Cold weather permeated his bones and an empty stomach decayed his insides. Exhausted and with a sniffy nose, Yugo ended his evening shift at a warehouse.

  But before heading home, he stopped by his neighborhood convenience store to spend some of the cash he had just earned to buy himself a nice, warm, ready-to-go meal.

  Imagining something savory and delicious caused a bit of drool to drip as Yugo walked into the convenience store with his hands in his pockets.

  However, a toasty dinner soon fled his mind when a barrage of obnoxious advertisements for some multimedia franchise greeted him at the entrance. Posters, acrylic stands, cardboard cutouts, and T-shirts for a bunch of cartoon characters were shamelessly displayed for fans to purchase.

  Yugo was no such fan, but his sister was.

  “Ah, that reminds me…”

  Yugo checked his smartphone to see his sister’s LINE message from 3 days ago.

  Sister: “When you get back home for New Years, watch this show with me. It’s funny!”

  Attached to her message was an image of an anime show. It depicted a cheeky princess and her harem of fancy male gentlemen. The same exact characters Yugo stood next to in the store.

  As he stared at the disgusting smirks on all the beautifully drawn characters, irritation boiled underneath Yugo’s indifferent expression.

  Ever since his younger sister had become a nerd, she would nag and pester Yugo to buy her anything related to fantasy. Be it novels, comics, anime, or video games.

  And after years of noticing the care and obsession his sister, her friends, and everyone else on the internet had given to non-existent people, while real, living, breathing, individuals like himself got tossed aside as irrelevant beings, Yugo got radicalized into hating everything within the fantasy genre.

  And it all started because of his little sister... Tee-hee!

  Yugo: “Hell no.”

  As soon as Yugo sent his message, his sister responded almost instantly. Sighing, Yugo looked down at his phone again while browsing for a boxed meal in an aisle.

  Sister: “Why do you always reply so late??? It’s been 3 days!”

  “Go back to studying.”

  Sister: “Answer me!!!”

  Yugo: “Studying is very important. If you don’t study, you’ll become a loser like me.”

  Sister: “Shut up, I’m busy taking a bath right now.”

  “…”

  Sister: “Are you ignoring me again?!”

  Sister: “Fine, be like that. See if I care!”

  Sister: “I’ll just tell mom that you have finally disappeared and died.”

  Sister: “STUPID WORTHLESS BROTHER.”

  “Love you too.”

  Yugo smirked as he watched his sister spam him with messages until eventually giving up.

  Afterwards, Yugo bought a few beer cans and a bento box to take back home. But as he left the convenience store, he bumped into an old man wearing a robed costume.

  Yugo: “Pardon me…”

  “Hey you. Come back here.”

  Yugo ignored the old man’s request and kept moving. However, when the man shouted “You delinquent!” in a demeaning tone, Yugo immediately turned around.

  “What did you just call me...? A delinquent? What makes you think I’m one, huh? Huh?! Huh?!!”

  With fiery eyes Yugo shouted back, catching the public’s attention.

  “Ya obviously looks like one with those mean eyes. Not to mention, only a delinquent would stare so rudely at her majesty, Aurora de la Blaze!”

  “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “Don’t try to fool me! I saw how you scowled at her majesty when you entered the store. It’s… It’s unforgivable!”

  “Look old man, I don’t know anything about some stupid princess-”

  “Again!? You better take that back punk, it’s unforgivable!”

  “You’re crazy… Aren’t you way too old for this stuff anyways? Go see a doctor!”

  “I’ll have you know, everyone’s allowed to enjoy fantasy!”

  “Yeah? Well, fuck you. Leave me the hell alone or I’ll call the police!”

  Yugo turned around and walked away as the old man clicked his tongue. But upon leaving the store, he immediately bumped into another person, a policeman.

  While Yugo and the mysterious old man were bickering, the clerk at the convenience store alerted the nearby police to resolve the public nuisance they had caused.

