Accepting the Role

"Princess! Is something the matter?" The woman rushed forward to support Charis. "Are you hurting somewhere? Someone, get the doctor!"

"I, I'm fine." Charis struggled to sit up with the help of the woman, still clutching her head. Strangely, her hair felt much softer to the touch than before. "Where is this?"

"This is Camellia Palace, Your Highness. Have you forgotten? Her Majesty had this palace constructed for you when you were just a little baby." The woman stroked Charis's back soothingly while taking a glass of water from a table nearby. "Here, have a drink."

Charis gulped down the cool glass in three heaving swallows and wiped her mouth before turning back to the woman. "Who are you again?"

The woman seemed as if she had just received a huge shock and withdrew her hands from Charis. "Your Highness, you don't remember me?" She stepped back with a stunned expression.

Charis felt a little guilty, seeing the woman's hurt look. She pretended to look around the grand room decorated with different shades of pale blue and gold while racking her brains trying to think of the woman's name. The serving maids positioned throughout the room lowered their heads as her gaze swept over them.

"Leanna...?" she tried after searching through her memories.

Leanna sighed with relief. "Princess, you gave me a fright! I thought you had really forgotten me, your nanny!"

Charis stared at the woman in disbelief. In "I Was Actually the Princess," Leanna was the name of the wet nurse that had raised Charis when the Empress was too busy to take care of her. She was like a second mother to the princess. Along with Soren, she was the one of the few subordinates that always remained loyal to Charis. In the end, she died trying to protect Charis against an assassination attempt.

Chloe had never experienced the feeling of a family since her parents died in an accident when she was five. Leanna's motherly smile gave her a sense of comfort that was novel to her. But the affection Leanna had towards her belonged to Charis, not her. Knowing that made Chloe feel even more uneasy.

"Of course I wouldn't forget you. I was just...playing around." Charis showed Leanna a strained smile.

What was going on? Had she really become Charis from the novel? If that was it, should she just pretend to lose her memory? No, that would make matters worse.

"You've been so lethargic lately. It's good that you're feeling lively enough to play pranks on me," Leanna beamed. She helped the absent-minded Charis up from the bed, bending down to put soft cotton slippers onto the girl's dainty feet. "Did you have a nice nap?"

"Yes, I had a really good dream."

'A dream that I have yet to wake up from!'

"That's good to hear. Now, let's get you changed for dinner." Leanna gently ushered Charis into another room adjacent to the bedroom.

Charis's mouth dropped open at the sight in front of her. Every inch of the towering walls were covered in fabrics of every color imaginable. Dresses, skirts, blouses, jackets, pants, even ballgowns were present, all tailored precisely to the princess's size. There was even a separate room for her shoes and jewelry.

The lavishness of a crown princess could not be underestimated.

Charis stood still on a raised platform while her maids busied themselves by draping clothes over her body until they found one they were satisfied with. She closed her eyes and tried to sort out her situation.

'I've become a rich princess with the same name as the villainess from "I'm Actually the Princess." Is this rebirth? Or transmigration? But I didn't die...anyways, it must just be a coincidence. But, there's Leanna, who looks the same as the Leanna from the book.'

"Princess, we've finished." The maids announced, placing a tall mirror in front of Charis before retreating to a corner of the room.

This was the first time Charis was seeing her appearance in her new body. She looked about twelve years old. Ebony black hair cascaded down her shoulders and down to her waist like spilt ink. Dark eyes surrounded equally dark pupils. Her eyes were like an abyss would suck you in if your gaze connected a moment too long with hers. Dressed in a gauzy off-the-shoulder dress the color of a daffodil in full bloom, she had the air of a pure young girl.

Perhaps this was what Charis liked to wear before her true identity was revealed. After Diana entered the palace, she made plain, light colored clothes her signature look. Every time Charis wanted to wear something even slightly similar, people called her out for copying Diana. So, she began to wear dark and extravagant clothes, the opposite of Diana, in hopes that people would change their opinion of her.

People would always find a way to pick on others. Charis was criticized for dressing vulgarly and tastelessly. If she couldn't wear this and she couldn't wear that, what was she supposed to do, go naked? Oh, but that would stain the honor of the imperial family, so she definitely couldn't do that.

Charis could only sigh. Now that she had seemingly become the villainess from the novel, she felt that the fake princess was actually quite pitiful. As of now, she was a normal princess, but according to the novel's plot, she would be named crown princess in a few years.

"Princess, is the outfit not to your liking?" Leanna asked from the side. She had dressed the princess every day for twelve years and knew her tastes well. She had taken extra care to choose the accessories and dress to make the princess happy, but she was sighing!

"No, it's good. Thank you, everyone." Charis smiled, carefully stepping down from the platform while lifting up her skirt. Since she had become Charis, she would have to play the role well. Thankfully, her body remembered the original princess's mannerisms, so she didn't appear uncoordinated.

Neither Leanna nor the maids had seen Charis smile so sincerely ever since her personality had drastically changed a few months ago. All the servants in the room had teary smiles as they chanted in unison: "Thank you, Princess!"

--

The Athlan Empire was ruled by a female monarch. The Athlan people were especially open to gender equality, women and men filling an equal amount of government positions. Neither gender oppressed the other. Princesses and princes were both eligible for the throne.

The Empress's Prince Consort had always been weak and had died early, only a few months after Charis had been born. The two had no more children between them, so the Empress doted on Charis to a great amount.

The Athlans weren't a polygamous society, so the imperial families did not have multiple spouses. (Diana was an exception, of course). After the mourning period for the late Prince Consort had passed, many people were calling for the Empress to marry a new husband.

The Empress had to comply for the sake of her country, and married the most suitable candidate, the brother of a neighboring king, Prince Ivan. She gave birth to Charis's half-brother a short while after, named Felix.

Charis's stepfather was an enigmatic person. No one could tell what he was thinking. Even the Empress was wary of him. With a large kingdom backing him, he was not someone to be taken lightly.

He was mentioned once or twice in the storyline, when Diana was first taken into the palace, but he never appeared again. Even in the ending, there was not a single word that described where he had been during the whole ordeal. It was almost as if he had disappeared into thin air.

His son, Prince Felix, suffered the same fate. Early on the book, he had expressed his reluctance to compete for the throne with Diana and instead vowed to help her become the Empress. He then made frequent appearances in a few chapters but after Diana began meeting her love interests, he was gradually forgotten by the author and readers alike.

Prince Felix was described to be a somber character who rarely left his palace. When he had first met the lively Diana, he had become obsessed with protecting her. Basically, he was an overprotective younger brother type character.

That was how it was supposed to be. But why was the eleven year old prince in front of Charis looking at her with such endearing eyes?