Dominance of Viled Heart

Chapter 10

The next day, the room felt suffocating. Rowell’s voice trembled as he read from the scroll, his eyes darting nervously toward the prince. We sat at a long, ornate table, the only sound filling the silence was the soft, rhythmic tapping of the prince’s fingers against the wood. Each tap sent a jolt down my spine, the tension building with every beat.

When Rowell finally finished, the prince leaned back in his chair, his gaze sharpening as he scanned the scroll. He studied it like a puzzle only he could solve, dissecting each line with terrifying precision.

“So, it’s about this heart again,” he mused, almost to himself.

“All the previous holders of these scrolls had their hearts pulled out, as you all suggested,” he continued, his tone unnervingly casual. “And yet, we’re still empty-handed. As expected, it was never about the heart.”

His gaze swept over us like a predator surveying its prey. “Do you know what that means?”

My stomach churned. Hearts pulled out. Who even thought of that? My mind screamed at me to run, to do something, but I forced myself to stay perfectly still. If I made even the smallest mistake, it could be the end of me.

The prince’s lips curled into a twisted smile. “It means the heart we need is in the Homonhon Empire. The right path is in there.” His eyes gleamed with a madness I hadn’t seen before.

“Nixon, prepare the warriors. We’re heading to Homonhon,” the prince commanded.

Nixon bowed, his expression as cold as the prince’s. “As you wish, Your Highness.” He left without another word, leaving the rest of us to grapple with the brutal reality—we were heading into war.

I tried to steady my breath, but my hands trembled under the table. I dug my nails into my palms, willing them to stop. I wanted to protest, to beg to stay behind, but the moment I met the prince’s gaze, the words died in my throat. I had no strong excuse, no real way out. If I said the wrong thing, if I misstepped even once, I wouldn’t make it out alive.

I had to survive. Somehow. But how?

I needed that last piece of the puzzle just as much as they did. If I had to drain my funds and risk my life to infiltrate the black market, so be it. In this world, survival meant becoming like them—cunning, ruthless, calculating. It was the only way.

A month had passed since that meeting, but the weight of the prince’s words still pressed down on me. The days blurred together, a haze of fear and preparation. And now, as war loomed closer, there was no turning back.

The emperor’s farewell speech echoed in the open air, his voice heavy with the grim reality of war. We stood in line with the other warriors, his words washing over us like a tide I couldn’t escape.

I didn’t belong here. The polished armor on my body felt foreign, my thoughts spiraling with doubt and confusion. What was I doing among seasoned fighters? How had my life twisted into this nightmare?

I had begged, pleaded, grasped at any excuse to avoid this. Nothing worked. And now, here I was, forced to march alongside killers. This was my reality now.

At least I was placed in the second-to-third group, trailing behind the prince. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to make me feel slightly safer.

My heart pounded as I stared at the endless desert ahead. The sand stretched out like a barren wasteland, broken only by the silhouette of the distant palace. It looked like a mirage, barely visible through the shimmering heat. And the waterfalls—why were there waterfalls in the middle of a damn desert?

“Seriously, where do those waterfalls even come from?” I muttered, coughing as the swirling dust burned my throat.

Months of living on the edge had drained me. I was running on fumes, scraping by, barely surviving. Adapting to this world felt exhausting.

I looked at the desert, its emptiness reflecting the life I had left behind. This was the first time I really saw the place, and it felt unreal—like a dream. My old life had been simple. I worked from home, went out only when necessary. Back then, my biggest concern was getting the right size for my orders.

Now? Now I was standing among warriors, preparing for war.

How had my life spiraled this far out of control?

After what felt like an eternity, the barren desert finally gave way to an unexpected paradise—lush greenery, vibrant flowers, and ripe fruits surrounded us. The stark contrast from the endless desert was jarring. As the warriors quickly set up camp, scavenging for food and water, I silently slipped away to find some peace.

Exhausted, I collapsed under a large tree by a glistening lake. When I caught my reflection in the water, I barely recognized myself. Is this really what I look like as a warrior? I didn't know if I was brave or just a fool to have made it this far and become part of this war.

For a brief moment, I allowed myself to enjoy the calm, though the absurdity of it all quickly snapped me back.

