Chapter Three

CROWN PRINCESS'S QUARTERS

EASTERN WING, IMPERIAL PALACE

The next time Seraphine's eyes opened, she was lying on a soft mattress.

Her head no longer hurt as badly, and her vision had cleared considerably. Instead, a faint scent of sandalwood and incense surrounded her, making her feel groggy and weak.

But at least she could see her surroundings now.

A tall canopy stood above her, its pale curtains hanging loosely around the bed.

Where was she?

She stared upward as the events before she lost consciousness slowly returned to her.

The water, the maids, the Crown Prince.

She remembered the strange sensation of her hands feeling too small and unfamiliar.

Seraphine slowly lifted one into view.

A slender, pale hand with delicate fingers stared back at her.

She flexed them several times.

No, this was not hers.

Her gaze swept across the room.

It was spacious without being excessively decorated. Pale curtains surrounded the bed, while dark wooden furniture occupied the corners. A small brazier burned against one wall, keeping the room warm.

There was no one else in the room.

Except for a young lady sitting beside the bed, fast asleep.

Seraphine paused.

The woman appeared to be a few years younger than her. Her hair was loosely tied, with several strands falling around her face, and her clothes were plain compared to the finery surrounding them.

Perhaps sensing someone's gaze upon her, the woman stirred.

Her eyes slowly opened.

For a moment, she simply stared at Seraphine.

Then her expression changed.

"Your Highness?"

She quickly shot to her feet.

Seraphine watched as the woman hurried to the bedside.

"Your Highness, you're awake." Her voice trembled with relief.

Seraphine said nothing.

The young lady looked as though she might cry. "I'll call the physician."

"No."

The word came out weakly.

The woman froze.

Seraphine swallowed against the dryness in her throat.

"Don't."

The maid hesitated.

"Your Highness, the Imperial Physician said—"

Seraphine didn't have the strength to argue.

Instead, she gathered what little strength she had and tried to sit up.

Seeing this, the woman immediately abandoned the thought of calling the physician and hurried to assist her.

Once Seraphine was sitting upright, she quickly poured water from the jug on the bedside table and brought the cup over.

Seraphine watched her intently as she shuffled about and didn't reach out to take the cup.

The young woman stared back at her, confused.

“Your Highness?”

Her reaction made Seraphine realize she must have behaved unusually.

She gave a small cough before reaching out and taking the cup. But she made no move to drink the water.

Instead, she tried to act naturally as she looked around the room.

“Where am I?”

“Your bedroom, of course.”

The confused expression remained on the woman's face.

"Oh."

Seraphine lowered her gaze.

"What happened to me?"

"You fell into the lotus pond."

The young woman answered worriedly.

The question seemed to bring her earlier concern rushing back.

"I went to get you a cloak while you rested by the pond. Before I could return, you had already fallen in and struck your head. Thankfully, one of the maids happened to walk past and saw you in time."

Her voice trembled.

"Otherwise, we could have lost you last night.”

Seraphine listened carefully.

The explanation was consistent with what little she remembered.

Except...

She had fragments of another memory.

She was standing by the pond and someone seemed to have approached her. But the memory was blurry and disconnected, making it impossible to draw a clear conclusion.

Seraphine studied the young woman.

She wanted more information.

But she couldn't afford to reveal that she had no idea who this woman was.

The young woman, meanwhile, was staring back at her with growing suspicion.

"What about you?" Seraphine asked carefully. "Lady…”

The woman seemed stunned at first.

Then, as though a sudden realization had struck her, she hurried toward Seraphine.

Before Seraphine could react, she placed one hand against her forehead and the other against her own.

Her expression filled with worry.

"Are you still unwell? But your temperature is fine.

She examined Seraphine's face closely.

“Did you really forget who I am?”

“I—”

Seraphine found herself momentarily at a loss for words.

"I knew I should have called the physician immediately," the woman muttered, clearly blaming herself. "You're obviously still unwell. How else could you not recognize your own maid?"

Then, looking thoroughly exasperated, she placed both hands on her hips.

"I am your personal maid, Rosalie, and you are Adeline, the Crown Princess of Valedria. Don't tell me you've forgotten that too!"

Seraphine finally received the answer she needed.

Except it was rather shocking.

The Crown Princess?

She kept her expression calm and pretended to be exhausted, placing two fingers against her forehead and gently massaging it.

“Why would I forget that?"

She forced a faint smile.

"I'm just a bit tired.”

Rosalie still looked unconvinced, but apparently didn't want to exhaust her mistress further.

"You should drink some water."

This time, Seraphine could no longer avoid it.

