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Once again, the sun rudely lit up Arcane's face. She scrunched up her forehead, ready to hurl a few choice words at the sun itself, but as she fully woke up, she realized that the surface under her wasn't the plush palace mattress. Nope, it felt more like lying on rough ground. Blinking her eyes open, she found herself surrounded by a forest. The sunbeams that had greeted her earlier were now streaming through the thick tree canopy.
"What in the world is even happening?" Arcane blurted out in surprise. Seriously, she'd gone from her cozy palace bedroom to some kind of forest wilderness. A weird sense of déjà vu tingled in her brain. "Did I sleepwalk or something? Last I checked, I was snug in my bed." She contemplated the situation for a moment, her mind doing a quick detour into kidnapping theories. Then her inner self-deprecation shut that down with a loud "Nah, no one's interested in kidnapping little old me."
With no Google Maps to guide her, Arcane set off in a random direction, walking like she knew where she was headed. She trekked for a while, her legs now having a serious debate with her about this unexpected workout. But the forest just seemed to stretch on forever, with no signs of civilization or anything even remotely human.
"My feet are totally ready to disown me at this point. How did I end up in this bizarre mess?" Arcane muttered to herself, giving her dainty feet a resentful look. "Should've asked for a more athletic body, seriously. Maybe then walking wouldn't be such a disaster." She took a seat beside a tree, kneading her sore legs in an attempt to revive them.
Then, out of nowhere, a rustling sound danced from a nearby bush, catching Arcane's attention. Squinting her eyes like some nature detective, she tried to pinpoint the source. And there it was, a white tail moving like it had its own rhythm. "Wait, is that a cat?" Arcane's excitement pulsed through her words as she couldn't resist the urge to investigate.
Creeping closer, she cautiously poked at the swaying tail, causing it to stop dead in its tracks. ‘Grr…’ A low, ominous growl echoed from within the bush. Arcane's brain immediately shifted gears into full-on panic mode, and she backtracked faster than an Olympic sprinter.
"Why did I have to touch its tail?!" Arcane berated herself as she fled. The "leopard-cat-thing" was hot on her heels, and panic turbocharged her speed. But then, she spotted a wooden door in the distance. It looked like an entrance into a mountain or something. Arcane's survival instincts kicked in, and she barged through the door, slamming it shut with all the strength she could muster.
Falling to her knees next to the door, Arcane gasped for air like she'd just finished a marathon. "Haah...haah...haah!" Breathing felt like an Olympic event, with her heart providing the drumbeat.
When she finally managed to get her breath under control, Arcane took stock of her surroundings. What had looked like an ordinary door led into a totally unexpected scene inside the mountain. It was practically a botanical garden in here, complete with shelves of bottles filled with brightly colored liquids. The curious kid in her wanted to touch everything, but her inner "don't break stuff" voice held her back.
As she leaned against the door, hoping the jungle pursuit was over, she realized the house was empty. It seemed like the danger had taken a hike. But then, a knock on the door snapped her out of her thoughts. "Gasp!" Arcane jumped back, alarmed. "Wait, does a leopard even knock? Seriously, get a grip, girl."
With a mix of curiosity and caution, she opened the door, revealing a stunning girl on the other side. Flowing green hair and lemony eyes that could probably brighten a room. She was holding a basket and beaming, though her expression quickly soured when it met Arcane's gaze.
"So you're the girl he's seeing nowadays?!" The girl's voice dripped with venom, every word soaked in hatred. "I see nothing special about you. Why would he even like an old hag like you? Ugly eyes and black, filthy hair—disgusting!"
At first, Arcane brushed off the insults, but as the barrage of insults continued, anger bubbled up within her.
"Pfft! Seriously? You're throwing stones from a glass house? Your hair looks like it's having a bad day and those lemon eyes—yikes! And your face? It's like Picasso and a nightmare had a baby. No wonder he compared you to chewed-up bubble gum."
"Chewed-up bubble gum? Did he really say that? Is that like a bad thing?" The girl seemed particularly stung by Arcane's comeback, but since there was no bubble gum in this world, Arcane didn't bother elaborating.
"Yeah, that's exactly what he said!" Arcane felt a satisfying thrill as she stood up for herself. The girl's eyes blazed red, tears pooling as she hurled the basket she'd been holding onto the doorstep before fleeing.
With a pang of guilt, Arcane picked up the abandoned basket. "Looks like the critter's gone," she muttered. She didn't know whose home this was, but she had a sneaking suspicion she'd just derailed their relationship. "Guess I should write an apology note. Sigh."
Arcane mused aloud as she gingerly placed the food basket on a nearby table. A sudden, chilling voice from behind made her jump.
"How did you manage to open the door? And what's your purpose here? Speak up," the voice demanded.
Turning to face the speaker, Arcane stammered, "I'm so sorry, Sir. It's not what you think. The door was open when I arrived."
As her gaze met his, Arcane was taken aback by his stunning appearance. His eyes were the color of lavender fields, and his tousled silver hair seemed to echo the moon's glow. Strong, broad shoulders exuded confidence and power.
As realization dawned, Arcane recalled the words from the novel. This was Symon Kizashi, the charismatic male lead who had captured the protagonist's heart. He was undeniably gorgeous, but Arcane couldn't let herself swoon—not when he was partly responsible for her predicament.
"I'm waiting for an explanation," Symon's voice cut through the tension, cold and unforgiving.
"It's just... I was being chased by some wild creature, and this was the only refuge I found. I didn't mean any harm," Arcane explained, her eyes downcast. "I promise I haven't touched anything and had no intention to."
"So, what you're saying is you accidentally ended up in my house, accidentally brought me a basket of food, and it's all a coincidence with no ulterior motive?" Symon's skepticism was evident as he eyed the basket Arcane had placed on the table.
"Honorable Sir, you might think I'm lying, but it really was just a coincidence. However, I do have a request," Arcane's voice quivered with nerves.
Symon let out a sardonic laugh and closed the distance between them, his intense gaze locking onto hers. "Let's hear what the miss who accidentally stumbled into my house wants from me," he challenged.
Summoning her courage, Arcane took a deep breath and met his gaze head-on. "I need your help to find my way back to my own world," she declared, her voice unwavering.
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