Outside Palace

It’s been about two years since I was reincarnated into this world. And now, at my current age, the watchful eyes of the palace attendants aren't as strict as they used to be. These days, usually only one servant is assigned to keep an eye on me.

If that servant starts getting bored of watching over me—since I barely move from the bookshelves in the palace’s small library—they’ll often come up with excuses to leave for a while, just to relieve their own boredom.

Like this, for example...

“Y-Young Master, may I go fetch some water? I’m feeling thirsty,” they say with a hesitant tone, bowing slightly. “P-Please don’t go anywhere, alright? W-wait for me to return.”

“Alright. I’ll stay here. I’m not going anywhere,” I reply, not even lifting my eyes from the old book I’m reading.

Even so, they often take quite a while to return. Sometimes it’s just half an hour, but it’s not unusual for one or even two hours to pass, despite their excuse being nothing more than getting a drink. But I never really minded.

Adults have more needs, and I understand they also need some time for themselves. Rather than sitting for hours just to watch over a quiet child tucked away in a corner of the room, maybe it’s better if they use that time for something more meaningful.

Besides, as far as I know, a woman's bladder is different from a man's—they feel the need to urinate more quickly. So it's possible that the drinking excuse was just an alibi for another need that felt less appropriate to state outright to me.

In short, at this age, I still wasn’t capable of doing anything meaningful—other than reading old books in the palace library.

Let’s fast forward one year…

Lately, I’ve grown somewhat familiar with one of the royal knights named Galliant. He wasn’t born into nobility, but was instead the adopted son of a bearded uncle whose breath smelled like charcoal. For some reason, that combination left quite an impression on me.

A few days ago, on my third birthday, Galliant promised to take me on a little tour outside the palace—to explore the kingdom I’d only ever imagined from behind the windows. And today, I’m waiting for him at the palace gate, along with my mother and several maids.

For me personally, this is a moment I’ve been looking forward to for so long. It feels like the peak of a curiosity I’ve been carrying for the past three years. Just imagine—three whole years, and I’ve yet to see what the world beyond the palace looks like.

The maids who are waiting with us, however, seem to have a different reason for their excitement. They’re more focused on fixing their hair and straightening their dresses than preparing me for the outing. Well, Galliant is young, handsome, and—most importantly—still single. So their little flirt-fest wasn’t exactly unexpected; I could already see it coming since last night.

Fortunately, we didn’t have to wait long. Galliant arrived—riding the white horse that always accompanied him on duty. His appearance was simple; a crisp white shirt and long black trousers. No armor, no flashy weapons—a clear sign that today was indeed his day off.

“Good morning, Your Majesty,” he greeted politely as he dismounted, leading his horse to the side and bowing slightly toward my mother.

“I’m sorry, Galliant… Lucian’s bothering you on your day off,” my mother said with a gentle smile.

“It’s no trouble at all. I was the one who made the promise to the young master,” Galliant replied with a slight smile, then turned to me. “So, how about it, Young Master? Are you ready?”

“Yes, I’m ready.”

“Just the young master himself? You don’t want to be accompanied by any of the lovely maids standing so neatly back there?” he asked, glancing toward the group of maids who had been doing their best to stand out all morning.

The moment those words left Galliant’s mouth, the atmosphere shifted instantly. The maids behind me suddenly looked flustered. Some bowed their heads while fixing their hair; others pretended to dust off imaginary dirt from their clothes. It was obvious—they all wanted to be chosen.

Unfortunately for them, their hopes were dashed the moment my mother spoke up.

“No, today is the full palace cleaning day. So, I’m entrusting Lucian to you, Galliant.”

When she said that, I could clearly see the disappointment painted across the maids’ faces. Honestly, I felt a little bad for them. But don’t worry—I knew a sweet little way to mend their broken hearts.

As I prepared to mount the horse, assisted by Galliant who dutifully held the reins for me, I casually said, “Oh right, Galliant—about that flower vase you gave me yesterday…”

“Yes, what is it, Young Master?”

“I was planning to give it to whichever maid is assigned to clean the library today. That’s alright, isn’t it?”