She took a few sips before lowering the cup.

Only then did Rosalie seem to relax.

Seraphine took another sip and lowered the cup completely.

Her gaze wandered around the room once more.

She needed to see what she looked like.

“Rosalie.”

“Yes, Your Highness?”

“Do we have a mirror here?”

Rosalie blinked.

“A mirror?”

“Yes.”

The maid's expression turned puzzled.

“Why?”

Seraphine forced herself to remain calm.

“I want to see how badly I injured myself.”

That seemed to satisfy her.

“Oh. Of course.”

Rosalie hurried toward one of the cabinets at the far end of the room.

A moment later, she returned with a small bronze hand mirror and carefully placed it in Seraphine's hands.

Seraphine looked down.

For several seconds, she didn't move.

The young woman staring back at her was unmistakably unfamiliar.

She looked several years younger than Seraphine remembered herself being, with pale skin, long dark hair falling loosely around her shoulders, and delicate features that were almost too soft for the sharpness Seraphine was accustomed to seeing in her own reflection.

Her eyes were dark, almost like her own.

The face was beautiful. But, it was completely unfamiliar.

Slowly, Seraphine raised a hand.

The woman in the mirror did the same.

Her fingers brushed her cheek.

So did the reflection.

Seraphine lowered the mirror.

There was no mistaking it.

She was really in someone else's body.

She knew she had died in that battle. But who knew she would wake up in another's body?

And not just anyone's.

The Crown Princess.

It was absurd.

Yet she knew better than to let any of it show.

If anyone noticed that she wasn't behaving like the woman they believed her to be, she had no idea what would happen.

“Your Highness…”

Rosalie's voice pulled her from her thoughts.

“Hm?”

"What were you doing so close to the edge of the pond that you fell into it?" Rosalie asked, her face full of confusion. "You already said you wouldn't stay too long in the evening lest you catch a cold."

Seraphine fell silent.

She had no idea what had happened before she fell into the pond.

The fragments of memory that surfaced whenever she tried to think about it were disorienting enough to make her head ache.

"I can't really remember."

She continued massaging her forehead languidly.

"Who found me in the pond?"

"A maid from the kitchen," Rosalie replied. "It caused quite a commotion last night. Even the Crown Prince came..."

Her voice gradually faded.

Then she abruptly fell silent.

Seraphine caught it immediately.

"What happened to the Crown Prince?"

Rosalie seemed uncertain whether she should continue.

She eventually answered,

"The Crown Prince has never paid you a visit since your wedding three months ago."

She hesitated.

"I heard it's because he's so sickly that he can barely leave his quarters. Yet even he rushed over last night when he heard you nearly died."

Seraphine remained silent.

Rosalie seemed equally at a loss for words and silence filled the room.

Then, suddenly, Rosalie slapped a hand against her forehead and stood.

"How could I forget?"

She turned toward Seraphine.

"You're clearly still unwell. I have to get the physician."

Before Seraphine could respond, she hurried out of the room.

Seraphine remained seated on the bed, grateful for the sudden silence.

At last, she could think.

Thankfully, she was still in Valedria.

Except now, she was part of the Imperial family.

What about her army?

Had they made it home safely?

How was she supposed to contact them?

Her grandfather, uncles and cousins must be worried sick.

But then another thought occurred to her.

Could she even contact anyone?

Who would believe this absurd situation?

And there was something else.

The events before her death were still confusing.

She suspected that she had been schemed against, but she had no idea by whom.

The thought made her head ache.

She began massaging her temple again.

After a moment, she came to a conclusion.

This was the Imperial Capital.

And if the borderlands had been dangerous, this place was likely even more so.

She couldn't afford to slip up.

For now, she had to keep a low profile and observe.

Perhaps she would eventually discover why she had ended up in this body.

Or, better yet, perhaps she would discover exactly what had happened during that battle.

With that thought settled, Seraphine felt considerably calmer by the time Rosalie returned with the physician.

She behaved more naturally and delicately as the physician examined her.

After a brief examination, he confirmed that she was simply fatigued from the blood loss and prescribed several tonics.

Soon after, he left.

Then, two maids from the kitchen arrived with breakfast.

Rosalie took the tray from them and set up a small table beside the bed before placing the dishes upon it.

"You should eat something so you can regain some strength. You look pale."

She pulled open the lid covering the tray.

The moment she saw what was inside, Rosalie's expression changed.

"I knew they'd do this again!"

Seraphine looked at her.

Rosalie stared down at the meal in disbelief, her face slowly turning red with anger.

"They cannot be serious!”