"Who are you?"
A soft voice asked, yet the tone sent chills down Kael's spine.
Kael knew that if he didn't answer now, he might die.
No—he would die.
Feeling the cold steel of the dagger pressed against his neck, Kael wanted to cry.
His eyes darted to the beautiful woman before him, her face flushed with a mix of anger and embarrassment.
"Kael. My name is Kael," he managed, his voice trembling despite his best efforts to sound calm.
The woman didn't react to his fear.
Her grip on the dagger remained firm as she pressed him harder against the wall.
Her next question came without hesitation.
"Where are you from?"
"Earth."
"Earth?"
"It's... not from around here. It's far away," Kael stammered, his gaze flickering nervously to the blade.
The woman's frown deepened.
Without a word, she pressed the dagger closer to his skin.
Kael could swear he felt it break through.
"How did you gain entry to my chambers? Though I may be the king's least favored daughter, even he would not allow such an affront—an intruder in his daughter's quarters? It would be a scandal of the highest order. And tell me this: why are you so weak?"
Kael's mind raced.
Should he focus on piecing together where he was, or the fact that she just called him weak?
None of that mattered now.
With the dagger against his throat, he understood one thing clearly—she was in charge.
However, how did things get to this point?
One had to start from the beginning.
Kael felt he might have died.
No.
He had definitely died.
Even now, the memory was vivid: his parachute failing to open mid-air and his inevitable plummet to death.
There had been a brief, sharp burst of pain, and then—nothing.
The next moment, he found himself here.
It didn't take long for Kael to piece things together.
He had transmigrated.
To someone who had just died, the idea of getting another chance at life might seem like a blessing. But Kael's situation was far from ideal.
For one, he had appeared in the bedroom of a woman who, for reasons beyond him, seemed to possess the strength of ten men.
Worse, she was wearing nothing but peculiar undergarments that barely covered her.
Yet Kael suspected her hostility wasn't solely due to his untimely arrival while she was dressing.
No, the real issue was his appearance.
Kael…
Kael was completely butt naked.
"Would you believe me if I said I died in another world and appeared here?"
Kael was almost certain he wasn't on Earth—or at least not the Earth he knew.
For one, the woman's strength didn't make sense.
Then there was the room's design.
While luxurious, its style was far from modern, more reminiscent of an ancient era.
The woman's frown deepened at his words, her anger evident in her sharp response.
"Do you take me for a fool?"
"N-no, it's not like that," Kael stammered, a cold shiver running down his spine.
He felt the weight of her anger, and for a moment, the shadow of death loomed over him.
Then it vanished.
The woman released her grip and turned away, hurling her dagger across the room.
It embedded itself into the wall with a resounding thud.
Kael let out a shaky breath, relieved but too scared to show it. He watched her cautiously, only to be met with a glare.
"Do not let your eyes stray where they shouldn't, or you will regret it."
Kael's head snapped down immediately.
Even without her weapon, the strength she'd displayed earlier left no doubt that her threat was genuine.
"Do you believe me?" Kael asked hesitantly, his voice trembling.
He knew he was treading on thin ice, but he had to know his fate.
"Believe you?" she said, her tone sharp but controlled. "I would be a fool to take such a tale at face value. You claim to have perished in another world and yet appeared here, of all places? Preposterous." She paused, her gaze narrowing.
"One thing I can say with certainty though—" her voice softened, though no less cold—"you harbor no ill intent toward me."
Kael blinked, startled.
His curiosity got the better of him, and he glanced up, momentarily forgetting her warning.
He froze as her violet eyes glimmered faintly with a grey light before the glow vanished.
Combined with her purple hair, the sight only reinforced his conviction: this was not Earth.
"Look at me again without permission, and I will end you."
Kael immediately lowered his head, his heart pounding.
The room fell silent, the tension almost unbearable.
Finally, she spoke again.
"I do not know from whence you came or how you arrived, but whatever sorcery brought you here, you would do well to use it and leave—if you value your life."
