FL duties

I pushed Kael away and put distance between us. He looked hurt but didn't say a word. What kind of story did I have with this man?

I looked around the room, then back at him. The physician called me "your majesty"—is he some kind of king? With his unusual white hair, could he be... no way!

Considering the bookshelves and his tone, we were either close or he had locked me up and controlled my every move; the latter seemed more likely.

"What kind of relationship did we have?" I had to ask.

"I love you," he said easily. My heart skipped a beat. I fought back a blush, but it won in the end. I looked away to hide my flushed face and exhaled to regain my composure.

"Please answer my question," I said.

"That's my answer," he replied.

"Can you at least tell me where I am?" I asked.

"You're in Erries. We've been married for two years and just celebrated our second anniversary… yesterday," he said, his beautiful voice tinged with sadness.

I felt bad for him—his wife lost her memory right after their anniversary. I didn't know what to say. I've been married for two years and have no memory of it.

"Your memory," Kael started, "you remember only up to the day before we met," he said. Do I sense a good story here?

"Sounds deliberate to me," I said.

"I'll try to get your memories back," he promised. My memories seem more important to him than to me. It's sad to know there's a part of me that's gone, a part with him in it, and I almost had a child.

"So, I'm married to a shifter," I said, and he looked down, laughing a pained laugh. In a good story, it makes sense if I'm indifferent towards him at first.

"You didn't change. That's good to know," he said, and walked out.

"I'm lost," I said to myself.

…

I resisted going to the shelves all morning, but by noon, I couldn't hold back. I picked a book and buried my face in it, forgetting about the world and my mess.

I ended up skipping lunch and planned to skip dinner because I didn't want to stop reading. I was even planning my night's sleep around it.

"What did I say about skipping meals to read?" I heard from behind me. I turned my head slightly, but my eyes stayed on the book. The book was taken from my hands, and I frowned, turning to look at Kael. "You should eat," he said, pointing at a table where maids were arranging dinner.

"I'm not hungry," I said, reaching for the book.

"Please," he said, and I sighed. 'It is the second day, after all.'

I stood up and walked to the table, taking my seat. I was famished, but the book still held more interest for me than the food or anything else.

"Do you do this a lot?" I asked once Kael was seated in front of me.

"Do what?" he asked.

"Take my books," I said.

"I have to, or else you'd starve yourself," he said. I scoffed inwardly.

"Then you shouldn't have put shelves full of all my favorite tropes in the room," I said.

"I didn't have much of a choice. If I wanted to see my wife, I had to bring what she loves close," he said, and my face flushed. Being called someone's wife was just… new? It felt like he was talking about a different person.

I turned my attention to my plate but could still feel his gaze on me. "What else do I need to know about this place?" I changed the topic for my sake.

"Everyone's here to serve you," he said plainly.

"What else?"

"That's it," he replied. That can't be it.

"Then, what happened to my sister?" I asked.

"Do you really want to know?" he said, and a sense of dread settled in my chest. I bit my lip as all the worst-case scenarios flooded my mind. "She's married with triplets," he said. This isn't an action story—he's lucky.

"You scared me," I said, holding my chest.

"Sorry," he said, smiling. You obviously don't mean it.

"Can I go see her?" I asked.

"I can arrange that, but it would take a while," he replied.

"Until my memories return," I had to clarify, and his expression saddened again.

"Is that what you want?" he asked. I feel like I should say no.

This isn't right. Why are we skipping through the enemy parts of this story? It's different when the male lead is your husband, and he knows everything about you—except if he's the villain.

"Yes," I said.

"You just woke up. You might regain your memories if you explore the palace or… I don't know," Kael said, looking down. So, he's that type of male lead or villain—it's going to be hard to leave.

I felt awkward staying there, and it hadn't even been a day. Even with a few months' worth of books, it's not enough. What will I do when my face isn't buried in a book?

"Just…"

"Maybe you're right. I'll try visiting places I frequented and see if I regain my memories," I said, and he sighed in relief. I shouldn't neglect my duties as the female lead; as long as Lucy is okay, that's fine.

I stood up and walked to the bed, intending to sleep. Kael followed me, making me stop to look at him.

"Are you staying here?" I asked.

"Should I not?" he asked. Obviously! You're a very handsome shifter who happens to be my husband—I don't feel safe. "I'll leave," he said, as if he heard my thoughts. He turned and left with an indescribable expression. If he stayed, my heart would have exploded; my brain was already running miles.

I am so much like a female lead in a romance novel. What kind of female lead should I be? The weak, frightened one? I think it's too late for that. The sharp-mouthed type? Or the indifferent type who doesn't care?

Maybe this will be an enemies-to-lovers story. This is just so fun to think about. I woke up with an extremely handsome husband.