"Excuse me, my queen?" The man called out, but his concern went unheard, as his monarch was preoccupied with something else.
Sheila learned from the memories she received that Scarlet Rose was the true owner of the body she was occupying. However, this would undoubtedly confuse her in the future, but she had no power to choose whose body she would inhabit.
Furthermore, Sheila discovered that Scarlet almost died as a child. According to the memories, Scarlet had managed to survive a great tragedy. Her entire clan was destroyed by a mysterious army bearing a red banner with the crest of a flying crimson phoenix. Scarlet would not have survived that night if it hadn't been for her elder sister, who used all of her remaining magic to send her to a different realm. Scarlet had lived her entire life in Gehenna, known as the realm of the abandoned, begging for scraps while growing up. Scarlet should have died there, but a loving couple took her in, and they were not human, but humanoid creatures known as the Lizardfolk. The Lizardfolk had green scales all over their body and snake-like yellow eyes, which made them terrifying to look at. Despite their frightening appearance, the lizard couple was kind to Scarlet. Their names were Gana and Lilica, and they treated Scarlet as their own, raising her with love and affection.
When Scarlet turned 14, her magic powers began to manifest. The couple could not teach her how to control her abilities since only high-born monsters could use magic at will. However, they did not drive Scarlet away, even when she accidentally destroyed objects inside their home countless times. They were very understanding of her situation. Unfortunately, the couple tragically died when Scarlet was 16 years old. A horde of orcs attacked them while they were traveling with a party of traders to the town of Halling Cove to buy food and supplies. Scarlet was recovering from a fever for two days, and Gana and Lilica told her to stay behind, so she was not with them when they died. Scarlet wanted to protect them, and she regretted it very much. That is why Gana and Lilica's deaths encouraged her to set out on a journey, eventually building her empire.
She crossed the vast lands of the Gehennian realm, defeated fearsome demons who ruled their lands, and liberated territories, gaining loyal followers. In thirty years, Scarlet established the Rozen Empire, which she ruled for almost five hundred years, living a long life like an immortal. She stopped aging the day she turned 24, the age at which she could harness and manipulate her powers at will without difficulty. Scarlet ruled the Gehennian realm under her banner, bringing prosperity and peace to the empire. She was loved by all, yet she was not happy. Scarlet was deeply troubled by her unknown origins, so she ordered her commanders to search for answers. Unfortunately, she did not have enough time to find the answers she was seeking. She was dragged into a great war that lasted for ten bitter years, and the other eight realms were at a disadvantage. The war was almost over, and Scarlet's armies were winning. She had the military advantage since all of her soldiers were highly trained and magically superior. Individually, they could defeat a thousand enemy soldiers before the enemies could take them down. That is why the other eight realms decided to form a coalition to defeat her and her army, capture her territory, and distribute her resources fairly between themselves when she falls.
When the coalition was formed, Scarlet was surrounded by enemies on all sides. Her magic was almost drained in the final moments of the battle, but she pushed herself to cast a great spell. Scarlet used all of her magic to create an explosion that was, in reality, an illusion. On the outside, it appeared as if Scarlet was destroying Gehenna in a manic rage, but in reality, she was faking her death to save herself and her kingdom. She had brought them to the Dark Dimension with the remainder of her magic before collapsing and falling into a coma.
Shiela winced as a sharp pain bloomed inside her head, causing her to stop delving into Scarlet's memories. Her whole life was too overwhelming to absorb all at once, and she needed time to process everything.
"My queen, are you alright?" asked a soothing male voice.
Sheila flinched upon hearing the voice again and slowly looked up to see Eigeel. The worry on his face was evident, but he did not move to touch her. He only waited for her to acknowledge his presence.
Eigeel was the name of this handsome male, one of Scarlet's most trusted advisers. He was her butler, the commander of her armies, and the chief member of her Scarlet Order.
Scarlet gave Eigeel a reassuring smile. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me."
Eigeel appeared as though he wanted to ask her to tell him more, but he bowed his head instead, respecting her privacy. "Very well, my queen," he said, performing a small yet exquisite bow.
Sheila cleared her throat. "May I ask you something, Eigeel?"
"Of course," he replied, "and you don't have to be formal with me, your majesty."
Sheila cleared her throat. "H-How long was I asleep?" she asked.
Eigeel looked up at her, silent for a moment. His face held concern, but it was gone as soon as it appeared. "To answer that, my queen, you've been asleep for almost 5 centuries."
Sheila was surprised by his answer. "Is that how long you've been here as well?"
Eigeel nodded. "Yes. We never left the Dark Dimension, instead, we made a home in this place while waiting for your awakening."
"I see. So, things are going well," Sheila mumbled to herself.
She asked that question because Scarlet's memories ended after her fake death. She didn't know what happened to her subordinates and her empire after that.
"Did you say something, my queen?" Eigeel asked.
Sheila shook her head and smiled. "It was nothing."
There was silence for a while before Sheila asked, "So, where are the others?" She was referring to the other members of the Scarlet Order, breaking the awkward silence between them.
In Scarlet's memories, the Scarlet Order was a group of her most trusted subordinates who pledged their lives to serve and protect her and the empire.
Eigeel bowed his head briefly before replying, "They're in their respective domains, my queen. If Her Majesty wishes to assemble the Scarlet Order, I will call them for you."
Sheila hesitated, knowing that the Scarlet Order had worked closely with Scarlet for many years. Together, they had committed themselves to creating the Rozen Empire from the ground up. If she were to meet with them now, they would likely notice the difference between her and the real Scarlet Rose. After serving by her side for so long, they should know her characteristics and mannerisms. With those factors involved, there was a possibility that they might suspect she was an impostor.
However, Sheila had already seen how Eigeel was treating her. He did not seem to doubt her at all. He probably thought she had a slight amnesia after waking up and did not question her identity when she began acting a bit strange.
While Sheila's acting skills might be useful to Eigeel for now, the other members of the order might be more perceptive. She suspected that they would be able to see through her disguise with just a single glance, but it was only a thought.
Despite the potential risks, Sheila was tempted to conduct an experiment and see if she could fool the other members of the Scarlet Order. However, she knew that there was no going back if they uncovered her true identity.
Sheila couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. If she was exposed as an impostor, it would mean certain death. She wondered if it was worth the risk. On the other hand, she knew that she couldn't stay hidden forever. Eventually, she would have to confront the other members of the Scarlet Order and reveal her true identity.