In the world of Wonderland, Alice, an Outsider, finds herself caught in the affections of Nightmare Gottschalk, the mysterious and sickly ruler of the Clover Tower. As the embodiment of bad dreams, Nightmare exists simultaneously in two states: in the waking world, he is a frail, coughing figure who fears crowds and despises doctors, often seen with an eyepatch and unable to wield a weapon. Yet in the realm of dreams, he transforms into a smooth, powerful, and enigmatic figure who can read minds and manipulate the very fabric of this reality.

The narrative tension arises from Nightmares declaration of love for Alice, a confession he struggles to act upon due to his contradictory nature. Despite his power in dreams, his physical weakness and insecurity make him hesitant to take her hand or pursue her directly, leaving Alice unsure of her own feelings. The setting shifts between the clock tower, the Clover Tower where Nightmare resides, and the dreamscape he controls. Notably, Nightmare is revealed to be the one who allowed Peter White (the White Rabbit) to bring Alice into Wonderland, and he knows the secret reasons for her arrival.

As the story progresses, several notable arcs emerge. In one significant sequence, Alice forces Nightmare to accept an invitation to a social event to help him make friends, only for it to be a trap to arrange a political marriage. This triggers intense jealousy in Alice, forcing her to confront her true emotions. Another major arc involves Alice becoming Jokers assistant at the circus, where she learns the stunning secrets of the Joker, the prison, and the nature of the seasons. During this time, Joker stabs Nightmare as part of a magic trick and later turns Gray (Nightmares loyal assistant) against him, pushing the couples relationship to a breaking point.

Throughout these events, Nightmare acts almost as a game master or guardian deity of the Wonderland "game." He reveals that the world is what Alice desires it to be, and he frequently pulls her into dream sequences to guide her emotionally, even forcing a "saving the princess" RPG scenario to help her realize her love for another resident. Despite his sickly demeanor and habit of coughing up blood, he proves brave in moments of crisis once saving Alice from drowning even though he cannot swim and backing up his teasing claim that "I can push you down" with genuine romantic intensity. The narrative focuses on whether Alice can learn to love this fragile yet powerful nightmare and whether Nightmare can overcome his physical and psychological weaknesses to be the man she needs.