Chapter 8 - 008 ※ Beware the Desert Prince and His Dysfunctional Dynasty

But I'm more surprised by the fact that we can fall into the same reality, even if in different eras. It's almost unbelievable. No one ever told me something like that was even possible. Not a single person, not even in passing, ever mentioned the concept that we could end up in the same reality across different times. Maybe they don't know about it either. Maybe it's just one of those things that people have never really questioned. It's like discovering an entire new layer to the world that no one has thought to explore. And here I am, standing on the edge of it, trying to make sense of it all.

Wait, if I was supposed to meet Eirwen in the desert, like this, then that means my dad didn't throw me into that location because I was rude to him. That can't possibly be the reason behind all of this. If it were, it would be too simple, too petty for something this grand. No, it must be something else, something bigger. Maybe it's a plan that I can't see yet, a larger force moving everything into place, but I just can't understand it right now. It feels like I'm missing a piece of the puzzle, like I'm seeing part of the picture, but the rest is hidden, waiting for me to find it. There has to be a reason for all of this. There has to be a purpose for everything that's happened so far.

And if I'm eight months old right now, then that means it must be the end of summer. The realization hits me like a wave, and it sends a ripple of confusion through my mind. It's almost like everything is falling into place, but at the same time, it's so overwhelming, so incredibly confusing. It's as if I'm floating in a world that doesn't fully belong to me, trying to navigate through it without knowing the rules.

I was born in the winter, during what they consider to be the longest night of the year here. And winter, from what I understand, lasts from the very end of the year into the start of the next. So, based on that information, if I was born in winter and I'm now eight months old, it must be late summer of the year 1000+ in the imperial calendar.

I looked around the room, my eyes scanning everything as I tried to make sense of it. The walls seemed to hold echoes of the past, and the unfamiliar surroundings added to the confusion. My gaze finally rested on the window. Outside, the view seemed so different from anything I had ever known, with its colors and the atmosphere feeling strange, foreign. A light breeze drifted in, carrying the dry heat of the desert. It was so distinct, so different from the climates I had known. The heat didn't feel like the oppressive kind; it was almost calming in its way, if only I could wrap my head around it.

"Are you curious about the weather?" a voice suddenly interrupted my thoughts, breaking my reverie.

I turned my head toward the voice, nodding absentmindedly. I was still trying to take everything in, my mind racing, but I managed to acknowledge his words.

"We're in the Olwen Village now, so it's kinda hot because we're near the desert, but it's late summer right now," he said, almost as if he could read my mind.

As expected. His explanation fit with what I was starting to piece together. It made sense, but at the same time, it felt like just another fragment of a much bigger puzzle that I wasn't sure I was ready to solve. Everything seemed to confirm what I had thought, but the reality of it still seemed beyond my grasp. It felt as if the world around me was playing a game of keep-away, teasing me with the pieces of information that I needed to understand.

"Today, it's exactly August 27th of 1075 in the imperial calendar."

So, that means I'm exactly eight months and two days old right now. It was an odd feeling, knowing the exact day and month, the knowledge settling over me like a weight. I had to keep reminding myself of the time. I had to hold onto these pieces of information because they felt crucial. This was part of the timeline, part of the bigger picture I had to understand. And if I'm eight months old, that means I still have plenty of time. In the mid-winter of the 1088 imperial year, the male lead will be kidnapped, and I still have almost thirteen years to prevent this from happening! Thirteen years to prepare, to make sure that doesn't happen. I'm going to be thirteen at that time, and he's going to be fourteen. It doesn't seem like much, but it's enough, isn't it? Enough to change everything, to rewrite the course of history. I have so much to figure out, and yet, the time feels like it's slipping away from me.

"If you are eight months, then I suppose you were born in the early-winter or close to mid-winter, right?" he asked, his voice steady, his tone one of gentle curiosity.

I nodded slowly, confirming what he had said. He smiled at me, as if everything was starting to make sense.

"You have big, expressive ruby-red eyes and snow-white hair, it's cute and suits the season you were born in," he commented, almost thoughtfully.

Zayd also told me the same thing when I was younger, back at home. The memory flickered in my mind like an old, faded photograph. He had said it with such affection, such warmth. Hearing it now, here in this strange place, it felt different. It felt like the world itself was reminding me of who I was, of where I came from. The connection to the past was strong, pulling at me like an anchor.

I smiled at him in acknowledgment, trying to convey something with the gesture. I hope he understood what I meant. It wasn't just gratitude or recognition—it was something deeper, something more personal. A silent understanding that passed between us. I wasn't sure if he could see it, but I felt it, this quiet bond forming.

"You're welcome," he said with that same calm smile.

That was good. That reassurance, that small gesture, helped. It made me feel grounded in the moment, like I wasn't so completely lost in this strange new world. But then, just when I thought things were starting to make sense, he said something that completely threw me off.

"I'll bring you with me to my home, then I'll make you a princess and tell them that you're my child with someone I've met on the journey."

Is he out of his mind? The words hit me like a slap in the face. My thoughts scrambled, trying to process what he had just said. I wanted to say something, to argue, but the words wouldn't come. His plan sounded insane, like it didn't belong to reality at all. It was too much, too outlandish. This wasn't how things were supposed to go. How could he even think of such a thing?

"I have a lot of kids, so I think they won't make this a big deal," he added, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

This is a bad idea. It's a terrible idea. His casual tone made it seem so simple, but the consequences of this idea were anything but simple. I could already imagine the chaos that would follow. It wouldn't end well.

"When I left, my first child, a boy that I had with the empress, was three months old, and my four concubines were both pregnant."

That's why you shouldn't have left them there, you idiot! You left your entire family behind, your responsibilities, and now you're trying to make things work here, with me. I can see it all unfolding in my mind, and it's not going to end the way he thinks it will.

They're going to hate me because I'm already eight months old, and they'll think I've been with him from birth. They won't understand the truth. They'll think I'm just another one of his countless children. They'll think that he's been raising me all this time, but that's not true, is it? He hasn't been there for me. He hasn't cared for me in the same way he should have. He hasn't been there for his first-born either, the heir to his legacy. It was always someone else taking care of things, and now he wants to throw me into this mess.

This is the worst idea ever.