Love Upon A Time.

Upon Our Greeting.

Before this, if anyone had told me that the whole idea of travelling back in time to live in the past was real, I'd have thought they watched too many period dramas and got too absorbed. But now, it seems I have to rethink that because the situation I'm facing is incredibly bizarre.

 

"Who are you, people?" After being too bemused to speak for a while, I finally found my voice and mustered the courage to ask. However, the group in front of me froze. Their eyes were confused as if they didn't understand my question.

 

"Mr Klao, what did you say?"

 

"Who are you guys? Where is this place?" I repeated, but that only made them more bewildered.

 

"Mr Klao, do you not remember?" The young man standing at the front, the one who'd found me, asked with a worried expression. His face seemed strangely familiar, but my shock at hearing the name they kept calling me drowned out any coherent thoughts.

 

"No, I... my name isn't-" But before I could finish my sentence, the sound of many footsteps crunching on leaves grew closer. jumped and quickly turned my gaze towards the sound. When my eyes met those of the person leading the group, my heart skipped a beat for no reason.

 

"Have you found him?" The deep voice of the newcomer came. He was a tall young man with sun-kissed skin, probably around my age. He wore a long-sleeved, high- collared Chinese-style shirt made of luxurious fabric, a traditional Thai loincloth, and a waist sash. His hair was styled in the traditional Thai manner, just like the others. However, his demeanour was more dignified, making him seem much older than me.

 

He had a handsome face, with thick eyebrows that slanted upward, matching his sharp eyes with slightly upturned corners. His nose was prominent, and his lips were well-shaped, giving him a distinctly Thai, masculine look. His overall appearance made him stand out from everyone else in the area.

 

"Yes, Muun." The young man who found me quickly bowed and responded respectfully. Muun's dark eyes flicked back to me, and I stared back without realising it. I was sure I'd never seen this man before, but deep down, I felt an odd familiarity, as if he were a childhood friend I'd forgotten and was now meeting again.

 

"How did you end up here?" His voice carried a mix of reprimand and relief as he stepped closer, scrutinising me from head to toe with those sharp eyes. Suddenly, the initial concern in his eyes turned into a stern look, making me quickly avert my gaze.

 

Even though my sexual orientation isn't limited to just women, I swear I didn't look away because I was attracted to him. I was scared of his intense gaze. He had a handsome face but a fierce look. Besides... his eyes seemed oddly unfriendly, making me, who was already confused, even more alarmed.

 

"Have you found Klao?" Amidst the uncomfortable silence, a familiar voice rang out. Someone who'd just arrived pushed through the crowd to stand in front, and when I turned to look, my jaw dropped.

 

'Thi!" I called out to my friend in a mix of shock and extreme joy, but he looked perplexed.

 

"Are you calling me?"

 

"Yes, Thi, how did you end up here? What's going on?"

 

"What are you talking about?"

 

His question made me freeze as I was about to rush to him. Upon closer inspection, Thi was also dressed in traditional Thai attire like everyone else. His eyes were filled with confusion as he looked at me.

 

"Thi, don't joke around. It's not joking. What the hell is going on?" By now, my voice was starting to shake with real fear. The joy of seeing someone I knew vanished instantly. Looking at everyone's faces around me, it seemed they weren't joking, and this version of Thi from the ancient era furrowed his brows slightly, speaking words that only heightened my fear.

 

"You've been missing for days. Now that we've found you, you're speaking nonsense. Have you been drinking so much that you're all confused? And why is your hair so messy? What are you wearing? It's so strange. Is this the cloth of the foreigners?"

 

The long string of old Thai language from the person in front of me made me feel like the world was collapsing. Earlier, I could still comfort myself that I'd just woken up and was still hungover, so I was seeing things. But now, everything around me was too clear and real.

 

"Klao, are you still not sober?"

 

‘How could I not be sober after this? What the hell is going on here?!'

 

"No... Thi, it's me. I'm not Klao-"

 

"But never mind, it's good that we've found you. We'll talk once you're sober." Thi didn't listen to me. He cut me off and stepped forward to help me, who was leaning against a tree, to stand up. But he was slower than someone who quickly approached me.

 

"Muun, sir?!"

 

"Hey! What are you doing?" I yelled as the newcomer grabbed my upper arm firmly. I tried to push him away, but the tall man didn't budge at all.

 

"Phop! What's wrong with you?" Thi rushed to stop him, but that Muun guy, or whatever his title was, didn't stop.

 

"I just want to make sure if this person is the one we're looking for." The deep voice replied without taking his eyes off me.

 

"Jom, don't you find it strange that when we called him Klao earlier, he said he wasn't Klao?"

