"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK SO INFORMALLY TO HIS MAJESTY THE CROWN PRINCE?!" thundered the mad swordsman, pressing the sword harder on Leo's back, making him withdraw slightly, as much as he was allowed to, having been hung upside down for at least ten minutes.

...okay, that wasn't Leo's lucky day.

That was his most unlucky day ever!

And honestly, Leo's first reaction to that scream would have been:

"I don't give a crap if that's the prince, the emperor or a magical god, I'm going to die anyway, so if you want me to be more polite, let me go first!"

But he knew that this act of insubordination would sign his death warrant, and although he was going to die anyway, and a sword would end it much faster, he was starting to hope he could get out of that situation, so he called upon his poor self-control and his elegance.

"Forgive my rude manners, but I've been hanging from this snare for about ten minutes. Would thou be kind enough to get rid of such physical impediments, thus obtaining my eternal gratitude?" he asked, perhaps mocking the authority a little, but come on, he was trying hard to look elegant towards a prince. He had never even met a prince.

"HOW DARE YOU MAKE FUN OF..." the mad swordsman evidently noticed the not-very-serious tone, and began to rant and press him with the sword.

And before Leo could burst out with a resounding "Oh well, just kill me, I understood how things are going to go", the prince, or presumed one, spoke up.

"Indeed, it is not very gallant of me to leave a man hanging in my trap. But out of curiosity, what were you doing in this forest at this time of the morning? Precisely in the territory bordering the neighboring kingdom?" his tone was more gentle, at times he seemed almost amused, but it did not change the situation Leonardo was in, who remained hanging, and was not very able to tell the story of his life. Above all, he did not know if that story would have condemned him to the stake or to terrible torture, and he didn't want to risk it... especially the torture.

"I can't answer if I die first," he said then, trying to buy some time... or a final stab.

"Impertinent little..." the swordsman began to insult him.

Leo heard a chuckle, which perhaps came from the prince, or from someone else, but still silenced the swordsman.

"Fine. I doubt you can escape anyway. Chevel, free him" the prince ordered, and before Leo could thank, cheer, or wonder how he would be released and if he would fall on the soft, he felt the pressure on his leg become less strong, for a second he did not understand where was up, and where was down.

And finally, from the extreme pain in the coccyx, he found the answer to the question.

"Ouch... I could report this type of behavior" he muttered, mostly to himself, hoping that no one would hear him, but in need of externalizing his annoyance.

"And now that you are free, speak! Are you a spy?" the mad swordsman, or Chevel, as the prince had called him, pointed his sword to Leo's throat, and Leo raised his hands in surrender, staring worriedly at it.

"If I were I probably wouldn't say it, don't you think?" he let it slip, unable to control his words.

He blamed the blood to the head, it was definitely its fault.

...Leo had to admit that he too was a bit of an idiot in certain situations, but in that case it was definitely all the blood to the head's fault.

"It's a pretty simple question, actually. If you are a spy we send you back to where you came from empty-handed, if you are not, you will still be free to go home, so your answer only determines your destination" the prince's voice was calm and reassuring, but Leo knew those psychological tricks, and he would have never fallen for them.

He raised his head to hold the prince's gaze and... eh.

Wow, he was handsome!

He represented exactly the standard image of a prince.

Powerful, tall physique, flawless skin, gray eyes like storm clouds and elegantly combed blond hair.

He was the only one who did not wear a helmet, and he was wearing very elegant clothes with precious embroideries.

After a couple of seconds of observation and a mental appreciation, Leo was finally convinced that he was indeed in some fantasy book, because it was impossible that on earth, especially around where Leo lived, there was someone so physically beautiful.

And that someone so physically beautiful participated in role-playing games.

Now, this is Leo's idea, which is wrong, so for all of you who are into role-playing, you are not ugly!

It's just to make it clear that the, currently unnamed, prince is really, really handsome!

"Well... if I said that I have no idea where I am, what would my destination be?" since Leo's response time, necessary to elaborate a strategy, was badly used to ogle the prince, in the end the boy opted for the truth, and the first thing that came to his mind.

He then told himself that if he was going to survive, he should have sorted out his priorities, and not ogle cute boys in a life-or-death situation.

But the prince didn't seem very worried about him.

He walked over to him, and bent down to get a better look at him.

"Your Majesty, be careful! We don't know what might be hiding under those weird and crude clothes" Chevel warned, glaring at Leo, who didn't look back at him, but quickly made sure his sword was far enough away from his jugular, since the man was insisting on pointing it at Leo's neck.

Did he not know that the neck was the most vulnerable spot in the human body?!

...He probably knew, that's why he was threatening Leo right there.

Ugh!

"Why don't you start by telling us where you came from, stranger?" asked the prince, looking at his clothes, and the wound on his back.

In fact, the sweatshirt, jeans and converse were a little out of tune with the era in which Leo had probably ended up.

And for the first time in his life, he was happy not to have his smartphone with him, since it had fallen on the impact... the non-impact... in short, because of that fricking truck! Speaking of trucks... Leo couldn't say he came from another universe, it was the first rule of every self-respecting isekai.

...perhaps.

Not that Leo was all that experienced, since his best friend was the really fanatic one. He just listened to her going on about all the books she read, and the webtoons, and the video games.

Well, on video games he followed her too, but the same, all-straight couples stories didn't take him that much, he had to admit.

But at least he had gained basic knowledge to understand what had happened to him.

If it was true that he had ended up in another dimension, which it was probable, seeing the people around him.

So where did he come from?

What could be plausible?

