Chapter 1

Year 1312

Spring has come. The rising sun shone through the curtains, its rays giving light to the room that was once covered in darkness.

It has been a year since Sol lived as the eleven-year-old princess Dalhee. She was now used to the palace life, though some rules were still too much for someone like her who originally lived in modern society.

Ethar was a majestic world. With people using magic in their everyday lives it was no wonder none have thought of innovating the way they lived. It was an advantage she could pass time reading books and learn about Ethar and Asria's history. If she had been dependent on her phone like any other 21st-century person, she would have died of boredom.

The era in which Ethar is in right now could be compared to between the 18th and 19th centuries of earth, but still following a hint of the medieval era where monarchy was the popular form of government. It is a complete fantasy world except for the disappointing fact that even in Ethar, unicorns don't exist.

"I was really looking forward to seeing unicorns." She sighed.

Sol stood in front of her room's window, her forearms resting on the sill as she watched the cherry blossoms sway with the wind. The sight of falling petals as it danced in the air and lands on the ground made her smile.

A knock disrupted her daydreaming. She turned around as the person on the other side spoke. "Princess?" Narae, her lady-in-waiting, called as she slowly entered the room. 

She was the same maid that rushed to ask for help when she had her headache because of the original Dalhee's memories.

"Good Morning, Narae" she greeted enthusiastically.

"Good Morning, princess. I see you're up early today." Narae chuckled "I usually have to force you out of bed."

"Don't tease me" Sol pouted "I made an effort today."

"I'm glad you're starting to be more mature, princess." Narae smiled as she opened the door wider for the other maids to come in.

The original Dalhee in the book was prideful and would never allow anyone to correct her no matter the wrong she had done but because Sol was now Dalhee, the image of the crown princess changed. She was now friendlier and more open to those serving her.

Her maids who used to bow their heads whenever she passed by, now smile at the sight of her. The servants were now able to joke around with the princess, something that was never before seen as the royals and nobles of the Empire was placed on a pedestal.

"I thought I was having breakfast with the Empress today?" Sol asked. Her crystal blue eyes following the maids as they set the table in her room with food and tableware.

"I'm afraid the Empress has an unplanned meeting with the royal council this morning." Narae answered, "She can't have breakfast with you today but she will meet you later to grant an audience with the new Baron."

"The new Baron?"

"Yes, I heard the new Lord's family were traveling merchants who invented the popular hair and skincare products the royal family is using."

"You mean the soap and shampoo the Empress gifted me last month?" Sol's eyes lit up at the information.

She couldn't be more thankful that someone in the empire invented skin and hair care products, though it was not on par with the ones used in modern earth it still helped her skin become smoother, and her brown hair silkier. Before that, they were only using herbs in her bath which she was not used to.

"Yes. I heard after the word of you and the Empress using them spread it became popular with the noble girls in the capital and the merchant family acquired wealth with it.

"I see. So the merchant family decided to swore their loyalty to the Empress." Sol uttered.

It has been 3 weeks since she last saw the ruler of Asria. The Empress was the same woman who visited her at night when she was sick. For someone who grew up an orphan, the thought of a parent and living with one was a bit awkward for Sol.

Wang Chunhei was a loving mother who sometimes skipped her own schedules just to see how her daughter was doing. She was just like how the book described her, beautiful and benevolent but also firm. She was the parent Sol could only wish for back when she was alive on Earth, and she felt guilty for receiving her love despite not being her real daughter.

After her breakfast and an hour of grooming, Sol finally emerged from her quarters dressed in a short-sleeved, blue dress with an intricate bodice and tulle skirt.

"Are you sure you're fine with leaving your hair as it is, your highness?" One of the maids following her asked. They have always styled it whenever she went out to meet people but today she decided to let her naturally straight hair be.

"It's fine."

Sol smiled stopping in front of a huge door. The guards guarding it bowed their heads upon seeing her.

"Open the door," Narae commanded beside her and the guards swung it open showing her the spacious throne room that blinded anyone who entered with its golden walls and diamond ornaments.

"We'll be waiting here, your highness," Narae uttered before bowing with the maids to see her off.

Sol took a deep breath reminding herself of the etiquette her royal tutors have taught her. It was now time to meet one of the important characters in the book.