"I was so unlucky," I muttered, my mind drifting to the Isekai stories I used to binge. In those tales, the protagonists had better luck—they landed in worlds where they were powerful or privileged.

Meanwhile, here I was, just a normal woman, stuck in my own body, surrounded by people I had to outsmart just to survive. "What do I have? A headache and a bunch of new muscles!"

My gaze flickered toward the prince retreating into the camp. My nerves were still frayed from our brief encounter. His gaze had been heavy, leaving an unsettling weight that lingered like a bruise.

Just as I tried to shake off the tension, something unexpectedly passed in front of me, momentarily blocking my view of the prince’s retreating shadow.

Two... plump buns appeared right in my line of sight.

Before I could process what I was seeing, I heard a loud splash. My jaw dropped. Leon had appeared out of nowhere, already halfway through stripping down, tossing his clothes carelessly onto the shore in front of me. My brain short-circuited trying to keep up with the shape I really, really didn't mean to see.

My face turned red as I jerked my head away, only to catch Leon now happily splashing in the lake, looking as carefree as a child, completely oblivious to the damage he’d done to my innocence.

I froze where I sat, my wide eyes glued to the scene, still in shock. To my utter horror, more historians and warriors began casually undressing and jumping into the water one after another.

They didn’t even glance my way, completely unfazed by the sudden and unapologetic showcase of bare bodies I absolutely never asked for.

"Oh gods, why am I seeing this? My eyes…!" My inner scream echoed as I slammed my eyes shut—too late. The damage was done. The image was already burned into my memory: muscles, butts, and way too much… anatomy.

Leon’s cheerful voice broke through my mental agony. "Tuk! Come in! The water’s great!"

My stomach dropped. That idiot! I screamed internally, trying desperately to keep a straight face as warriors in the lake waved at me like they were auditioning for some kind of shampoo commercial.

They gleamed under the sun, their muscles and sun-kissed skin radiating as if they belonged on the cover of a fitness magazine. But of course, my brain decided to zoom in on the other details—the unflattering, unholy details. No, self, don’t look down.

"I’m fine!" I shouted back, pasting on the most forced smile of my life. "I’ll wash up later. I just need some rest!"

With trembling legs and the dignity of a crawling crab, I attempted to retreat. The water was too clear. Damn it, I saw things. A horrifying display of… variously shaped, long, thick mushrooms. Burned into my brain forever.

Just as I thought I had escaped, I froze. A pair of boots blocked my path. Slowly, like a condemned soul looking up at their executioner, I raised my eyes. My heart lurched in terror before relief crashed over me.

It was the prince.

"What are you doing?"

My heart nearly jumped out of my chest. Oh, thank the gods, he’s still wearing clothes!

His voice was cold and measured, with just a hint of confusion—probably because he caught me crawling on the ground. But I couldn’t help it, my legs had gone completely numb from sitting too long.

"I… I was just…" I stammered, my brain scrambling for an excuse. Any excuse. "...admiring the grass?" I blurted out, grabbing a handful of it for emphasis, as if that would somehow make my ridiculous answer more believable.

His sharp gaze bore into me, unamused. "Admiring… the grass," he repeated flatly, as though he couldn’t decide if I was insane or just hopeless.

"Yes! Grass!" I said, doubling down, clutching it like my last lifeline. "It’s so… uh… green?"

I paused, realizing how silly I sounded, but it was too late now. Inside, I cringed so hard I felt like crawling into a hole. Why did I say that?

"What about you, Your Highness? What brings you here?" I asked, trying to act calm, even though I wanted to disappear.

The prince’s expression shifted into something even colder, his voice dripping with arrogance as he replied, "I don’t need to report my movements to you."

"Right? Of course, Your Highness," I squeaked, my forced smile threatening to split my face. But inside, I was cursing him with every insult I could think of. Arrogant royal peacock.

"Please, go ahead," I added hastily, waving my hand as if granting him permission.

He gave me one last look, the kind that screamed pathetic, before turning and striding away with his usual regal flair.

As soon as he was out of sight, I let out a shaky breath and stabbed the grass in frustration. Why, oh why, am I like this?!

