From Swords to Smartphones?!

The first time I saw her, I almost forgot I was descending a tower. Around me, the air crackled with unfamiliar energy—this so-called "modern world" I'd heard Sena mention. My companion, Luke, moved ahead with his usual regal confidence, tightening his cloak against the strange chill. If he hadn't stepped aside, I might have missed the small figure waiting for us below.

There she stood, a girl with jet-black hair—darker than any raven's wing in Valeraine—and a shortened cloak sporting floppy bunny ears that bounced with her every movement. She looked for all the world like a frightened chick, yet the wide, curious eyes she turned on us were filled with excitement as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"Who are you?" Luke asked abruptly, his tone as demanding as ever. Worried he'd intimidate her, I nudged him gently. She squeaked in reply, cheeks flushing pink. That squeak was… oddly endearing.

In an attempt at courtesy, I stepped forward. "I am Count Amiel Alaric of Valeraine Kingdom," I said, bowing low and kissing the back of her hand. It was a routine gesture back home, but for some reason, my heart hammered this time—as if something new fluttered to life in my chest.

Her response was a high-pitched exclamation, "Omaygadddd! Y-You're that Amiel? Like, A to the M to the I to the E to the L from the tower?!" which shot a jolt of confusion (and a hint of embarrassment) through me.

I'd had my share of admirers in Valeraine, but this was… different. She rattled on about how she recognized my name, fumbling under her cloak for a tiny, blinking box. She raised it, and a bright flash ensued. Luke nearly jumped, thinking it was some kind of sorcery.

Moments later, another woman arrived—Sena, far more composed and somewhat wary. As the conversation unfurled, I learned the girl with the bunny-ears cloak was named I-seo. She had apparently written about me—written me?—in a novel. My mind reeled. But that day blurred in comedic confusion, her squeals, my stiff bows, Luke's exasperated sighs, and Sena's rolling eyes.

Somehow, by the end of that first meeting, I realized I-seo's presence stirred something in me that years of aristocratic introductions in Valeraine never had. I brushed it off as mere curiosity—or maybe gratitude that she wasn't screaming "Witch!" at us. But the warmth stayed with me, lodged in my chest.

When that phenomenon carried Luke and me back to Valeraine after that first sojourn in Korea, I tried to settle back into my usual rhythms—courtly duties, magic training, formal soirees. At first, I thought I'd simply be relieved to return to the familiar spires and winding halls of my homeland. Yet, in quiet moments, I found my mind drifting to I-seo.

It happened in small, unsuspecting ways. During a hunting excursion in the Valeraine forests, I spotted a hare darting across our path. My first thought was of I-seo's bunny-eared cloak and her squeak of excitement whenever something delighted her. I almost missed losing my arrow, too absorbed by the memory of her bright grin.

One evening at a grand supper Prince Luke hosted, a throng of noble ladies approached me with polite smiles. Their laughter was measured and delicate, each greeting me in perfectly rehearsed tones. Yet I found myself recalling how I-seo's laugh would burst out, unrestrained—how she'd clap her hands and tilt her head back, never holding back her glee. It made the room's refined giggles feel oddly hollow.

Luke noticed. We stood side by side, half-hidden by a marble pillar as the crowd mingled. He murmured, "You look like a caged animal, Amiel. These gatherings never used to bother you."

I sighed, admitting softly, "I'm just… distracted. I-seo had a way of turning every moment into genuine laughter, not these trained little giggles."

He gave me a knowing look. "You miss her."

Heat rushed to my cheeks. "Perhaps more than I realized," I managed. "No matter how modern and bewildering her realm was, I can't forget the sincerity of it all—especially her."

Luke patted my shoulder. "Then I hope, for your sake, another transporation opens. Something tells me you won't find that spark among Valeraine's simpering noblewomen."

And so I drifted through Valeraine's daily life, trying to mask my restlessness. My friends teased me for being lost in thought, but I only smiled vaguely. Every time a young lady here laughed with tight-lipped politeness, I thought of I-seo and her wide, unguarded grin. Each time I spotted a hare in the forest, I was reminded of her bunny hood. My heart pulled me toward something beyond Valeraine, some lingering hope that I'd see her again.

