What in the world--

I slowly opened my eyes as I felt the warmth of the sun's rays touching my skin. The moment my eyelids fully lifted, I was greeted by an unfamiliar-colored room and an incredibly soft bed I wasn't used to.

As I sat up, my eyes roamed the large unfamiliar bedroom. Then, memories of what happened flooded back into my mind—from the beginning to the end. Even though I was still confused, I tried to get out of bed and explore the huge room.

'Who on earth is this wealthy stranger who saved and took me in? This room is so big that I could probably live here! And not just that… Some of the furniture is made of gold?!'

I continued looking around in amazement. Sure, I was wealthy, but not to the extent of having a room this massive—almost the size of a small house! And seriously? Gold furniture?

I was about to explore more when I passed by a large mirror. Something made me stop in my tracks, and I slowly turned to face the full-body mirror, which was framed in gold and adorned with small diamonds. But that wasn't what caught my attention.

I stepped back slightly, staring silently at the mirror. I moved back and forth several times while keeping my gaze fixed on the reflection. The moment I confirmed that the person in the mirror was mirroring my movements, I didn't hesitate to slap myself.

"Ouch!!"

My eyes widened even more when I heard my own voice.

'Sh*t! That's definitely my voice. I'm sure of it! But… why the heck does it sound so soft and gentle—almost too delicate to break a plate?!'

I turned back to the mirror and examined the girl staring back at me. She had brilliant blue eyes, long wavy black raven hair, snowy milky skin, long curly lashes, reddish lips, a perfect nose, and she was wearing a white dress. I scrutinized the reflection closely, and then—

"KYAAAAAAAAHHH!!!!"

Yes! I knew it. I knew that face from top to bottom. Well, except for the absurdly long hair and almost anemic-looking skin. But d*mn… Why does she look like me?! And I am not her!! Definitely NOT!

As I gaped at my own reflection in disbelief, I suddenly heard the sound of hurried footsteps approaching.

*BLAAGSSSH!!*

The massive doors of the room burst open, and I slowly turned my gaze toward them, my finger still pointing at the mirror. My eyes widened even further.

I was used to having maids around, but this many?!

And to top it all off, they were all crying like they had just attended a funeral?!

Before I could even process the situation, a woman with orange-brown hair and emerald-green eyes rushed toward me and engulfed me in a hug. Unlike the others, her uniform was different—she wore an attire that indicated a higher rank. If the others were in maid outfits, she looked more like a head maid or a personal attendant.

She spun me around while checking if I was alright, and before I completely lost my balance, I held onto her shoulders to stop her.

"W-Wait, can you stop for a moment?"

And sh*t… I am not used to this voice. I swear, my voice was never this soft! But it was still my voice, which made it worse.

The woman immediately bowed her head and placed her right hand over her chest.

"Forgive me. I was only making sure that you were truly alright."

She looked like she was about to cry again. I stared at her in confusion before making her stand up straight.

"I-I'm fine. But I think you aren't. Also, where am I? What is this place? What am I doing here? Who are you? And lastly… who am I?"

I bombarded her with questions, making her pause while looking at me. And before I could even react, she fell to her knees and started sobbing.

Then, all the other maids followed suit.

'What is this? Some sort of follow the leader game?!'

I had no idea how to make them stop kneeling when they suddenly shouted in unison,

"FORGIVE US, ROYAL PRINCESS!!!"

Huh???

My brain was loading after hearing that.

"W-Wait… Can you repeat that? I think I misheard you."

Still bowing, the woman in front of me raised her head slightly.

"P-Please forgive us, Royal Princess."

My jaw dropped. I pointed at myself in disbelief.

"Are you calling me that? Or did I mishear again? Maybe I need to clean my ears, hehe…"

I chuckled nervously, hoping they were mistaken. But my eyes widened further when they all nodded in confirmation, and the woman before me spoke again.

"Yes, Royal Princess. You are the princess we serve. The youngest and fifth child of the Emperor."

Please… Someone tell me they're joking.

But by the looks of their serious expressions, they weren't.

