Chapter 15
Of course, I couldn’t see ahead. The only thing I could sense was a scent so strong it felt like it was numbing my nose. That scent was coming from the bathtub I had entered.
At first, it had been warm water, but after pouring in all sorts of fragrant things, it was so sticky that I couldn’t even tell if it was still water.
I had no idea how many hours had passed since my first bath. It had been unbearably boring hours.
Go into the tub when they told me to, get out when they said, sit on the chair when instructed, lie on the bed when told.
The maids were busy rubbing, washing, and applying things to my face and body, but all I could do was think.
So during that time, I decided to face a truth I had avoided for a long time.
“Now, Your Highness, we’ll wash you off.”
Feeling the warm water on my face, I thought:
‘I have no choice but to admit it now.’
My plan to live quietly, unnoticed, and then sneak behind the original heroine in three years seemed completely ruined.
I had sensed the ominous turn the moment Richard told me to stick with him, and Rudolf’s appearance and the birthday invitation had pushed it to the peak.
My happy-ending plan, already shattered, would vanish completely the moment I entered the party holding Rudolf’s hand.
It was heartbreaking to think how things had come to this, but now was not the time for that.
What mattered was the future, not the past.
I needed a new plan—a new happy ending that would end with “and lived happily ever after.”
The simplest option was to attach myself to either Richard or Rudolf. Make him emperor, and in return, gain a peaceful, comfortable life.
Since both were villains, this wouldn’t be easy either, but I was confident I could manage by using my memory of the original story.
So here was the final question:
Could I protect both the original heroine and hero while helping a villain become emperor?
The answer… did not come easily.
Only a deep sigh came.
“My, Your Highness. You look very tired.”
One maid, while wiping my face, jumped slightly in surprise. That wasn’t wrong, so I weakly nodded.
“It’s alright. You’re now fully prepared.”
This was a welcome announcement.
“All that’s left is the dress, makeup, and hair!”
“That’s still a long way off!”
The maid laughed at my protest, thinking I was joking. Other maids began arranging boxes filled with dresses, shoes, and jewelry around me.
After my face was cleaned, I carefully examined the dress Rudolf had sent.
It was a fairy-like, beautiful dress. A pale sky-blue skirt was overlaid with several thin layers of silver-threaded fabric. Diamond dust was sprinkled on the fabric, sparkling brilliantly with even the slightest movement.
The short sleeves were lightly puffed, adding a touch of cuteness, and a delicately woven lace cape flowed long behind the dress.
It was so magnificent and unreal that I wondered if I would ever see such a thing again in my life.
“I’ll curl your hair, Your Highness.”
Once I sat down in the dress, a maid began curling my hair with a heated rod.
“Please close your eyes, Your Highness.”
Another maid began applying something to my face, while another inspected the dress and its jewelry seriously.
They were all working very diligently. If our palace had enough money, I would have given them some to eat after all this work.
I thought I might fall asleep if it took as long as before, but surprisingly, the preparation was done sooner than expected.
“All done, Your Highness.”
I slowly opened my eyes at those words, having kept them closed through the final touches.
In front of me was a large full-length mirror. And in it stood a fairy.
The dress sparkled like the Milky Way, as if it had been cut from the dawn sky. A tiara studded with opals rested atop her intricately curled blonde hair.
Looking down, I was shocked.
I hadn’t realized when putting them on, but the shoes I wore were not made of fabric.
The clear, see-through shoes looked unmistakably like glass slippers.
Though transparent, the tips were decorated with diamonds and opals, and the heels were slightly raised but comfortable.
No, they were so comfortable it was absurd. They had to be glass, but somehow they felt soft and pleasant.
“Prince Rudolf personally put a spell on them.”
The red-haired lead maid whispered in my ear when she noticed my gaze on the shoes.
“They’re literally magical shoes.”
I stared at the mirror, mesmerized.
Since inhabiting Lucilia’s body, I had thought her cute, but she always seemed too thin and pitiful.
Seeing her daily had made me used to it, and the old, worn clothes she wore made her seem like an old doll.
But now, seeing her like this, I could barely look at the mirror.
I muttered in my head, unable to speak aloud.
Crazy…
I really am beautiful…
Lucilia had always been pretty, but Rudolf had helped transform her into a radiant fairy.
Before wearing it, the dress had seemed overwhelmingly lavish, but once on, it was stunningly beautiful.
The tiara, which I thought might be plain compared to the dress, became an incredible charm-boosting item when paired with the glass slippers.
Did Rudolf pick all this himself, or did a fairy godmother help him, like in Cinderella?
“You look truly beautiful, Your Highness.”