Three entire years passed in my homeland before the Rift opened once more. My pulse hammered when the swirling portal's light cut through the sky, and I practically sprinted headlong into it. Yet, upon stumbling out on the other side, only a single week had elapsed in Korea's timeline—time enough for my absence to barely register. For me, it had been an eternity.

And so, three days after returning to Korea, we found ourselves at the entrance of Lotte World Amusement Park. It was meant to be a simple outing—Sena, Luke, I-seo, and me—just us re-adjusting to modern conveniences after that chaotic, back-and-forth journey. Yet, from the moment we arrived, something felt different, more charged. Especially when I-seo darted off to grab park maps with that excited sparkle in her eye, leaving me alone with my restless thoughts.

I gazed at her from a short distance, remembering how only a week had passed here, yet three entire years had flown by for me in Valeraine. Three years of near-misses, of me floundering in regrets, wishing I had told her how I felt sooner—before that unknown phenomenon that transported us tore us apart again.

Now that we were here—together again in this modern realm—I couldn't keep the truth inside any longer. My heart pounded as I walked up to her, my hand brushing hers as we stood by a tall sign advertising roller coasters and cotton candy stalls.

She peered up at me curiously. "You okay, Count?" She still teased me with that title, even though we'd left cloaks and medieval garb for T-shirts and jeans.

I swallowed, summoning the same resolve I'd once shown on battlefields, yet lost whenever I was near her. "I-seo, there's something I need to say." My voice nearly cracked, but I forced myself to continue.

"Those three years in Valeraine, after you left—" I paused, my heart thrashing like it wanted to leap from my chest. "They felt so long. So… empty. I realized every single day how much I regretted not telling you sooner that I—"

She blinked, cheeks warming as her lips parted. I sucked in a breath, forging ahead.

"That I love you. Three years was more than enough time to see how I could've lost you to the unknown transportation forever. I… I don't want to waste another minute." Then, perhaps more boldly than I intended, I blurted, "If you'll have me, I want to be your best, your soon-to-be husband—"

"H-Husband?!" I-seo squeaked, reflexively covering her flaming cheeks with both hands. A few passing teenagers gave us curious looks, but she was too flustered to care. "Isn't that a bit… fast? I mean, we just got back here and you're already leaping to—"

I let out a sheepish laugh, though my pulse still pounded. "I know it's sudden. I just… I had three years to think it over in Valeraine. You were constantly on my mind, and I—I can't help but want this forever. But if it's rushing you, I understand."

She stared at me, eyes searching mine. For a moment, I braced for outright rejection. Instead, she exploded into a mischievous grin. "Okay, slow down, sir fiancé. Maybe not husband-level yet." She playfully tapped my chest. "At best, you can be my neighbor first. You know—the kind who borrows sugar?"

My jaw dropped. "N-Neighbor?!"

"Yep," she said, feigning a haughty shrug. "We'll see how neighborly you behave. Then maybe I'll level you up to a roommate… or fiancé." She winked, her playful words instantly deflating the tension.

I wilted a little, pouting as my dramatic confession got relegated to "neighbor status." "You're cruel, my lady," I mumbled, shoulders sagging.

But beneath the banter, her cheeks were still tinted pink, and the sparkle in her eye told me she wasn't rejecting me—just leveling the playing field with comedic flair. That was so quintessentially I-seo.

Just then, Sena bounded over with Luke in tow, tickets in hand. Sena arched an eyebrow. "Why do you look like a sulky puppy, Amiel? And why is I-seo grinning like she won the lottery?"

I-seo looped her arm through mine, practically glowing. "No reason. We're just, uh, neighbors now."

"Neighbors?" Sena repeated suspiciously. Luke, equally clueless, tilted his head. "I didn't realize you had houses in such close proximity?"

I forced a laugh, scratching the back of my neck. "It's… complicated. Let's just say we're in negotiations over my future housing arrangement."

Sena rolled her eyes as she whispered to I-seo. "Riiiight. You two are suspiciously close for neighbors."

I-seo giggled, tugging me deeper into the park's swirl of neon lights and festive music. Despite her neighbor's remark, she kept her hand in mine, occasionally swinging our arms like an excited child. She'd nudge me to point out novelty snacks or new rides, her bright laughter dancing through the crowd. Meanwhile, I oscillated between blushing at her every remark and fighting a twinge of sulkiness that my heartfelt proposal had been "downgraded."

