This Princess had a notorious reputation since childhood. She was so ill-natured that palace servants trembled in fear even from a distance, and it was said that even her family whose showered her with love, would eventually give up — it was easy to tell without even hearing the details.
"You can't die. Why don't you go out and soothe your mind?"
"Gasp, to think the Princess cares about my feelings...! I am truly grateful."
I nodded as if I understood and stood up from my seat.
"I will take my leave now. If you ever need me, please call me anytime."
As if realizing that it was really time to back out, Norman wiped away his tears and retreated at the speed of light.
The sound of the door closing quietly was heard. A rustling sound filled the room as the dress brushed against my footsteps.
'That's a relief. Everyone understands that it's just a spoiled princess finally growing up late, so I don't need to come up with a separate reason...'
Soon, my steps came to a halt in front of a large mirror. My vision was still filled with an unfamiliar image.
Long platinum blonde hair that looked like undulating waves and large eyes that seemed to hold the sparkling emerald sea. A beautiful girl, full of refreshing charm, was meeting my eyes.
'Elisha Ashtad.'
I woke up in the body of the youngest Princess of the Kingdom of Ashtad, who had fallen into a coma after being struck by lightning seven years ago. This year, at the age of eighteen, her heart suddenly stopped completely and then began to beat again. I was opening my eyes in the body of a figure so unfamiliar that she wasn't even mentioned in the original work.
But what shocked me even more than that was that the year Lari died was a whopping 7 years ago.
'To think that seven years passed between my death and coming back to life in another body.'
At first, I couldn't quite grasp the seven-year gap. The shock grew even greater as I looked into Thierry's whereabouts out of curiosity.
The boy, who is now already twenty years old, massacred the royal family three years ago, ascended the throne, and became a ruthless tyrant.
'That gentle child... The child who used to hold my hand tightly, saying he was scared whenever night came...'
Did he meet the female lead? Is that why he became Emperor? Was it like this in the original story too? I don't think so.
"Right, if things had gone according to the original story, I wouldn't have met a mysterious death, right? That villa is hard for outsiders to find in the first place, so the infiltration itself doesn't make sense unless you came with a plan."
During the six years we spent there, not only Thierry's father, the Emperor, but no one paid any attention to us. The villa, visited by no one, was practically our own fortress, when someone suddenly came and killed me.
Seeing that Thierry grew up safely, it was clear from the start that he had targeted a mere maid, not a Prince. By some twist of fate, I have now woken up in a different body, but my death was far too suspicious to simply dismiss it as a relief that I had come back to life.
On top of that, a second possession?
I felt like I needed to seriously look into this strange phenomenon, but I was at a loss as to where to even begin.
'...Phew. This is a headache.'
It might be difficult right now, but I feel like I’ll have to secretly look into the situation at the villa someday, though I’m not sure if that will even be possible.
I felt completely at a loss, as there were questions I couldn't figure out on my own, such as who the intruder was that killed me seven years ago and what had happened to the villa since then.
However, there was only one clear thing. My current life is completely different from the original story.
'I guess I should say it's a relief, at least.'
For a while, it was a feast of question marks, but after thinking it over carefully, I realized that cutting ties with Thierry at this point wouldn't be a bad idea.
I maintained a good relationship with Thierry, but that was the result of my efforts to keep my life alive.
'The last promise to be together is a bit of a concern, but... actually, that was a promise that would naturally disappear once Thierry grew up. If he meets the original heroine, he'll be too busy loving her to care about the maid he grew attached to as a child.'
I have now become a Princess of a kingdom unrelated to the original plot, and Thierry has gained power and established his own empire.
Time has changed many things, so it was right not to look back on the relationship that had ended, as we each envisioned a new future in our respective places.
'I'll be fine.'
However, as if this was not the end, the bond with Thierry continued relentlessly even after that.
***
"You mean a war might break out?"
"The Kingdom of Tahel fell last year, you know. But they say our kingdom was designated next in line."
"Surely they wouldn't come all the way this far just to invade..."
"It would be a relief if it weren't, but apparently Emperor Podia is looking for something."
I was on my way to the dining room. The chatter of the maids coming from a secluded hallway caught my ear.
'If it's the Emperor of Podia, then Thierry?'
I slowly slowed my pace and stood close to the corner.
"What are they looking for?"
"I heard they are digging up information about elves."
"Elf? Hasn't the Elf race disappeared not long ago?"
"I know that too, but seeing how they're digging around everywhere, isn't there some kind of secret? Anyway, I'm worried that warmonger might actually invade all the way here."
It was too much to say she was just gossiping, as there was genuine fear and a deep sigh in the maid's voice.
"They say he was a tyrant who will go down in history forever; just hearing about it is terrifying."
"There are all sorts of rumors. Like he suddenly went insane as a child, or that he lives on blood instead of bread..."
