After what felt like an eternity, the barren desert finally gave way to an unexpected paradise—lush greenery, vibrant flowers, and ripe fruits surrounded us. The stark contrast from the endless desert was jarring. As the warriors quickly set up camp, scavenging for food and water, I silently slipped away to find some peace.
Exhausted, I collapsed under a large tree by a glistening lake. When I caught my reflection in the water, I barely recognized myself. Is this really what I look like as a warrior? I didn't know if I was brave or just a fool to have made it this far and become part of this war.
For a brief moment, I allowed myself to enjoy the calm, though the absurdity of it all quickly snapped me back.
"I was so unlucky," I muttered, my mind drifting to the Isekai stories I used to binge. In those tales, the protagonists had better luck—they landed in worlds where they were powerful or privileged.
Meanwhile, here I was, just a normal woman, stuck in my own body, surrounded by people I had to outsmart just to survive. "What do I have? A headache and a bunch of new muscles!"
My gaze flickered toward the prince retreating into the camp. My nerves were still frayed from our brief encounter. His gaze had been heavy, leaving an unsettling weight that lingered like a bruise.
Just as I tried to shake off the tension, something unexpectedly passed in front of me, momentarily blocking my view of the prince's retreating shadow.
Two... plump buns appeared right in my line of sight.
Before I could process what I was seeing, I heard a loud splash. My jaw dropped. Leon had appeared out of nowhere, already halfway through stripping down, tossing his clothes carelessly onto the shore in front of me. My brain short-circuited trying to keep up with the shape I really, really didn't mean to see.
My face turned red as I jerked my head away, only to catch Leon now happily splashing in the lake, looking as carefree as a child, completely oblivious to the damage he'd done to my innocence.
I froze where I sat, my wide eyes glued to the scene, still in shock. To my utter horror, more historians and warriors began casually undressing and jumping into the water one after another.
They didn't even glance my way, completely unfazed by the sudden and unapologetic showcase of bare bodies I absolutely never asked for.
"Oh gods, why am I seeing this? My eyes…!" My inner scream echoed as I slammed my eyes shut—too late. The damage was done. The image was already burned into my memory: muscles, butts, and way too much… anatomy.
Leon's cheerful voice broke through my mental agony. "Tuk! Come in! The water's great!"
My stomach dropped. That idiot! I screamed internally, trying desperately to keep a straight face as warriors in the lake waved at me like they were auditioning for some kind of shampoo commercial.
They gleamed under the sun, their muscles and sun-kissed skin radiating as if they belonged on the cover of a fitness magazine. But of course, my brain decided to zoom in on the other details—the unflattering, unholy details. No, self, don't look down.
"I'm fine!" I shouted back, pasting on the most forced smile of my life. "I'll wash up later. I just need some rest!"
With trembling legs and the dignity of a crawling crab, I attempted to retreat. The water was too clear. Damn it, I saw things. A horrifying display of… variously shaped, long, thick mushrooms. Burned into my brain forever.
Just as I thought I had escaped, I froze. A pair of boots blocked my path. Slowly, like a condemned soul looking up at their executioner, I raised my eyes. My heart lurched in terror before relief crashed over me.
It was the prince.
"What are you doing?"
My heart nearly jumped out of my chest. Oh, thank the gods, he's still wearing clothes!
His voice was cold and measured, with just a hint of confusion—probably because he caught me crawling on the ground. But I couldn't help it, my legs had gone completely numb from sitting too long.
"I… I was just…" I stammered, my brain scrambling for an excuse. Any excuse. "...admiring the grass?" I blurted out, grabbing a handful of it for emphasis, as if that would somehow make my ridiculous answer more believable.
His sharp gaze bore into me, unamused. "Admiring… the grass," he repeated flatly, as though he couldn't decide if I was insane or just hopeless.
"Yes! Grass!" I said, doubling down, clutching it like my last lifeline. "It's so… uh… green?"
I paused, realizing how silly I sounded, but it was too late now. Inside, I cringed so hard I felt like crawling into a hole. Why did I say that?
"What about you, Your Highness? What brings you here?" I asked, trying to act calm, even though I wanted to disappear.
The prince's expression shifted into something even colder, his voice dripping with arrogance as he replied, "I don't need to report my movements to you."
"Right? Of course, Your Highness," I squeaked, my forced smile threatening to split my face. But inside, I was cursing him with every insult I could think of. Arrogant royal peacock.
"Please, go ahead," I added hastily, waving my hand as if granting him permission.
He gave me one last look, the kind that screamed pathetic, before turning and striding away with his usual regal flair.
As soon as he was out of sight, I let out a shaky breath and stabbed the grass in frustration. Why, oh why, am I like this?!
This all started because of those damn scrolls in the Homonhon Empire. Why were they so important to the prince? He was already in power, so why make everyone miserable over some ancient words? From what I could piece together, the scrolls supposedly told a story of dragons and power. But it's not like that power was literally hiding in someone's heart, right?
What was his obsession with this? I'd get it if the scrolls could send me back home—but no. They were just some cryptic, rhyming story about dragons, like one of those crappy fairy tales. At least from what I understood.
I shook my head. I didn't have time to waste on these thoughts. Hiding my identity was getting harder by the day, and to make things worse, I couldn't even bathe with all these naked men around. I'd have to wait until they fell asleep and hope the water wasn't ice-cold by then.