Chapter 1

Where am I?

Fiona woke up and gazed blankly upward. The bluish-gray ceiling above her was not the one in her own room. Her head felt clear, a refreshing change from the constant heaviness she had experienced due to lack of sleep. She had finally had a good night's rest.

She sat up with a groan, and the sound of metal clinking caught her attention. Looking at her wrists, she understood the source of the noise. The silver manacles on her wrists were engraved with black patterns. Though she lacked the knowledge to understand the specific effects of the runes, she assumed they were meant to seal her powers.

She tried to produce a flame from her fingertips, but even a small spark wouldn't form. The manacles must indeed be enchanted to suppress her magic.

The manacles were attached to chains that extended to the foot of the bed. The chains were long enough to allow her to move freely from one end of the room to the other. Peering down, she saw that the chains were securely wrapped around the bedpost and locked in place. They didn't seem easy to remove.

She was dressed in loose black pants and a white short-sleeved tunic, and her hair was still loosely braided. She wondered about her current situation. She was clearly a prisoner, but the room was surprisingly luxurious.

The large bed had a thick, soft mattress and comfortable sheets and blankets. Several decorative cushions were placed on the bed. The furniture, including shelves, chests, and a table, looked expensive. A plush sofa had a cute teddy bear sitting on it. A stained-glass vase by the window held a colorful bouquet of flowers, filling the room with a faint, sweet fragrance.

The room was far too nice for a prisoner, and she couldn't help but wonder why she was here. Perhaps the prison cells were full? In her experience, prisoners were usually left on cold, hard floors. Her own prince would certainly have done that.

"Why is this happening...?"

She couldn't figure out her situation. She had hoped for a peaceful end, but that hadn't come to pass. As she sat there in a daze, the door to the room opened.

A man with golden hair entered, dressed casually in black pants and a gray shirt, with a blue-sheathed sword at his waist. He stopped abruptly when he saw her.

"Sorry, I didn't expect you to be awake, so I didn't knock."

It was the first time she had heard his voice, which was deep and smooth, more pleasant than she had imagined. She responded in her usual slow, calm manner, which was quite different from her cool and composed appearance.

"It's okay, don't worry about it. I don't think you need to be so polite to an enemy."

Fiona's relaxed tone was so unusual that the man was momentarily taken aback.

"Alright, that's good to hear. I apologize for the inconvenience, but I had no choice but to chain you. I didn't want to, but it's necessary for now. I'm sorry."

Fiona found it odd that he was being so considerate to a prisoner and chuckled.

"What's so funny? Did I say something amusing?"

"Yes, because you're being so polite when you could treat me much more roughly."

It was a strange and ticklish feeling, one she had never experienced before. In her own country, she had never been treated with such care. The prince saw women as nothing more than objects to satisfy his desires. She had barely avoided his advances, but her life had been miserable because of him.

—Here, I'm being treated well for now, but I'll probably be executed eventually. I hope it won't hurt. I hate that prince. He's a monster. I despise him.

As she silently cursed the prince, she suddenly realized that the pain from the curse mark on her abdomen wasn't coming. She lifted her shirt to check and found the black rose-like mark was gone.

"What...?"

The man, startled by her sudden exposure, quickly looked away. Ignoring his reaction, she examined her abdomen and spoke calmly.

"Hey, do you know about this curse mark? It looked like a black rose."

The man answered without looking at her.

"Yes, our curse breaker removed it. I didn't know what it did, but it didn't seem to be good for you."

"Really?"

The constraint that had bound her mind and body was gone. It had been a curse from the prince she despised, and a wave of joy washed over her.

"Thank you, Blue Sword of the Artifact."

She smiled warmly and thanked him sincerely. She was overjoyed, even though she thought the people of this country were too kind.

"Don't mention it. By the way, what's your name? I'm Matthias."

"I'm Fiona. Nice to meet you, Matthias."

"Fiona... Fiona. It's a nice name."

Matthias's expression softened slightly. Fiona was surprised by his gentle look, which was so different from his usual stern face.

"What's with that face?"

"Well, I just realized you can smile."

"That's rude of you."

"I'm sorry, but I've only ever seen your serious face."

Matthias frowned and pinched his cheek.

—A scary face? I know I'm not very expressive, but to be considered scary is disappointing. But this girl isn't one to talk.

"You're one to talk..."

He was about to say that she always had a cool, expressionless face, but the door opened with a creak.

"Hey, you're awake? Sorry for barging in."

A man with red hair and a white robe entered the room, his long hair tied back. He smiled brightly.

"Are you feeling better, Golden Mage?"

"Yep, I slept a lot. Thanks."

Fiona spoke in her usual slow, calm tone, and the man's brown eyes widened in surprise.

"Huh? That's odd. I thought you'd either look at me like I'm a bug or give me a cold smile and ignore me. This is a surprise. I'm Luke, by the way."

"Nice to meet you, Luke. I'm Fiona."

She ignored his earlier comments and greeted him calmly. Luke, looking puzzled, ran to Matthias and put his arm around his shoulder, whispering to him.

"Matthias, what's up with her? She's nothing like I imagined. The cool and stylish image is gone. She's all soft and cute. I'm kind of swooning. What do I do with these feelings?"

He whispered rapidly into Matthias's ear.

"Same here, but you should let it go."

"Aww, that's harsh."

"Shut up."

The two continued to whisper, and Fiona watched them enviously, wishing she had a friend. She had no one to call a friend, and she wished she had at least one before she died. She silently cursed the prince who had caused her so much pain.