Sitting on the throne was Wang Chunhei, Asria's 13th Empress, a ruler who took her seat at the age of 25. Her beautiful features and regal aura often puts everyone in awe.

Chunhei's golden eyes landed on the Crown Princess the moment her presence was announced, a motherly smile made its way to her lips with every step her daughter took on the red carpet floor. Everyone would agree she was the spitting image of her if not for her eyes.

"Good Morning, your Majesty." Sol beamed bending her knees for a greeting "I hope I didn't disrupt an important conversation just now."

"Nonsense, I asked you to be here," Chunhei said waving her hand at the thought. "I want you to meet the new Baron, Kim Jun, and his son."

Sol smiled facing the middle-aged man beside her "Greetings, Baron. It has been a month since you've been conferred the title but I offer my Congratulations." She said bending her knees politely.

The princess eyed the Baron's son who shyly averted his gaze when their eyes met. The fifteen-year-old boy had silver hair and hazel eyes like his father, his dimples showing whenever he pressed his lips together. He wore the royal academy's uniform, its glistening badge on his chest catching her eyes.

There was no doubt about it, he looked just like how he was described in the story. The boy in front of her right now was Kim Namjoon, a genius who caught the Empress' eye and was the only child Chunhei allowed to enter the inner palace.

Namjoon was destined to join Griffin's Order, a group of knights traditionally picked by the crown princess of Asria to serve her when she ascends the throne.

In the book, he was a victim of Dalhee's deception. She was kind on their first meeting and when she eventually earned his loyalty, she made him kill for her, with every death in his hands resulting in his guilt and depression. Later in the story, he became one of the knights that betrayed and beheaded Dalhee.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, your Highness" Baron Jun bowed "This is my eldest son, Namjoon. He is currently being thought in the outer palace with the other noble kids."

"Nice to meet you, princess." Namjoon greeted, his ears red and eyes on the floor.

'Oh, princess, how could you think of manipulating someone as shy and nice as him?' Sol masked the anxiety of meeting her future killer with a smile.

"Princess" Empress Chunhei called catching her daughter's attention.

"Namjoon has passed the academy's entrance exam with perfect scores in all subjects, and he also seems to have the same interests with you when it comes to literature. I have deemed him worthy of using the royal library here in the inner palace, will you show him around for me?"

Sol's heart raced. 'This time it will be different.' She thought.

She was not the ruthless Dalhee from the book, she won't be manipulating him, instead, she will make him her friend.

Yes, a friend. It was something that the original Dalhee didn't have because the Empress forbid her from going out of the inner palace. Children even from noble families weren't allowed inside until her twelfth birthday, and her image of being a ruthless princess made it hard for her to have friends by that time.

"Of course, your majesty." She replied unable to hide the eagerness in her voice "If you'll excuse us." She said before turning towards the boy with a bright smile on her face "Please follow me, Sir Namjoon."

Sol's steps were swift as she walked the hallways out of the palace into the inner courtyard. The presence of the boy following her from behind making her more anxious.

'I said I'll make him my friend but I'm still nervous after all' she muttered to herself.

"Your Highness?" Namjoon's sudden call made the ends of her hair stood and before she knew it, Sol stepped on a rock as she turned, making her slip butt first on the ground with only the grass to cushion her fall.

"Owwww." She squeaked at her aching bottom.

"Are you okay, your Highness?" Namjoon rushed towards her offering his hand for support, an expression of worry on his face.

Sol's cheeks flushed in embarrassment as he helped her up. "How embarrassing." She muttered, "I swear I really am not this clumsy." She said, frantically dusting off the skirt of her dress.

'All those 'princess etiquette' taught to me by my tutors are down the drain now. How could I fall in front of a guest!'

"It's okay, your Highness." Namjoon chuckled in amusement "I didn't see a thing." He said placing his index finger in front of his lips.

'Right, we're just kids, it's okay to be clumsy. What was I scared for?.'

Sol smiled at the gesture before taking a step to stand beside him, an action that took the boy by surprise. He has witnessed countless of times how people of high status treat those below them poorly, especially before his father became a Baron.

It was natural for someone like Namjoon, who has experienced discrimination for growing up a commoner be wary of the crown princess. He thought she would be as prideful as the other nobles but clearly, he was wrong.