Kael's chest tightened, but he remained silent, letting her words settle over him.
"Can you not leave on your own—"
Her words were interrupted as the door burst open.
"Princess Mira, we've gathered evidence that—"
The voice cut off abruptly.
Kael's heart sank as the woman—Princess Mira—whirled around, her expression darkening.
"Leave my chambers at once!" she commanded, her voice regal and fierce.
Kael then witnessed something that left him utterly stunned.
Violent gusts of wind erupted around the purple-haired woman, surging toward the men in shining armor.
The force slammed into them, sending their bodies flying like leaves caught in a raging storm.
Kael had only one thought.
Shit! This is definitely not Earth!
The door slammed shut behind the guards from the violent wind before leaving the room in heavy silence.
Kael stood frozen, his legs trembling.
His mind raced, torn between the terrifying realization that this world was utterly foreign and the fact that the woman before him could kill him in an instant.
Princess Mira turned to face him, her expression cold and impassive.
Without a word, she picked up a silken robe draped over her bed and slipped it on, covering herself with effortless grace.
Only then did she speak.
"You may raise your head."
Kael obeyed, keeping his movements slow and deliberate.
His gaze flicked briefly to her face before focusing on the floor again.
Her violet eyes held a sharp, unnatural glimmer, and her regal posture exuded an air of authority he dared not challenge.
Her lips curled in a faint sneer.
"It's bad enough you intruded here, but must you do so without a shred of dignity?"
Kael blinked in confusion until she gestured toward his exposed form.
His face burned with humiliation.
"Take this," she said disdainfully, tossing a blanket in his direction.
"Cover yourself before I lose the last shred of tolerance I have for you."
Kael hastily wrapped the blanket around his body, grateful to hide his shame.
"Thank you," he muttered, his voice barely audible.
Mira crossed her arms, her gaze piercing.
"Now, speak. Who are you, and why are you here?"
Kael swallowed hard.
"My name is Kael, and I—" He hesitated, unsure how to explain. "I don't know how I got here. One moment I was falling... and then I woke up here."
Her eyes narrowed. "Falling? From where?"
"Earth," he said quietly.
She tilted her head, her expression unreadable. "Earth? What is that?"
Kael spoke cautiously. "It's a world far from here, with no supernatural powers. Just... ordinary people."
Mira's lips curled into a faint smirk.
"No magic? No wonder you're so pitifully weak."
Kael winced but said nothing. Her disdain was palpable, but he knew better than to argue.
"You expect me to believe this ridiculous tale?" she asked, her tone sharp.
Kael opened his mouth to defend himself, but Mira cut him off.
"Spare me your excuses," she said, her voice low and calm. "I already know you're not lying."
Kael's eyes widened in surprise. "You… do?"
She nodded, her gaze unwavering. "I can see it. That white light clings to you like a shadow."
Kael was not sure but he felt he heard a hint of confusion in her voice just now.
Kael stared at her, puzzled. What did she mean by see?
Mira studied him for a moment longer before turning away.
"Regardless, your presence here is an affront. You are fortunate I do not strike you down where you stand."
Kael lowered his head, his heart pounding. "I mean no harm, Princess. I swear."
"Swearing means little to me," she replied coldly. "But I see no malice from you... only fear and confusion."
There was a knock at the door, and a voice called from the other side.
"Princess Mira, the council requests your presence."
Mira sighed, her irritation evident. "Inform them I will come shortly."
The voice murmured an acknowledgment, and the footsteps retreated.
Mira turned back to Kael.
"You will remain here until I return. Touch nothing, speak to no one, and pray I find a reason to let you live."
Without waiting for a response, she swept out of the room, her robes billowing behind her.
Kael sank to the floor, his heart still racing. He clutched the blanket tightly around himself, his mind spinning.
What did she mean by seeing the truth?
And more importantly…
"What is going to happen to me now?"