A Teleportation Surprise

"Are you a princess?"

The voice, a hint of curiosity in it, asked the question.

"Yes, I am," the person responded, glimpsing a blurry smile.

"Wow, so you must be very popular among noblemen?"

The voice sounded genuinely interested.

"Not really," she replied, my tone subdued.

"Why? You are a really beautiful princess. I have never seen a woman like you."

Chatter and giggles ensued as the voice continued to converse.

"Maybe that is why the lord is not able to shake his eyes from you."

"Lord? Your lord said that?" the inquirer asked.

"No, but we all know our lord. He is picky when it comes to many things. But from the moment you have come, we have seen him smile. Even though it was not that wide, he was smiling and trying hard to hide it."

"Oh," the person on the other end of the conversation seemed intrigued.

I extended my hand, intending to touch the blurred face I could almost see, but someone stopped me.

"Princess, what are you doing?" I heard one of the maids' voices.

"Oh, nothing, I felt as if I saw someone," I replied with an awkward smile.

"Yeah, you may have. It is the lord's place. He is a powerful person as well. There are many weird things in this place. Sometimes the visitors claim to see people in the mirrors, so maybe the same thing happened to you," one of the maids explained as she combed my hair.

"So, what do they claim to see?" I inquired.

"Not sure. Many act like crazy. Many claimed to have seen their dead relatives, and those who work here for a long time claimed to see…"

She stopped abruptly, leaving me curious.

"See what?" I prodded.

"Princess," Orion suddenly appeared, catching me by surprise.

"Mr. Butler?"

"Yes, princess, Lord has requested your presence," he said with a smile.

"Archmage called for me?" I asked, feeling a mixture of anxiety and curiosity.

"Yes," he confirmed as I followed him to the archmage's study.

Why was he summoning me? Had he changed his mind about helping me? Or was he annoyed with me for asking too many questions I wasn't supposed to?

My heart raced with fear.

"Princess, you don't need to worry. The lord is kinder than he seems," Orion reassured me.

His words resonated with the conversation I had overheard earlier. It seemed that others in this place shared a similar view.

"We have arrived," Orion announced as we reached our destination.

"Aren't you coming inside?" I asked him.

"No, the lord wanted to speak with you privately."

"I will wait here. If you feel anything is amiss, please call me. I will come to your aid as quickly as possible." He smiled again, and this time, the smile seemed different from when I had first arrived.

"Archmage, did you summon me?" I ventured into his room.

"Princess, come in! No need to sneak," he said, sounding as if he were joking, but his expression was as inscrutable as ever.

I entered, eager to ask why he had called me. However, before I could speak, he caught me off guard with a peculiar question.

"Princess, would you like to spend the night here?"

The mere thought of it turned my face crimson with embarrassment.

"W-what a-are y-you asking?" I stammered.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. It's just that it's getting late, and I thought I would inquire. I'm not trying to pressure you to stay," he explained, his own awkwardness evident.

I stole a glance outside to gauge the time, but it was already so dark that I assumed it must be dinnertime.

"No, no, I should be the one apologizing. I lost track of time," I responded.

"It's quite awkward."

"I should leave now," I said, making my way toward the door.

"I can teleport you back to your room," he offered.

"What do you mean?" I inquired.

"Princess, you seem to have forgotten that I am a magician." For the first time, I saw a small smile on his face.

That's right, he is a magician. I had referred to him as the Archmage, but I have yet to witness him use magic, except for the one instance when he will used teleportation magic.

"So, shall we go to your room?" he suggested.

I nodded.

He approached me, and I could feel my heart racing. It was pounding so loudly that I was certain he could hear it too. I tried to control it, but as he drew nearer, closing the distance between us, it seemed impossible.

"Are you ready, princess?" he whispered into my ear.

I closed my eyes, feeling the heat rise in my cheeks

"Yes," I replied, and as I did, his hands encircled my waist. I held onto him, my fear mounting. Although I couldn't recall my very first teleportation experience, I was now terrified. What if I screamed during the process due to the sudden jolts and disorientation?

"Princess, you won't feel any pain," he assured me. How could he be so certain when I came from a modern world where I had never even been on a plane due to my fear of heights?

I had no idea how he would execute the teleportation, but as I closed my eyes and then opened them, which took only a moment, I found myself back in my room. The surroundings were identical, as though nothing had changed.

"We've arrived?" I inquired, my surprise evident.

"Yes," he confirmed.

"Really? So fast? Is this even possible?" I exclaimed, acting somewhat flustered.

"Archmage, you're laughing at me!!!" I pouted.

"I'm sorry, princess!"

"But I can't help but laugh when I see you behaving like a lost rabbit."

A rabbit? Was I truly acting like one?

"I'm not," I retorted.

"Yes, you are. Rabbits hop around just like you," he teased.

I m not sure whether to laugh along with him, appreciating his openness, or to feel a twinge of sadness at being the subject of his teasing.