Then, as if something clicked in her mind, the woman abruptly stood up, looking at me with teary eyes.

"Your Highness… Do you not remember me?"

I blankly stared at her, still trying to process everything. Then, she started crying even harder and knelt before me again.

"Forgive me, Your Highness! If only I had guarded you properly, this wouldn't have happened to you!"

I watched in silence as they all cried around me. My mind was still blank, trying to grasp what was happening. Then, I turned to the woman in front of me with a deadpan look.

"Tell me… What is my name?"

And I immediately regretted asking...

"You are the 3rd Royal Princess of the Zalfhar Empire. Princess Hera Naviah Celestine Veir D'vielle."

…Holy son of a—

What the heck is happening?!

That's my freaking name!!

Well… except for the last name. But still, WHAT THE ACTUAL—

Before I could fully process everything, my vision started to blur. I felt my body lose balance, and soon, everything went black.

The last thing I heard before I completely lost consciousness was their frantic voices calling my name.

➻➻➻ 𝑭𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒅 ➻➻➻☛

As I said… Fate must really love messing with me. Insert sarcasm here.

Seriously! Should I throw a party or something?!

When I opened my eyes again, I silently prayed that everything was just a dream and that I would wake up in my real world.

But damn it. Disappointment hit me hard as I found myself in the same massive and unfamiliar room.

And now?

They're literally trying to kill me!

"Can you please stop already?! I swear… I can't take it anymore!!"

I pleaded with the maids around me. But those little—

"Apologies, Your Highness. But we're almost done."

One of them tried to calm me.

Oh, please! No matter how reassuring she tried to sound, it wasn't working.

"Oh, sure! Almost done?! You mean, I'm almost done for! Are you planning to strangle me to death with this damn corset?!"

I couldn't believe my own scream at them because no matter how much I begged, it had no effect.

'I swear, whoever the hell invented this corset should just hide, because I swear I'll haunt them if I end up losing my breath because of this!!!'

Care to know why we're all in chaos right now? Oh well, I had just opened my eyes, having just woken up from unconsciousness, and immediately, my room was invaded by a group of maids led by my handmaiden. And then they told me that I had been unconscious for two days and three nights. I hadn't even fully processed their concern and their attempts to check if I was okay when there was a knock on the large doors of my room. A man in armor entered, causing all my maids to freeze in place.

I was about to thank the soldier, but I immediately took it back. Any gratefulness I had vanished instantly when he delivered news that made my head and body ache even more.

"Greetings, 3rd Royal Princess. The Emperor wants your audience as soon as possible."

See? I haven't even recovered from everything, and now they're telling me that the Emperor wants to see me?? And so, here I am now, being ganged up on by the maids in my room. They told me earlier that they would help make me look even more beautiful, but why does it feel like they're trying to kill me instead??

Especially with this corset they're forcing me to wear! They claim it's necessary to enhance my body's shape. 'Duh… You mean it's necessary so I can suffocate to death faster!! I can barely breathe properly!'

Surely, I can wear a gown without this thing, right? Err… all the clothes here seem to be like those from historical times? Feudal Era? Ancient times? Or whatever you want to call it? Women only wear gowns and dresses, while the men… well, you know.

"We're all done, Your Highness."

I was finally able to breathe a little easier when Khana said that. Well, I already knew her. I didn't need to ask her or anyone else. I just knew, surprisingly.

I don't know why, but while I was unconscious, mysterious, unfamiliar memories suddenly flooded my mind—memories that felt like my own, as if they had been lost and then abruptly returned. I mean, all of them, from birth to adulthood.

I remembered this body drowning in a lake, just like what happened to me. The only difference is that someone tried to kill this body, while I, on the other hand, was just trying to save a child.

Some memories are vivid, others are blurry. But… I can't help but wonder—could I still return to where I came from? Just like in the manhwa and manga stories I've read? Maybe that's what happened to me? And maybe there's a way back?

A part of me became hopeful about that thought. Maybe… just maybe?

"Your Highness?!"