  Withered of life, Yugo returned to his cramped apartment slouched.

  In high school he was unfairly seen by others as a delinquent because of his mean appearance and rash personality. Thanks to that, he failed to make any worthwhile friends or be taken seriously by most of his teachers.

  Now 22 years old, single, and an academic ronin who’s failed to enter any decent university, Yugo had hoped to spend the night consuming a toasty meal while applying for yet another school. But after receiving a scolding from the police, Yugo felt neither toasty or productive. Just pissed off at the world.

  “Maybe I should give up and work part-time for the rest of my life…”

  An hour later, he sat on the floor in his sweatpants glaring at his laptop. Having drunk a few beer cans and ate half a bento box, Yugo was at least sufficiently drunk and satiated.

  Aside from scrolling the web for cheap entertainment, he browsed his email for any work and school related updates. And upon doing so, an advertisement caught his attention.

  “Welcome to the world of… Ainamundus? Developed by… Otaku Gods Studios? Hm, maybe she’ll like this type of game…”

  Double checking to make sure the email was not a scam, Yugo proceeded to quickly register himself as a beta participant for the upcoming indie game.

  “Hopefully this’ll make a good present before New Years…”

  Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

  Yugo finally said before collapsing onto a futon nearby.

  “Mmm… I love you...”

  Half-asleep, Yugo snuggled his pillow, wondering if it was always so soft, so large, and so... smooth?

  And as he moved his arms up and down its smooth surface, he began to squeeze it more tightly until the ‘pillow’ was forced to yelp out a monotone “Eeek...”

  Upon opening his groggy eyes, Yugo saw what appeared to be a woman’s naked torso.

  “Are you comfortable?”

  A young woman with puffy silver-snow hair gazed down at him calmly.

  “Y-yes…?!”

  “Then please keep hugging me. It’s warming me up.”

  Although a large fur blanket covered them both, the stranger’s pajamas left a breach around the stomach area, which Yugo’s head was perfectly pressed up against.

  While a nearby fireplace crackled in the background, Yugo spent five minutes coming to terms to the fact that he wasn’t dreaming. Moreover, he was astonished at how nonchalantly he and the curled woman were both behaving the entire time.

  “Where the hell am I…?” Yugo asked staring up at the stranger’s chin.

  “In my bedroom.”

  “Okay, but… how the hell did I get here?!”

  “…”

  “A-a-anyways, I’m leaving- “

  As Yugo attempted to stand up, he was almost automatically pulled down by the woman’s legs that were tightened around him.

  “If you step outside this room, you’ll either be arrested or executed.”

  “W-w-what? Why?!”

  “For trespassing into the queen’s bedroom and sharing a bed with her.”

  “Huh? Sleeping with the queen? Wait… You?!”

  In contrast to Yugo’s liveliness, the woman nodded simply. Her demeanor remained calm and nonchalant.

  “Indeed. Now, let’s get married.”

  “Hooold on! You’re saying some crazy stuff, lady!”

  Yugo forcibly jumped out of the bed. But despite having stood up, the lean woman continued to cling onto him like a backpack, hanging off his backside.

  “Get off me!”

  “No. It’s cold. Keep me warm.”

  “I don’t care- Oh, you’re right. It’s freezing... Wait, that’s not the problem here!”

  However, as Yugo tried to shake her off, his attention was eventually captured by a large rectangular window.

  When he approached it, he saw gray pinkish clouds loom over vast slopping mountains and yellow-leaf forests in the distance. Aside from snippets of other colors, all the land was covered in a blinding white snow. But just below the window’s view, two layers of thick blue stone walls and many imposing towers peeked into the air, which Yugo stood above.

  “Seriously, where the heck am I? Hokkaido…?”

  “You know, feigning ignorance won’t help you in court if you get arrested soon.”

  “Ah!” Yugo facepalmed himself. “Nice joke, I get it now…”

  Curious, the stranger hopped off Yugo’s back and stood to face him with her head tilted to the side.