"I must be confused by the blood to the head and the blow, because I do not remember absolutely anything of me" he asserted with confidence, trying to be convincing with moans and by taking in his hands his sore head.

In the end, he wasn't lying.

He was really hurt.

The prince's eyes, which had so far been understanding and kind, suddenly became stormy.

"Well, if so. Chevel, immobilize him. At the castle we will find a way to bring your memory back" although his tone was gentle, his appearance suddenly became very intimidating, and Leo bitterly regretted asking for help.

By now he could have been dead, and instead, they were going to torture him!

Anything but the saw! And also Judas' Cradle! That was terrifying!

Why did he go to the Inquisition museum during his school trip to Spain in his last year of high school?! He still had nightmares!

"You will regret not having spoken immediately" Chevel whispered in his ear, with malevolent amusement, while he was tying him up

"I have already, trust me" Leo muttered, without resisting because he already knew he had no hope of rebelling.

"Dary! Dary! Where are you?! Did something happen?!" a female voice not far away attracted the attention of the group of knights, and just as Chevel finished immobilizing Leo, a girl appeared from behind a bush.

"Dary! Here you are! Woah! Who is that guy?" asked the newcomer, running to meet the prince.

She was dressed very elegantly, and had long blond hair herself and a curvy physique that seemed really healthy.

Her smile was bright, and with the exception of her eyes, which were a warm hazelnut, she was the spitting copy, smaller and feminine, of the prince.

His sister, obviously.

...wait ...a prince's blonde and a little curvy sister?

Maybe he heard about this story from Giada.

...Nah, it couldn't be that, there were at least seven or eight stories with blonde princes who had equally blonde sisters.

"Opal, I told you to wait for me at the carriage!" her brother chided, alarmed, glancing at Leo to make sure he was tied up and couldn't hurt her.

There was no danger, since Leo, that was five feet and two inches tall, was just a little bit taller than the little princess, and he was much less plump.

Not that there was anything wrong with it, it was just a fact.

Leo was thin by nature.

His grandmother hated him for it.

No, seriously. She hadn't flinched at him coming out, but she still blamed him with marked annoyance about the only time Leo had refused the third plate of meatloaf because he was about to burst.

Ah, grandmothers.

Wonderful!

But wait, Leo didn't have time to think about his grandmother, he had to think about the current situation.

He had heard the name Opal before, somewhere.

And that Dary was also slightly familiar to him.

...maybe.

He still wasn't sure.

"But I was worried. Who is that?" insisted the princess, hiding behind her brother and looking at Leo as if he were a ferocious beast.

Indeed, from the way they were treating him, he would have seemed more like an animal than a person, but he doubted that the fear in the little princess's gaze was due to the terrible conditions in which they were treating him.

"No one to worry about, Opal. Just a spy who got caught in one of our traps. But we immobilized him. Chevel will take care of him" the prince reassured his sister with a few pats on the head.

His duality gave Leo more of a headache than he already had, and he was about to complain and say he couldn't be a spy since he really didn't have a clue what he was supposed to be spying on, when the little princess finally gave the crucial information to get a partial picture of the situation.

"A spy from Valkrest? They're really sending spies?"

Valkrest?

"Prince Daryan, we have checked the surroundings carefully, but no other traps have been triggered. The boy came alone" a newly arrived guard concluded the information.

And finally, Leo remembered where he must have heard those names before.

Prince Daryan and Princess Opal, of the kingdom of Jediah, a rival of the neighboring kingdom of Valkrest.

He'd ended up in one of Giada's favorite books! The one where the prince fell in love with a newly arrived maid, who later turned out to be a noblewoman in disguise! Leo had not paid particular attention to the details of the love story, but he remembered one thing, a detail that could have saved him.

The reason that this maid stood out from all the others, besides the fact that she was a protagonist, was her incredible culinary talent.

Talent that had first brought her closer to the princess, a great fan of sweet things, and then to the prince.

And if there was one thing Leo knew how to do well, besides digging his own grave, it was cooking.

"Your Majesty!" he called, enthusiastic, hoping to save himself from the torture of the saw.

"Opal, back in the carriage" the prince encouraged the princess to follow a guard, before turning to Leo

"Let's hear a bit, is your memory back?" he encouraged him to speak, with an icy look.

"I am from Lumai, not from Valkrest! I think we're in Jediah, right? And I came here for a reason!" he took stock of the situation to make sure he wasn't wrong.

The prince raised an eyebrow, very confused by the prisoner's sudden vitality, and by his confidence he had no reason to have given the position he was in.

"What reason?" he asked, curious about whatever he was going to contrive to spare himself the torture.

"I want to become a cook in your castle!" Leo exclaimed with absolute confidence.

All the guards whirled around to stare at him, incredulous.

The prince looked at him quite bewildered, then he hinted a little smile.

"That's funny, Chevel, take him to the prisoners' carriage" he encouraged the mad swordsman, who, giggling, took him like a sack of potatoes and carried him on his shoulder headed for somewhere.

"Hey, what is this reaction? I am a very good cook! Especially the desserts! You should try them! Are you laughing because I'm a man? What is this sexism?! Hey, dear Mr. Prince, I was not lying!" unfortunately, his complaints were not heard by anyone, and he was thrown into a caravan with thick iron bars, tied like a salami, and very far from being safe.

I did say that one of his greatest talents was digging his own grave, didn't I?

"Well, they lose out, I cook very well! Especially sweet things!" he complained aloud, even though he was aware that no one around there was listening to him.

Or so he believed.