"Hey, wake up," he gently called out.

Estoria stirred from her slumber at the sound of Asher's voice, "What is it?" She mumbled sleepily as she sat up in bed.

"You were having a nightmare, so I thought I should wake you up," Asher explained, his gaze avoiding Estoria's eyes.

"Oh, yeah, that dream again..." She replied, her voice tinged with sadness as she noticed her tear-stained face.

She touched her face wet with tears, feeling the lingering emotions from the troubling dream.

"Asher, could you please get the red handkerchief from my dress-" Estoria requested, her voice still carrying the remnants of her troubled dream.

Asher moved swiftly, his response so immediate that he didn't even let her finish speaking before heading to retrieve the red handkerchief from my dresser.

"Here," Asher said softly as he handed her the handkerchief, his concern evident in his eyes.

Estoria took the handkerchief and gently wiped away the tears from her face, appreciating Asher's thoughtful gesture.

Asher's keen eyes caught the initials on the handkerchief, and he inquired, "Isn't that Aluxio's handkerchief? Why are you using his handkerchief?"

Estoria hurriedly explained, "He gave it to me, but when I tried to return it later, he said he didn't need it anymore. I guess he doesn't use handkerchiefs that others have used already," with a shrug of her shoulders.

"That redhead prince doesn't seem to have any manners. Give it to me; it will probably sell for a lot in the black market," Asher said, reaching his hand out to take the handkerchief.

Estoria stared at the handkerchief and then back at Asher, unable to part with it.

"Oh, come on," Asher teased, "you're the duke's daughter; you can buy millions of handkerchiefs like these."

"That's true, but I don't have any money on me right now. How much do you think this will sell for?" She asked, her curiosity piqued, wondering if it might be worth more than she thought.

"I'm not sure, but the other day, someone bought Princess Alstroemeria's single hair strand for 1000 gold coins in the black markets auction," Asher explained as he took a seat on the bed.

"Is that a lot?" She asked, admitting her lack of knowledge about the local economy.

"Are you kidding me? You can buy a house with that much money," Asher exclaimed, clearly astonished by the substantial sum.

"Wow," Estoria uttered, amazed by the person who had spent such a significant amount on a single strand of hair.

"So, do you still want to keep the handkerchief, or...?" Asher inquired, leaving the decision to Estoria.

"Nope, no way I'm keeping this. We are going out right now to sell this," She declared, determined to make the most of the unexpected windfall. Estoria got out of bed with newfound energy.

"That's a good decision, but it's still 4 am, and it's night outside," Asher pointed out, noting the late hour.

"Why are you up so late?" She asked, covering her mouth in an exaggerated dramatic fashion.

"You want me to sleep forever? I've been asleep since yesterday," Asher replied, joining in the playful banter.

"No, it's fine; I've had worse sleep schedules," She replied, dropping the dramatic act and chuckling.

"I've been awake since 1 am, and I'm hungry," Asher complained, mimicking the tone of a hungry child asking his mom for food.

"Fine, let me get ready first. I'll make you something to eat after that, and also, we're going for a training session," She listed out her plans for the morning.

"You really train at this hour, the crack of dawn?" Asher inquired with a hint of amusement.

"Yes, it's the best time for training without interruption," She answered, emphasizing the advantages of early morning workouts.

---

Estoria and Asher were back in the kitchen, on a quest to find something to satisfy their hunger.

Estoria opened the fridge, scanning its contents for ingredients. "I know how to make food, but I'm no chef. Also, how is there a fridge in this historical world?" She pondered aloud, amused by the anachronism.

"I'm not sure what you're talking about, but that thing works on snow potions," Asher explained, shedding light on the peculiar appliance.

"Okay, we have eggs and bread, so egg sandwiches it is, Asher," She said, seeking his confirmation.

"Okay, just hurry," Asher grumbled, clearly eager to satisfy his hunger.

"I've made a pretty decent breakfast," Estoria said with a sense of accomplishment, enjoying the meal she had prepared for both of them.

"I like everything you make," Asher remarked, savoring his meal.

After finishing breakfast, a sudden craving for popcorn struck, and Estoria noticed that she had all the necessary ingredients, so she was confident she could whip up a batch.

