The Crown Prince Thinks I'm a Guy

Meeting a Stranger

"Bloody knee socks of my King father..." I cursed.

Normally, I would never curse, especially in public. But, here I was, standing in a sky-less world, dark and forbidding. I think I could be forgiven for slandering the Saule Kingdom's monarch.

I looked around me and saw where I had come flying from. It looked like a normal brick wall. I seemed to have been transported to an empty dark street, and although there were no trash, I still kept having the feeling that it was dirty.

Walking cautiously towards the black bricked wall, I placed a gloved hand on it, thinking I would pass right through. I didn't.

I tried from several areas and tried different ways of passing. I inserted varying amounts of force, I knocked on some bricks, I even tried begging at the wall, thinking it was some kind of magical, sentient monster. But, no. As far as I was concerned, it was just a normal brick wall.

'Did I perhaps transport myself unknowingly with my magic?' I wondered, but I was highly doubtful. Getting such great powers in my second chance in life seems a bit too far-fetched. So, I simply believed that it was the wall's fault.

However, because I was too restless to stay put, I decided to walk around and explore the new area. It probably won't hurt, and I just might ask around for an exit. I also had a slight inkling about what type of place this was. After all, there were several places like this in my Kingdom, as well.

After just a few minutes of walking around, I knew I had guessed correctly. I had stumbled into a Dark Market.

I have never been more thankful towards my nanny as I was now. Earlier in the day, she had repeatedly urged for me to wear a nondescript coat with a large hood over my dress. I hadn't thought it would matter to have my face seen during our walk, as I knew very few people even know of the face of the Saule Kingdom's princess. But because Miss Hestia was very adamant about it, I simply obeyed her wishes.

So, now, I could freely roam Lunaris City's Dark Market with ease. Who knows what kinds of people were even here? If they saw a well-dressed five-year-old walking around alone, I might just be whisked off to become a slave, or worse.

Lost in thought while going with the flow of briskly walking people, I accidentally bumped into someone. Or, looking at the flow of traffic, it would be more accurate to say that they bumped into me.

By they, I mean three incredibly large, hairless and shirtless men, with the meanest of glares.

I had the urge to curse my father again.

"... Did you just get in our way, you midget?" the bald man in the center spat at me. I desperately tugged my hood lower.

"I'm terribly sorry, sirs. I didn't see you there." I tried my hardest to make my voice sound deeper, to no avail, of course.

"Bah! You sound like a little child!" another bald man said, followed by the other, "Cheh, if ya didun see us even by how big w're, den I s'pose we didun see ya either!"

I didn't really understand the last guy, so I could only bow in apology.

Then, before I could even scream a complaint, the first guy, in all of his shirtless glory, had quickly carried me off the ground by the fronts of my robe. I could only thrash my legs in the air as he finally had a good look at my face. "Let's see who ya think you a-!!!"

'OH NO!' I could only think, and then I wondered if I could possibly conjure another Fire Ball without fainting...

I saw the man's dark-toned face looking at mine, first twitching in surprise and then gradually turning into the most delighted expression; one that could make grown men nervous. He smiled at me with his yellowing teeth as though I was a free golden nugget.