"Now, answer my questions."
Miseok nodded with her hands on her lap. She looked as confused as ever, but her highness had ordered her to answer her questions no matter how odd they seemed, so she obliged. Nevertheless, her ward had always been eccentric. If anything, this was nothing out of the ordinary.
"Who am I?" she asked, her ruby-like eyes wide with wonder.
This isn't ordinary at all, Miseok retracted her thoughts.
She clamped her lips together to keep herself from asking about her ward's mysterious intentions.
"You are Princess Hera Elissa Lanceforth Hrysos, this kingdom's reputable princess."
Hera. My name's Hera, she thought, and somehow it felt right. Like she had been called that way all her life.
"But I'm not Hera…" she muttered to herself, confused as to what was happening.
"Pardon, your highness?"
Hera shook her head. "Nevermind. How old am I?"
Miseok furrowed but answered regardless. "You just turned eighteen, your highness."
It had only occurred to her to look at her hands—they were small, soft, and dainty. She was around the same age before she woke up here, but her hands didn't look this young. Certainly, she had been pampered in this world. She had also noticed that she had pale skin akin to paper. She thought that she had not been outside much to be this pale.
Of course, since I haven't left this manor, she told herself. Wait, I haven't?
"I want to go outside." She looked at Miseok and observed her to confirm her thoughts.
As expected, she stiffened as she pursed her lips together. Moments after, she looked away from the princess and cleared her throat.
"Have you lost your memories, your highness? I shall fetch the doctor—" she was to stand up but Hera stopped her.
She sighed and smiled at the old woman. "Do not fret, Miseok. I am completely fine."
She is not. But what can she do? She woke up in a strange room that's taken straight out of a manhwa as if she had been transmigrated—wait.
She gasped as she remembered what she attempted to do last night. It all came back to her in bits as if her memories were sliced into pieces.
Dreamscape. Lie comfortably. Step into the portal. Wake up!
"Holy shit!" She put her hands over her mouth in shock. Whatever she did last night worked! She transmigrated into a new world!
But didn't the heroines normally know what story they have transmigrated into and what will happen in the future? It was one of the buffs for being an isekai character. Then, what story is this?
"Miseok, fetch me a mirror," she asked her nanny, but a memory of one in her bedside table appeared in her mind. Miseok was reaching for the same drawer when she opened it herself first and grabbed the handheld mirror.
It had intricate details in its gold frame and was heavy. The mirror in it was as clear as day, and her reflection was most…ruminating.
She had cotton-soft pink hair. It was the palest shade of pink, and it was long. She reckoned it reached past her buttocks when she stood. Her brows are two shades darker, and she had glowing, pale skin. But among her features, she was most enamored by her eyes. They were a shade of dark pink, almost as dark as ruby.
A Hera with pink hair and magenta eyes… did she ever read a character with those characteristics?
No, I didn't, she answered herself, which means this isn't a world in a book, or at least a book that I have read before.
Suddenly feeling defeated, her shoulders slumped in disappointment. How is she going to live here as an entirely different person? And she's royalty? How could she possibly live up to her reputation?
She's the most unlikely to be princess!
"Your highness, are you okay?" Miseok suddenly spoke, her voice laced with worry. She reached for Hera's hands and squeezed it as a soft, consoling smile appeared on her lips. "It has been quite late, but I wish you the happiest birthday, your highness. You might not be able to debut in high society during this time like the other noble ladies, but I assure you that you shall still have the celebration fitting of your nobility and status. I shall make sure of it."
Hera remembered a surge of memories in her head. Today was her eighteenth birthday or her coming of age. During this time, it was customary for noble ladies to attend balls as a debut, whether it was held by themselves or by others. This was their allegiance to the Hrysos' Kingdom as one of its subordinates and citizens.
"I won't debut like the other noble ladies? Isn't it customary?" she asked, intending to extract the information she couldn't quite remember yet, or a truth Miseok hadn't dared speak of.
Miseok's expression fell as she stiffened once again. She retracted her hands and rested them on her lap.
"I have prepared a celebration in the garden, your highness. That is the reason why I have been making haste ever since the sun has risen. There are much to expect and prepare for, so let us—"
"If you have prepared such a grand celebration, can I expect a lot of visitors in the manor? I shall befriend noblemen and women to establish my position as princess, shall I not?" Hera guessed. She didn't know a thing, but royalty has to establish their power, so she should be right.
"Your highness, forgive me but you shall know we cannot open the manor's gates." Miseok looked worried and… sad for her.
"Why?"
Miseok looked down to her fingers, her face unreadable.
"It was his majesty's orders," she muttered, her tone sad and almost bleak.
"But I am the princess." Hera argued.
"Yes, you are, your highness."
"However?"
