Chapter 5 – The place I arrived after being kidnapped is paradise.

The next day. Morning has dawned.

I woke up to the sound of the clock tower, just like any other day, but I didn’t get out of bed and lazed around for quite some time.

“Ah, I love holidays. Absolutely the best.”

Today is a public holiday, just like the Sundays from my past life when everyone gets to rest.

I heard it was decreed by the Empress several generations ago. He said that everyone should rest for at least one day out of the seven.

For the servants, it’s a bit tricky to take a holiday exactly, so the maids and attendants in the imperial palace work in rotations.

But today, I’m off.

I planned to wake up late, have brunch, and spend the day idly reading the book I bought a few days ago when I went out.

But my friends who work at the Rose Palace barged into my room.

“Erica, let’s hang out!”

“Oh, Madeline, Camilla! Come on in. Sorry, my room is a bit messy…”

I quickly shoved the clothes scattered on the sofa into a corner and had Madeline and Camilla sit down.

Now that I think about it, Charlotte wasn’t here. She always hung out with us.

“Didn’t Charlotte come?”

Madeline answered.

“Charlotte is on duty today.”

Camilla explained in a quiet voice.

“So we were going to have tea time by ourselves, but we thought it would be nice if you joined us too.”

“We can’t drink any tea other than yours because it’s too good. Come on, make us some tea.”

So that was their real intention!

“Oh, seriously. It’s my day off, and you’re making me do this?”

Then Madeline said.

“There are shortcakes in the Rose Palace lounge.”

“Oh, I’ll get ready right away. Wait here for a moment.”

I headed to the tea storage room in the Crown Prince’s palace to get the tea leaves for my friends.

This is definitely not embezzlement. I just want my friends to taste-test the new blueberry-flavored black tea before presenting it to the Crown Prince.

I selected a couple of tea leaves that were similar to Assam and Ceylon from the pantry and picked a few herbs to blend with them. I also got a bunch of dried blueberries from the large kitchen downstairs.

Then we all moved to the Rose Palace and sat in the servants’ lounge, chatting.

Madeline said,

“I heard something happen at the Crown Prince’s palace the day before yesterday? There was a loud bang that echoed all the way to the Rose Palace. You must have been surprised, Erica.”

Camilla chimed in,

“I heard from Duke Oscar that Her Majesty accidentally broke part of the palace while sparring with the Crown Prince.”

“Oh, I see…”

So that’s what happened. There must have been a few witnesses.

Madeline asked Camilla,

“Didn’t the Empress’ palace training ground get destroyed recently too, and it’s still under repair?”

“Yes. With both the Empress’ palace and the Crown Prince’s palace in that state, maybe the Rose Palace is next.”

“If Her Majesty spars in the Rose Palace, I have to go watch! Erica, want to join?”

“No, I’ll pass.”

It sounded plausible since Her Majesty breaking things wasn’t a one-time event.

Time flew by as we chatted, ate shortcakes, and played card games.

“Erica! No cheating!”

“It’s just for fun; why are you so serious?”

“Show your sleeves, come on!”

“Madeline, what’s that you’re sitting on?”

While we were having so much fun, Charlotte, who finished her shift earlier than usual, joined us, and we continued to play together.

We laughed a lot because our teeth turned completely black from eating the dried blueberries we put in the tea.

The friends from the Rose Palace were different from my senior colleagues. They wouldn’t suddenly disappear because they were fired by the Crown Prince.

That made me happy.

When the people I got close to when I first entered the Crown Prince’s palace kept disappearing one by one.

‘Honestly, I resented the Crown Prince.’

And I still have those feelings.

Although the Crown Prince has been treating me very well these past few days, it doesn’t erase all the negative feelings I’ve accumulated over time.

* * *

After having a great time at the Rose Palace, I parted ways with my friends and headed back to the Crown Prince’s palace.

I discovered a familiar door and sign in an odd spot on the exterior wall of a palace building.

“Noah’s Square Ark”

‘Noah is supposed to be on the run from the royal family and the Holy Knights; how can this be!’

I quickly opened the door and stepped inside, closing it firmly behind me.

“Noah!”

“Hello, Erica.”

Noah was lounging comfortably in an armchair.

