As we walked, I couldn't help pouting.
"You're such a lier."
Skull glanced down at me.
"What now?"
"That knight called me beautiful."
I crossed my arms.
"And you called me ugly."
He was silent for a moment.
Then he looked away.
"That man seriously needs to get his eyes checked."
My mouth dropped open.
"What?!"
"I think something is wrong with him."
"You're such a meanie!"
I puffed out my cheeks.
Skull simply kept walking.
I hurried after him, still glaring at the back of his helmet.
One day...
One day I'm going to see your face and find out if you're even qualified to judge anyone's looks.
We eventually reached a busy market.
This time, I refused to let Skull out of my sight.
Wherever he went, I followed.
If he stopped at a clothing stall, I stood beside him.
If he went to buy food, I stood beside him.
If he spoke to a merchant, I stood beside him.
At one point, he looked down at me.
"Are you planning to stick to me all day?"
"Yes."
"You know I can survive without you attached to my arm, right?"
"I don't care, I just can't risk getting kidnapped again."
He sighed.
"You've become a nuisance."
He complained but never actually pushed me away.
We bought several sets of fresh clothes for me, along with some food for the journey. Skull also picked up a few supplies that I couldn't even identify.
By the time we left the market, I was carrying a small bundle of my belongings.
For the first time since arriving in this strange world...
I actually felt a little prepared.
Over the next few days, we passed through several villages.
Unlike the first village, people were outside this time.
Children played in the dirt roads.
Merchants sold fruits and vegetables from wooden stalls.
Farmers led horses and carts through the streets.
Women carried baskets while men worked around their homes.
I couldn't stop looking around.
So this is what another world looks like...
But something was obvious.
The princess's disappearance had affected everyone.
People spoke quietly about it.
Some looked worried.
Others looked exhausted.
There was a strange tension hanging over the kingdom.
One afternoon, I finally asked Skull about it.
"So what exactly happened to the princess?"
He continued walking.
"No one knows the exact detail, wether she was kidnapped or even worst."
"The princess is the only heir to the throne."
"Oh."
"Her importance goes beyond that."
I looked at him.
"What do you mean?"
"She was blessed by the Goddess of Nature when she was born."
I nearly tripped.
"Wait... what?"
"The goddess descended upon the palace and blessed her. First time in history anyone have ever seen an actual goddess."
"Since then, the princess has possessed abilities no ordinary person has."
I stared at him.
"What kind of abilities?"
"She can heal the sick."
"Cure severe wounds."
"And, according to the royal records, she has even restored life to the dead."
I stopped walking.
"...She can WHAT?"
Skull turned toward me.
I quickly caught up.
"Wait, wait, wait!"
"Magic is real?!"
He stared at me for a moment.
Then his eyes narrowed slightly.
"Your memory loss really is a serious problem."
I smiled awkwardly.
"Yeah..."
"Because everyone knows magic is a gift granted by the gods."
Right.
Of course.
I'm not from this kingdom.
He doesn't know that.
Skull continued.
"After the Goddess of Nature blessed the princess, she became the only person capable of using those abilities."
"That is what makes her so valuable to the kingdom."
"So she's basically the most important person here?"
"Pretty much."
He nodded.
"And there is another reason."
"What?"
"If the princess has children, there is a possibility that her abilities will be passed down to her first child."
My eyes widened.
"So her bloodline could continue the goddess's blessing?"
"Exactly."
"Which is why the royal family considers her irreplaceable."
I stared ahead.
"Wow..."
So this princess isn't just royalty.
She's basically a walking miracle.
No wonder the entire kingdom was searching for her so desperately, searching every little villages in the kingdom.
As we continued through another village, something strange happened.
People began staring at me.
A woman stopped in the middle of arranging vegetables.
A group of children stopped playing.
An old man nearly dropped the basket he was carrying.
Then I heard someone whisper—
"Such beauty..."
Another person murmured,
"Her eyes..."
Even the children gathered nearby just to get a better look.
I nervously covered part of my face.
Why is everyone staring at me?!
Skull groaned beside me.
"Great."
I looked at him.
"What?"
"Exactly the kind of attention I didn't want."
He glanced at me.
"And now I'm getting it because I'm walking around with your ugly face."
I stopped.
"Hey!"
I puffed out my cheeks.
"I'm pretty!"
"Sure."
"That's why everyone's staring!"
"Whatever."
I glared at him.
"Stop calling me ugly!"
He sighed and reached into the bag he'd been carrying.
Then he handed me something.
I stared at it.
It was a delicate white veil.
It was slightly transparent, but thick enough to obscure most of my face.
"I bought it at the market."
I blinked.
"You did?"
"I noticed the way the men there kept staring at you."
He looked away.
"Put it on."
"Maybe I can survive the day without having to watch everyone stare at you."
I smiled.
"Aww..."
"You bought this for me."
"Don't make it sound sentimental."
I tied the veil around the lower half of my face.
Then I looked at him.
"Now I look like a mysterious goddess."
"Keep dreaming."
I lightly smacked his arm.
"You're impossible."