"However, even you cannot defy the emperor's orders. It was a royal decree," Miseok explained gently.
A royal decree. She pushed herself to remember once again, if she was even remembering in this case. She just knew that certain knowledge or memories get prompted with certain keywords. If it was a royal decree, the "real Hera" must know of it. She must also know why Miseok was being vague about this.
"A royal decree to keep the gates closed," she murmured, putting her hand on her chin.
She dug through her now-memories, repeating the keywords over and over.
Then, one word surfaced in her mind together with waves after waves of sadness, desperation, and longing.
Abandoned.
"I am abandoned by the emperor," she told Miseok. The old woman's face melted into sadness for her. She reached for Hera's hands again and squeezed them. "He never liked me because I killed my mother by being born. The emperor cast me out of society in this manor, never to be let out until the day I die."
"Oh, your highness!" Miseok jumped onto her arms and enveloped her in a tight embrace. It was only then that she felt the tears on her face and the uncontrollable sob coming from her chest.
It was surreal, but Hera didn't know if what she was feeling was hers, Hera's, or both.
——————————————————————-
"You have totally outdone yourself on this one, Miseok."
Hera pricked one freshly-picked strawberry from the bowl and dipped it into the three-tier chocolate fountain.
"You flatter me, your highness," she said humbly, but she also had a proud grin on her face.
"I am merely stating a fact. Bask in the glory and compliments, Miseok. You certainly deserve it."
She looked around and all the flowers were in bloom. There were even butterflies flying around! She could bet Miseok was behind this. The only downside of the scenery was the lack of people. She only had three maids and Miseok in this manor. The two gardeners also served as the servant boys who took care of the stables and the carriage. However, one could scarcely feel their presence because they were mostly gone most of the day for God-knows-what. Even today, they were nowhere to be found. Good thing they did their job well. If the flowers weren't also taken care of while they dilly dally around, Hera wouldn't just sit still.
She was also adorned with the same care from head to toe. Her red, glimmery dress was made up of Swarovski crystals, if she may say so herself, from top to bottom. If it was silver, she would be a pretty disco ball. She was also wearing a three-layered necklace that took the most space on her chest since she was wearing an off-the-shoulder dress.
"The dress was pretty, too," Hera commented, looking down at her jaded necklace while munching on the strawberry dipped in chocolate. "And are these rubies?"
"Yes, your highness," Miseok answered her.
"This is nice. It made me forget for a while I wasn't loved by anyone at all." She laughed, but Miseok looked at her with glossy eyes.
She immediately stopped laughing and sipped her tea. That was a joke, she thought. Even in this world, no one can understand my humor.
"I really fancy a vacation! It's the Founding Ceremony Ball next week and I have got nothing to wear!"
Moments of awkward silence later, Hera heard a hushed high-pitched voice behind her. She didn't borher looking because unless the butterflies could talk in this world, it was one of the two maids who were waiting on her together with Miseok.
"Do you think Madam will let us have one? Even just a day so we can attend the ball! After all, it's the only ball we, commoners, can attend freely," one replied in a much lower tone.
Hera had her ears perked but had on a disinterested face while sipping tea. Miseok was, after all, watching her, and she felt like she had to make a good impression on her. Listening to gossip does not make it so.
In the four hours that she spent in this world, she's garnered three things: 1) the maids couldn't care less about her, 2) Miseok cares a lot about her, and 3) the maids only follow Miseok. Those made her curious who Miseok really was. She tried searching again from her hidden now-memories but she just wounded up with a headache.
Too much thinking for her in a day. She usually never did that, so it was unbecoming. It also seemed like the only new thing about her head was it had pink hair now instead of black.
"Oh, you know her. That old fox would not let us have fun." She sounded so dejected that her voice was an octave lower.
The second girl sighed. "I know of it. I just can't believe I will spend the Founding Ceremony waiting on a forgotten princess again."
"You two."
All three of them shot their gazes to Miseok. Unlike earlier, her gaze was sharp and demeaning. Even Hera felt the urge to suddenly beg for forgiveness.
"Make preparations for dinner. Her highness shall have hers in a couple of hours," she told them coldly.
"Yes, Madam!" the two said in unison before scurrying off in a haste. Hera followed them with her gaze on their way out.
"I did not mind it," she told Miseok. "I am a forgotten princess after all."
"That is not true, your highness! What they did was a blasphemous act of treason! I would not question you if you have them beheaded—"
"We shall not go that far, Miseok." She looked up to the old woman and wiped her mouth with the napkin beside her flatware. "As a matter of fact, I am grateful for them. They gave me an idea!"
Miseok looked worried. "Whatever do you mean, your highness?"
Her face brightened up with delight. Miseok could swear she saw her eyes twinkle like stars in midnight.
"I am going to the Founding Ceremony Ball!"