Warmth pressed gently against the back of my head. It felt like I was resting on someone's lap. My eyes flickered open—and the first thing I saw was a goddess. A literal goddess of beauty staring down at me. My heart almost stopped.
This woman… I might actually fall in love with her.
Princess or not, nobody or not… my heart didn't care. And if this really was my isekai debut, then I had already decided: she's the one who will become my queen—especially now that I knew I was some kind of lord.
But reality hit me.
I was sleeping on her lap.
Like a child.
I instantly felt embarrassed, sat up, and thanked her for letting me rest. She stood up too, eyes lowered, quietly thanking me for saving her. Her face was still tight with worry.
I looked around, taking in every detail. The dream… the "trials"… my "desires"… all of it was still a mystery. But right now, this wasn't the moment to think about that.
The soldiers were dead.
The enemies were slaughtered.
And my own spectral soldiers kneeled before me—silent, invisible to everyone but me. I feared the truth would come out.
"Dismiss."
They vanished instantly, leaving behind nothing but bodies.
The people were terrified.
Tsukiko was silent.
She finally spoke, her voice steady:
"Let's return to the castle. We need to report this… and calm the citizens."
And she did exactly that.
She told the people she would get to the bottom of the attack, and they relaxed, assuming she had destroyed the enemies with her own powers. Praise filled the air as we left for the castle together.
The hooting winds and rolling clouds outside echoed through the palace halls. We were brought straight to the king—Tenno Minato—along with his adviser Otsutsuki Yamato, the commander of the entire kingdom's army Metthar Malley, and the queen, Tenno Orihime.
The moment the queen saw her daughter, she rushed forward and embraced her, trembling with relief.
Then—
clap clap.
The king signaled for silence.
His fury was clear. He demanded answers. Tsukiko explained everything, and when he asked who I was, she calmly replied:
"He is my friend. A traveler who arrived yesterday. He's staying under my command, and he was with me during the attack."
No one questioned her.
She was the princess.
The king then turned to me.
"Are you unharmed, child?"
I was already tense, but before I could speak, Tsukiko added that I had fought alongside the guards to protect her. She kept talking until the hall grew silent again.
Then the king stood.
The entire room froze.
He bowed—just slightly—toward me.
"Thank you for saving my daughter."
I didn't even know what was going on anymore. But I forced myself to act cool, heroic even.
"It's my duty to protect anyone in need. And since she is the princess of this kingdom, I would gladly risk my life for her."
The hall erupted in applause.
Even I was shocked.
The king spoke again:
"You may stay here as long as you wish. Not only by my daughter's command—but by mine."
But something felt wrong.
His words were grateful, but his eyes…
His eyes said something else entirely.
I ignored it—for now.
Since I was an outsider, they didn't want me involved in further kingdom discussions. I understood and returned to my room.
There, everything hit me at once.
I appeared in this world.
Met a princess.
Got attacked by two weirdos.
Found out she trusts me.
Met the demon sword.
Discovered I'm a lord with a massive army.
Went for a walk.
A second attack.
And that dream… the trial… the "desires."
One thing bothered me more than anything:
What exactly was that trial?
I called out:
"Come forth."
My right-hand man appeared instantly, kneeling.
"Yes, sire. What do you wish to know?"
I asked him about the trials.
He replied calmly, as if explaining something obvious:
"The trials help you overcome your weaknesses and grow stronger. Since you were reborn here with the body from your previous world, these tests shape you into who you must become."
Then he added something that gave me chills:
"We know where you were because we live inside your heart. Your emotions reveal everything we need to know."
Creepy.
Really creepy.
"Are you spying on my memories or something? What is wrong with you guys?"
He bowed deeply.
"We only needed to know who you were. I apologize. It will never happen again. I swear on my loyalty."
Now wasn't the time to argue.
I dismissed him and lay down to rest.
An hour later—
No knock.
Nothing.
The door opened.
The princess walked in, locked it behind her, and came straight to me with a confused, troubled expression.
"What happened?" I asked. "Is it about the attack?"
She nodded.
Then looked me dead in the eyes.
"Aren't you hiding something from me?"
"You refused to answer during our walk."
My heart froze.
I stayed silent.
Then she asked the question I feared the most:
"Who were those soldiers?
And what was that black aura around you?"
She stepped closer.
"Who are you?"
My entire face went pale.
I had no idea what to say.
To be continued…