 

"Wait a minute, hey!" I shouted as he skillfully grabbed both my wrists with one hand while using the other to roll up my right sleeve, revealing my upper arm and shoulder. Then he suddenly paused.

 

"Calm down. I think it's because he's still drunk. He reeks of alcohol, you see. His face looks right, and there's a birthmark on his arm. He's definitely Klao. How could it be anyone else?" Thi said, but his words only made me more confused and alarmed.

 

Since I opened my eyes here, they've been calling me Klao. Does that mean this Klao person looks like me and has the same birthmark on his shoulder? So they mistook me for this Klao?

 

And the thing is, everyone speaks and dresses like they're from the old days. There's no camera, nothing to indicate that I'm on a drama set or being pranked by a TV show. So, don't tell me that the whole idea of travelling through dimensions is actually possible?

 

"He looks very pale. I think we should take Klao back to the house to check his condition before he faints. Chuay, come help your master quickly!"

 

"Yes, sir." The servant called Chuay quickly came to support me as Thi had ordered. No, that's someone who looked like Thi. And now I remembered why the person who found me first looked familiar. He looked like a junior in my department. He's a friend of Pun; I didn't talk to him much. Thi is one, and this junior is another. How did they end up here? What the hell is really going on?'

 

I stood up clumsily and started walking forward with the support. When I looked around, I accidentally made eye contact with Muun Phop. His stern gaze made me even more nervous. I clearly remembered walking into a mango orchard last night, but the scenery on both sides now was a forest. 

 

It took quite a while to walk out and reach the riverside. I was helped into the same boat with the stern-eyed man. Then, the servant, who looked like my junior, started paddling. When we passed the forest, and I could see the riverside scenery clearly, my heart almost jumped out of my chest.

 

I don't like history, but I have to study it as part of the curriculum. So, I've been on field trips to historical sites and ruins before. The scene before me resembled those places but appeared more intact. The scenery on both sides was filled with traditional Thai houses, temples, and docks in good condition. People were paddling boats back and forth. Everyone was dressed in old-fashioned clothes, both men and women. 

 

The men had traditional Thai hairstyles, wore long-sleeved shirts, or were shirtless. Some women had short, traditional Thai hairstyles, tied their hair in high buns, or let it down. Some wore Sabai, some wore scarf-cloth in Tabengman style, and some were even shirtless, wearing only traditional Thai pants. They were chatting in old Thai as if this was their normal way of life.

 

I stared at these scenes in shock, my ears listening to the sounds around me, all my senses alert, as if I were forced not to lose focus on the events unfolding. My T-shirt was soaked with sweat, and my face was pale with shock. I swear, in my twenty years, I'd never felt as freaked out as I do now. If this is a dream, it feels way too real.

 

After a while, the boat stopped at a riverside pavilion. Once the boat was securely tied, the person sitting behind me stepped onto the pavilion. My brain told me to stand up and follow him, but I felt a bit seasick because I was still hungover and not used to travelling by water. When I stood up, I swayed and almost fell.

 

"Mr Klao!"

 

"Careful."

 

The rough hand of the man named Phop grabbed my arm just in time before I fell into the water. He then moved his hand to hold mine and successfully pulled me onto the dock.

 

Standing next to him, I realised we were about the same height, or he might be a centimetre or two taller. But he looked noticeably more muscular than me, even in his long-sleeved shirt. And as I looked at his face up close, I felt a strange flutter in my chest. 

 

Maybe it was because his eyes held a calm authority, or maybe I was just scared of everything unfamiliar. The suspicion in his dark eyes and his expressionless face made me feel unsafe. I quickly stepped back, intending to distance myself, but then my world blurred. I felt dizzy and was about to fall, but before I could hit the ground, he grabbed my arm again.

 

"Chuay, hurry and help your master up to the house." The broad-shouldered man, who was my support at the moment, gave the order. The same servant responded and immediately came to support me.

 

I was carried from the dock to a medium-sized, ancient Thai house. Because I was dizzy, I didn't notice much around me. I only knew I was being helped onto a bed in a room. Then a man named Jom, who looked like my friend Thi, ordered the servants to prepare some herbal medicine and began to check my condition by feeling my pulse.

 

"You're not seriously ill, just exhausted." After examining me for a while, he spoke up. He took a pot of herbal medicine from a servant and ordered me to drink it.

 

"Ugh!"

 

The bitter taste made me choke, but the pressing eyes of those around me, especially the stern gaze of Muun Phop, left me no choice. I had to drink it. It tasted worse than the bitter medicine my mom used to make me drink as a kid.

