Xiaoyun stirred awake to the sound of muffled footsteps outside the room. Her head throbbed, and she instinctively raised her hand to her temple, wincing at the ache. Slowly, she opened her eyes, expecting the familiar opulence of her bedroom. Instead, she was met with the sight of a cramped, dimly lit room, its walls made of unpolished wood and a small, dusty window filtering in weak sunlight.
She frowned, her mind struggling to piece together where she was. Her surroundings were plain, almost pitifully so, with a single wardrobe in the corner and a rickety chair beside the bed. "What on earth…?" she muttered, sitting up gingerly.
Before she could gather her thoughts, the door flew open with a loud bang, and a young woman barged in, startling her.
"Do you not know how to knock?" she snapped, her instinctive arrogance kicking in despite her confusion.
The woman snorted, throwing her head back in laughter. "Knock? Oh, that's rich. You've got quite the attitude for a maid."
"A what?" Xiaoyun repeated, her voice rising with indignation.
The woman rolled her eyes. "A maid. You know, someone who serves others, not the other way around? You had a nasty fall yesterday. Guess it rattled your brain worse than we thought." She smirked, clearly enjoying Xiaoyun's bewilderment.
Xiaoyun's jaw tightened. She opened her mouth to retort, but the woman cut her off with a wave of her hand.
"Save it," she said. "The princess is waiting for you in the garden. Get dressed and don't take all day about it." Without another word, she turned and left, slamming the door behind her.
Xiaoyun sat in stunned silence, her mind racing. The princess? A maid? None of this made sense. She rubbed her temples, willing herself to think clearly. This has to be a dream, she reasoned. That accident—I must've hit my head really hard.
She swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood unsteadily, glancing around the room for any clues. Her gaze fell on the small wardrobe, and she marched over, pulling it open. Inside hung a row of plain, drab dresses, all in muted colors and coarse fabrics. Her lip curled in disdain.
"There's no way I'm wearing this," she muttered, inspecting the uninspiring selection. She glanced down at herself, finally taking in the white, thin, sleeveless gown she was wearing. It looked more like a shift than actual clothing, and her cheeks burned with embarrassment at the thought of being seen in it.
With a resigned sigh, she grabbed the least offensive dress she could find—a plain gray one with a high neckline and long sleeves. At least this covers more, she thought grimly.
Carrying the dress, she stepped toward the small bathroom. The cracked mirror caught her attention immediately, and she walked over without a second thought, wanting to catch a glimpse of her reflection.
She froze.
Gone were her sleek black hair and almond-shaped eyes. Instead, fiery red locks framed her now rounder face, and piercing green eyes stared back at her. Her once-tall and slender figure was shorter, her build softer and less elegant.
"No," she whispered, taking a shaky step back. Her hands clutched the edge of the basin as she leaned forward, hoping the image would change. "This… this isn't me."
But the reflection didn't shift. It stayed the same, the stranger's horrified expression mirroring her own.
Her chest tightened as panic bubbled up inside her. She stumbled back, clutching the gray dress to her chest. This couldn't be real. It was impossible. She had to be dreaming.
A faint knock on the door jolted her from her spiraling thoughts. "Hurry up!" the woman from earlier barked. "You don't want the princess to lose her patience."
Xiaoyun swallowed hard, her mind spinning. Dream or not, it seemed she had little choice but to play along for now.