"Asher, have you ever tried popcorn?" She asked. 

"No, what's that?" Asher responds with curiosity.

"Sit back down then. I'm about to prepare some," She said as she gathered all the ingredients for popcorn.

"So, what do you think of them?" She asks Asher, eagerly awaiting his reaction.

"They're delicious! How did you know how to make these?" Asher exclaims, his eyes widening as he indulges in more popcorn.

"I saw someone make these when I was younger," She replied, joining Asher to enjoy the popcorn.

Asher asks with suspicion, "You're not faking the loss of your memories, are you?"

"Of course not," She replied promptly, reassuring Asher.

"Then how do you recall how to cook when you couldn't even remember who you were?" Asher questions.

"I don't know, maybe food held a special place in my heart," She responded, her voice raised with uncertainty.

"More than your family?" Asher inquires, raising an eyebrow.

"I don't have the answers either. Let's drop it," She replied.

"Okay, sorry," Asher quickly concedes.

---

Asher and Estoria embarked on their morning training, to digest their meals.

"Alright, Asher, time to get fit!" Estoria exclaimed with an enthusiastic grin.

"I can't believe I agreed to this," Asher grumbled as he stretched his limbs, already foreseeing the his misery.

"Come on, we're going to become the strongest," She declared, her determination.

They began with some simple warm-up exercises, but their lack of coordination quickly turned it into a slapstick routine. Instead of synchronized jumping jacks, they had a collision mid-air, landing in a tangled mess.

They moved on to jogging, or at least attempting to. Asher's idea of jogging resembled a duck's waddle, and Estoria couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"What's so funny?" Asher inquired with a puzzled expression.

"Nothing, nothing! Let's just keep going," She replied, suppressing her laughter as they attempted to jog, her own running style looking equally amusing to say the least.

And with that, their morning training session turned into a comedy show, leaving them both energized but not necessarily in peak physical condition.

As the morning sun reached its zenith, they found themselves with a packed schedule,

"So, I've listed everything that we still have to do today," Estoria remarked, ready to tackle their tasks with renewed energy after their morning of laughter.

"Why is this list so long? I'm tired," Asher playfully whined.

"I know, right? The king also asked us to visit him today," Estoria sighed, acknowledging the additional task on their already extensive list.

"Did the invitation explain why we are visiting the king?" Asher inquired, curious about the purpose of our meeting with the monarch.

"It said to receive the reward for saving the princess's life," She explained, shedding light on the reason behind their royal summons.

"Oh, are we getting money?" Asher's eyes lit up with excitement at the prospect of a financial reward.

"Maybe. Let's go receive it first," Estoria agreed, sharing in Asher's excitement as they looked forward to the royal reward.

---

They climbed into the waiting carriage, ready to make their way to the royal palace for the anticipated meeting with the king first.

"This is my second time riding in a carriage, and it's ever so bumpy," Estoria remarked, gazing out the window at the fascinating new scenery.

"It's not that bad; you'll get used to it," Asher replied, clearly more accustomed to the carriage's bumps and jolts.

As they arrived at the royal palace, they were greeted by a sight that was even more grandiose and extravagant than the princess's palace. The opulence and majesty of the royal residence left us both in awe, and they couldn't help but marvel at the sheer magnificence of the place.

They entered the audience room of the king, and their eyes were immediately drawn to the monarch's striking appearance. His gentle green eyes sparkled with warmth, and his long, luscious purple hair cascaded gracefully around him, adding an aura of regal elegance to his presence. Both of them were captivated by his unique and enchanting appearance.

They followed suit, bowing down and greeting the king as was customary in such formal settings. While Estoria had a general idea of royal etiquette from historical webtoons, she did her best to emulate the respectful gestures and expressions she had seen in those stories.

"Estoria, it's been so long since I saw you last. You were just a week old, and now you're all grown up. I must say, it makes me realize how old I have become," the king said with a fond smile, his eyes filled with nostalgia and affection as he greeted Estoria.