"Come, I'll show you the garden!" Sol said cheerily as she grabbed Namjoon's hand. A smile unknowingly curved up the boy's lips as he let her pull him towards the place.

It took an hour for the two to cover the inner palace, that amount of time was enough to erase any awkwardness between them as Sol's cheerful disposition allowed Namjoon to open up and be more talkative. Soon the two were conversing as if they have been friends for years, taking over any topic they could think of as they walked the hallway towards the last place for the day.

"Well, here we are," Sol announced as they entered the Royal Library.

Namjoon stood in awe at the vast number of books in the hundreds of shelves placed on all two floors. It was obviously larger than the library at the academy.

"We have a variety of collections here, you just need to decide what subjects to read. If you're looking for a specific book you can just ask the librarian outside." Sol smiled, amused at the stunned expression the boy was making.

She made the same face when she was touring the palace on her own last year, to test the memory that the original Dalhee instilled in her.

"Thank you, Your Highness," Namjoon uttered, giving her a bow of gratitude.

 "You should be thanking my mother." Sol chuckled "All I did was show you around."

The sound of the opening door caught their attention, their gazes landing on a lady in a dark green dress who bowed at the sight of them.

"Princess." Narae smiled "It is time for your next schedule of the day."

Sol pouted at the thought of leaving her new friend behind, she wanted to stay in the library and talk with him more but it was not right for a Crown Princess to forgo her duties. A sigh of disappointment escaped her.

"I guess I'll be seeing you here from time to time, Sir Namjoon." Sol beamed as she reached out her hand, an action that took him and the court lady aback.

"It was nice conversing with you,"

"No, It was my pleasure to be accompanied by you, your Highness."

Namjoon smiled, hesitantly accepting the handshake in front of the court lady. He did not want rumors of him and the princess to spread around but he also did not want to be rude to the royal who treated him fairly.

Most aristocrats think badly of commoners who try to get close to those of higher status. Not to mention Asria was a matriarchy and women were held in higher regard than men. The scene that was happening between the two of them would never normally happen.

"Are you sure of this, princess?" Narae uttered as soon as they left the library.

"Are you being prejudiced because he's a boy and he came from a commoner's background, Narae?" Sol asked as they walked through the courtyard.

"Of course not, princess. I am simply worried about how the other nobles will act around him once they found out." 

Sol stopped on her tracks, facing her court lady by surprise. "What do you mean?"

"The majority of the nobles don't think kindly of commoners. He might..." Narae gave the princess an anxious look "He will get bullied when they find out."

Sol's forehead creased at the thought and the guilt suddenly started to eat her up. Was it wrong to befriend Namjoon? Should she have just given him the tour and not be nice from the start.

'No, surely the nobles won't touch him if they knew we were friends, right?' she thought. 'The nobles would never dare to offend the royalty.'

"You worry too much, Narae." Sol laughed uneasily, taking her court lady's hand. "He is my first friend. No noble would touch him." she smiled before turning away. "Now come, We'll be late for my next schedule."

"Yes, Your Highness," Narae uttered, giving her employer a worried look. "You are too naïve, princess."

The Emerald Residence is a group of manors located at the east of the inner palace, it is were the consorts of the Empress, and their children lived and are educated until they are old enough to choose an official or military job to serve the empire. The Empress currently has four consorts and six royal offspring including the crown princess.

Sol stopped on her tracks before she could enter the arched entrance of the Emerald Residence, a sigh escaped from her lips before she turned towards her court lady.

"No, princess. You only get to meet them twice a month and it is important to create close links with your siblings and their parents." Narae uttered before she could complain.

She frowned at the court lady who gave her an innocent smile "I detest that you know me too well." She pouted before continuing her way inside.

In the book, princess Dalhee traditionally first met her siblings at the age of ten, and though they were excited to meet her she treated them coldly out of jealousy. All because she did not like the fact that they had their fathers with them and she grew up with none.

To Sol, who met them as Dalhee for the first time last year, it was evident how the original princess' indifferent behavior made her siblings fear her and since then it has been her personal mission to change their image of her and get close to all of them.

However, it was not as easy as she thought it would be, because for some unknown reason, no matter what she did, they all remained distant, like a moth that was too afraid to get close to a fire and get burned.

