บท 1: Chapter 1
"Jung Eunse!" (TL: I would generally translate this name differently (like Eun-Seo or Eun-Suh), but in order to stay consistent with the author's naming sense, it will be Eunse. Can't believe it's 1 sentence into a series and I need to make a TL note!)
I jerked out of bed while shouting that name.
I don't usually talk in my sleep, so I don't know why I called out my younger sister's name like that.
I woke up in such an odd way, but my body felt refreshed.
It doesn't look like I had a nightmare or slept in a weird position.
"Your highness."
'Holy shit, that scared me.'
My shoulders flinched.
I turned toward the sound of the voice and saw an unfamiliar person there.
"I'm sorry, who are you and why are you in my house..."
"Did you sleep well, your highness?"
"Excuse me?"
It was not just one person.
People I didn't know with different skin colors, hair colors, and eye colors were standing there looking at me.
Someone had what seemed like a shiny basin, someone else was holding a white cloth next to him, and another person...
"Breakfast is in one hour, your highness. Shall we brush your teeth and wash your face?"
"Excuse me?"
'Excuse me?' is the only thing people can say when they are truly shocked.
The only thing I could think of was, 'Excuse me?' as well. I had no idea what was going on.
'Is it some kind of hidden camera? Did Eunse contact a TV network to do this to me?'
My mind was trying its best to figure out what was going on.
"I guess you are not fully awake yet, your highness."
"That is true I guess..."
"You are probably still fatigued from your journey. It is normal after such a long trip, your highness."
'Journey? What is he talking about? Do TV shows go this far for hidden cameras these days?'
It was extremely detailed for someone like me, who only went to work and came home, to understand.
'Where is Eunse? Is she in another room watching me?'
"Umm, could you please tell me where this is?"
I slowly opened my mouth as calmly as possible.
I didn't have many things I could ask. I quickly looked around, and it was not my room or our living room.
I was in a room that was the size of our whole house, on a bed that was as big as my friend's studio room, with extremely expensive-looking furniture all around.
'What is that on the wallpaper? There's no way it is real gold, right?'
"You must be extremely tired, your highness."
The middle-aged man who had been the first to speak to me responded in an official voice.
He motioned to someone standing next to him and a young boy quickly poured water into a clear glass and handed it to me.
"Would you like a glass of water to help clear your mind, your highness?"
"Uhh, thank you very much."
I didn't think much of it and drank about half of the cup.
I then realized how stupid I had been.
'Why did I drink it? What if it wasn't water? Did I get abducted?'
*
To make it clear, it was just regular water.
And this was not an abduction nor a TV program.
It was body possession.
"Ah."
The face I saw in the water as I washed my face was someone else's face. The fact that I managed to get past it only saying, 'ah' was a miracle.
I was jumping up and down and screaming internally. My palms were getting sweaty.
"Shall we get you dressed, your highness?"
"...Yes, sir."
I responded after finishing washing my face and brushing my teeth.
Even an elementary student would not do anything weird to cause suspicions or throw a tantrum about wanting to go home in this situation.
I could use the fact that I wasn't fully awake as an excuse earlier, but not now.
The important thing was to figure out my current situation and come up with a plan.
"Excuse us, your highness."
Two young attendants walked over and started to change my clothes.
The normal me wouldn't have let random people touch me like this, but I was so shocked that I just quietly let them do it.
MCs in novels where they get transported into a different world possessing a character's body like my current situation always talk about how, 'it was too realistic to be a dream.'
It really was like that.
I didn't need to pinch my cheeks to know that this was real.
The feeling of the clothes touching my skin and the rustling of the clothes as I moved were both extremely vivid.
"Is anything uncomfortable, your highness? The royal tailors made it while referencing the Holy Kingdom's casual wear from the palace."
"It fits perfectly. Thank you."
I touched my shoulders and chest once before gathering clues in my mind.
Based on the layout of the room and people's clothes, this was a 'Medieval Fantasy' world.
I removed the web novel I was reading yesterday, < I thought I died, but I was a Conqueror > from the list of potential options. That was a novel about how the MC woke up in the body of an Ancient Roman Emperor.
"Here is a mirror, your highness."
The middle-aged man had some attendants bring a large full-body mirror over so that I could take a look.
I quietly gasped.
I was only able to tell that this body was not mine when I was washing my face earlier.
Would I be able to tell where I am if I know what I look like?
"...Mm."
"Do you like it, your highness?"
I was tall and handsome with blonde hair and purple eyes. I smiled and could see the corners of my mouth rising in the mirror.
A young man that everybody would definitely say was handsome was looking back at me.
'What the hell...?'
"Yes, thank you very much, sir."
I just said whatever came to mind.
Forget liking the clothes, someone this handsome is probably the main character.
But most of the novels I've read had MCs with black hair; I've never seen an MC with blonde hair.
That meant that 'I' was probably a supporting character, whether it be the MC's close friend, party member, or even a mid-level boss the MC defeats along the way.
'Man, I don't even know how I am going to get back home. I hope I don't need to play an important role.'
"Then shall we head for breakfast? I will lead the way, your highness."
I just nodded my head.
I took one more look at the 'me' in the mirror before starting to walk.
'Is he about my height…..? Huh?'
"...I saw it before."
"Your highness?"
"Ah, I'm sorry. It's nothing."
I brushed it off and followed the middle-aged man. The attendants followed behind me.
I gathered my thoughts while walking past an extremely large window with a view of a vast garden.
'First, the body I am in is a 'prince' from the Holy Kingdom.
