Prologue

As twins, Astraea and Astrophel had each other's backs no matter what. As they would sometimes switch genders to help the other sibling, it was no surprise when they grew to flawlessly imitate each other.

The twins were polar opposites, weirdly so. Astraea was like a wild, carefree soul that loved the art of swords and martial arts, unlike the behavior of women in their time. Women were to be domestic.

Whenever her mother would call on her to learn cooking or embroidering, she would switch places with her brother, who was skilled with his hands and had practiced such tasks for the sake of his sister.

Astrophel had more of a kind and graceful soul who thought that the use of swords was vulgar. This doesn't mean he was weak. Though Astrophel was against the use of swords, he always had a spiritual fan hidden within the long sleeves of his robes. Though the fan looked delicate, it was actually sharper and tougher than some of the world's best swords.

"Pandora!" The twin's mother, Lady of the Ravenel House, boomed. Even though they were separated by a large distance, the twins could still hear their mother. They glanced at each other without a word, meaningful glances were enough.

Astrophel, the male of the two and the older one by four minutes, sighed. "Why, sister?" Pandora pouted her lips and fluttered her eyelashes in a pleading manner. Astrophel sighed as he took off his long white robe.He reached up for his hair and pulled at it. His long white hair fell from the man's ponytail that it was in and fell down to his waist, and he gently removed his white ribbon from his forehead.

With skin as pale as snow and lashes just as white with a tint of blue, Astrophel was no doubt a beauty. His delicate features were enough for anyone to mistake him for a female. Pandora gave him a once-over with her scrutinizing blue eyes. She shivered. "You creep me out."

"Likewise," Astrophel muttered as he watched Pandora tie her hair up into a ponytail and wrapped the white ribbon with a blue phoenix pattern in the middle —their family's logo—. Pandora stripped down until she was only in her undergarments. It was then that the loud clacking was heard, the sound of their mother's shoe. The twins' eyes went wide, and they hurriedly put on each other's clothes.

"I'm going to town to get a new sword." Astrophel gave Pandora an annoyed stare. She smiled and blew him a kiss before throwing the fan that was in the robe's sleeve into the air. Astrophel caught it, and Pandora ran off and jumped out of a nearby window. Just as she did, Lilian barged through the door. She looked around.

"Where is your brother?"

"He went to town." Astrophel had a natural, soft voice, so he didn't have to alter it. His mother had also become used to his voice, thinking it was his sister. Lilian sighed and rubbed her temples before she gave Astrophel a once-over with eyes just as judging as her daughter's.

"How many times have I told you to dress more like a lady? Lilian marched forward and took one of the clips out of her hair and clipped back some of Astrophel's loose hair. "The crown prince is holding a selection game." Astrophel looked at his mother in the eyes.

Hesitantly, he asked. "Why are you telling me this?"

Lilian sighed for the second time. "As a spinster from a large noble house, you are obligated to attend. Your father expects you to win. Lilian glanced up at who she thought was her daughter with teary eyes. But don't worry, win or lose, you'll always be my daughter. "

That was when Astrophel felt it, a stabbing pain in his heart. With a groan, he gripped his chest and fell to his knees as images flashed through his head. It is known that if a twin dies, the other one who is alive would witness their last moments as they were connected while in the womb before separating. Astrophel felt it. He felt the sword enter and leave as if it was done to his own body.

"Pandora!" For a moment, Astrophel thought that that scream came from him, but then he remembered that his mother thought that he was his sister, unaware of the fact that her daughter was dying at this very moment.

Astrophel got up and ran off, ignoring his mother's call out to him. He had to save his sister. He jumped through the window that his sister had used and ran at an abnormal speed. He grabbed the fan hidden in the pocket of what had previously been his sister's floor length skirt. Tears spilled from his eyes as he ran.

"Astrophel." Those were the last words from his sister. "Dressing up as a male, how detestable." This was the voice of the man who killed Pandora. "Tell the lord that I have completed my mission. With this, the top competitor in the selection process is now Lady Han."

And that's when Astrophel broke down. He didn't see the man's face. However, he did see a necklace wrapped around the hilt of the man's sword that made a clinking sound as the man ran. It was something he would forever remember.