I snapped back to reality when I heard Khana call me with a slight shout and shake me vigorously. I immediately looked at her, and before I could get dizzy from all her shaking, I called her by her full name.

"Kharriela Nathasha Vixien! Stop it unless you want me to pass out again."

Her name is beautiful, but she prefers to be called by her nickname.

Err… weird… why does this all feel so normal to me? I mean, I don't even really know her. I just recognized her because of the memories that suddenly surfaced in my mind, right? Ugh. Instead of confusing myself further, I chose to remain silent and look at my reflection in the mirror.

'And oh my jerkies jerk! Why am I so beautiful?!'

I'm wearing a cream off-shoulder lace gown that perfectly complements my complexion. Around my neck is a black lace choker, long enough to have a butterfly design in the middle adorned with tiny diamonds. I'm also wearing silver three-inch sandals.

My long hair, which reaches past my waist, is mostly loose, with a small portion braided and intertwined with black and cream lace, along with tiny sparkling butterflies. My makeup is simple but elegant.

One thing is clear—I look like a goddess. I never knew I could be this beautiful. I never really took the time to dress up before.

Before long, a soldier in armor arrived to escort me to the throne room. I walked gracefully, Khana following behind me, until we reached the massive golden doors of the throne room.

Damn, this Emperor is really flaunting his wealth.

"I announce the arrival of the 3rd Royal Princess!"

Wait… there's an announcement?? Tsk, no one informed me about this. Good thing I didn't just barge in.

As soon as I entered the throne room, I immediately saw the Emperor's children—apparently my siblings here? My body moved instinctively, as if it already knew what to do. I bowed to pay my respects to the Emperor.

"3rd Royal Princess Hera Naviah Celestine Veir D'vielle greets the only sun of Zalfhar Empire."

I saw him nod, so I assumed it was fine for me to take my place. I glanced at my supposed siblings here. The women stood on the left side, while the men were on the right.

If I remember correctly:

The first child and Crown Prince is Zalas Kalezar Ashrion Veir D'vielle.

The second child and 2nd Royal Prince is Reese Bjeland Adaiam Veir D'vielle.

On my side, the third child and 1st Royal Princess is Alheya Lailan Sarzel Veir D'vielle.

The fourth child and 2nd Royal Princess is Elena Zanya Bela Veir D'vielle.

And then there's me, the fifth child.

So everyone's here already? What does this old man want now?

"Now that you're all here, let me get straight to the point."

What now? Please don't drag me into whatever mess this is.

"As you all know, a war is currently ongoing between the Alfieren Empire and the Csival Empire. And as you also know, we have long been allied with the Csival Empire. I do not wish for our empire to be entangled in their conflict or to provoke the wrath of the Alfieren Emperor. So, I have thought of a way to ensure peace between us and the Alfieren Empire."

Oh no, I don't like where this is going.

"I have decided to send one of my daughters as a tribute to the Alfieren Empire."

A tribute what? I immediately looked at him, alarmed.

Why is he looking at me? And why is he smirking?!

"Since Princess Alheya Lailan Sarzel cannot be sent because she is already engaged to a Duke's son, and since Princess Elena Zanya Bela cannot be sent due to her frail health, I have no other choice but to send you, Princess Hera Naviah Celestine ."

My eyes widened in shock. I turned to Princess Alheya and saw that she wasn't happy either—perhaps she also didn't want to be married off.

But, ugh. My blood pressure just shot up when I noticed that the red-haired chicken next to me was smirking.

"I hereby announce that I will be sending the 3rd Royal Princess Hera Naviah Celestine as a tribute to the Alfieren Empire."

Huh! I almost laughed.

So he's sending his barely conscious daughter, who just survived an assassination attempt, as a sacrificial lamb?

Someone… give me a bazooka so I can blast the faces of this father and daughter duo!!

I don't want this. I'm beyond stressed.

But instead of arguing, I just accepted the imperial edict handed to me by the chancellor.

☆࿐ཽ༵༆༒ 𝑻𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒆𝒅 ༒༆࿐ཽ༵☆