I woke up when the carriage stopped, I suddenly felt warmth, so I removed my scarf and winter jacket that exposed my collar. I'm wearing a thin silk white long dress with a thin strap. The door opened, a big palace appeared in my front, a lot of guards side by side bow at me.
"Young Empress, it's already 4:56pm, kindly have a rest once you enter." Silva said.
"Thank you." I answered and started walking.
"Wow, Miss Acasia is bold today."
"That's not how she dress before right?"
"I didn't know that Miss Acasia has this side of her."
That's only the whisper I could hear, I looked at Silva in confusion. She sighed like she already knows what I'm asking for.
"You dress like a doll before, balloon gowns and you also like accessories so it's unusual for them to see you dress like a woman."
Acasia has a weird habit of dressing. Haa...
When I entered the Palace, a girl and boy ran towards me. I bet I'm 2 years older than them. I stopped walking and let them look at me up and down.
"What's with you?" The girl smug. "Dress like a woman, you're only 18!"
Why this brat is scolding at me? The audacity to raise her voice.
"Jisel, you promise to not do anything." The boy glared at her. "You promised to father."
"Who the hell goes with that?!" The girl named Jisel smirked and pushed me slightly. But I didn't shaken a bit.
"Jisel!" The boy warned her. "I'm sorry, Miss Acasia." He bowed down.
"Why are you bowing, Jester?! We are basically her siblings, she should do what a big sister should do." She looked at me again like she is superior to me. "Now, do what you always do, Acasia."
Jester looked at me worriedly.
I raised my one brow and looked at Silva who is not doing anything. Well, I bet I have to take care of it.
"Okay!" I smiled.
"See, she follows like—"
"Now fuck off." I dropped my smile. She looked at me in shock and Jester avoided his eyes on me.
"W-What?"
I looked at her nonchalantly. "I heard your mother is lacking manners and respect, I didn't know that you also got her habit." I sigh sarcastically. "Like you said, I'm older than you, so who are you to command me? Know your place, me being the oldest proves that your mother only bitched my father that's why you exist." I looked at her with disgust and I walked away.
"ACASIA!" She shouted. "You're in our place, you should know your place!"
I looked at her again. "Oh, sorry dear. I'm just here for my father's birthday, if you don't want me here, I can go find a place or something to stay with. Besides, how can I sleep in a place full of snakes?" I looked at Silva. "Go find a new place."
"Yes, Miss." She immediately responded.
"No! I'm sorry, please stay." Jester looked at me with teary eyes. "I'm sorry for my twin impulsive actions." He bowed.
"Jester!"
"Acasia?" I heard my father's voice behind me. I looked at him and he started smiling from afar. I walked there to greet him but he pulled me to hug. "I thought you were not coming."
"I told you, I'm coming."
"I'm overthinking that you might say that again against your will."
"Hell no." I step back and bow. "Happy birthday, My Majesty."
"Thank you, My Acasia."
I ended up staying in the Palace, but since my mother said that I have to avoid my father's family, I went out with Silva to walk in the town. Compared to our country, this country is full of green, warm, and has lively people.
Surprisingly, no one recognized me here. I can eat whatever I want and walk around safe. Not until, an attention grabber woman catches my eyes because of how light the color of her dress is. She's standing out. I looked at a woman with yellow curly wavy hair, she seems to be buying some barbeques. I walked there and stared at her face closely, now this is the real living doll.
"Faster please! My guards will find me!" She looked at me. "Oh, hello!" She smiled.
"Hello." I smiled back. "One for me too." I told the vendor.
"It's my first time again to taste a barbeque." She spoke.
"Me too." I said. "Your name?"
"I'm Reign— I mean, Veroca!"
A silence took place and I stared at her more.
"Reign?" I frowned because a familiar name was mentioned.
"No, I'm Veroca." She awkwardly laughed.
"Then why did you mention that?"
"What?"
"That name."
"Ah, maybe because I used to have that name?"
No way.
"Kyr." I gulped when I mentioned that to confirm something. When she slowly looked at me in shocked. "Don't tell me..." She covered his mouth with two hands.
She started crying and hugged me out of nowhere. No doubt this time, this is Reign... my best friend.