 

"Drink the medicine and rest. If you feel unwell, have the servants fetch me from the house. Phop, let's go and let Klao rest." Jom said as he got up and left the room, but the other man kept staring at me.

 

"Phop."

 

"I'm coming." He replied without taking his eyes off me, making me feel hot and cold all over. Finally, he left the room. As soon as the door closed, I let out a loud sigh. My head was still throbbing from the hangover, seasickness, and shock, making me more exhausted than usual. Even though I thought I couldn't sleep in such a situation, exhaustion eventually overcame everything. I closed my eyes and quickly fell asleep.

 

════[changbins_delulu_wife]════

 

I had a strange dream. I dreamed I woke up in the middle of a forest and met a group of people dressed in ancient Thai clothes, speaking in old-fashioned language, calling me by a name that wasn't mine. The scenery was filled with traditional Thai houses and people rowing boats, using the river as the main mode of transport. Everything in the dream was like a period drama from the Ayutthaya era that I'd seen. In the dream, there was also Thi and a junior from my faculty in their historical versions, and a man I didn't know kept looking at me suspiciously.

 

"Ugh..."

 

I didn't know how long had passed, but a faint sound from outside woke me up again. Groggy, I raised my hand to my head and sat up, stepping off the bed, intending to go buy something to eat. But I froze when I saw the wooden floor beneath my feet. Whether at my dorm or my house, the floors were tiled. But the polished wooden floor I was standing on brought my senses back fast. I looked down at myself. My alcohol-scented T-shirt and long pants had been replaced with a cotton shirt and traditional Thai pants. 

 

Looking around, I saw a polished teak bed, a wooden wardrobe, a wooden chest, and intricately designed screens. None of these was familiar to me, making me close my eyes in despair when I realised the truth. It seemed what I was experiencing wasn't a dream, and the worst part was that it was real.

 

I sat staring at my feet, not wanting to accept the truth, but there was nothing I could do. I'd just fallen asleep drunk, and when I opened my eyes, I found myself in an unknown place, in an unknown era, and now I'd become someone I didn't know. I didn't know what to do with my life now.

 

Worry consumed my heart, making my chest feel heavy. My disappearance would surely worry my parents. I wanted to go home, but I didn't even know how I got here, so how could I find a way back?

 

"Your fate isn't good right now. You're going to face some misfortunes. Many things will happen to you during this period, but not everything will be bad. You were born with a vow you need to resolve."

 

Suddenly, the words Luang Ta said came back to my mind. I sat stunned, never expecting that something I never believed in would turn out to be true. But it'd happened, and I didn't have time to sit and cry. The first thing I needed to do was find a way to survive.

 

I opened the door and peeked outside. It was still bright but seemed close to dusk, indicating that I'd slept for several hours.

 

"Uh... is anyone... here?" I called out softly and heard a response from the right.

 

"Mr Klao, is there anything you need?"

 

The servant, who looked like Pun's friend, the one who found and helped me back to the house, hurried over with a respectful demeanour. I beckoned him into the bedroom, closed the door, and looked at him hesitantly.

 

"Uh... what's your name...?"

 

"Chuay, sir. Mr Klao, don't you remember my name?!" He looked at me with a startled expression, as if he had seen a ghost in broad daylight. "Wait a moment! I'll go get the doctor."

 

"No, no, no. I remember your name now. It was just... on the tip of my tongue." I hastily waved my hands. I have no choice now. I have to pretend to be this Klao and figure things out later.

 

"Are you sure you're okay, Mr Klao? You seem to be speaking... strangely." Chuay still looked at me with concern.

 

I took a deep breath, trying to stay calm and not reveal any more suspicious behaviour. I'm... fine. I'm just not fully recovered yet, so... I was a bit confused."

 

‘This old language is so hard!'

 

"And you... Are my servant...?"

 

"Yes, sir. I've been your servant since I was young. When Ok-ya brought you back to the capital, I asked you to follow me here."

 

"I remember that," I swiftly agreed, grateful for the young man's honesty, which kept me from revealing more suspicions.

 

At least I knew this Klao person was likely from a wealthy family, having his own house and servants. But now, there was something I wanted to know more than who Klao was.

 

"Chuay."

 

"Yes, sir."

 

"What year is it?" I asked, trying to mimic the way others spoke. Chuay seemed a bit confused by my question but answered, "The Year of the Horse, sir."

 

"No, that's not what I mean."

 

"Oh, it's a Benjasok year, L sir."

 

"No, I mean, tell me the year in numbers."

 

"This is the year 1xxx in the Chulasakarat, sir."