"And this child is Asher, I believe, the new addition to the Stallions," the king remarked, acknowledging Asher with a warm smile.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Estoria replied with a touch of nervousness, maintaining the respectful tone that was expected in the presence of royalty.

"Issac was so worried when he heard about you and your memories. You should reunite with them soon," the king suggested, his concern for Estoria's well-being evident in his words.

"I have decided for my departure to be tomorrow, Your Majesty," Estoria suddenly announced, conveying her decision to the king.

Asher looked at her in disbelief, clearly surprised by the sudden decision.

"Very well, now tell me what you desire, and I shall make it yours for saving my precious daughter's life from an assassination attempt," the king declared graciously, extending his gratitude and willingness to fulfill their requests.

"The princess saved my life too and has been generously taking care of us, so I have nothing more to ask for than a safe journey back home," She replied with sincerity, expressing her gratitude for the princess's kindness and the princess's life-saving actions.

"You're way too kind for your own good, Estoria. Be more greedy," the king chuckled, "But very well, I shall make the best arrangements I can for your journey to the south," he agreed, acknowledging Estoria's selflessness and assuring that their journey atleast would be well-prepared and safe.

Asher leaned in and whispered, "Hey, ask for money! What are you doing?"

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Estoria said with a sincere smile, expressing her gratitude for his generosity and understanding of their modest request.

---

"Why did you not ask for money or even a mansion? We could have asked for anything!" Asher exclaimed as soon as they made their exit from the royal palace and got back into the carriage. His voice held a mixture of surprise and playful chiding.

"I just felt weird asking for it. It's not like the king was handing us money. Also, it's better that we travel safely instead of just some gold coins," She replied, explaining her reasoning for the modest request.

"Suit yourself, but since I also got nothing, we're dividing the money from selling that handkerchief into a 50/50 split," Asher declared, proposing a fair arrangement for the proceeds of their unexpected windfall.

"Okay, fine. We are heading to the market, so let's see what we get for it," She agreed, looking forward to discovering the value of the handkerchief in the local market.

As they arrived at the bustling market, they were greeted by a lively scene filled with people selling and buying all sorts of goods and wares. The vibrant atmosphere was a stark contrast to the silence of the royal palace.

"We probably won't get a good price for it in the local market, so hand me the handkerchief. I'll go to the black market and place it in today's auction," Asher suggested, recognizing that the black market might offer a more lucrative opportunity for their unexpected windfall.

"Can't I just go with you to the black market too?" Estoria asked, curious about the hidden world of the black market.

"No, it's dangerous for someone as delicate as you. Just stay here; I'll be quick," Asher said, taking the handkerchief and heading towards the black market, leaving her behind in the bustling local marketplace.

"That boy never listens to me," She muttered to herself, a mixture of exasperation and fondness in her voice as she observed the lively activities of the market.

She observed the various individuals bustling about the market, her gaze fell upon some familiar faces, sparking her curiosity and prompting her to go closer to them.

As Estoria got closer, she immediately recognized the pair as Darius and Isabella, the main characters of this enchanting world she had found herself in.

She discreetly observed Darius and Isabella as they engaged in some serious flirting for a while, but then her eyes widened in surprise as their affection escalated, culminating in a passionate, public kiss. The intensity of their display left her both amazed and slightly embarrassed by the unexpected intimacy she had witnessed.

"What has captured your intense focus?" Asher's voice surprised her as he seemingly materialized out of thin air beside her.

In a reflexive gesture, She quickly covered Asher's eyes, attempting to shield him from the intimate scene she had inadvertently observed.

"Are you teleporting now? How are you so fast?" Estoria asked him, diverting the conversation away from the previous awkward moment and focusing on Asher's mysterious arrival.

"Why are you overreacting? I've done my task," Asher said as he removed her hand from his eyes, evading the question about his sudden appearance.

"How long will it take for it to sell?" She asked, shifting the conversation back to the matter at hand, her curiosity regarding the sale of the handkerchief in the black market.

"They said to come back in the evening," Asher replied, providing information about the expected timing for the sale of the handkerchief.

"We have an hour or two before that, so let's explore the market a bit," She suggested with enthusiasm, eager to immerse themselves in the vibrant and bustling marketplace.