''How troublesome.''
Slim dainty fingers dug in her scarlet-like hair, and a frustrating sigh spewed out from her glossy lips. Her elbow rested on her raised knee, and the woman relaxed her head, thinking of her unexpected new life.
''….the empress of all characters….'' Thinking of the unfortunate fate of this body, she skimmed through her memory of the novel she had read during her free time back in her former life as the empress of the entertainment industry.
My pink rose.
Such an absurd title when she stumbled upon the title of the novel in a simple book shop. However, she just couldn't drop the novel because of the stupid title. Once something was deemed stupid in the eyes of human beings, curiosity would definitely linger within them, like herself. She just couldn't stop herself from flipping to the first page after making purchase and settling amid the expensive walls of her high-end penthouse.
Just as the name of the novel depicted, the story centered on the female lead's life who literally had pink features.
Pink hair and pink eyes, such an astute color for an innocent lady from a farmer's family far away from an empire.
She and the male lead as a prince fell in love during the time of never-ending wars. The love was sweet yet fiery between them. It was so passionate that the male lead pleaded to bring the female lead back with him to marry as his princess.
Of course, the female lead readily agreed. She had no one waiting for her presence, since her family had been long dead from the cruelty of the wars. She and the male lead had a connection unable to be broken and so, innocently swept by the scent of love, the female lead joined the male lead's army back to the empire.
However….the love so unbreakable yet fiery between them had to be severed by many external factors.
After the revolt between the male lead and his half-brother, the male lead, of course won and became the emperor.
But…did the story end happily ever after with the female lead becoming empress, absolutely without working for the position?
Definitely not!
As the female lead, she was expected to face the great wind and storms against her love with the male lead, and that was where the empress character came into the story.
A Grand duke's daughter who eventually married the male lead to become his empress. Though as a side character, the empress got divorced with the emperor later in the story and settled in the countryside of the empire, cruelly forgotten by the main characters in their happily ever after.
The end.
What a predictable story, and a waste of a few dollars.
That was her thought back then, but who would have expected her to enter into the body of the empress, a side character in the same novel that she deemed a waste of a few dollars?
''…I don't even know where to begin…'' A grumbling sigh escaped her lips as she went through the memories of the empress's body. The timeline of the novel now has passed the marriage between the empress and the emperor.
Perhaps this was still the phase of the great wind and storm against the love of the female lead with the male lead.
Very troubling indeed, and her character was the main push for the love between the main characters.
The same character who was herself at the moment!
*Knock* Knock*
''This servant requires an audience with your majesty.'' A voice came through from the other side of the polished double doors.
''…..''
''Your majesty?''
''...''
''Is your majesty awake?''
''….Do come in.'' Eyeing the closed door that was about to open, she responded, releasing an inaudible sigh. It seemed she would have to start interacting with these characters soon. She just couldn't hide herself in this room forever….now could she?
Out of this unfortunate situation, she was grateful to have these memories of the empress. Her character, her way of speech, her sense of style, her countenance…all she could summarize about the empress was a gentle woman.
Someone incapable of swatting a fly…that was the kind of person the empress was, to the point she wonders if the emperor had a certain preference for women.
He must not have liked the gentle and soft type then. Making her also wonder what type of character the female lead was, if he didn't like the empress.
The female lead was also a gentle and soft type according to the novel…wasn't she?
''Your majesty.'' The same voice albeit, closer to her ears before, drew her attention from the wandering thoughts in her head. Her eyes now focused on the elderly woman standing respectfully in a black-and-white uniform, seeming to be a maid.
This made her to realize that she was definitely living somewhere away from her life as the empress of an entertainment industry.
''Raise your head as you may speak, head maid.'' The voice that came out of her lips was as soft as feather…so tender and pleasing to the ears. Definitely the voice of a gentle person like the empress.
From the memories in her head, the only servant capable of boldly requesting an audience with the empress, the emperor and the queen, was the head maid of the imperial palace.
Detecting a faint shift in the air, the head maid curiously lifted her gaze at the empress's command. When her sight landed on the empress, particularly her current sitting position, her knees went weak and almost plopped on the bare floor.
H-How could the empress, the esteemed mother of the empire, be sitting in this manner of a bandit?
The head maid equipped with the noble etiquettes and discipline of a noble lady abhorred such a sitting position, especially for the empress. Earlier, she did not see such as her gaze was focused to the bare floor until the empress's order.
''Y-Your majesty…'' The head maid decided to correct the empress's position subtly. Her eyes darted to the bent knees and arms, hoping for the empress to understand her meaning. She couldn't boldly warn the empress of the empire as a mere head maid…now could she?
''Hmm?''
However, the head maid was doomed to fail, as the gentle empress of back then was no more. This empress was someone who did not give any attention to noble etiquettes or whatsoever. Rather, the red-haired lady casually hummed in response as though nothing was wrong.
''You requested for an audience, so speak what you came for, head maid.'' As the empress spoke, using her fingers hovering her bent knee flat on the bed, she went ahead to tuck in some loose strands of her scarlet-like hair.
Such action did not seem out of place. It was done in such a charming way, emitting a sense of beauty.
But…in the eyes of the head maid, everything was wrong…so wrong…very wrong! Such action wasn't charming as the empress busty view was clear for her to see from the thin strapped night gown.
Only the emperor was allowed to see the empress in such way, not herself or anyone. Only during the empress's bath were she and other maids allowed to have a glimpse at the empress body.
Even during the bath, she and the other maids were always careful not to boldly look at the empress's body unless instructed to do so.
''A-As you wish, your majesty…'' The head maid had to force herself to calm down against the clueless empress. At the same time, she wondered what exactly was wrong with the empress?
The empress wasn't one to easily discard etiquettes as a noble lady and empress. By now, the empress should have been seated properly as a noble lady; back straight, chest upright, hands overlapped on her lap and legs tucked to the side, in her nightly robe.
'..I should get the imperial physician…' The head maid made a mental note to stop by the imperial clinic for the empress. The imperial physicians had predicted that the empress would be conscious around this time. However, he didn't seem to have predicted the strangeness from the empress.
'Perhaps her majesty had suffered from some brain damage after the fall in the lake.' The head maid suddenly came to this guess.
''This servant is overjoyed with your majesty's recovery. His majesty is the same as well, and worries about the health of your majesty.''
His majesty…your majesty…that majesty…
These addresses would have been confusing if not for the memories of the empress. The red-haired woman thought to herself before giving a question to the head maid.
''And where is his majesty now?''
''Y-Yes?''
''This empress asks where his majesty is? Does the question seem strange, head maid?'' A sharp glint flickered in her amethyst-like eyes, narrowing down at the head maid. It seemed what she recalled from these memories of the empress were indeed facts.
''No it is not, your majesty.'' Gathering her stupefied self, the head maid quickly replied, choosing her words carefully, feeling instinctively that her life was on the line. For some reason, she could feel an invisible blade of a sword nearing her throat if she answered the question incorrectly.
It was strange as this familiar intimidating feeling was like that of the emperor, and it was from the gentle and meek empress nonetheless.
''His majesty is at the queen's bed chambers at the moment, your majesty.''
>Enjoy!<