Chapter 3

#003 Human Crash Landing (3)

After spending the whole morning organizing my notebook, I took the opportunity of having some alone time to engage in some additional pointless activities.

"......Status window."

Naturally, there was no translucent window appearing before my eyes or any text visible.

I wondered if I had become a protagonist in a body-swap novel, but reality was not just cold, it was freezing.

Feeling embarrassed by my excessive self-awareness, my cheeks and the corners of my eyes turned hot.

I should go get some lunch.

*

"Your Highness, I have brought some books that you might find interesting. Also, His Majesty has granted you permission to take a walk in the garden whenever you like."

"Thank you, that's great."

After following the same route for lunch as I did in the morning, the young page who had delivered my bag in the morning came with a few books and some good news.

Benzamen and the other pages had already left, so I thought this boy would leave soon too, but he started to look at me nervously.

"Do you have something to say?"

"A, well......"

The boy's face turned red, and he seemed at a loss.

He must be about fourteen, with sky-blue hair that glowed and large golden eyes that were quite striking.

"Um, my name is Ganael Karamar. I am the eldest son of the Karamar Viscount family."

"My name is Yeseo Penethian."

Indeed, it's a strange name.

Not wanting to just listen to his introduction, I told him my name, and the boy seemed to relax a bit and smiled brightly.

Ganael, with a flushed face, quickly continued.

"There is no one in the empire who does not know Your Highness's name. Everyone is curious about you, though they may not show it...... Because there are many devout people, and the arrival of a royal priest from the Holy Kingdom is a historic event."

Wow, a huge amount of information just passed by.

I forced myself to keep a calm face, trying to close my mouth which wanted to open wide.

If I could, I would have taken out my notebook and written down everything Ganael said.

Devout people, royal priest, historic event.

Then, Ganael expressed his regret at meeting me in such a way but also his joy at being able to serve me closely, calling it an honor for the Karamar family.

Although it's a pity that I came as a hostage, he seemed to really enjoy actually meeting me.

I was amazed at how this chatty boy managed to maintain his composure in the morning.

"How old are you, Ganael?"

"I turned sixteen last February. I am twelve years younger than you. I had a small coming-of-age ceremony because I was preparing to enter the palace......"

The boy smiled shyly and chattered.

If he is sixteen, that would be seventeen in Korean age.

He looks much younger than that......

No, wait. If I am twelve years older than him, that means I am twenty-eight.

I am twenty-eight in Korean age, so Yeseo Penethian and I are the same age.

This is new information.

"You must be working hard in the palace at such a young age."

"Hehe, no, not at all. In fact, I requested to enter the palace when I heard that Your Highness was coming. My father, the viscount, did not object. He even praised it as a step to uphold the family's legacy."

Talking with Ganael, I quickly accumulated new knowledge.

Of course, it was all fragmented, but for someone who had never read the original novel "I Quit My Job and Became a Noble of Another World," each piece was precious background and setting.

Ganael asked, "I apologize for speaking out of turn, but please speak more casually to me."

Seeing that he wanted to get closer, I agreed, and the boy was overjoyed.

"So, if it's not too much trouble...... Could you hear my confession?"

"Huh?"

I was so surprised that my voice wavered. I didn't know how the conversation had jumped to this point.

Ganael, even more flustered by my reaction, waved his hands frantically.

"Ah, in a simplified form! Since you must still be recovering, we can do it tomorrow, the day after, or even next week. Whenever you are comfortable......"

Thinking he had put me in an awkward position, the boy quickly looked dejected.

But I was the one who felt like dying.

He wants me to hear his confession?

I remembered that Ganael had called me a royal priest earlier.

Was the male lead in "I Quit My Job and Became a Noble of Another World" a priest? Had Eunseo mentioned this before?

"Um, I'll try to find some time soon."

I had heard something like, "Our Yeseo is not only holy in appearance but also in profession."

I answered in the typical Korean way of saying, "Let's have a meal sometime," and Ganael immediately smiled.

I needed to be cautious.

Before I could act rashly, I needed to understand what a priest does and what kind of god these people worship.

*

After Ganael left, I sat at the table and examined the books he had brought.

*Biweekly Liester - Everything about the Imperial Social Scene*

*History of the Liester Empire: Focusing on Exchanges with the Holy Kingdom of Penethian*

*What the Chief God Has Given Me*

A thin magazine, a history book, and a book that seemed to be an essay.

Did they intentionally use rhymes in the titles?

At least I now knew the name of the empire was "Liester."

All three books seemed like they could be helpful in various ways, and they were quite different, so it would be fun to choose which one to read.

Ganael, who seemed smart, also had good judgment.

After all, to serve as a page in the palace, one must develop good judgment even if they don't have it.

I picked up the magazine first.

At the top of the cover, small text read, "Year 1613, March 15th issue."

Below that, in large text, it said, "The Holy Kingdom's Troublemaker Enters the Empire."

Is this about me?

