I Will Hold Your Hand Gently

Chapter 1: I've never been beaten like this before in my life!

During my adolescent years, I read numerous books. One of my favorites was The Maiden Chronicles. It starts with the protagonist Alice Winter being sold off as a slave after her father, Duke Winter lost his land in the Great War between the Nova Kingdom and Icela Kingdom. She was bought by a mad scientist who experimented on her. She went through this for two years before the 3rd Pince of Nova saved her. Alice went through many hardships to overcome her trauma and even a love trial. In the end, she realizes her feelings for Reinhart, the 3rd prince, and marries him after rebuilding her family's name.

Did I like the main characters?

Yes, I did. Alice was a strong female protagonist who never gave up even if she was a Guide, a being that's much weaker than Esper. Whereas Reinhart, an Esper as well as the 3rd prince of Nova was caring and powerful. Were they my favorite characters though?

No, they weren't. Nothing against the main lead. They were awesome characters, but they just didn't pull my heartstrings.

Which Character did I fall in love with you ask?

The character that captured my heart, made me love this novel and even motivated me to read it from beginning to end was the third lead, Zwei. He wasn't a prince of another kingdom nor was there a love interest for him like the second male lead. He was the leader of an assassin organization raised as a killing machine. His cold and numb heart was slowly recovered by Alice when she met him in the underground prison.

Zwei was left alone, unlike the other main characters who found love. Zwei kept his heart closed from the outsiders and didn't let anyone other than Alice come near him. Towards the end, Alice and Reinhart marry and become the next monarch of the Nova Kingdom. The second male lead Leonard, returned to his kingdom to strengthen his bond with the Nova Kingdom.

As for Zwei, he was given a dukedom as gratitude for helping Reinhart and Alice. A title that would become his chain to the Nova Kingdom, and to the very people he could only love from afar. Every other lead in the story had their side stories and found love. Everyone but Zwei. The author passed away shortly after announcing that there would be a short story regarding Zwei's happy ending. Not even the draft of the short story was written up.

GASP!

COUGH COUGH COUGH!

What in the world...?!

I could feel the water in my lungs. My arms and legs are bound. Someone's holding me by my hair and there's a filthy stench in the air. Suddenly, my head was shoved to the dirty ground and my mouth was forced to take in a handful of dirt. I slowly looked up towards whoever it was that was assaulting me. My eyes hurt badly, and I think one of my ribs is broken...

Someone suddenly spit on my face with a grunt, "Filthy slave. How dare you try to run. If you want to die that much, I'll grant that wish of yours...!"

The person standing in front of me lifts his leg and slams it right into my stomach. The impact caused the broken rib to puncture my lung. I couldn't help but cough out blood. I wanted to cry and shout at these people. I don't know why they're doing this to me, and why they kidnapped me. I haven't done anything wrong to anyone in my whole life. I'm an upright citizen and have always abided by the laws. Also, did he just call me a slave...?!

This is the 21st century for crying out loud...! There's no slave there unless this is a 3rd rate country or an unknown country that still goes by those sick old laws!

I wanted to retaliate but my body was bound. I could only endure all the attacks. I don't know how long it went on before they stopped hitting me. It felt like hours until they finally stopped kicking and stomping me. I was clinging on to dear life.

"Keh..." the person spits at me again, "You better learn your lesson well this time. If not, I'll make sure you wish you were dead instead. Got it!"

My body reflexively nods at the frightening loud voice. I heard a chuckle and then a splash of cold water was thrown at me. I didn't realize until the water hit me, but it was cold, very cold as though I was in the middle of winter. The people who attacked me left me alone in the dark, damp place. I tried to make out my surroundings. As soon as I know the landscape here, I'm calling the police and reporting these kidnappers!

I saw things that looked like wood, and a bunch of hay. I couldn't hear anything but the cold wind blowing through the creaks and cracks. I tried to sit up without putting pressure on my rib. If I wasn't careful, the punctured lung would get worse. I should have paid attention to nursing school instead of dozing off.

Peeking outside, I could see a snow-white landscape that went on for miles. Footsteps left behind by the attackers lead up to a historical-looking mansion. Judging by the building's sculpture, it looked like a mansion made in England. Which means, I was kidnapped thousands of miles from my country. Great.

I could still taste the blood in my mouth. When I turned around to spit out the dead blood, a bucket of water near the wall I was leaning against reflected someone. A young girl with a petite build. She had a left black eye, and cut lips. Touching the lip, I realized that the young girl in the reflection was me. Eyes as blue as sky blue marble, and hair as dark as the dark green forest. I looked like a dirty shoujo anime girl covered in filth.

I quickly slap the bucket of water away. I couldn't accept that this was me. I looked nothing like this at all. Then it hit me, my figure was smaller, and my hand was tiny. Staring at my size, I realized that I was in an eighteen-year-old girl's body. Me, a thirty-two-year-old virgin woman, in an eighteen-year-old body?!

When I tried to scream in shock, pain coursed throughout my entire body. I forgot that my lung was currently punctured. I took in a deep steady breath to calm my panicking mind.

Am I being punished right now? There's a camera around here somewhere, right?!

Flipping my head back and forth to find the camera, I couldn't find any. I sigh in distress. There were a few things that could describe this. One, someone cut out my brain after I fell asleep from a long workday and placed it in an eighteen-year-old's body. Two, I'm in a dream. Three, everything here is a prop and whatever isn't solid is made out of a hologram. Fourth, I died somehow and was reincarnated somewhere.

It can't be one since our technology isn't anywhere that advanced. It can't be two either because I can still feel the pain in my ribcage. There's a good chance it could be three. I mean, I watched a bunch of shows where people who are skillful at sound effects and special effects can make things happen out of nowhere to convince people that it's real. However, did they have to go as far as tying up my arms and legs?

And then there are four...

I mean...

I can't even remember how I died...

I want to cry...

I'm hoping, and I'm even praying that it's three. I love my life, I do. I got my dream job, a cat, and even a trip to World Disney with my friends in the coming week. So, who in their right mind would even kidnap a nobody like me to mess around with? No one...

That could only mean that it's four, but I'm a very healthy person. So healthy, I never once got sick. I didn't even catch Corona!

I stop my train of thought. No, it was more like I was too tired to even think anymore. My vision went into a blur, and I blacked out.

I've never been beaten like this before in my whole life...!

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