The maid adjusted my dress collar and smiled proudly at her creation.
“Thank you, Johanna.”
The red-haired maid’s eyes widened at my words.
“You… remember my name?”
“Of course. Sonya and Vivian too. You’ve all worked hard until now.”
“Thank you.”
The maids replied in unison.
Glancing outside, I realized the sun had already set.
“By the way, where’s Prince Rudolf?”
“He’s probably waiting on the first floor.”
Johanna answered.
I sighed deeply, wishing the ground would swallow me.
How nice it would have been if Rudolf had caught a sudden cold, or food poisoning, or even a terrible stomachache…
Why hadn’t my older siblings removed Rudolf in advance?
Muttering my unreasonable complaints to myself, I descended to the first floor.
I deliberately walked slowly, trying to delay meeting Rudolf. But halfway down the stairs, I saw him waiting at the bottom.
Our eyes met briefly in the air.
Rudolf looked at me. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking.
Because the moment I saw him, I couldn’t think about anything.
A fairy again…
That was the extent of my dumb thought.
Rudolf wore pure white clothes. A pale blue shirt matched my dress, and the rest was all white.
Even the cravat around his neck was dazzlingly white, decorated with the same opals as my tiara.
“Lucilia.”
He called my name and smiled.
An untouchable aura radiated from him, like pristine snow untouched by anyone, or dew sparkling in the first sunlight.
The essence of pure beauty that felt it would be defiled the moment it was touched.
Who could call Rudolf a sinister psycho after seeing this face and figure? If I were a fairy, he was a fairy king.
I descended the stairs like a dazed person.
“The dress suits you well.”
Rudolf looked at me and smiled kindly, like a caring older brother. He held out his hand.
“Shall we go?”
When I took his hand, the maids from Opal Palace and those Rudolf sent let out soft gasps.
Comments like “What a lovely sibling pair,” or “I’ve never seen the Fifth Prince smile like that,” floated around, while Miriam shouted at the top of her lungs:
“Your Highness, you’re so, so beautiful~!”
“…Let’s go already, brother.”
I couldn’t let myself be embarrassed in front of Rudolf. I covered my flushed face and climbed into the carriage.
Once Rudolf got in, the carriage silently departed.
“Wow…!”
As soon as we left the Opal Palace forest, I gasped.
Through the small carriage window, the palace was bathed in sparkling light.
Though the sun had long set, the palace shone like daytime. Lux-colored magical stones glittered everywhere. The castle, wrapped in magical light, reminded me of an amusement park.
For the first time since being possessed, I had left Opal Palace. I pressed my face to the window and enjoyed the outside world I hadn’t seen in so long.
After a while, I noticed Rudolf beside me, resting his chin on one hand, quietly watching me.
‘How long has he been staring?’
I hoped he wasn’t questioning whether I was really Lucilia or really twelve.
I smiled brightly at Rudolf, still excited, then turned my gaze back to the window.
‘I’m twelve, I’m an innocent twelve-year-old…’
I muttered like a prayer, hoping nothing bad would happen today.
Just when the endless palace seemed to end, the carriage stopped.
Rudolf got out first and offered me his hand. I took it and stepped down.
“The Fifth Prince Rudolf Sol Esperusa and the Seventeenth Princess Lucilia El Esperusa!”
The moment my shoes touched the ground, a servant at the garden entrance shouted.
I lifted my head and looked ahead.
The birthday party was held in the Emperor’s garden, Vernas.
Standing at the entrance, I felt all eyes from the party attendees turn toward us at once.
I had expected it, but reality was even more overwhelming. I shrank a little.
“Stand tall.”
I flinched and looked up at Rudolf. He turned his head to me and whispered:
“Don’t forget you’re royalty. All of them are just insects who must bow to you.”
Rudolf said this with an angelic smile.
The mismatch between his gentle, harmless face and the words he spoke was staggering.
He had a terrible personality.
I thought this and smiled a little. Still, it eased my tension.
Rudolf and I passed through Vernas’ entrance, decorated with lavish flowers.
The Emperor’s garden was vast, seemingly endless. The space was packed with flowers, jewels, and people.
“First, let’s pay our respects to His Majesty.”
Rudolf said this, and the tension that had briefly eased pressed back against my chest.
Today was the Emperor’s birthday party. Everyone arriving had to greet the Emperor first.
We walked along a golden carpet into the garden. After some distance, I began to see something ahead.
A pile of colorful gifts lay on one side. Beside them, a lavish chair, made of gold and decorated with jewels and flowers, looked far larger than life.
And there he was.
Lucius Helio Esperusa.
Sitting on the throne, he bore the name of the Sun God.
He ruled the throne like a deity.
