Yup, I totally suck at sneaking out.

"Well, well, well, look who's finally decided to get up from bed," chuckled a nasal female voice.

I whisked my head around to discover an absolutely stunning noirette accompanied by a royal guard standing well away from me.

"Kristopher, could you give us a minute alone?" the woman asked the guard while her exotic red eyes were still transfixed on me. The guard bowed once and went off in the opposite direction from where they had come from.

Hesitant to conversate in case I mess up, I fumbled with my hands while the woman studied me. "Are you just going to stay quiet? I took my time to come and check up on you since I heard that you recovered and yet you don't even greet me?" She sighed infuriatingly.

This woman who seemed to me the exact image of an angel before, didn't look so anymore. Looking at her suddenly made me remember my mother. Remembering those memories vexed me still.

I didn't know how to react so I muttered a greeting. "What's that? Speak up," she snapped. "I haven't any time for this."

"I asked if you're doing alright," I faltered.

"Mind your tongue with me, child!" She hissed. From the corner of my eye, I saw a guard doing his rounds and he came close enough that he could hear our rather derogatory conversation. The woman noticed as well and suddenly, her whole tone of speaking changed. "Why yes, Your Highness, I'm doing perfectly fine, though I should be more worried about your health than you should be of mine," she empathized through her teeth with an obvious fake smile on her pretty face. When the guard had walked past us and off into the distance, her face went back to a grim and horrendous expression.

"Did you have fun?" She smiled a vicious smile of a snake.

"Pardon?" I asked.

"Don't pretend to feign ignorance now, you scheming brat," she hissed. "I know all about your dirty ploys."

Okay, hol' up. I was seriously so confused. A random lady walked up to the Crown Princess and started insulting her. I don't know how the original princess would've reacted hence the reason I stayed silent but this was crossing the line. But then again, I'm the princess. What's the worst she could do, slap me? I'm pretty much used to those by now.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," I denied. Now I didn't feel as small as I had before. In a world without Juwon and Jieum, I had no reason to keep on living, so bring it on.

The woman snorted. "Pretending to be sick for four days so that you could attract the Emperor's attention away from me, is what I'm talking about," she spitted. "Have you any idea how furious I was when I heard the royal physician announce that you were ill? How could you even wrap the palace staff around your tiny fingers? Haven't you any shame?"

This lady is delusional, I thought. How could she keep on attacking the princess with such nonsensical abuse? For some reason, anger spread through me and bubbled over as I tried to maintain my expression and composure. "Who are you to throw such blames at me?"

The woman's lips twitched. Her entire face twisted into a snake's. I thought for a second that I ever saw her fags, dying to pierce through me. "You bitch," she seethed. "I am the cynosure of His Majesty, his most treasured mistress, Elora Obsilia. I am most definitely his future empress and you are not to tell me otherwise!"

"Wh-" I started but she cut in again.

"I really hope you could live long enough to see me take the throne, though I highly doubt it," she sneered.

I was very much aware that I would have to die soon, but prized mistress or not, this woman was seriously rubbing it in. "Why would I not live long enough?" I asked her so I could get some information out of her as to why and how was I to be killed

"Oops," she laughed. "Just forget I ever said something like that."

What was this lady's deal? I was seriously considering kicking her shin right about now and making a run for it.

"You know...I could have you punished for such insolence," I fumed. "Father won't stand this." I was totally uncertain about that.

"Oh and how are you so sure, little miss princess?" she said, full of pride and mockery. "Do you really think the Emperor will believe a little kid like you over someone like me?" She cackled. "I'd like to see you try!"

The painful thing was that it was the truth. A painful truth. Even though I didn't own this body, such verbal abuse made me remember my past and triggered memories that I'd rather keep locked away at the back of my head. In short, it hurt.

Cackling, Elora Obsilia walked away after giving me one last menacing glare that relayed 'Idiot' to me. Still fuming, I went back into my bedroom, planning on how to get back at her.

✿

"Your Highness, you seem pale," Martha said as she soaped my hair. I finally got a chance to relax in a large marble bathtub in a bathroom that seemed just as grand. I was only starting to loosen up when Martha decided to ask me about the conversation I had with 'Madame Elora'.

"I was standing right by your door waiting for you to finish talking to the Madame but you didn't seem to notice me. I don't mean to pry but did she say something to anger you?" Martha's soothing voice was making me feel drowsy.

"No, it's fine," I slurred. Martha didn't scrutinize any further as if getting the hint that I didn't want to talk about it.

It felt as if I spent hours in the bathtub but I soon found myself being taken back to the bedroom and letting the royal physician- who was a nice old guy- poke me all over. He then declared that I had definitely recovered 100% from whatever had gotten me sick before.

After that, the maids fitted me into a large, poofy gown. The maid from whose name was apparently Hetty and another maid called Marilynne were also present in my bedroom and helped Martha put me in my dress.

I glanced at myself in the gold-rimmed full length mirror that stood before me as Hetty tightened a white laced corset around my already small waist.

"Hetty, lightly please," I winced silently because she had just pulled the ribbon too tight. Though it hurt, I didn't know what others would say if I decided to forgo these kinds of garments, so I just let them do it.

"Forgive me, Your Highness," Hetty said in a quiet voice.

"May I?" Marilynne asked as she grabbed the hair brush off of a dressing table besides the mirror. I nodded to her and let her tame my now lilac locks. I looked in the mirror once again, and saw the same 17 year old girl I had seen in the mirror before. Lilac, shining hair fell down my shoulders but under Marilynne's shadow they seemed a gorgeous purple. Many strands covered my face and dropped over my eyelids, under which were exhausted green eyes.

Jieum Choi what have you done?

Due to my sighing, all three of the maids perked up but upon receiving no further orders from me, went back to busying themselves with grooming me. Martha had informed me a little beforehand that the Emperor had summoned me for some afternoon tea in the palace garden. What a nice man. What a considerate father to have his daughter come to him when she had just recovered from sickness. Seriously, we needed more agreeable, caring men like him in our world. As if.

I never had a father myself, so it was hard for me to imagine this Emperor's personality based off of only what I had heard. Still, I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best.

"Alright, Your Highness, now that's done," Martha said. "Hetty, Marilynne, go grab a royal guard to accompany her Highness to the gardens. Go on, quick, girls!" Hetty and Marilynne curtseyed and left obediently. Martha examined me up and down and smiled. "Nobody would be able to tell that you were ever sick. You look absolutely radiant, Your Highness!"

I didn't. I definitely didn't. I was too tired and sleepy to have any tea at all but I didn't say so out loud as the maids had worked really hard to make me look presentable. To match the gown, Martha had pinned a rose pin on my hair that perfectly complemented the tiny red ruby heels on my petite feet.. I thanked Martha and went on my way as Hetty brought to the door with her a royal guard.