As I enter my quarters to get ready for the wedding, I spot Roel standing outside the door, waiting for me. At this point, he's clearly my personal knight. I reflect on my recent conversation with my so-called father. From what I can gather, we're not close. He doesn't outright hate me, but he probably sees me as a nuisance—someone not worth thinking about. Then there are my stepmothers. Maybe one of them is my biological mother, but none of them seem to care much about my banishment. The only exception is the black-haired woman, who for some reason seemed to pity me. I need to figure out why she feels so familiar. Then there's the blonde-haired devil, who seems to enjoy playing with me. I need to be cautious around her. The white-haired and blue-haired women just seem apathetic, but I guess none of this matters if I'm going to be banished anyway.
As I begin to undress, I glance at the mirror. The body I now inhabit is well-toned. He clearly takes his fitness seriously—who would have guessed? I continue to look at my reflection, contemplating my current dilemma.
Just then, a maid enters. She has brown hair, an eye patch, and golden eyes that seem intense. Her slender body is complemented by the embroidery of a division insignia from the empire. She moves with the grace of someone who knows their place.
Instinctively, I cover my body, shouting, "Don't you knock?" She ignores me completely. How rude, I think. Doesn't anyone respect this guy?
She sets my clothes for the wedding on the bed and says, "Stretch out your hands, Master. I need to dress you."
"Why are you the one giving orders?" I ask, trying to gauge our relationship. This body clearly knows her.
"Seems Master is quite on edge today," she remarks, clearly referring to my current situation. What a jab. "But I guess that's to be expected."
I blurt out without thinking, "I see. Have we...?" I stop myself, realizing the inappropriate nature of the question.
"No, Master. We haven't. Enough of your thoughtless rambling," she responds dryly. I can tell this body and she are close, but we don't feel like friends—not really.
As she helps me get dressed for the wedding, she continues, "Can you tell Roel to pay me back?"
I look at her, confused. "What do you mean?"
"You heard me. That bastard still owes me 500 shields," she says loudly, clearly for Roel to hear.
"Seriously, what's our relationship?" I ask, cutting to the chase. I'm tired of dancing around the topic.
She smirks. "Partners in crime, Master."
My heart sinks. What else has this bastard done? I think. What is with this body? Before I can ponder further, she interrupts my thoughts, laughing.
"Don't worry. You just pay me to clean up your messes. Or you could say I'm your favorite," she says with a sly, devilish grin.
I think to myself, I might have finally found an ally, but she seems to have a few screws loose.
"Okay, erm..." I trail off, unsure of what to say next.
"It's Janica, Master," she responds, looking at me in confusion. "Why are you struggling with my name?"
"I've got a bad hangover from drinking yesterday," I explain quickly, trying to cover my slip-up. "I seem to have forgotten a lot of things. Can you remind me, Miss Janica?"
She gives me a suspicious look but soon drops the matter and begins explaining the royal and ducal family dynamics to me.
From what I gather, it seems there's a rigid caste system. At the top is the Divine Celestial Emperor, followed by the royal family and his court. The four deities, one of whom is my father, hold significant power. The continent is called Noen Kingdom, and there are only two known continents, the other being mostly unexplored.
As for family dynamics, I have one older brother—he's the one getting married, and he seems to despise me. There's also an older sister who's known as the Queen of High Society. From what I can tell, she and I are the closest.
Janica continues explaining the relationships with my stepmothers. They each have their own ambitions. While I'm not sure if any of them are my biological mother, they all seem to be highly calculating. However, the black-haired woman is different. She was once the loudest and liveliest of them all, but after the death of her newborn and a two-year coma, she became detached and distant. Janica is surprised that she spoke up for me, which only raises more questions about her.
Janica warns me not to fully trust any of my stepmothers, as they could become powerful enemies depending on whether our goals align.
When I ask about friends, Janica laughs in my face. "None," she says. "Probably only me. And I see you as 'my partner in crime.'" She pauses, then adds, "Or maybe just a plaything."
I take all of this into consideration. Yeah, this body has really screwed up in the highest order.
Suddenly, Roel bursts in. "Your Highness, you're going to be late. There's no time for small talk."
His voice is stern, and it's clear he's pissed off. Janica looks at him with an annoyed expression.
"Where's my money, you fucker?" she demands, glaring at him.
Roel opens his mouth to explain, but before he can, we hear the sound of trumpets signaling the beginning of the wedding ceremony. It's about to start.
We rush out of the room and head toward the wedding. This day is going to be a mess.