The sound of the maids' voices grew fainter. In an instant, the surroundings fell silent.
'You mean Thierry might come here? And to war, too...?'
I stared blankly into the void like a stiff person.
'Huh. It must be a baseless rumor, right? Gossip is overflowing everywhere, after all. Haha. Haa...'
I tried hard to laugh it off, but contrary to my intentions, my face gradually turned into a tearful expression.
'What on earth happened? Why did that adorable little Thierry grow up like this?!'
I know very well that Thierry is not destined to live an easy life.
However, it was difficult to accept the evaluation of him now without feeling anything, as the image of the child who had consistently shown a gentle sparkle in his eyes during the six years I spent with him every day since he was seven was still vivid in my mind.
And even our first meeting.
"My name is Lari. I will be serving Your Highness from now on."
Although of royal blood, Thierry was alone from birth because he was an illegitimate son. Wrinkled clothes, unkempt hair, and pitifully gaunt cheeks.
I was anxious at first because I knew that the future Thierry would kill me, but as soon as I saw the frail child, that thought vanished completely.
I met Thierry, who was staring at me intently with an emotionless face, and smiled, my eyes curving.
"May I hold your hand?"
I slowly knelt down, met Thierry's gaze, and asked cautiously, then waited patiently for an answer. With both hands outstretched and palms facing out, I maintained that position for quite a while so that Thierry could raise his hands.
"..."
I don't know how much time had passed. Just as my legs were starting to go numb, Thierry's hand brushed against my fingertips.
"...Thank you."
I had tried to break down his defenses, but his reaction was faster than I expected. I had braced myself for the possibility of being ignored or turned away for a while, but I tightly grasped his small hand, afraid of letting him slip away.
As if to remind me that this place is true reality after waking up in a novel, a genuine warmth was conveyed from the child's hand.
At that moment, I could truly feel it. That I could no longer return to where I used to live. And that I had become truly alone.
From now on, this is my reality.
Feeling like I was about to cry for some reason, I squinted slightly and muttered softly.
"Warm."
It was the warmth of another person's body that I felt for the first time upon opening my eyes in a strange world. My face, looking as if I were about to cry, was reflected in the gray eyes staring intently at me. There was emptiness in the child's eyes reflecting me.
I impulsively whispered to the child.
"Your Highness, be with me now."
Thierry, who had been staring blankly at my face as I smiled broadly to hide my trembling lips, soon nodded weakly.
'...Yeah."
A faint voice wrapped around my ears.
***
I rubbed my forehead with one hand, trying hard to erase the blurred expression on my face.
"At this rate, I don't think I'll recognize you even if we run into each other by chance."
Because you have changed so much from the you I knew. I let out a small, sigh-tinged murmur as I walked away.
However, I didn't get far before I stopped in front of the carpeted central staircase.
Ugh, why are there so many stairs here?
Perhaps because of a fatal fall in a past life, I have had a trauma regarding stairs since I lived as Lari.
Going up was fine, but going down felt scary and unsettling, as if I might slip at any moment. So, I had to hold onto the handrail and descend slowly.
The villa where I stayed with Thierry was on the first floor, so it was fine, but here, the bedroom happens to be on the second floor...
"Your Majesty, are you holding my hand so I don't fall?"
"...Yeah."
Suddenly, a cute head that had been nodding slightly flashed before my eyes.
I couldn't go often, but occasionally I had to go up and down the stairs to clean the second floor. However, perhaps noticing my anxiety about the stairs, at some point, whenever I stood in front of them, Thierry would come over and be the first to take my hand with his tiny, fern-like hand.
'She was really pretty, and it was cute how she spaced out and answered belatedly. She probably grew up to be an incredibly handsome man, right?'
My heart melted for a moment at the lingering afterimages of memories that kept surfacing. It wasn't like this right after I woke up; it was because of the rumors that I might run into him.
'No, no! Get a grip. Even if we run into each other, we're just going to meet in the worst possible situation. It's better for both of us to just keep living without seeing each other.'
I shook my head from side to side to shake off distracting thoughts. Then, taking a deep breath, I gripped the handrail tightly and carefully placed one foot up the stairs.
***
A month had passed, but the mealtimes were still awkward.
I could not get used to either the sumptuous feast I was seeing for the first time since coming into this world, nor the experience of sitting elegantly at a table to eat with many people. Furthermore, my family, who reacted burdensomely to my every move, made this situation even more uncomfortable.
“Elisha.”
"Yes?"
I looked up at the handsome man with strong features sitting opposite me.
It was Fadel Ashtad, the eldest of my two older brothers, who had platinum blonde hair and emerald eyes just like me.
"Your walks have been longer than usual lately. Aren't you overdoing it?"
"It's fine. I'm managing it moderately so as not to strain my body."
When I answered with a faint smile, Fadel stared at me intently with a strange expression.
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