The Princess Royal Guard (ENGLISH)

CHAPTER 3 (Present)

I can hardly wrap my head around everything that’s happened. Was it all real, or just a vivid nightmare? When I probed Quilan about it, he just shrugged, his face a mask of confusion. All he could offer was that I fell from the edge of that cliff by the ruins and somehow slept for two days, only to be found in a hidden cave at the base of the mountain.

Days have slipped by, and still, the haunting vision of that Princess remains elusive, like a wisp of smoke. Sese and Nana have put me on lockdown, forbidding me from stepping foot near the ruins—like a haunted place that devours souls. And Quilan? He’s become my shadow, trailing behind me constantly. It’s infuriating, but I can’t truly blame them. That cursed place has already taken so many lives, and who’s to say I wouldn’t end up as the next victim?

I can hear the bustling chatter from the table outside, where Sese is busy helping a group of tourists. The villagers check in on me, their expressions a mix of relief and concern. They recount how Nana and Sese had broken down in tears when they learned of my fall—it’s a small world here, where everyone knows everyone else's business. While some might find comfort in that, I’m suffocated by it. I loathe how everyone feels entitled to pry into our lives, speculating and gossiping as if they hold the reins of our stories. I’m itching for freedom, ready to break away from this tight-knit prison and uncover the truth behind my fall…and maybe that Princess too.

I can’t shake the haunting question from my mind: Is she still alive? The last vivid memory I have is of that terrifying moment in the woods when someone was hunting me. Perhaps I wasn’t the first to be targeted; maybe that Princess had faced danger before. It’s hard to believe someone could be so naive, just like I was when I heard that ominous warning: “Hey, are you lost in your thoughts?”

I turned to find Nana sitting beside me, concern etched across her face. Maybe I really was lost—lost in a maze of confusion and anxiety about my brief encounter with the Princess's life. A life that has sparked a flurry of questions, each one heavier than the last. What was my purpose here? Why was I drawn into her story?

“I know you’re still processing everything that’s happened,” she said, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “But remember, Sese and I are always here for you. We love you both dearly. You’re the only family I have left, and I can’t bear the thought of losing you.”

At that moment, all I could do was pull her close, wrapping my arms around her fragile frame. “We’re so lucky to have you, Nana. We love you more than you know,” I whispered, feeling the weight of gratitude and affection between us.

After a long heart-to-heart with Nana, I decided it was time to unwind and set aside my worries for the day. I stepped back into the cozy café and plopped down at the cashier’s counter to help Sese. I wasn’t in the mood for conversation—except for one persistent person who just wouldn’t leave me alone.

“Are you ever going to get tired of hovering over me?” I shot at Quilan, who just flashed a charming smile as he set a cup of ice cream in front of me and settled into the chair across from me.

“Just enjoy it before it turns into a puddle. Anyway, what are you craving later?” he asked, effortlessly deflecting my question.

I sighed, rolling my eyes at his attempt to change the subject. “Honestly, I have no idea. Don’t you have work today?” I teased, watching him as he busied himself cleaning the table beside us.

Quilan came from a wealthy family, a stark contrast to my own upbringing, where every delicious meal felt like a hard-fought victory. Sometimes, the weight of that difference felt heavy, but he was always there to remind me not to let it get in the way of who we were. Even so, a part of me couldn’t help but wrestle with my insecurities.

He must’ve sensed my shift in mood because, without missing a beat, he leaned forward and nudged my arm gently. “You’re thinking too hard again,” he said softly, his voice suddenly a little less playful.

I shot him a glance. “Am I really that easy to read?”

He chuckled, brushing a lock of hair from his face. “You always wear your thoughts like an open book. Come on, relax. Let me spoil you today. No work, no worries.”

I couldn't help but smile at the way he effortlessly made everything feel lighter. It wasn’t the first time he’d pulled me out of a funk with nothing more than a smile and a little kindness. Even so, the gap between our worlds sometimes felt too wide to ignore.

“You really think you can just keep me distracted with ice cream and sweet talk?” I asked, half-serious, half-amused.

“Absolutely,” he grinned, unbothered, like he had nothing to lose. “You forget, I’m a professional when it comes to both.”

I couldn’t help but laugh, shaking my head. Quilan had this uncanny ability to make everything feel less intimidating, even the things I tried to hide from. Maybe it was the way he never treated me like I was less than him, even though everything around us screamed otherwise.

“I’ll let you get away with it for today,” I said, taking a spoonful of ice cream and savoring it slowly. “But don’t expect me to forget you’re still spoiled.”

He smirked. “I don’t mind. You spoil me in other ways.”

I could feel the warmth spread in my chest as I met his gaze, realizing for a moment that maybe, just maybe, the differences between us weren’t as insurmountable as I sometimes made them out to be.

The moment was interrupted, though, by a fleeting memory, one that had been with me for months now, like an uninvited guest hovering at the edge of my thoughts. The ruins. The crumbled stone walls. The sense of isolation as I wandered deeper into the forgotten maze of ancient structures, lost in a world that felt completely detached from the one I knew.

That day, when I had wandered too far, I hadn’t expected the cold grip of fear to take hold of me. I had only wanted to explore, to feel like I was something other than someone’s shadow, someone always held back by her background, her family’s name, her modest life. But the ruins were nothing like I imagined. The walls whispered in languages I couldn’t understand, the air thick with the past, like the very stones beneath my feet were alive with secrets.

I hadn’t realized I was lost until I could no longer hear the distant hum of the village, and I couldn’t remember how I’d gotten there. The moment I tried to turn back, the path had shifted, like the ruins themselves were playing games with me. I was alone, surrounded by forgotten history, and for the first time, I truly felt like I didn’t belong anywhere. The loneliness had been suffocating, and I almost believed I might never find my way out. But then, just as panic started to claw at me, I stumbled upon something—an old marble fountain, half-covered in ivy, with intricate carvings that seemed to glow faintly. I ran my fingers over the stone, tracing the designs, and for a brief moment, I felt like I had stumbled upon a secret world—a world that had nothing to do with riches or titles or expectations. It was something pure, something untouched, and I was the only one to witness it.

That was when I heard it. A voice. Soft, almost like a dream, calling my name.

“Princess….”

My heart had skipped a beat, my blood running cold. Princess? I wasn’t a princess. I wasn’t anyone important. But the voice persisted, calm and comforting, like a shadow of a life I hadn’t lived. I didn’t know what to make of it. The rational part of me screamed to run, to leave before things got too strange, too dangerous. But something inside me couldn’t. I had to see. I had to know what lay beyond that veil.

I hadn’t found an answer that day, but the feeling stayed with me—this pull toward something ancient, something royal, something that resonated deep within me. Ever since then, I couldn't shake the feeling that my life wasn’t entirely my own, that there were pieces of my past buried deep within those ruins, waiting to resurface. And those memories are becoming clearer to me right now after experiencing the life of Princess Atarah, who is still a misery to me.

I blinked, realizing I had gone silent again. Quilan was watching me with a soft expression, sensing my shift. “You okay?” he asked, his voice gentle, but with an edge of concern.

I shook myself out of the memory. “Yeah, just... remembering something.”

He raised an eyebrow but didn’t press me. He was good at that. Letting me process things at my own pace.

But deep down, I knew that the echoes of that voice—the mysterious pull of the princess life I had felt in the ruins—was something I couldn’t ignore. And sooner or later, it would lead me somewhere I couldn’t predict.