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CHAPTER 9 — "Truths and Revelations in the Garden"
A new day had already begun, and Ana woke up after a long night of heavy thoughts. Sunlight filtered softly through the curtains, gently illuminating the room, while her mind remained caught between everything she had lived through and all she still didn't understand about this world.
Her morning routine started calmly with Yeana and Nella, who were already prepared to fulfill their duties as maids—though they seemed more like high-ranking babysitters than simple servants.
"Wow, I'm honestly surprised you learned to at least read our script so quickly," Nella commented with a hint of amazement as she checked Ana's scrolls and books. "It took me years, haha."
Yeana, leaning elegantly against the doorframe, raised an eyebrow and replied with her usual sarcasm: "I wouldn't expect anything less from someone as intelligent as you, my dear Nella. Obviously you'd learn fast when our writing is literally based on symbols that represent what they mean. Even a five-year-old could understand them."
Nella frowned and crossed her arms. "What the hell? Do you think you're some kind of genius or what?"
"I don't think I am," Yeana replied arrogantly, without losing an ounce of her elegant, composed posture. "I am."
Ana, already irritated by their constant bickering, raised both hands in surrender. "Okay, stop it. Please. I'm the center of attention here. Stop fighting right now—this isn't about you. And you're supposed to be my maids, so technically I'm the highest authority here… I think."
Yeana and Nella slightly bowed their heads almost in unison. "Yes, miss."
It had been a month since Ana had formally assumed that role of authority over them, and she remembered what Leo had told her days earlier:
"Ana, even though those two are extremely capable and reliable, they clash sometimes… I won't always be around to intervene. I've already spoken to them and they accepted—well, they didn't really have a choice. Those were my orders. From now on, you are their highest authority after me. No matter how childish or problematic they are, they respect hierarchy."
Ana smiled faintly, feeling more confident. That small amount of control, though limited, gave her some breathing room amid the chaos of living in an unfamiliar world. Whenever she told them to stop, they did so immediately, without protest—and that alone was a huge relief.
After finishing her routine, night eventually fell. Yeana and Nella withdrew after leaving her night clothes ready. More than maids, they acted like caretakers watching over a noble child. Yeana handled dinner arrangements, while Nella seated Ana at the table, making sure she was comfortable and had everything within reach.
Then, a mysterious portal appeared in the room. From it emerged someone Ana already expected.
Leopold Valeborn, the crown prince.
"I'm back, Ana. We need to talk," Leo said in his usual calm tone, though there was a subtle seriousness that immediately caught her attention.
"About what?" Ana asked, taking a sip of water and trying not to look nervous.
"About us," Leo replied. His golden eyes shone intensely beneath the portal's light, sending a chill down Ana's spine. The seriousness in his gaze contrasted sharply with his pale skin and night-black hair.
Ana nearly choked on the water, startled by how formal that sounded—then remembered who she was dealing with. Leo was not someone who spoke delicately or carefully chose his words.
"I'm listening… what do you mean?" she asked, trying to stay calm while adjusting her curly hair over her shoulders.
Leo took a deep breath. For a moment, his gaze softened, though the intensity never fully faded. "The truth is… I've known everything about you for a long time. Somehow, my magic allows me to see visions, and I've had dreams about you for as long as I can remember."
Ana blinked, surprised. "Seriously? That… sounds creepy."
"It's not what it seems," Leo replied quickly. "Even if it sounds bad, I saw you because you were the key to my species' salvation."
She looked at him, intrigued and confused, but curiosity won. "Tell me… what exactly did you find interesting about me?"
Leo lowered his gaze briefly, choosing his words. "That you were… an idiot."
Ana stared at him. "What?"
"Well—think about it. You chose the longest possible career path, saved nothing during your years of financial stability, rejected your millionaire best friend, and lived as if everything you had would last forever, even though none of it truly belonged to you."
Each word felt like an ironic stab to her chest. It was all true—and that was the worst part.
"That day… I wasn't ready. To use that spell, I needed a strong body. I focused too much on intellect over the years, but I had to do it—for you," Leo said, his voice strained, golden eyes glowing so intensely it was almost intimidating.
"Why?" Ana asked, swallowing her pride. "Why did you have to, if I wasn't even going to die that day?"
"Ana…" Leo whispered. "I was the butterfly effect that day. I had seen it before. If I hadn't gone at that exact moment, you would've jumped into the sea—and you would've died. The fact that you're alive now is because a being from another world altered the order of events… and even so, you wouldn't have survived on your own."
Ana was left speechless. She had never heard someone speak with such blunt honesty and responsibility, yet feel so distant at the same time.
Leo took another breath, calmer now, though the intensity in his eyes and the firmness of his posture remained. "Well… I know everything about you. But you know almost nothing about me."
He inclined his head slightly, as if formally introducing himself. "My name is Leopold Valeborn. I am the crown prince of this great magical kingdom. Though I look young, I am thirty-five years old. Werewolves live twice as long as humans, so we age more slowly."
Ana listened carefully, her brown skin contrasting with Leo's pale complexion, her brown eyes following every movement he made.
"I know it's a lot to ask, and that you have no ties to us and didn't come here by choice… but I ask you—please save my people. I will reward you properly in the end," Leo said, bowing his head slightly with solemn resolve.
Ana, surprised yet confident, replied: "Really? And how do you plan to do that?"
"That depends on you," Leo answered. "You choose how you want to act."
Ana nodded, swallowing nerves and excitement at once. "Alright. I accept, Leopold Valeborn."
Leo blinked, then smiled with mild amusement. "Wow, that was way too formal."
"You started it," Ana replied firmly.
"And everything you told me about yourself? I already knew—it's all in the history books," she added, deflating the drama.
Leo raised an eyebrow. "Huh? Oh. Right. I forgot."
"It's fine," Ana said with a shy smile.
That day, a serious and symbolic pact was sealed. Between them existed an unspoken understanding—responsibility, trust, and the certainty that Ana would be a key piece in the salvation of an entire world.
Nearby, Yeana and Nella stood silently, observing and adjusting their posture, always ready to act if needed. Yeana with her silver-gray hair tied back and white eyes, and Nella with her reddish-brown hair and crimson eyes, both wearing their royal maid uniforms—each maintaining her own style and personality.
Ana, with her curly hair, brown skin, and warm brown eyes, felt for the first time that she was exactly where she was meant to be.
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