'He looks oddly familiar, but I can't tell who it is.
'I've yet to hear the prince's name or the name of the Holy Kingdom.
'I don't know why I am visiting this place either.
'This place has an 'Imperial Palace,' so it must be an Empire with an Emperor, but I don't know its name either.'
"This way, your highness."
The middle-aged man opened the door to the dining room and led me over to a large table before pulling the chair out for me.
"What would you like to drink, your highness? We have an assortment of coffee beans from the south and tea leaves from the north."
This middle-aged man who had been leading the discussion from the moment I woke up introduced himself as 'Benjamin Girardin.'
'I am not worthy, but I am in charge of the attendants here in Juliette Palace.'
He said that as well, but his name and the name of the palace were both new to me.
'Damn it.'
"Could I have some kind of Herbal tea please?"
I remembered that I was in someone else's body after saying that.
My original body had a serious case of gastritis so I couldn't really drink caffeine, alcohol, or even carbonated drinks.
That's why I just said what I usually say when I got to cafes, but...
'Wouldn't it be okay in this body?'
I even debated whether I should have asked for a cup of wine.
"...I was careless. I understand."
My response made Benjamin, who had maintained a poker face this whole time, crack a little bit.
I peeked at the other attendants to see if I made a mistake somehow, but they had serious expressions for a different reason.
Some looked as if they were shocked, while others looked amazed.
Was a single cup of tea such a big issue?
"Here is some Chamomile tea, your highness."
"Thank you very much."
The attendants had quickly moved to bring me a steaming teapot and a teacup.
"Is the meal to your liking, your highness?"
"Yes, it is delicious. It is seasoned perfectly."
I wasn't lying.
Freshly baked bread, extremely creamy soup, a dressing I had never tasted before, and an extremely fragrant meat dish with fresh fruit.
My eyes were happy, and my mouth was in heaven with this breakfast.
I could enjoy myself without worrying since I didn't think that the people who woke me up, washed me, and dressed me would put poison in the food.
I need to eat and fill my belly so that my mind works well and provides the momentum for me to figure out a way to get home.
"You ate it cleanly, your highness."
Benjamin said that as if it was unexpected.
I snapped back to reality to see that I was scraping the bottom of the salad plate with my fork.
I quickly put my fork down because, although I was from another world, even I knew that this was not proper etiquette.
"Haha, I guess I am really tired after traveling so far. I ate more than I usually do. Thank you very much for the meal."
I used the information I gathered from Benjamin earlier to my advantage.
I don't know how far it is from the Holy Kingdom to here, but someone from this world said it was a long journey so it should be pretty far.
"Then should I tell them not to bring out the desserts?"
"No, there's a separate stomach for desserts."
*
I had warm Rooibos tea and some egg tarts full of custard for dessert.
The attendants must have wanted some as well as they went 'wow' and gasped when I bit into the third one.
"I'm so full..."
I could hear the attendants quietly laughing once I got back to my room and plopped down on the couch with a blanket Benjamin handed me.
I never expected to, but I guess I really didn't give off a charismatic first impression.
"Your highness, shall I get you a book to read?"
"Yes, thank you very much."
One of the attendant kids asked, and I happily accepted. A book would be great.
Anything was fine as long as it would help me gather clues about this place.
I debated whether I ended up in something other than a web novel, but I had a feeling that that was not the case.
I haven't read webtoons or comic books since I graduated High School.
My family did watch movies and dramas, but nothing they watched recently had a setting like this.
I haven't really read any textbooks since I was twenty, and a musical seemed too far-fetched.
I didn't even want to consider that I fell into a 'different world' rather than someone's creation.
That meant that the only thing left was a web novel, but I couldn't figure out which one it might be since I've read so many of them on my way to and from work.
"What is next on our agenda?"
I asked Benjamin about today's plans.
I inspected the decorations and any symbols I saw on the hallways to and from the dining area, but none of them were helpful.
I had never seen the crest on the ends of the spoons and knives either.
I guess I need to be a little more assertive now.
"...There are no plans, your highness."
'Wait, didn't he seem a bit awkward just now?'
"Her majesty ordered us to let you rest today as you arrived late last night."
"I understand. Then what does tomorrow's schedule look like?"
Awkward silence.
'There's definitely something.'
There was a moment of break in this flawless butler-like character.
On the other hand, my mind was slowly getting clearer.
"Am I resting all week?"
"Yes, your highness."
"I think I'll be bored if I only stay in the palace. May I look around elsewhere?"
That last question almost came out of reflex.
It was suspicious that a prince from another kingdom who was staying in the palace had no diplomatic things to attend.
Benjamin's face looked quite distraught as he answered my question.
"I apologize, your highness, but that is not possible."
"Why not?"
He looked down not long after we made eye contact.
"If you are really frustrated, you should at least be able to take a walk in the garden."
"That's a relief. Do you happen to know when I will be returning home as well?"
"..."
'I see. This prince is imprisoned here.'
He was sent to a place far away from home and imprisoned in this empty palace.
They treated him well, but he needed to ask the attendants before he even went on a walk.
Then there was only one answer.
"I would like to walk right now to help with the digestion. I saw the garden through the window earlier and it was quite beautiful."
I was a diplomatic hostage.
"...I will deliver your request to my superiors."
I nodded my head and Benjamin quietly informed one of the attendants.
"Go find Capuson-nim in the Romero Palace and indicate that Prince Jesse requests to take a walk in the garden."
I jumped up from the couch.
I couldn't believe what I had just heard.
The shock made it hard to breathe.
'Jesse' is my name.
Rissa
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