Princess

“What the heck is going on…?”

I touched my face, squishing it — I have to admit, this face looked kinda cute.

No! That’s not what’s important right now.

I set aside the unfamiliar face in the mirror for now and studied the room I was in. First off, why was I in this creepy room? I completely had no idea. As I stared at a big doll, I couldn’t help but shudder.

I have to get out of here.

Whatever this room was, I didn’t want to be here. Assuming that ‌I were kidnapped, I'd better keep a low profile. That being said, I had an inkling of what was happening to me. I was dreaming! Yeah, that could be the only explanation. I mean, I slept, and woke up here, in this strange place. Where my face was different, and the architecture looked classical — like that of the Gothic European architecture.

I had to be careful, because instead of a dream, I might be in a nightmare. A nightmare that felt too real, and I was fully in control… Alright, thinking about it, this experience seemed too realistic. Almost like I actually got teleported and my brain got put in another body. Which would be absolutely terrifying.

I slightly opened the door and took a peek. From what I could see, everything seemed clear. I slowly stepped outside while looking left and right. Sneakily, I walked away from the room and through the strange hallway. The hallway was wide and extravagant.

There were expensive decorations, even the lamps looked fancy. The columns on the walls were massive and intricate, the floor was made of fine marble. The walls had patterns of gold, while the majority of colors were black — fitting the gothic aesthetic. Above were grand and bright chandeliers, the kind that would normally be seen in the most expensive establishments. Everything here screamed dark and magnificent.

Everything looked so expensive that I felt like I didn’t deserve to be here. With that said, I didn’t expect there would still be a place like this that existed. It was almost like I was in a different world.

Different world…?

I pondered that possibility as I walked.

No way. Hehehehe.

Yup, no way this was another world.

As I went on walking, there was a turn. But then suddenly, someone emerged from the corner. I froze for a moment, looking around for a place to hide. But there was nothing at all.

Ah, crap.

If this was bad, it would be over. All over for me. I gathered up all the courage I had and walked like normal. The person who emerged was a woman wearing a maid uniform. With a blank face, I walked past her. And as we came across each other, she paused in her tracks. I was panicking inside for a moment when suddenly she bowed her head.

What the…?

I didn’t think much of it, but I continued on my way, keeping ‌a straight face. When there was some distance between us, I continued on with rushed steps. I had to find a way out of this place quickly, whatever or wherever this was.

But the more I rushed through the hallways, the more people I encountered. There was a man wearing a kind of suit, another servant-like person. As I went by, he bowed his head, showing utmost respect like the maid before. Seeing all of this, it was making me more confused and worried. What they were doing was so strange that all it did was make me more anxious. The freaky freaks me out.

But I just kept going. Although I was finding it strange that everyone was just basically leaving me alone. Whatever, I just had to figure out the situation later on. It was then that I encountered a middle-aged woman, who seemed to be around in her forties. She was wearing a different kind of maid outfit, as if she were someone more important.

“Princess, may I ask where you are heading?”

“Eh?” I paused in my tracks. She was looking at me. Therefore, it could only mean she was referring to me. “Princess…? Me?”

“Hm?” She looked at me with puzzlement. “Princess?”

“Are you talking to me?”

“... Who else would I be talking to? Are you well, Your Highness?”

The princess she was talking about, it was me. No, this face, this body, was a princess? What sort of prank could this be? Whatever this was, this was freaking me out. Even if I were a princess, a princess of what?

I forced a small smile, acting as if nothing was wrong. “Forgive me, it would seem I have been working a bit too hard.”

“You have been making more dolls?”

“Y-Yes.” Dolls? Was that what I was doing? Those creepy dolls? “But I’ll be alright.”

“I see. May I ask where you are heading? You are about to have your family dinner.”

Ugh, just leave me alone already.

I resisted the urge to show my frustration. “Oh, I just wanted to feel the breeze outside. A good way to refresh one’s mind.”

“I see. Then, I will leave you to it. If you’ll excuse me.”

I nodded and ‌watched her go. Given that I had no idea about the way outside, I was tempted to ask her. However, asking that would just make me suspicious. If they knew me, and I was referred to as a princess, and this was a building where I lived, then it was only expected that I knew my way out. If I made a mistake, they might think I was some sort of imposter or something.

And thus, I continued on my way, clueless about where I was heading. Still, eventually, it would lead me outside. And after a few minutes of being lost inside this maze of fancy stuff, I found a large pair of open doors. From where I stood, I could feel ‌cold air coming in. I smiled with happiness, realizing that it was the outside I was searching for.

With a quickened pace, I rushed towards the doors. Anticipation and relief were building up inside me.

Then, I finally stepped outside. But the moment I did, I froze in place. My eyes widened at the sight in front of me, overwhelmed by everything. I was both confused and astonished.

“What is going on…?”

