I opened my eyes to an unfamiliar setting. To my right, I saw two large floor-to-ceiling windows on either side of a double door, with heavy curtains blocking whatever was behind them. Where am I?
Turning, I noticed a man sleeping beside me. He had white hair—an unusual color—and I couldn't help but glance a second too long at his shirtless, attractive build. I blinked and looked around again, then back at him.
"You're awake?" he asked, opening his eyes, which were an unusual shade of red. Huh? "I thought you'd sleep longer," he added, taking my hand and giving it a light peck.
'Okay, time out.'
I pulled my hand back and got out of bed. He just stared at me, confused.
"Who are you?" I asked, and his expression shifted from confusion to amusement.
"What are we playing now?" he asked, sitting up.
"Huh? Seriously, who are you?" I asked again. His expression changed briefly to concern before returning to amusement.
"What are you saying?" he asked with a light chuckle. His voice...
"Is this…" I gasped, covering my mouth. Am I living my dream of waking up in another world? Did I really die? What about Lucy?
"What now?" he asked, standing up.
"Don't come closer." You extremely handsome and seductive man who seems familiar.
"Love, are you okay?" he asked, and my face flushed. His voice is enough to seduce me—just like those male leads who win over the heroine with their first words.
"L… love?" I stammered, blushing.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"Where am I? And who are you?" I asked, and he furrowed his brows.
"I'm Kael," he answered.
"Kael," I repeated. "So, Kael, where am I?" I asked.
"At home," he replied.
"Huh?" There's no place like this in my father's manor. Did I really go to another world? Is this a world from a book I read? I don't know a Kael.
"Honey, can you stop the act already?" he asked. My character must do this a lot, but it's not an act.
"Look, Kael, I am not…" Wait, if I tell him, it might ruin the story's plot. "How do you know me?" I asked. He laughed, holding his head. I'm probably in the most perfect painting; he's so handsome. Just say it—please say I'm your...
"You're my wife," he said, and I smiled internally. I wouldn't mind being married to someone this beautiful.
"Is that so?" I exclaimed, thinking of how to get information without revealing that I'm not who he thinks I am. I don't want to skip through the emotional scenes.
"Lilien, it's too early for this. I have to…"
"Did you say 'Lilien'?" I interrupted.
"What?" he asked, surprised by my outburst.
I ran to the mirror and sat in front of it as the painful yet exciting realization dawned on me. I'm still me, I'm not in a book, and I'm really this man's wife. Well, I look a bit different—my hair is longer, and I don't look overworked. There's a… who bit me so hard to leave a scar? Did I get into a fight?
"What's going on?" I asked, holding my head.
"Are you done playing around? I really have somewhere to be," Kael said, leaning on my shoulder and planting a kiss on the scar. I don't have time to blush.
"So, we're married, and I am me, but I don't know who you are or how I got here. Did that woman dump me here after I passed out? It doesn't make sense; I look different," I mused aloud.
"Honey, what are you saying?" Kael asked, his voice tinged with fright. I stood up and put a good distance between us.
"What I'm saying is that I don't know who you are, where I am, or how I got here," I said.
"I… I'll call the physician," he said quietly and walked out. Put on a shirt, husband.
I took a moment to look around the room again. It was three times as large as my room, with three bookshelves in one corner. A part of me wanted to start browsing through the books, but I focused on my current situation.
The door opened, and Kael walked in with a man wearing round glasses. He approached me, and I took a cautious step back.
"Good morning, your majesty. May I examine you?" he asked. I nodded slowly. He checked my pulse, looked into my eyes, and did something that sent a cold sensation through me. "Your majesty, do you remember your name?" he asked.
"Lilien," I said plainly.
"What was the last thing you did yesterday?" he asked.
"I was…" I paused and looked down. "Did she bring me here?" I asked.
"Huh?" he exclaimed, puzzled. I guess not. My hair couldn't have grown that long within a few hours or days.
"She, that woman found my books and got angry, so she burned them," I said, leaving out the part where she wanted to burn me as well.
"Who?" the physician asked.
"That's enough, you may leave," Kael ordered. The physician bowed and turned to leave, but I grabbed his hand.
"What's going on?" I asked, and he sighed.
"You seem to have amnesia; it's probably a side effect of what happened," the physician said. 'Do I smell a good story? What happened? Tell me,' I wanted to shout but kept my mouth shut.
"What happened?" Nice, Kael.
"I'm sorry, your majesty, but her majesty asked me to keep it from you," he said, going on his knees. "She was…" he paused, looking at me. "She… she had a miscarriage." That was unexpected.
"Miscarriage? What… what are you talking about? Lilien wasn't… she wasn't pregnant, right?" Kael asked, looking at me. I have no idea. Don't look at me.
"I'm sorry, your majesty," he said, hitting his head on the floor. Isn't that a bit much?
"Leave," Kael ordered. The physician stood up and walked out quickly. "Lilien, you… why didn't you tell me?" Kael asked, stepping forward to pull me into a hug, burying his jaw in my head.
Should I push him away? If this were a book, that would be the best course of action. I don't know him anyway.
I don't know why I find this exhilarating.