This all started because of those damn scrolls in the Homonhon Empire. Why were they so important to the prince? He was already in power, so why make everyone miserable over some ancient words? From what I could piece together, the scrolls supposedly told a story of dragons and power. But it’s not like that power was literally hiding in someone’s heart, right?

What was his obsession with this? I’d get it if the scrolls could send me back home—but no. They were just some cryptic, rhyming story about dragons, like one of those crappy fairy tales. At least from what I understood.

I shook my head. I didn’t have time to waste on these thoughts. Hiding my identity was getting harder by the day, and to make things worse, I couldn’t even bathe with all these naked men around. I’d have to wait until they fell asleep and hope the water wasn’t ice-cold by then.

Several hours later, I found myself tiptoeing into the lake, my teeth instantly clenching as icy water lapped at my skin.

"Argh! Why is the water so cold?!" My voice echoed across the empty shore, but I didn't care—I was already suffering.

I hadn't even planned on bathing, but a damn cricket decided to land on my face in the middle of the night, effectively ruining any chance of sleep. It had been days since I last washed up, and frankly, I felt disgusting. With most of the camp asleep and only a few keeping watch, I took my chance and snuck off. My hygiene was officially dead, and desperate times called for desperate measures.

But the water? It was trying to kill me.

Is this what dying feels like? My hands trembled as I scrubbed myself at record speed, fully convinced that if I stayed in any longer, hypothermia would finish me off.

Every few seconds, I peeked over the rocks, paranoia creeping in. What if someone showed up? The thought of being caught like this—half-frozen, dripping wet, looking like a half-drowned rat—was somehow worse than the cold itself.

The moment I got out of the lake, I dressed with the urgency of someone escaping a natural disaster, wrapping myself in every dry scrap of clothing I owned. My fingers barely worked, my lips felt numb, but at least I was clean. Kind of.

I shuffled back to the firepit, huddling close in a desperate attempt to regain feeling in my limbs. Useless. My body refused to cooperate, and my hair clung to my face like a soggy mop. Maybe, just maybe, if I caught a cold, they'd let me rest for a day.

Of course, my immune system had other plans.

"Even my own body is against me," I grumbled before sleep pulled me under again.

"—Tuk…"

A voice cut through my dreams, but I ignored it.

"Tuk, wake up!"

I jolted awake, gasping, my hands instinctively clutching onto something—someone. My dazed mind took a second to register that it was Leon, his clothes balled up in my fists like I was ready to throw hands.

The nightmare still clung to me. That faceless, grinning thing from my first day in this world—it was creeping closer, whispering.

This place… it just keeps giving me new traumas.

"Are you okay?" Leon's voice was gentle, but urgency laced his tone. "Sorry for waking you so abruptly, but we have to go now."

I wiped the cold sweat from my forehead, still disoriented. Around me, the camp buzzed with movement—tents being packed up, warriors strapping on their gear.

"Everyone’s been preparing. We’re entering the border of Homonhon."

Ah, right… war. Maybe that's why I dreamed of that scene again.

Leon offered me a small smile as he helped me up. "By the way, I didn’t know you had curly hair. That’s rare—but it suits you."

My hand flew to my head. Damn it. I forgot to tie my hair before sleeping. It was still damp from last night’s lake bath, and now it was a tangled mess. I fumbled to fix it while trudging after Leon, my body heavy with exhaustion. I should’ve cut it when I had the chance. Keeping long hair in this kind of environment was a nightmare.

As we traveled, the scenery couldn't seem to decide what season it wanted to be. Some trees had autumn leaves, others bloomed like it was spring. The ground kept switching between rock-hard and summer-mud levels of squishy.

The warriors? They didn’t even blink at the weirdness. They barely reacted to the strange creatures rustling in the bushes, lurking in the trees—meanwhile, I jumped at every twig snap.

But what really tested my sanity? Every single lake or waterfall we passed.

Like clockwork, the warriors would strip down and dive in, completely unbothered by the fact that they were, well… free in the breeze.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t avoid it. My brain screamed each time, but I bit my tongue—making a scene would only make things worse.

Just meditate, I told myself. This is normal. Think of it as some weird Adam-and-Eve era.

Yeah. Sure. Totally normal.

Let’s try to enjoy the view.