 

Great. Did they use the Chulasakarat calendar back then? I have no idea how it relates to the Buddhist calendar; I'm not good with numbers.

 

Chuay and I exchanged words for a while. When we finally understood each other, I broke into a sweat. Based on what Chuay told me, I'm likely in the mid-Ayutthaya period now. From my limited knowledge of history, that was almost four hundred years before the Buddhist year 2564 or 2021 CE, where I came from.

 

I travelled back almost four hundred years! If I told anyone, they'd think I was insane. But the current environment was clear evidence. I didn't see any electric poles, cars, or planes; everyone dressed and spoke the same way. If I weren't on a period drama set, I'd definitely travel back in time.

 

"Hey... can you get me something to eat?" I asked weakly.

 

"Yes, sir. But you're not well. If you go out, you might catch a cold. I'll bring the food here instead."

 

"Alright," I replied wearily.

 

Chuay saw my pale face and quickly bowed before leaving. As soon as he left, I collapsed onto the bed, letting out the millionth sigh of the day. Honestly, I was so dumbstruck that I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to accept that I had to deal with such crazy stuff, but then my stomach was growling loudly for food.

 

An army marches on its stomach; if I need to use my brain, I should fill my stomach first. So, let's eat first, and then I'll figure out what to do next. I also need to dig up some background on this Klao guy.

 

About ten minutes later, Chuay returned with a tray of food. I looked at the strange container he brought, which resembled a tray with curved edges. Chuay called it a "talum." On the table were several porcelain bowls filled with food and rice.

 

"There's shrimp paste chilli dip with grilled fish, your favourite. Sai made it with all her heart."

 

"Sai?"

 

"My wife, sir."

 

"Your wife?!" I exclaimed, surprised that the young man in front of me already had a family, even though he was younger than me. But then I remembered that this was nearly four hundred years ago, and my shock began to fade.

 

People in this era get married and have kids at fourteen or fifteen, so it isn't strange that Chuay has already married. But what about this Klao guy? Does he have a family, too? I hope he doesn't, or I'll be in big trouble. He probably doesn't have anyone. When I returned to the house, I didn't see any women or children around, suggesting that Klao was still single.

 

"Please eat, Mr Klao. The food will get cold."

 

"Very well." I shifted my focus from Klao's personal life to the food in front of me. Initially, I was at a loss because there were no forks or spoons, just a soup spoon. Then I remembered that people in the past ate with their hands. So, I dug into the rice with the shrimp paste chilli dip and grilled fish. Before long, the food was gone.

 

"Please wash your hands, Mr Klao." Chuay brought me a bowl of clean water to wash my hands. I took the towel from Chuay and watched him take the tray outside to clean up, letting out a long breath.

 

Okay, now I know what era I'm in, but I still don't know much about the owner of this house. All I know is that Klao looks like me and has disappeared. They found me in the forest and thought I was Klao, so they brought me back here. So, who exactly is Klao, and where did he go?

 

"Mr Klao," Chuay called, knocking on the door just five minutes later. I had so many questions that I quickly got up to open the door.

 

"Good, you're here. I have some questions."

 

"Muun Phop is here to see you, sir. He's waiting at the riverside pavilion."

 

The servant's words made me swallow my questions. I frowned, repeating the sentence in my head in confusion.

 

'Muun? That Phop guy? Why does he want to see me again?'

 

"Do I... Do I have to go see him?" I stammered, adjusting the pronoun I used to address myself.

 

"....You should, sir."

 

Chuay's dry smile told me I had no choice, so I followed him down from the house. This Muun Phop seemed to be someone of rank, and since I didn't know much about the owner of this house, I shouldn't cause trouble by defying him.

 

The sun was setting, and the sky turned orange mixed with black. The cool, damp breeze from the river made me shiver in my short sleeves. I glanced at the pavilion and saw the uninvited guest waiting. Muun Phop wore a long-sleeved red shirt with a brown sash and traditional Thai pants, looking like a uniform. He had a sword on his back. As I approached, he stood up and looked at me with unreadable eyes. While I was thinking of how to greet him, he broke the silence.

 

"How are you feeling?"

 

"I'm... fine," I replied shortly, feeling my mouth and tongue struggle with the old language. Of course, I'm from the 21st century. Speaking an ancient language fluently in a few hours is impossible.

 

"Is that so?"

 

Even though it was getting dark, his sharp eyes shone with a certain light. Chuay lit the torches around the pavilion and left us alone at once. When the light hit Muun Phop's sharp features, I couldn't help but stare at him.

