I was thirsty, and you might be too," Grace replied as she moved her wheelchair back when Adro stepped to the side of the counter."I see. Can I use the cups over here?" Adro pointed to the dish rack.Grace nodded and pointed upward. "I usually use cups in the hanging cabinet, but since I can't reac
"I hope you'll find a man who treats you well and sincerely," Adro said, giving a warm smile.Grace stared into those crystal eyes with a pounding heart. She almost drowned in that gaze. However, she had to quickly realize that she shouldn't get too close to Adro. Besides their different worlds, Adro was engaged to another woman.Clearing her throat, Grace forced a chuckle and said, "Sorry for saying unnecessary things. Oh... look! I've become skilled with the crutches. It's thanks to you."Adro smiled and nodded once. "Glad to help you. You're an independent woman.""Everyone becomes independent when circumstances force them to. My grandmother used to say, As humans, we must be able to adapt quickly—even though I still struggle with that, to be honest," Grace replied, her voice dwindling to a murmur."Your grandmother was a wise woman. No wonder you grew into a woman with a beautiful heart. No need to judge yourself," Adro said."Well, that’s so kind of you, but it seems I've only gr
"Um... is there something wrong?" Grace asked."It's just..." Adro stopped. His eyes were still fixed on the flashlight. "I just remembered that it's inappropriate for a royal to put their head low, and moreover, near the floor."“What?” Grace muttered with a furrowed brow. Then she realized and pulled the flashlight back before turning it off. "Oh my God! I'm so sorry! I forgot that you're a prince, and I don't know the rules in the kingdom." Then she placed the flashlight back in the drawer. “I'll look for it again when my ankle has healed. It's not so important, anyway.""I’m sorry, I can't help you with this," Adro said with a slightly lowered face.Grace shook her head. "No… You're a prince in your kingdom. Of course, I understand that.""Thank you for being understanding." Adro smiled a little.Silence enveloped them for a few seconds. They stood there, staring at each other with blinking eyes.Clearing her throat, Grace finally found something to say, "Well, you said you couldn
Adro opened the large door of the mansion. Sunlight streamed through the holes in the roof and its large windows, illuminating the hall inside."Be careful," Adro said as he guided Grace inside."This is my second time coming here, and I'm increasingly aware of how beautiful this mansion is," Grace murmured, gazing around. Then, she noticed an open door. It was the one she and Adro had opened and left unclosed. "It’s the door that leads downstairs, isn’t it?"“You are right. We didn’t close it.” Adro said.As they approached the door, the two of them looked down the steep and narrow stairs. Then Adro said, "I don't think you can go down there on your own with your current foot condition.""I guess you are right," Grace mumbled, still looking down and gulping."What if I carry you?" Adro suggested."Wh-what?” Grace turned to him, then slowly turned her warm face back to the front. “But that's a bit..." "The only way to get you downstairs is by carrying you. If you're uncomfortable wit
Because their search yielded no results, Grace and Adro decided to return to Grace's house.On the way, Grace noticed that Adro remained silent, staring out the window. The man must be disappointed. The mansion was the only place they could rely on to find his way back. The absence of any clues in the mansion indicated that the possibility of Adro returning was low or even impossible."I’m sorry if today's search gives no results," Grace said, almost whispering.Adro turned to her. He realized his face might look sullen, even though he didn't mean it that way. He quickly carved out a smile. "You don't need to apologize. It's not your fault. I should be thanking you for helping me, even with your injured foot.""Since my parents and eventually my grandmother passed away, I often feel scared," Grace uttered. She inhaled deeply and continued, "It's an inexplicable fear. I feel alone in this world, even though I have Sarah and Bella as friends. And even though I'm an adult, and it's norma