"Cyn! Waaahh!" She cried out loud. "I missed you, I was very afraid that night. I was afraid."
My tears fell and hugged her tightly. "I'm sorry for being late."
After that tearful meet up, we found ourselves sitting in the bench eating some barbeques. Silva stood away from us to give us privacy, Reign still clings to my arm like I am going to disappear.
"So you were reincarnated in a dead body?" I asked.
"Yeah, the maid told me that I was already declared dead so it's a miracle that I'm alive. The old owner of this body is a suicidal person despite of having a great family."
"Then what's her reason to commit suicide?"
"Because of her old lover, who cheated on her."
"Wow, she really loves that man."
"I know right! And you know, I met that man and he is freaking ugly! Why does this body have a lame taste in men!" She frowned.
I chuckled. "You being like that must be true."
"Because it is! No one would like a man like that? No proper hygiene, I can't smell his stink breath!"
"That's... disgusting shit."
"I know right?!" She shouted and pouted. She looked at me again and asked. "And you are? It's surprising that we met here again with our memories still intact."
"Yeah, I thought I'm the only one who got reincarnated." I paused. "I was reincarnated to a person who is previously kind, sweet and naive. That's not so me so the people who love her before started hating her because of the way I talk. I can't mimick her so I gave up."
"That's true, you're full of shits anyway." She laughed. "How about your family?"
"Uh, broken family. I'm living with a lone Queen in the South, and my father is the King of this Kingdom that's why I'm here."
"Wow, that's why I'm here too, because of the masquerade ball right? Then it means, your father's birthday."
I nodded. "Yeah."
"It's sad, maybe you are really an unfortunate person in the universe. You got reincarnated to a broken family while my only problem is my love life."
"Is that supposed to be a comfort?"
"No, bitch. That's actually an insult."
We looked at each other and laughed. "How old are you?"
"18, I guess you're the same." She said and I nodded.
Later on, her guards found her and pulled her away. She said, "see you later" and I laughed because of her silliness. I'm glad that she is doing well, thank God that he gave her a chance to live again.
I went back to the Palace to get ready. Silva ready a black silk long dress, the slit is so high that you can even see my long legs. I insisted to change it but Silva said that it is a gift from my mother so I wore it without hesitation anymore. The strap is so thin, and it is fitted on my body.
"I didn't expect that I would have a healthy butt." I joke and Silva smile.
"You have a nice body, Miss. I really feel like I'm taking care of a woman now." She smiled. "You are after your mother, no doubt."
"Thank you."
I chuckled and wear my black featherly mask. Exactly 8pm, I went out with Silva. In the palace hall, I could see a lot of visitors entering, but I already laughed out loud when I saw someone wearing a stunning dark blue gown from afar. And I know who it is, its Reign.
She recognized me and ran into me. "What a body!" She exclaimed.
I covered my mouth to stop myself from laughing.
"What?!" She slapped my arm, that stings.
"You're stunning in a blue gown, but why is your mask like that? Kehehe!" I chuckled.
"Why? I like eagles!"
"KEHAHAHAAHAHAHA!" I laughed for the first time again. I removed my mask and wipe my tears because of laughing. "It's not suitable for you!"
"Really?" She removed her mask. "What a waste, I thought it's cool since I read it in the manhwa before." Then she laughed.
"Stupid." And we both laughed.
We ended up being together in the ball, while I'm peacefully eating she is insulting a lot of people around. Insulting their dresses, insulting their masks, and insulting some small details. I can't help but to laughed always.
"There's no handsome Prince." She sighed and bite her apple.
"Maybe you and the old Veroca have the same personality but have different types in men."
"I've never got a chance to have a boyfriend in my previous life, so maybe I can get one here."
"Do whatever you want—"
"Princess Veroca?" We both looked at a man standing in front of us. "Can we dance?"
She looked at me. "How does he know that I'm Veroca?"
"You have no mask." I whispered.
"Oh, shoot." She looked at him. "Sure!" She smiled and stood up. She even looked at me once again just to sign "okay" with a maniacally smile on her lips. I giggles and watch them dancing in the dance floor. In our previous life, Reign is six years younger than me. I treated her as my little sister despite of being bestfriend for being a long time.
