2 An Ephemeral Existence

[Chapter 1]

'In one word, how would you sum up your life?' someone asked me once.

The answer: Bizarre.

[6/08/20XX]

I heard muffled voices.

Oh, it must be Jieum talking to the nurse.....Or was it?

I was in 4th period, if I remember correctly, when I suddenly had a strong headache take over. It hurt so much that the student beside me (I don't remember her name, I think it was Miyoung or something) noticed the visible sweat on my forehead.

"You okay?" she had asked worriedly.

I remember saying something against it. I wasn't so sure now.

My head felt as if it was splitting. The pain took over me and at one point I forgot to breath. I gasped and clutched the arm of the girl beside me. She didn't seem to know how to react and wasn't the kind to interrupt the class, but thankfully she did signal the other students to alert Jieum.

At that moment, my best friend of 5 years, Jieum Choi came striding to my table from across the class, mid-lesson and inquired about my health gravely. The teacher didn't notice this act of indiscipline as he was facing towards the blackboard.

I was in too much pain to reply to her so I had just squeezed her wrist real tight. It seemed like she got the message.

"Sir?" Jieum spoke out loud, to our teacher's surprise. "Seonhee isn't feeling too well. May I take her to the infirmary?"

I guess he gave her the permission due to the noticeable urgency in her voice, because the next thing I knew, I was being dragged along the school corridor by my shoulder and was being asked all sorts of questions which I couldn't hear at the moment due to a loud ringing in my ears..

"Seon, what is it? Where does it hurt?" she asked urgently. "You need to tell me something. What will I tell the nurse?"

I started massaging my temples due to the intense, unbearable pain, and it must have given Jieum an idea of what was wrong with me because the next second I was being laid down on the infirmary bed and was forcefully being made to swallow some sort of bitter medicine.

"Now all you need is rest, kiddo and you'll be alright again." I suppose it was the nurse who said that, but again, I wasn't so certain because I was blacking out by now. And the last thing I remember seeing was Jieum pull up a chair next to my bed and seating herself right next to my face.

✿

Muffled voices.

I stirred on my bed because my back felt really sore. It seemed that my moving caused someone a huge surprise because I heard a loud yelp following my movement. Again, more muffled voices and then some footsteps.

"Is it true?" I could hear a bit more clearly now. "Is the princess finally awake?"

That was a male voice.

"Oh my goodness, oh lord, oh….finally." Someone was sobbing. A female. It definitely wasn't Jieum. Jieum was too hardcore to cry.

I noticed that my headache was completely gone now. My heavy eyelids finally fluttered open, and what I saw was a very odd, unfamiliar scene.

"Your Highness, Your Highness!"

There were people all around me, and not to mention each and everyone of them was oddly dressed. In fact, I was in a totally different environment. I vividly remember being at school. What had happened? Did some kids take me to the theater? Or was someone playing a prank on me? I'm sure Jieum wasn't the kind of person to mess around but this? This was weird.

"Is this some kind of joke?" I addressed no one in particular, wondering if they even spoke the same language as me. But to my surprise the words I spoke came out in a language I had never ever heard of before, but apparently, I understood it. Shocking discovery, indeed. If I wasn't so confused I'd even start yelling at people, asking if I've been kidnapped. But if I really had been kidnapped, I wouldn't be lying freely on a grand double bed with a duvet which was soft-as-hell and looked extremely expensive. Oh Lawd, I was even wearing a silk gown. Warcrime.

"Your Highness, what is the matter?" a girl wearing an old-fashioned maid outfit with an apron and everything, emerged from the crowd and asked me cautiously, speaking the same language. "Are you feeling ill?"

"Um...no? I feel alright. And also," I began, still confused, "do stop calling me 'Your Highness'."

"Your Highness?" she spoke distressingly. "I beg your pardon?"

All of this nonsense was going to bring back my headache. "Why do you keep calling me that? What am I, royalty or something?"

Everyone around me exchanged puzzling glances. Finally, the maid girl turned to face me again and responded, "How else would I address the Crown princess of Wisteria?"

I blinked several times, trying to register the girl's words.

No way. No freaking way.

"Your Highness, are you sure that you're alright?" the maid asked me again.

"Yeah yea- I mean, yes, certainly." Holy crap. If this is what I think it was, I would totally flip.

"Um... hey, you," I pointed to the maid who seemed to be the spokesperson of the weirdo crowd, "Bring me a mirror." Will they even listen to me?, I thought. But to my utter surprise, everyone in the room started hustling and bustling, in search of a mirror.

"Your Highness! I've found one!" It was another girl, wearing the same maid costume as the other girl. I noticed that she looked exactly like my mathematics teacher at school, but younger. She brought me a hand held mirror with a fancy golden frame and handle, like those I've seen in antique store display windows. As if I cared.

I grabbed the mirror and peered at my reflection in the pristine glass. What I caught sight of almost made me splutter.

It was a completely unfamiliar face. Though it was unfamiliar, it was the most stunning face I've ever seen. I saw a girl about 17 years of age. This girl had long, silky and glowy lilac colored hair (I couldn't tell if it was natural or dyed) and a face as that of an angel's. Her eyelashes were on fleek and under those were jeweled eyes that resembled emeralds. I touched my face with a nicely manicured, thin hand and discovered that my skin felt as soft as a newborn baby's butt and in the mirror, it seemed as fair as the winter snow.

"Haha," I laugh-cried silently. "Hahaha." I have been isekai'd. "Ahahaha." Crap. What about me back in my world? What happens to me? "HAHAHAHA." What about Jieum?

I stopped laughing. Everyone was looking at me like I had gone crazy. "Ahem. Forgive me," I spoke as modestly as I thought possible. So much for keeping my image. I wouldn't dare wonder what these people would do to me if they come to discover that I'm not their princess at all. Hell, I wonder if I could even keep up with this charade long enough.

I needed some time to think. In order to do that, I needed all of these people to leave me alone. Around me were at least 15 people, all of them seemed to be a part of the palace staff. I saw maids, guards, nurses and even some cooks. If I was a real, evil princess, I'd have them all executed for disturbing my peace. But since I don't want to cause any problems and have no idea of the current circumstances of this world, I'll bear with it.

"Your Highness, should I alert the Emperor?" said a Knight at the back of the room amidst all the chatter. "He'd be really pleased to know that you've woken up."

I'd rather not risk that right now. The Emperor must be this princess's father and he would definitely know the behavior of the princess very well. He'd know something's wrong with his daughter at first glance. Nah...too much of a risk. I'd need to know about the princess's behavior before I could proceed any further.

Ah, curse it.

"You!" I beckoned to an older guy who looked like he could very much be the butler. "Alert the palace. The princess has awoken."