It was broad daylight when Hana woke up again. Hana opened her eyes, looked around, and shifted gingerly.
"It's real."
She was still lying in the big four-poster bed, and her body was still that of a ten-year-old girl.
She thought she was dreaming, but she wasn't. Still, just in case, Hana pinched her thigh.
It hurt. It hurt like hell.
It was just a pinch, and her thigh turned purple. She was unbelievably weak.
Even more unbelievable was the reality. No matter how much it hurt, she couldn't accept it as real.
But if it was this vivid and naked, and if she could wake up and still be in a dream, how could it be any different from reality?
She dismissed the idea of dreaming or fantasizing. It was time to face reality.
Instead of hastily standing up, Hana lay down and examined her body. Toes, ankles, calves, thighs, hips, waist, chest and back, shoulders, forearms, lower arms, fingers, neck.
She wasn't satisfied with any of them. My body was a mess, to say the least.
But at least she moved. She was grateful that her body was moving the way it wanted to.
The next thing she needed was information. She needed to know where she was, who these people were, and most importantly, who "I" was.
The moment she thought that, a myriad of information burst into her consciousness with a slap on the head. All of my thoughts came rushing in, unorganized.
Hana succeeded in picking out the necessary information from among them.
'Kalia? Kalia Anima? Is that my name?'
It felt right. But the name was only a title; it carried no information of its own.
Before she could get discouraged, one piece of information after another came to her. The name came first, and then the information associated with it, his own information.
'This is a duke, a grand duke, a family, a noble family? Yeah, he doesn't look Korean.'
She wasn't confused. She wondered at herself.
Something seemed to be keeping her consciousness clear and carm.
Maybe she was going crazy? She'd heard of mental illnesses in which delusions are considered real.
'No. I didn't do anything that would make me mentally ill. Can I get a mental illness from head injure? I don't know.'
It's the doctor's job to diagnose, not the patient's. It was toxic to keep thinking about it without getting professional help. Hana shook her head to clear her thoughts.
Anyway, now that she was sure she was okay, she slowly got out of bed. This time, she was able to stand up without any support.
"Mmm, lady Kalia?"
"Uh, huh."
Hana said reflexively. Beyond the lace, someone stirred and made a commotion. She stood up quickly, pushing the lace aside to reveal a face.
It was a middle-aged woman in a navy blue blouse and white apron. Her hair was bright orange and bouncy and curly.
"Melan?"
She suddenly remembered the name. At her call, Melan nodded with moist eyes.
"Yes, ma'am. Thank goodness. I'll get the doctor, but please lie back down."
"Uh, yeah."
Hana sat back down. The ladies-in-waiting called Melan took Hana's back and slowly laid her down, pulling the quilt up to her neck.
'You're very kind, but I'm not the Lady Kalia you know.'
She couldn't bring herself to say it. A moment later, there was a quiet commotion.
Everyone approached, footsteps and voices muffled, but their numbers did not completely muffle the sounds.
"Father, mother."
The words came out naturally. A middle-aged couple immediately embraced Hana. It was a careful hug, as if they were worried that it might break.
Part of her felt uncomfortable with each of these gestures. She wasn't the "Lady Kalia" they wanted her to be.
Or was he?
'I don't know. I don't know if Park Hana is dreaming of Kalia or Kalia is dreaming of Park Hana....'
The doctor said that Kalia had fully regained consciousness and there were no signs of anything ominous. The sound of people being relieved and encouraging each other filled the room.
Then, at the doctor's urging, they backed away. They left the room, leaving only one more person and the ladies-in-waiting, Melan.
"Melan."
"Yes, Lady Kalia."
"What year is this?"
"It is still the year 276. It has only been four days since Lady Kalia fell."
"I see."
She hadn't expected the answer to be the 21st century, but it was too far off. year 276? Is that the Roman Empire?
"Where am I?"
"Oh, You're surprised at the unfamiliarity of the room. This is the Summer Palace. When you fell ill, my lord brought you here in a hurry to nurse you back to health."
"Summer.... I see."
The answer brought new knowledge to her mind. It didn't come to her like it had last time. The exact keyword had a precise meaning.
The Summer Palace was a separate palace a day's journey north of the main house. It was surrounded by a large lake and high mountains, making it a cool place even in summer.
The knowledge came to her, but not the details. Kalia had never visited it herself.
'It's so strange, memories that aren't mine. Hmm. Even the concept of me, of mine, is vague now.'
Hana searched through her memories as Kalia and asked Melan a few more questions. What happened to her, what her father was doing, and so on.
From Melan's direct answers, the knowledge she gleaned from them, and the facts she inferred from the combination of the two, she was able to piece together quite a bit of information.
For starters, this was the Grand Duchy of Animus, part of the Latania Empire. She was the eldest daughter of the current Grand Duke of Animus, and she had a younger brother and a younger sister.
At this point, Hana realized one more fact. This was a place he had known since the days when she was still a Hana.
This world was the same as the background of the romance comic she had watched as a child!
'How is that possible?'