"Let me do the honors," she said, grinning. "Myeong, Eunwoo, meet Luke and Amiel." She gestured, introducing us to Myeong and Eunwoo as they called them.

"This dashing guy here is my boyfriend, Amiel. Straight out of the best fantasy, if you ask me." She winked, causing me to blush and get flustered. She really is unpredictable.

Sensing my mood, she paused near a balloon dart-throw booth, checking that Sena and Luke were occupied at a caricature station. Then she leaned up to whisper in my ear, "Don't pout so much, okay? You caught me off-guard with that 'husband' line, but… I'm not saying no, maybe we'll have to call this dating. I'm just… fast is scary. And you know I like to keep you on your toes."

Relief overwhelmed me. "I-seo," I murmured, "I'll wait as long as you need. But the moment you say yes, I promise I'll do everything to be worthy of you."

Her smile was equal parts warmth and mischief. "You're already worthy. Now buy me that giant rainbow cotton candy to prove your devotion, good sir Count"

Laughing, I led her to the cotton candy stall. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Sena watching us with narrowed eyes, Luke standing behind her with a perplexed expression. Even they could see a shift—an extra sweetness in how she'd flick imaginary dust off my shirt or how I'd lean in to speak softly by her ear.

By the time we reached the giant Ferris wheel, it was obvious to even the casual observer that we were borderline inseparable. I-seo teased that I followed her like a lost duckling, and I teased her that she was the mighty dragon I was sworn to. Each jibe bristled with genuine affection, backed by the joy of her half-acceptance of my proposal.

When we finally settled into the Ferris wheel car—Sena and Luke opting for the next one to dodge our "mushiness," as Sena called it—I-seo exhaled softly, gazing at the kaleidoscope of neon lights below. I took her hand, letting the stillness embrace us for a moment.

"You told me to consider it a warning," I murmured, recalling how she once declared she'd find me in this life and the next. "I'd say that's a promise I plan to hold you to."

She looped her arms around my neck, ignoring the cramped space. "Then you'd better keep practicing your cheesy poetry, Count. Because if I find you in the next life, you better woo me all over again."

My chest constricted with fondness. "Deal," I breathed, forehead resting against hers. "Even if a thousand transportation from Valeraine to Korea separate us, I'll always find my way back to you—and recite the corniest verses until you roll your eyes."

She let out a soft laugh, lips curving into a smile that reached her eyes. "That's how I'll know it's really you each time."

From the neighboring gondola, Sena's exasperated groan drifted over, soon followed by Luke's curious "I don't see what's so sappy about it." We laughed quietly, enjoying the moment of peace high above the chaotic park.

When the Ferris wheel peaked, the entire area spread out like a tapestry of color—blinking lights, swirling rides, and the buzz of cheerful screams. I-seo glanced at me, cheeks still pink. "Your confession was crazy, y'know? All that talk of being my husband so soon."

I shrugged, smiling softly. "Three years in Valeraine gave me plenty of time to reflect. I never want to lose you again, so I won't waste a second letting you know how I feel."

She squeezed my hand, eyes alight. "Good," she whispered. "Because, neighbor or not, you've definitely earned a key to my heart." She paused, then burst out laughing at her own cheesy line. "Wow, that was corny. But you get the idea."

Leaning in, I pressed a gentle kiss to her temple, the night air cool against my face but my chest awash in warmth. 

"I love it," I said, letting her easy laughter fill our little corner of the Ferris wheel. "I love… everything about this."

Down below, the park continued in a blur of lights and cotton candy queues, but for us—high above the spinning rides—time felt suspended. Even if she teased about me starting at "neighbor," even if my proposal had been dialed back, I saw the acceptance shining through. And I vowed, from that moment on, to prove myself worthy day by day—until I could stand before her as something more than a neighbor, fully embracing every comedic mishap in between.

Because even if a thousand unknown transportations might threaten to tear us apart once more, I-seo's laughter and that indelible memory of her bunny-hooded cloak would forever guide me back to her. No matter how stark the shift from swords to smartphones, her boldness and my devotion made every adventure worthwhile—and every heartfelt confession that much sweeter.