*In two days, Prince Yeseo Penethian, known as the most beautiful man in the Holy Kingdom, will enter the empire. Although he is a hostage, he will officially enter the palace as a 'confessor priest' sent by the Holy Kingdom, according to a royal source. What impact will he have on the Liester social scene, given his reputation for numerous scandals in the Holy Kingdom? Sir Sara Belliard, an expert on the Holy Kingdom, analyzes the atmosphere of the Holy Kingdom's royal family, shrouded in mystery for 30 years of severed ties, and the character of Prince Yeseo.*

......There's so much to learn. I have a mountain of things to study.

That was my first thought when I opened the magazine.

In other novels, the main characters often gain incredible luck and abilities from the start.

But I, who haven't done rote memorization and repetitive learning since my college entrance exams, will have to dedicate myself to it.

"No, that's not right."

I lightly slapped my cheek.

That's the case for the "main character," but I am just one of the male characters who can be omitted from the main character's life.

Recalling what happened when I muttered "status window" to myself in the morning:

Nothing happened.

I calmly took out my notebook with one hand and a quill pen with the other.

My goal is survival and return, not saving or conquering this world.

*

And indeed, I continued to stay in my room and study.

Periodically, I would feel a sense of despair at being in this world, but I overcame it with the determination to return home and eat a plate of kimchi fried rice with my family.

The pages who occasionally came to bring me snacks and herbal tea looked at me with sparkling eyes.

Ganael must have spread some stories about me.

When the pages met my eyes or I smiled awkwardly, their faces would turn red, and they would quickly leave the room.

"Oh, my back."

I thought the prince's body would be different, but sitting in the same position for a long time made my muscles ache just like my original body.

I slowly got up and walked to the window.

I planned to stretch and get some vitamin D at the same time.

"Huh?"

But there was someone outside the window.

Through the clear glass, I could see several figures moving on the other side of the building.

My room is at the end of the corridor, on the eastern side of the Juliette Palace, and they were on the western side, making it difficult to see their faces clearly.

There seemed to be about five or six people, and two of them were practicing with weapons in hand.

It seemed that the back of the Juliette Palace was used as a training ground.

Clang, clang, the sound of swords clashing could be heard.

*Clang!*

The sharp sound made me flinch involuntarily. It seemed a sword had broken during the practice.

The one who had split the other's sword in two held his sword in his left hand and clenched and unclenched his right hand.

Then he slowly raised his head.

Our eyes met.

"Ah!"

I quickly drew the curtains and stepped back from the window.

It felt like I had to do it instinctively.

If I looked again, I felt he would still be looking at me.

Was it just my imagination that our eyes met? But...... His gaze was so intense.

Even from a distance, it was clear that he was looking at me and not at anything else.

"Your Highness?"

"A, you scared me!"

I jumped up from my seat.

My heart, startled twice in a row, was pounding wildly.

"I'm sorry. I knocked several times, but there was no response, so I was worried and came in."

"......No, it's okay."

Benzamen seemed quite surprised by my reaction.

I felt a bit embarrassed and cleared my throat.

"I, I was just looking outside. I didn't know there was a training ground."

"Is that so? The rear of the Juliette Palace is a private outdoor training ground for the royal family. The prince often practices at this time."

The prince? Is it someone other than the crown prince that Eunseo always complains about?

So, one of the people outside is the prince?

Reading the curiosity in my eyes, Benzamen continued matter-of-factly.

"Yes, the person outside is Prince Cedric Liester. He is the first prince of the empire and the only royal heir, a person who will shine like the sun. The Romero Palace, located in front of the Juliette Palace, is his residence......"

Cedric Liester. The first prince of the empire, the only royal heir, "a person who will shine like the sun."

So, he will soon become the crown prince.

The main male lead in "I Quit My Job and Became a Noble of Another World" had the nickname "Seregi."

He had this nickname because the first letter of his name was "Se." Seregi, Cedric. The puzzle pieces in my mind quickly fell into place.

Then, could it be that the person I just made eye contact with......

"Prince Cedric is also the overseer of the Juliette Palace. This is because the royal family, who have traditionally resided in the Romero Palace, have overseen the Juliette Palace as well. If you wish, I can arrange a meeting with His Highness."

"No, that's fine."

I quickly declined. Benzamen seemed to become more talkative when the topic turned to the prince.

I had resolved this morning not to get involved with the crown prince, or rather, the prince.

Of course, it would be hard to avoid him completely since we are neighbors, but I wanted to avoid meeting and talking to him on the first day if possible.

"I want to continue living quietly, as I have been today."

"......"

Benzamen looked surprised at my words.

Given that I have the title of "troublemaker of the Holy Kingdom," his reaction was understandable.

"I know my situation. I just want to read books and chat with the pages. I hope I won't have to meet many important people."

"Your Highness, if you feel there is anything lacking in our service or the facilities of the Juliette Palace......"

"No, that's not it."

Before Benzamen could misunderstand, I cut him off.

"I just want to return home safely. Preferably with all my limbs intact."

Then I smiled. It was genuine.