Seeing her in the same age, feels like unusual because I don't have to act like her older sister anymore but I feel like I still have to because she is always a kid for me.
I went to my father and gave him my gift. He is asking what's inside and I couldn't answer him because his wife is glaring at me, I sat on the opposite table when Jester sat beside me with uneasiness.
"Are you... enjoying the ball?" He asked.
"I do. And you are?"
"I guess so." He looked at me. "I'm very sorry for my twin did."
"It's fine."
"No, it's not fine. She is even the reason why you got struck by the lightning that day. She almost killed you." He grinned his teeth. "Why did you still follow her command of getting that useless ball in the middle of the river? You don't have to."
Hmm, so that's the reason.
"It doesn't matter anymore. What matters now is not pleasing your sister again so that she can learn her lesson. I hate brats, even though I'm the oldest, if you don't respect me, you will not got respect any respect from me either."
He dropped his head. "I understand."
I patted his head. "You're a good kid, I hope you won't change." I said that without looking at him. "I'll go outside for a walk, please tell my father that I went for a walk if he finds me."
"Okay." He nodded.
I get one glass of wine and went outside. Compared to the hall, outside is much quieter. I entered the garden and sat on the bench, this is my first time seeing a lot of fireflies, shining moon and beautiful kinds of flowers. This is heaven. In our palace, all you can see is white, the cold makes it more lonelier. Should I pick some flowers for my Mother?
I looked at the person who sat besides me. He is not wearing a mask like me, his visual was complimented by the moon that makes him shine more than anything here. I sigh and looked at my glass, people like him really blessed by Gods like Acasia. They're perfect.
"Can I... stay here for a while?" He said. My skin shivers when I hear his deep voice.
"Yeah." I responded.
The silence went back to its place. I finished my wine and put my glass beside me. I looked at him again and he is still remain sitting like a mannequin. So beautiful.
"Does the ball bore you?" I asked without looking at him.
"No, but people keep appearing in front of me so I have to run away."
"Then you're pretty popular."
"I guess so." I felt his eyes on me. "And you are?"
"It bore me, so I have to run away too." I looked at him.
Our eyes met, my mind went blank. Seeing a beautiful man in front of you could make you speechless, I consider the people like him as lucky being since in my previous life, everything is about visual and I don't have that. So seeing a person like this in front of me, all I think is "ah, he is fortunate in life".
"You're Princess Acasia, right?" He suddenly asked.
"How did you know?"
"I saw you last year on the Royal Committee with Queen Geriah."
I don't remember. Besides, its unusual for them to know about me since according to Silva, if mother is out of the country and she brought me, she never introduced me and its because for my safety.
"I see." I nodded and looked in front of me.
"WHERE IS HE?! I saw him run here earlier!"
"You're not joking right?"
"No! Let's go find him!"
I stood up and looked at him, he looked up on me with his calm face. "Would you like to run away again?" I asked and offered my hands.
He looked at his back seeing those girls finding him and looked at my hand after. He tightly accepted my hand and stood up. He is freaking tall, I didn't even noticed earlier.
"Yes, please." He smiled a little.
I started running with him, we entered the depth of the garden, we followed a hidden path that eventually lead us to a river where a forest is on the other side. I looked back and see if they can see us here, but gladly, this is a place that is not easy to find. I let go of his hand, and looked at him... he is staring at his hand.
"If your hand went wet because of the sweat, I'm sorry." I said because that's embarrassing. "For now, we can stay here until they assume that you went home."
I removed my heels and walked in the grass like its nothing. Until a coat was covered my shoulders. He gave me his coat without saying so I continue walking until I found a tree where we can rest for a while.
We sat there without talking, I suddenly feel tired all of the running. I want to sleep.
"Wake me up if you're going back." I said and laid my head on the tree.
"You can rest on my shoulder." He insisted.
"I'm okay." I closed my eyes. Not until, I felt a hand on my cheek and pulled my head until I laid down on his shoulder.
"Sleep, we can stay until morning." He whispered.
I never bothered to speak, I immediately closed my tired eyes and sleep.