 

If you look closely, people in this ancient era are quite handsome. He's so striking that I envy his looks. If he were in my time, he could easily be a male lead in a drama. But the fact that he was nearly four hundred years older than me gave me chills. Wow, am I talking to the great-great-great-grandfather of my great-great-great-grandfather?

 

"Klao."

 

"H-Huh?"

 

"What are you daydreaming about? Why don't you answer my question?"

 

His thick eyebrows furrowed. I looked stupefied and asked, "Huh? You... uh, what did you ask me?"

 

"P'Phop."

 

"...What?"

 

"Since I'm older, you should call me P'Phop, shouldn't you?" His voice was flat, showing no emotion. Seeing me hesitate, he continued. "You used to call me that." He smiled slightly, but his eyes were intense, scrutinising me. I had to look away.

 

"What did you ask me... earlier, P'Phop?" I reluctantly called him "P'Phop' to avoid suspicion. His sharp eyes flicked slightly before he spoke in a calm voice, "I asked where you've been for several days and why you were in the forest."

 

When I changed how I addressed him, he also changed how he referred to himself as 'P!'

 

"I must've been drunk and wandered into the forest. I don't remember much." I took a deep breath and tried not to avoid his gaze. They say liars tend to look away, so I have to be natural for him to believe me.

 

"Is that so? Then why are you dressed so strangely, and why do you speak so oddly?”

 

But he's so persistent. Damn it!

 

"I told you, I don't remember! When you're drunk, you get all confused," I snapped, feeling like a child caught doing something wrong. In my twenty years, I'd never felt so out of control as I was now.

 

"So, you were under the influence of alcohol." His words seemed to agree with mine, but his sharp eyes scanned me, making me nervous. I had to find a way out.

 

"If P'Phop has no more questions, I'll take my leave. I have a headache and want to rest," I said hurriedly, not caring if I spoke correctly. I just wanted to escape. He was silent for a few seconds, which felt like days. Finally, his deep voice spoke. "Then I won't bother you. Go rest. I'll have Jom check on you again tomorrow."

 

"Thank you," I said, bowing and quickly heading back to the house without looking back. Once in my room, I collapsed on the bed and turned to Chuay, who'd followed me.

 

"That man, I mean, P'Phop, who's he?" I asked, and Chuay's eyes widened.

 

"...You don't remember?"

 

"My head is all fuzzy. I can't recall many things. Tell me about him," I interrupted, not caring if my lie seemed reasonable anymore. I needed to know who that man was and what his connection to Klao was.

 

"Muun Phop is the eldest son of Ok-ya Pichaipakdee. He serves in the Patrol Division of the City Guard Bureau, as his father does. Ok-ya is a friend of Luang Preecha-piban, your father."

 

"Oh..." So, he was like a childhood friend, someone Klao grew up with.

 

"Are we close?"

 

"Yes, Mr Klao and Muun have been close since childhood. You only drifted apart after you moved to Phichit City with your father."

 

Close friends, huh? No wonder he kept staring at me like that. He must've sensed that I wasn't the same person as his childhood friend. And I initially called him just 'you' instead of 'P'Phop.' Great, I look even more suspicious now.

 

"During the days you were missing, Muun was very worried. He ordered the servants to search for you and even went looking for himself until he found you today."

 

Chuay looked at me with concern and asked hesitantly, "So, where did you go, Mr Klao?"

 

"..I was just wandering around, pretty drunk. I don't really remember much," I answered dismissively, feeling helpless to explain. How could I possibly know where Klao had disappeared to when I wasn't the real Klao?

 

"Chuay, could you leave for a bit? I need to rest," I said. Chuay immediately bowed his head and left as instructed. Once alone in the room, I collapsed onto the bed, spreading out and closing my eyes, exhausted both physically and mentally.

 

It's not fun at all to wake up and find yourself in an unfamiliar world. It's not exciting or thrilling like in those dramas. Right now, the only thing I feel is fear. I'm stressed. I have no idea how to get back home. I don't know how long I can keep living by pretending to be someone else until the real Klao returns. But since I can't escape reality, I just have to keep living.

 

I'll just take a night to gather my thoughts, and tomorrow I'll move forward. The first thing I need to do is find a way to get detailed information about this Klao from Chuay, including the story of that guy named Phop.

 

Judging by his eyes, it's clear that the guy is sharp as a tack. That's why he's so sceptical and doesn't trust me, going so far as to follow me to my room. But I'm still lucky that medical and legal technology aren't advanced in this era. Otherwise, if they did a DNA test or fingerprint check, I'd be done for.

 

With a guilty conscience, I don't want to face his suspicious eyes. I can only pray that we don't run into each other often. But for some reason, I have a terrible feeling.

...that my prayer won't come true.