  “Haha! You guys fooled me. So, where are the cameras? Have my parents finally sold me off to a comedy show?”

  Silence.

  “You’re beginning to freak me out. Accept my marriage proposal or else I’ll change my mind.”

  “You’re freaking out? I’m freaked out! I don’t understand what’s happening…”

  “It’s obvious. You’ve broken into a monarch’s bedroom. Stop trying to feign ignorance, or has my impressive bosom caused you to forget your crimes already?”

  Yugo stared at Yukina’s chest in confusion.

  She’s flat.

  “...T’was a joke. You’re supposed to laugh.”

  “Hahaha- Screw that! Who the hell are you?!”

  “If I must…” The puffy silver haired lady sighed and proceeded to gracefully bow while still in her pajamas. “I am Yukina of House Kararift. Queen of Silfonia. And, you are?”

  “Y-yugo.”

  “Just Yugo? Are you not of noble blood?”

  “Last time I checked, no.”

  “How unfortunate… oh well.”

  Yukina tiptoed back to her bed, lied down, and covered herself with the fur blanket.

  “I shall give you two more minutes to accept or decline my marriage proposal before I change my mind.”

  Confused and bewildered, Yugo wanted to relent once more at her nonsense. Yet, he also noticed that despite Yukina’s seemingly uncaring attitude towards him, he did feel a sense of seriousness in her proposal.

  For a moment, Yugo stared at the foreign mountains and rustic bedroom before redirecting his attention back to Yukina.

  “Do you know what Japan is? Sony? Mt. Fuji? Instant ramen? Samurai-”

  She shook her head. “Mm-mmm.”

  “If you don’t know those things, then... I may as well be in another world.”

  “Another world?”

  “Yeah. Planet Earth, that’s where Japan is. Which is why I don’t know who you are. Or whatever the heck Kararift or Silfonia is.”

  “I won’t believe you so easily-“

  “Lady Yukina, I heard some noise! Is everything alright? I’m entering, okay?”

  Shoot!

  With nowhere else to run or hide, Yugo leapt back into Yukina’s bed and hid underneath her blanket.

  Bemused, Yukina temporarily lifted it. “If you’ve decided to be next to me, then I take it that you’ve accepted my marriage proposal?”

  For a brief moment Yugo hesitated before rapidly nodding his puppy eyes at Yukina’s emotionless gaze.

  “Very well then. You and I are together now…”

  At the same time, a maid opened the bedroom doors and rushed towards Yukina’s bed.

  “D-did something happen?!”

  “I merely opened the window for some fresh air earlier.”

  “Ugh, your majesty… We are in the middle of winter! Please don’t do that again…”

  “Say, have you ever heard of ‘Yappon’ before?”

  “I’m afraid not your majesty. Anyways, please arise, it’s already noon!”

  “No.”

  “Your majesty! Please. We have some business to attend-“

  “Prepare me a yellow dress.”

  “A yellow dress...? What brought this on? Usually you don’t dress so brightly.”

  “Tis simply because today is a joyful occasion. I shall wed soon.”

  She doesn’t sound very joyful to me...

  “I see, I see. Well, it’s still unusual to wear a yellow dress during the winter-“ Suddenly, the maid paused as her eyebrows arose in shock. “EH!!! You are m-m-marrying?! But, you’ve always avoided this topic milady! Why now?!

  “Because I’ve found myself a lover. He’s from Yappon.”

  Bullshit. Your lover? You don’t even know me!

  “A lover from Yappon? Where’s that?”

  “I’m not sure. That’s why I asked you…”

  “Milady, are jesting? How do you not know where he’s from?”

  “Do I look like a jester?”

  “N-no! P-pardon me... I’ll bring you your yellow dress right away!”

  “And by the way, the marriage ceremony ought to be today. So, have it ready by noon.”

  WHAT?!