Before Rei could react to this unexpected situation, she was already sitting on a white horse together with the gentleman who guarded her from behind…
***
He was the leader of the inter-dimensional organization, The Kingdom. He was once god-like, feared and revered by all who dared to cross his path. But betrayal struck, leaving him with a lost arm and a lost will to live. He relinquished his power and retreated to a desolate dimension far away from magic and myth, seeking a quiet and peaceful existence until the end of his days.
But fate had other plans. On a snowy night, the flames of hope and passion were reignited within him, compelling him to once again embrace his godly destiny. Will he rise from the ashes and reclaim his throne? Only time will tell.
That night was a snowy night, it was the first time they met each other, and it was also the beginning of that surreal relationship across two dimensions…
***
Nestled in a cozy room, Rei couldn't help but ponder the events that brought her to this average-sized castle. As she pieced together the clues from her observations, a realization hit her like a ton of bricks: she was in the royal castle of a small, yet powerful neighboring country to the Qin Empire. And the gentleman who saved her? Well, he was surely no ordinary person.
But the weight of all the possibilities proved too much for Rei, and a sudden wave of lightheadedness washed over her. She fought to stay conscious for a few moments, but eventually succumbed and collapsed onto the soft bed. What will become of Rei in this strange new place? The answers await, but at what cost?
"Oh dear! My Lady!"
The older maid gasped in alarm and rushed to Rei's side, placing a hand on her forehead.
"My goodness, her temperature is through the roof. She must have caught a cold in this awful snow," she exclaimed.
The younger maid, seemingly unaware of the severity of the situation, blurted out, "What do we do?"
"We need to act fast," the older maid replied firmly.
"Fetch some hot water, a towel, and if possible, ginger and brown sugar. We must warm her up and nurse her back to health."
With a sense of urgency, the two maids rushed to gather the necessary supplies, hoping to bring comfort to their ailing lady.
"But how are we going to get all that stuff? We are not in Qin's palace right now." said the younger maid, who sounded rather anxious.
"Ah… Yeah… You are right. Oh dear…"
The older maid's voice trailed off as the reality of their situation hit her. They were no longer in their familiar hometown, but in an unfamiliar place far outside their comfort zone.
As Rei's maids frantically searched for ways to warm their mistress, the door suddenly creaked open. In walked Satoshi, the man who had nearly shot Rei with an arrow. He was accompanied by a small group of maids, each carrying clean winter clothes, thick blankets, a pot of hot soup, and other daily necessities for the cold winter.
"These are gifts from His Majesty, along with my deepest apologies for nearly causing harm to you and your ladies in the snow,"
Satoshi spoke in a polite tone, bowing deeply to Rei. Surprisingly, his fluency in Qin's official language was quite remarkable for a foreigner. It was a gesture of kindness that would not be forgotten easily.
Satoshi's eyes fell upon Rei, lying unconscious on the bed and looking pale. Concern etched his voice as he asked,
"Is she not feeling well?"
The two maids nodded sheepishly, their fear palpable.
"I see," Satoshi replied calmly.
"Don't worry, I'll fetch Dr. Ben right away."
With that, he swiftly exited the room, accompanied by the maids who had brought in the supplies.
***
After a brief period, Rei slowly began to stir. Blinking her eyes open, she saw a man with silver-rimmed glasses seated beside her, delicately performing some acupuncture on her palm. His cold, steely glare made the already chilly winter night feel even colder. With a poker face that could cut through ice, he resembled a frozen statue that no one would dare to cross.
As soon as he noticed that Rei had awakened, the man briefly glanced at her but remained silent, focusing intently on his work.
Rei attempted to retract her hand upon realizing her predicament, but the man's wrist hold prevented her from doing so.
"Please don't move. It will take me approximately five more minutes to fully dispel the cold from your body. The herbs alone won't suffice," spoke the man in a gentle yet firm manner, surprising Rei with his fluency in the Qin Empire's language.
At the mention of "herbs," a bittersweet flavor coated her tongue.
Beside the man, a young woman spoke up, reassuring Rei of the man's skill as a doctor.
"Do not fret, Miss. Our Dr. Ben is the finest practitioner in the world, surpassing even the imperial physician of Qin's palace. Despite his chilly demeanor, he is a kind-hearted individual."
Ben gave her a cold leer without saying anything. The lady flinched a bit as she accidentally made direct eye contact with that cold leer from Ben.
Five minutes later, Ben carefully removed the acupuncture needles from Rei's palm and kept them neatly in a separate case. After his assistant checked Rei's body temperature with a traditional mercury thermometer and confirmed that her body temperature had turned back to normal, Ben packed all his stuff and left without saying anything.
"Ah… We will send you all the medicine needed in time, your lady should be alright in two days. Don't mind him, he is an awkward person. Oh! By the way, my name is Holly!" the lady exclaimed as she tried to catch up with Ben.
***
After Ben and Holly left the room, Rei called out for her maids. She is both curious and confused about their current condition.
"An Er, do you have any idea where we are right now?" Rei asked the older maid whose name was An Er.
An Er nodded but had no courage to tell her lady their local situation.
"An Er, from your look right now, I believe my guess earlier is right on the point. I remembered there was a rumour in Qin's empire, there is a small Kingdom that was formed in just a night without any sign, and the King of that Kingdom is a heartless evil tyranny that had been trying to conquer Qin's Empire for a few times." said Rei, out of the blues.
An Er remained silent.
"We are currently in that small Kingdom which is ruled by that rumoured evil tyranny lord. Am I right?" Rei asked again.
An Er nodded.
"And that kind gentleman who saved us from the snow is that rumoured evil lord… right?" Rei asked again.
After a short hesitation, An Er nodded…