The following day, I was summoned to the dungeon where the prince of Homonhon was being held, just as His Highness had commanded. When I arrived, the sight before me was nothing like what I had imagined. The once-proud prince, the embodiment of royal authority, was now barely recognizable. Blood and grime marred his face, his elegant clothing reduced to tattered rags. Chains bound him to the wall, stripping away any semblance of dignity or power.

I pulled out my identification card and handed it to the warrior guarding the cell. He scrutinized it with an intensity that made me momentarily wonder if he could read at all. Finally, he unlocked the cage and stepped aside, returning to his post at the main entrance. As the door creaked open, I hesitated for a moment, feeling the weight of what I was about to do.

"Hi?" I managed awkwardly, unsure of how to approach a fallen prince.

He glared at me, his silence heavy with anger and despair. The weight of his loss clung to the air between us, making it difficult to find the right words. How does one comfort someone who has lost everything? But I wasn't here to offer comfort. I needed his help to complete the scroll and, ultimately, to return home.

"Don’t worry, I’m not here to force you into anything. I just want you to know that I’m not your enemy. I’m here to help," I said, trying to inject sincerity into my voice. He remained mute.

"I’m willing to help you escape. In return, I need your help to get back to my world."

"I don’t need help."

"Really? Even if I told you your sister was caught by our prince?"

His eyes widened, surprise and rage flashing across his face. "Ha! My sister will never be caught by any of your people. I’m sure she’s already escaped with the rest of our people."

"Well, I’m afraid I’ve already captured her," I replied, recalling how I had found the princess desperately trying to hide among the shelves in the library. She had looked like a small, frightened rabbit, nearly in tears, mistaking me for one of those fearsome warriors. It was adorable!

"You think you can fool me?" the prince barked, his fury barely masking his disbelief.

Without a word, I dropped a small, delicate hair ornament in front of him. "I found her hiding in the library. I guess the hidden paths have already been discovered by our warriors."

"YOU! Where is she?! Answer me!" He strained against his chains, desperation thick in his voice.

"Don’t worry. She’s somewhere safe," I said, trying to calm him down. "Probably," I added, realizing she might not be entirely safe after we got separated during her escape. That only made the prince angrier.

"Probably, you say?!"

I observed him for a few seconds as he struggled against his chains, much like watching my dog throw a tantrum before getting a shot at the vet. I had been thinking for a while about how to convince him, just as I had convinced the princess to trust me. And, as I suspected, having proof was the most effective and efficient way.

"Don’t worry. The fact that she’s not here with you means she’s safe."

"That’s not very reassuring at all."

"Well, it’s not like you have many other options. Besides, your sister gave me this pin, which means she trusted me. Right?" I said, flashing him my most disarming smile as I sat down in front of him.

"Ha, who do you think you’re fooling? For all I know, you must have stole—"

Without hesitation, I began unbuttoning my clothes and undoing my chest binding, revealing my cleavage. "I know it’s hard to earn your trust. That’s why I’m showing you this secret of mine. As you can see—"

"C...Cover yourself! Now!" he sputtered, his face turning a deep shade of red.

Oh, I didn’t realize he was this bashful. I stifled a chuckle.

"What are you smiling about?" he demanded, still flustered.

"Oh, I just thought it was cute how similarly you and your sister reacted just now," I giggled, quickly covering myself and re-tightening my clothes.

"You let my sister see that?!" His horror was so palpable that I didn't know if I should take offense, but I decided to brush it off.

"Oh no, we didn’t have much time. I just grabbed her hand and let her touch them," I said as I adjusted my clothes.

The prince looked utterly speechless.

"As you can see, I'm a woman pretending to be a man—not that I want to, but I have to. I’ve never told anyone about this, except you and your sister, because... well, I had to."

I started rambling, waving my hands around for emphasis. "The prince captured me, and I became his historian to translate the scroll for him. I had no choice but to disguise myself because, you know, their country is full of Men. I was actually hoping your country would win so I could escape, but... those monsters are too strong for their own good. Oh, just to clarify, by ‘country,’ I mean your land, towns, or whatever you call it. You get what I mean, right?"

"Why are you telling me this?" he asked, looking utterly confused.

"I told you, it’s because I need your help to get back to my world," I added. I couldn’t afford to waste time trying to gain his trust—I simply didn’t have enough of it.

This was the only moment when His Highness’s secret warriors were nowhere to be seen. The prince was consumed with internal affairs, and the rest of his warriors were either hunting for the princess or securing the newly conquered empire. It was now or never—our one and only chance.

But just as we moved, a shadow flickered in the corner of my eye. My heart pounded as I turned, bracing for the worst. But instead of a lurking assassin, I saw… a bug. A tiny, harmless bug.

It darted right at my face, and without thinking, I let out an embarrassing yelp and flailed my hands to shoo it away. Here I was, trying to be serious and convincing, and instead, I ended up battling a bug like it was some terrifying enemy.

"What?" I hissed at the prince. He just stared at me, wide-eyed, clearly trying not to laugh.

I took a deep breath, regaining my composure. The bug had unintentionally helped lower his guard. "Listen, His Highness’s secret warriors are skilled in tracking. Fortunately, they’re not around at the moment. Once they’re mobilized, it will be much harder for me to help you escape. I only need a few words translated from the scroll, so if you cooperate, it’s a win-win for both of us."

"I don’t know what’s written on those words, but if you can truly read them, then that man will be unstoppable. I would rather die than help you gain that power."

"I understand. I also agree that he shouldn’t have the dragon’s power, which is why I’m manipulating what I transcribe for him. So don’t die."

"What?" he was clearly flabbergasted.

His reaction made sense, though. After all, who else would have the audacity to deceive the Empire of Marceau and its formidable prince but someone as reckless—or maybe just plain crazy—as me?