"Greetings, your Highness." Two familiar voices uttered as soon as she arrived at the courtyard.

Her eyes landed on the boys clad with the same grey pants and tucked-in, long sleeve, white buttoned-down shirt. They have the same dark-colored hair, and pair of golden eyes that resembled the Empress'.

The fifteen-year-old twins, Chani and Chan, were the eldest of her siblings and have made it a habit to wait for her arrival at the courtyard. Out of the five, they were the least afraid of her and would dare to joke around when the others wouldn't.

"Your visit is always a pleasure to us, princess." Chan, the oldest twin, smiled.

"He lies." Chani, the mischievous of the pair, chuckled earning a soft punch on the side from his brother "Most of us don't know what to do with you around."

"I could guess that much." She frowned.

"What are your plans for today?" Chan asked after giving his twin a scolding.

"Tea." She smiled before heading towards the garden.

Sol sat on the table facing the pavilion's entrance, an awkward smile escaped her lips as she watched the rest of her siblings silently sit on theirs. She had always disliked how their designated tables were placed a meter apart from each other, she would have opted for a round table instead but there was nothing she could do as the consorts were strict when it came to tradition.

"H-How is your day today, Your Highness?" Chaerin, her eight-year-old sister blessed with golden curls she was jealous of asked as her green eyes nervously escaped her gaze.

"Fine." She smiled "How is yours? Chan told me you were learning the zither with Jaein."

"Y-yes. We just finished a lesson today."

"You should have heard them play." Chan uttered in delight "Their teacher said they were fast learners."

"But also out of tune for a couple of times, my ears were-ouch!" Chani shielded his shin from his twin "I was joking!"

"I can't wait to hear it." She uttered eagerly ignoring the twins "Will you play a song for my birthday?"

"P-please, your Highness." Jaein's purple eyes widened in horror, her silver hair moving swiftly as she sat straight on her seat "We just started a few weeks ago, we might make a mistake and ruin the celebration for you."

"Oh, a short song will do." She chuckled "It will make the day more enjoyable."

"I guess we can prepare a short song," Jaein uttered unsurely.

"We can ask our tutor to teach us something," Chaerin added.

"Me too! Me too! I will practice something!" a high pitched voiced took their attention to the last seat.

Woon, his five-year-old brother, and the youngest of them was raising his small hands. His chubby cheeks moving as he munched on a cookie.

The sight of the cute boy whose amber eyes were covered in locks of brown hair made the rest of them chuckle. Sol found herself grinning as the awkward atmosphere lightened.

"Will you now? That will really make me happy." She said softly before patting the empty space beside her "Come, will you sit beside me today?"

The little boy chuckled, swiftly running from his seat before his court lady could stop him. Sol held the boy up helping him sit beside her.

"What does little Woon like to play?" She asked as she gestured for his court lady to transfer his food to her table.

The boy pursed his lips, his forehead creased pondering on the question deeply before his wide innocent eyes met hers "Yesterday we were playing hide and seek." He said before pointing at a tree near the pavilion "Then I hid there."

"Greetings, your Highness." Two men wearing an official's uniform entered the pavilion disrupting their conversation.

The Asrian Phoenix-a symbol only the royal family were allowed to wear was pinned on their chest, glistening as the sunlight hit it.

"Greetings, Consort Wook and Consort Yoo." Sol stood from her seat like the rest of her siblings greeting them in reply. The air around them suddenly became serious at their arrival.

The consorts, who were strict when it came to traditions and almost as indifferent as the original Dalhee was, were hard for Sol to read. They always have their walls up when she is around, only speaking when needed and asking out of politeness.

"Please excuse the other consorts for being absent today." Consort Yoo uttered as he took his seat. "The Ministries are having its annual meeting."

"I understand" Sol smiled "Ministry meetings are important for the Empire."

"Did we miss something, princess?" Consort Wook uttered beside him, his amber eyes narrowing towards his son who silently held the crown princess' hand.

Woon stared at the floor, visibly afraid of being reprimanded.

"I hope my dear Woon didn't make any mistakes?"

"No, I made him sit beside me." Sol winked at the little boy to alleviate his fear "Didn't I, Woon?"

"Y-yes." Woon uttered as he hid behind her "We were going to play hide and seek."