The clutter of assorted items displayed everywhere was the same as last time.

“If you stay here, you’ll be found out, Noah. You should move the shop quickly.”

Noah smiled and answered.

“I already have.”

At his words, I peeked through the door again.

Outside, it was no longer the garden of the imperial palace.

The noon sun bathed the sea in light, making it sparkle like an emerald.

“What?”

Thinking I was seeing things, I rubbed my eyes, but it remained the same.

The brilliantly blue sea shimmered transparently. Between the ripples that looked like scattered sunlight, the seabed was clearly visible.

The sky above was a deep and clear blue, dotted with refreshing white clouds.

I stood there, mesmerized by the stunning scene before me.

A salty, warm breeze brushed my face. The air was so different from the imperial palace that it jolted me back to reality.

“Wait, hold on! Where are we?”

I quickly retreated, slamming the door shut. Hoping for the familiar view to return, I cautiously reopened the door.

But outside was still the tropical sea.

“Wh-where are we now?”

“It’s a resort. I thought you would like it, Erica.”

Have I just been kidnapped at a resort?

I was so shocked that my voice trembled.

“Noah, I have to go to work tomorrow…”

“But you still need to eat. Living off dried blueberries isn’t good for your health.”

Well, that’s true.

“How did you know I just ate blueberries?”

Noah silently pointed to his front teeth.

‘They’re stuck in my teeth again!’

I quickly turned around to clean the dried blueberry pieces from my front teeth. I checked my reflection in a hand mirror displayed in the shop, making sure my teeth were clean now.

I mumbled,

“I didn’t just eat blueberries. I had tea and cake too.”

Noah spoke with a smile in his voice,

“Those are all snacks. The nutritional balance is terrible. You need to eat properly to live a long life, Erica.”

That’s true too.

I was still bewildered by the situation.

“There’s a delicious restaurant nearby. You might call it a ‘must-visit’ spot.”

The casual talk about nutritional balance and must-visit spots calmed my nerves, which had been rattled by the sight of the ocean.

I asked,

“Will you let me go back after we eat?”

“Of course.”

Noah replied with wide eyes, then added hastily,

“Oh, I’m sorry. I’m used to traveling like this and didn’t consider that it might surprise you.”

I put my hand on my chest and sighed in relief.

“Next time, please give me a heads-up.”

“I will.”

Noah responded quickly, smiling brightly.

Feeling reassured, I enjoyed the view outside the door. The white, sandy beach stretched out from the doorstep.

Noah had come up behind me and draped a thin, light fabric over my head. The fabric, intricately patterned along the edges, fell down to my waist.

I turned around to see Noah wearing a similar piece, only in a different color.

“This is the local attire. It’s a popular item among tourists for setting the mood. Wearing this, we won’t stand out and can blend in.”

When did he prepare all this?

The weather was perfect for a vacation, and the breeze from the sea was refreshing.

I took off my shoes and strolled along the white, sandy beach, occasionally dipping my feet into the clear water.

As I walked on the warm sand, my feet quickly dried. I brushed off the sand and put my shoes back on.

Continuing my walk, I soon left the secluded beach and entered a more crowded area. I could hear unfamiliar foreign languages all around.

I had guessed we had traveled quite far, but I never imagined we had left the Empire entirely.

“Wow, this is amazing. It’s my first time abroad. I’ve never been to a beach like this either. I’ve only ever been between my territory and the capital.”

Noah smiled at my excitement.

“Traveling far can be refreshing.”

This isn’t just a little far. Noah treats international travel like a neighborhood stroll because he’s a magician.

I became curious about Noah’s magic.

“Can you travel anywhere with magic?”

“As long as I have the coordinates of the destination.”

“How do you find the coordinates?”

“There’s a formula. Would you like to learn it?”

The concept of finding coordinates with a formula sounded familiar.

‘Point P on the line x-3y=2 is equidistant from points A(7, 3) and B(-1, 7). What are the coordinates of point P? (3 points)’

I had solved many problems like that in my previous life.

Could this be it? A story where I became a magic prodigy with the math I studied in my past life!

“If I learn the formula, can I use magic too?”

“No.”

“…….”

“You don’t have any magical power in your body, Erica.”