“No problem at all, Young Master. Please go ahead.”

No sooner had those words left his mouth than the maids who overheard them fell into utter chaos. Some bumped into each other in a rush, others stumbled as they scrambled for cleaning tools, and a few outright sprinted toward the library. In an instant, the lively palace courtyard turned eerily quiet—leaving only my mother standing there.

Seeing that, she furrowed her brows, lips forming a clear pout. “Lucian…”

I understood. I was in the wrong… but honestly, I felt like Galliant was the more guilty one here. Whether he was just too innocent or truly that oblivious, I couldn’t tell. But one thing was clear—he had no idea about the situation he had just caused.

“Well then, we’ll take our leave now, Your Majesty,” Galliant said as he signaled his horse to begin moving slowly.

“Take care, Galliant… Lucian…” my mother called out, waving to us as we rode off.

...

I had a feeling from the start…

This was going to be yet another case of shattered expectations—just like always.

I mean, come on…

There’s literally no difference from my old world. A fantasy world with a royal kingdom setting, they said? Yeah, right. What I’m seeing here is just your average rural countryside, no different from what I used to see back then—even too ordinary to be part of a fantasy story.

Everything feels way too familiar. Rows of modest houses, mostly built from wood; uneven dirt roads; and rice fields and farmlands stretching as far as the eye can see, dominating every corner of the village. Most of the people here? Farmers.

Honestly, if someone asked me what sets this place apart from Yogyakarta, I’d probably say, “almost nothing.”

What exactly makes this place different from Yogyakarta? Seriously, even the old-town architecture in Yogyakarta feels way more “fantasy” than this village. If the only things that count are a castle and some noble titles, that’s hardly enough to make this world feel special or different.

Still, I have to admit, there are a few small differences worth mentioning. The air quality, for one, is much cleaner and fresher. And the greenery that blankets almost every inch of this village is genuinely pleasing to the eyes. Trees thrive, birds chirp and call out to each other, and most of the villagers still get around on foot.

And...

Stepping out of the palace and into a village like this... I’m reminded once again that I’m playing the role of a prince.

Every time we passed by the villagers, they would greet me politely—sometimes even too politely. There were also a few kids around my age who would quickly hide behind their parents the moment they saw me walk by. But even from behind their hiding spots, I could still see their tiny hands quietly waving at me.

Galliant, for some reason, also seemed to be quite popular among the villagers. We had barely stepped into the residential area, and already, many people were calling out to him, inviting him to stop by their homes for a moment.

Some even seemed to insist, urging him to at least sit down for a bit or try the snacks they had made. Apparently, he was also quite well-liked among the teens and children. Many of them didn’t mind lining up just to shake his hand or get a closer look at his face.

Looking at it from every angle, it was clear undeniably so that Galliant was far more popular than I was. Maybe it was because of his status as a royal knight? I wasn’t really sure.

But amidst the crowd that had gathered around us, a bird suddenly landed on Galliant’s shoulder. It was pure white, about the size of a full-grown eagle, and most notably—it had two long crests rising high from its head.

“What kind of bird is that, Galliant?” I asked, curious.

“Oh, this one’s called a Phesant,” he replied, stroking the bird’s feathers. “A messenger bird. Nobles and military folks usually use them to deliver messages. Would young master be interested in keeping one?”

I stared at the bird for a moment. “If I kept one, would it grow even bigger than this?”

Galliant let out a soft chuckle. “Oh no, Young Master. The bird on my shoulder is actually at its maximum size. It won’t grow any larger than this.”

I nodded slowly, then asked again in an innocent tone, “Hmm... In that case, can it transform into a winged girl with blonde hair?”

Galliant immediately turned to me, his expression a mix of confusion and uncertainty—unsure whether he should laugh or be concerned. “F-Forgive me if this sounds improper, Young Master... but what kind of storybook have you been reading lately?”

The two of us fell into silence for a moment.

Until, suddenly, the quiet was broken by Galliant’s anxious voice.

“Oh, that's right, Young Master... We must hurry to the next village. It seems something has happened there.”

"Alright. Let's go now."