"This book and potion are more valuable than my own life. You have to protect them well until I return."
Mr Moon gave Anuradha, a meaningful look. Anuradha nodded her head vigorously.
"Don't worry, Mr Moon. I'll keep them safe. You have to believe me."
Eventually, Mr Moon was satisfied with her answer. After meeting his three students and giving them homework, Mr Moon left his house with his suitcase.
Seeing his disappearing figure, Anuradha felt relaxed. She was secretly overjoyed. After waiting for a long time, she finally found her chance.
'He he hee!!!'
She clenched the golden, little key in her palm.
Her face filled with a bright smile. She was like a little kid who got her candy.
"Radha, what are you doing standing there?" Nichol asked.
"You look like a little thief."
Anuradha panicked.
'Is it that obvious?' She thought to herself.
She grinned like a fool and rushed towards them.
Nichol was mixing his potion while Jerob helped him. Ebriem was reading a book in a corner silently as usual. He looked like he was in his own small world.
'What a bookworm!'
Anuradha rubbed her hands together. She tried hard to appear as casual as possible.
"Do-do you guys want some tea?" She asked politely.
"Of course, thanks." Jerob said with a smile.
Anuradha secretly heaved a sigh of relief before going to the kitchen. She quickly prepared some tea with herbs and put them on a tray along with some light snacks.
"Thank you!" Jerob and Nicol said in unison.
She gave them a sweet smile before nodding.
'They are so nice and polite!'
The ice cube Ebriem was quiet. He didn't even look at her.
'Hmph! The crown prince is the only one who's trashy. Never mind, It's not that I care.'
Anuradha surpassed the disgust in her heart before putting the teacup on his table.
"Thank you, Anu!"
The faint but magnetic voice clearly sounded near her ear.
Anuradha's heart skipped a beat. Unknowingly to herself, a warm, strange feeling filled inside her heart.
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
Anuradha sneakily stepped towards Mr Moon's secret room. She was so careful not to make a sound, otherwise, the three demons would catch her and report her to the old wizard.
Then, she would be done for!
She took the golden key out of her gown's pocket and unlocked the door. With a click, she opened the door very slowly. Like a little cat, who's ready to catch the mouse, she entered inside the room and looked around hoping to find the book and the potion.
Sure enough, the wizard kept them in a locker in a corner of the not-so-big room. Anuradha tried to open the locker.
'Shit!'
She cursed inside her heart. It was locked! What should she do now? Should she admit defeat just because of this stupid locker? No way!
She smirked proudly and pulled a hairpin out of her hair bun. Because of her action, her long, black hair dropped to her slender shoulders and she looked beautiful like a little star in the dark sky. Although it was still bright and shiny out there, the room was surprisingly dark. Thanks to Anuradha's perfect vision, she didn't find it too difficult.
She opened the door in one go with the help of her hairpin. She sighed in satisfaction. The only good thing she learned from her father was to unlock the locked doors. She even doubted that once he might have been a thief.
Never mind, whatever! It was none of her business!
There, she found the book and the purple colour potion. She took them out and put them on the long wooden table. The wizard told her everything about them.
The wizard said that he was the one who wrote the story inside the book after exploring the future through his powers.
According to him, a single drop of that powerful potion can send someone inside the novel!
Initially, Anuradha didn't necessarily want to go to that novel world. But... when she started reading the book secretly, she fell in love with the future!
According to her, the future was just too great and she wanted to explore it. She was a poor girl, to begin with... Thus she had a glimmer of hope that by any chance if she became the female lead of the story, she would live her perfect life without any hardships!
It's not that she's too lazy to work hard. But she knew from the bottom of her heart how hard it was to gain a successful life with wealth, power and everything a person ever needed.
She didn't mind marrying a handsome, rich boy and living a carefree, happy life with no worries.
Thus, when she finished reading the entire novel, she made up her mind to enter that strange but beautiful, fairytale-like world. But not all the characters achieved their happy endings.
Most of the cannon folders, villains and other side characters weren't lucky enough to have a better life filled with happiness. It was because they were greedy for the male lead or the female lead.
As long as she behaves herself, everything will be fine.
Anuradha took a deep breath.
'This is it. You can do it!' She whispered again and again.
After that, she put her index finger inside the potion. Cautiously, she licked her finger.
'Yuck! It tastes so bad!!!'
Anuradha felt extremely dizzy. Her head started spinning around and she felt that she was about to fall. Naturally, she closed her eyes.
"Anu... Anuradha!!!"
An anxious voice and hurried footsteps sounded behind her. She could feel that someone was coming to her side. But she could care less as everything went blank within just a few seconds.
Anuradha lost her balance. Instead of falling to the tough ground, she fell into a warm embrace before completely passing out.