I was at a high elevation. Looking around, I realized I was in a large dark building — or, to be precise, it would either be called a castle or a palace. One with intense grandeur. I heard the loud flow of streaming water. On the high floor where I was, outdoor, there was flowing water going towards the edge. A large amount of water.

Walking forward, I stood at the edge of the floor, and right below me, the large amount of water flowing through channels was falling at the edge. A waterfall — an artificial one. And it was so high up, several hundreds of feet maybe. This place truly screams grand.

On this floor, there were also gigantic statues, men in armor holding swords to their chests. As if they were meant to represent guards. Beyond the cliff, beyond this colossal structure, I gazed upon a city. It was night, and their lights shone and glimmered in the distance. It was a wide city, with tall dark buildings.

Looking up, the stars were bright, brighter than the ones on Earth. I could even see the clouds and light of the galaxy despite the light pollution.

And is that a nebula?

There was a bluish body of cloud in the sky. It truly appeared to be a nebula. Um, should I be concerned about that? In any case, this was not the sky on Earth. But I was still having a hard time processing that.

However, what convinced me the most was the giant tree behind the palace. It was a colossal tree that must be a couple of thousand meters tall — insane. Its trunk had veins around it that glowed in the hue of blue, and its leaves were also faintly glowing. The sheer size of it, and me being below it, beholding it was mindboggling. It was so big that it almost made me sick just staring at it. It was almost incomprehensible to me, as it was near the impossible.

I lightly slapped both sides of my cheeks. But I didn’t wake up. I was slightly certain now… I was in another world.

WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON?!

What was I doing here?! Why?! Why here?! Why this? Why not my own body and face? And who was this princess person?!

My head hurts just processing all of these.

“Hey there, I didn’t expect to see you here, Avenelle.”

Suddenly, there was a calm and soothing voice. The kind of tone that might endear a woman. But I was a bit distracted with my own thoughts, and I noticed the man a bit too late. Before I could react, he had his arm wrapped around my shoulders.

“Looking for fresh air, I presume? But it’s cold, so be careful.”

“Eh?” I turned to look at him.

He was a fair-skinned young man, incredibly handsome. He was giving a suspicious smirk, and his eyes were also suspicious and sharp. He had short crimson hair, and captivating crimson eyes. He wore a luxurious formal dark suit made with the finest fabric. A shining brooch with a red gemstone was attached to his left chest. A thin sword hung on his left waist. Everything about this guy was eerie.

But you know, we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. Well, that was my thought when he suddenly pulled me in close.

“Let’s get back inside.”

I flared. “Eeeeh! PERVERT!” I stepped back and slapped him hard on the face.

The sound of the slap echoed in the surroundings.

“W-What…?!”

As he fell in confusion, I ran away in a panic.

Who the hell was that pervert?! Who touches anyone that way? Like ew!

I ran and ran. I looked back, checking whether he was chasing me. However, when I turned forward, I saw the light pole too late. And I crashed into it. I hit my head.

“Ah!”

Instantly feeling dizzy, I fell to the floor. Everything was a blur. But then, a sharp pain radiated in my head, in my brain. I squirmed as it felt like my brain was being squeezed, my hands clutching my head.

I screamed in pain as images, knowledge, and memories flooded my mind. They were being forced into me. Memories that were not my own, and yet, they were mine. The amount of information being shoved into my brain all at once was overwhelming.

All of this lasted only for a moment. And all became still.

I heard footsteps coming at me, and the young man from before stood before me as I laid on the floor. He had an annoyed look on his face.

“That slap hurts, you know.” He pulled out his sheathed rapier and pointed the tip to my cheek. “Should I hit back, little sister?” He slowly pushed the sheathed rapier into my cheek. His eyes were fierce as he looked down at me intently.

I frowned as my cheek was slightly in pain.

“No, brother. You should help me back up.”

Strings, like what you’d find on a puppet, were suddenly linked to his limbs. He winced as his body moved on its own, and extended a hand towards me. I accepted it as he pulled me back up.

I patted my black dress clean. Meanwhile, the red-haired man, my older brother, groaned in annoyance as he pulled in the puppet strings, snapping them. He had a deep frown on his face.

“I hate that.” He hung ‌his rapier to his waist.

“... And yet you let me do it.”

This handsome man was Alaric Virello Nightingale, nineteen years old, and the second prince.

“What did you hit me for, anyway? And why did you call me a pervert? I may be a flirt, but not to you.”

I scowled at him. “Just don’t sneak up on me like that.”

“What? Don’t I always do that?”

Indeed, he was right. It was that I still didn’t know who he was, so I freaked out.

“Whatever, Alaric.”

“Hm. Anyway, dinner’s about to start. Let’s get back inside.”

“Right…”

I now remembered who I was, or rather, the body I was in. The second princess, and the youngest amongst the royal children.

I’m Avenelle Lunaria Nightingale. A princess of the Moonveil Kingdom. And here I am in the city of Evernight.

I stared at the city.

What have I gotten myself into…?