Everything felt different and strange. It was scorching hot, and she could feel her forehead slick with sweat.
When Eugene squinted her eyes open, she found herself lying down and was greeted with an unfamiliar sight—sand scattered by the wind and the clear sky visible above her.
Where am I?
She willed herself to get up and buried her hands in the sand to support her upper body. Doing so, a handful of it which laid previously on her chests poured down.
Then, her eyes were filled with wonder as she looked at the strange place she was in. An even morbid expression flashed across her face when she saw the clothes she was wearing.
Lifting her arm, she looked awestruck at the back of her hand with loose sleeves surrounding it. The material of the gown was luxurious, but it wasn’t to her taste.
Am I dreaming? Eugene surmised, but the painful rays of the sun on her exposed skin told her otherwise.
Taking her eyes off her hand, she looked again at the scenery before her. The red sand blew in the wind—she could barely see where she was.
I’ve never been here before, but I’ve seen many similar landscapes in photos. Why am I in the desert?
An idea popped in her mind, and when she opened her mouth, finding it ridiculous, she heard nothing but her own laughter. She was too overwhelmed to make out a word.
Did she fly to the other side of the world?
The desperate nature of survival awakened, and her mind became clear. She rose slowly and looked around, her legs wobbling beneath her.
Everywhere she looked, it was a sandy, dull, and just dune. Standing confusedly, she began to walk. I don’t want to burn myself to death, she thought. As soon as possible, she needed to find some shelter.
Not long after she began to move, something made her stop her steps. Far away, something appeared to be moving. With crease on her forehead, she squinted her eyes to have a better look.
She was watching keenly to find out who the figures were, but when they started to change in direction and charge towards her at a brisk pace, she began to panic. On instinct, she stepped back, unwilling to narrow the distance between them!
She was on a frenzy, imagining the worst that could happen. Her face became thoroughly flushed when she thought they were armed soldiers rushing in the sandstorm.
She ran and ran, but the gown kept her slow. Besides, it was much harder to sprint on the sand.
It was not long when they came close to her just enough for Eugene to recognize them. The riders on horseback with grotesque forms of helmet stopped at a certain distance.
The man in the lead jumped off his horse. He was a stout-bodied foreigner with disarrayed thick brown hair. If anything, he looked European, so did the men behind her.
The man bent one knee on the ground and said.
“My queen.”
Eugene’s eyes, which had been hardened with fear, went wide open. His language was definitely not in Korean. But she could understand it perfectly.
Dumbfounded, she looked at him, blinking several times as the rush of sweat stung her eyes.
She didn’t know how to react. Noticing her unresponsiveness, the man spoke confusedly.
“I beg your pardon, Anika. Are you okay?”
Anika?
Eugene nodded slowly. It was the best she could do for now.
YOU ARE READING
(1) Living As the Villainess Queen
General Fiction'I want to travel to a place unknown to the many...' It was a passing wish to the weary and tired Eugene and she'd not think it'd ever come to pass... but it did. She opened her eyes and found she was sent to a novel-like world she wrote in passing...
