Chapter One
1770
Palace of Orchid
large, bluish-purple eyes opened to a world that seemed completely alien to her. An extravagant luxury room with its intricately woven tapestries and towering canopy bed was unlike anything she had ever seen before. Confusion washed over her as she sat up, her hands trembling as she surveyed her surroundings. It took a few dizzying moments for the realisation to hit her. She felt her chest being heavy and her arms being thinner. Her long, wavy platinum-blond hair was tangled up with her fragile leg. Panic welled up within her, threatening to consume her mind. How did this happen?
She slapped herself harshly and even pinched her face,as she believed that she was dreaming. But sadly, she wasn't.
/Why is my skin so soft?/she thought to herself.
confusion and shock overwhelmed her.
She noticed a hand mirror in the corner of this enormous room. She quickly gathered her force to dash and grab the mirror. She stumbled to her feet and gazed into her distressed face. Nevertheless, she still grabbed it. As she was staring back at her from the mirror, she saw a face she didn't recognise.
Her mind raced, trying to make sense of the impossible situation she found herself in. "Who... who is this?" She whispered, her voice shaken and strange to her own ears.
Driven by desperation, she decided to flee, unaware of the attire she had unintentionally chosen, which belonged to the era she found herself in. She quickly hurried through the corridors of the grand estate she was on.
However, she then collided with a handmaiden who had brownish hair in an up-do fashion, her eyes widening as she saw the handmaiden in disarray before her.
Just as she was mustering the courage to help the handmaiden get up, she said, "Your Highness!" The handmaiden exclaimed, immediately dropping into a respectful curtsy. "How may I be of service to you?"
"Your highness? what?"
Her brows furrowed in confusion, her mind racing to make sense of her new reality. Deciding not to play along, she asked with distrust, "Who... who am I? What is my name?"
The handmaid's shock was evident, and she stammered for a moment before composing herself. "Your Highness, you are the daughter of Archduke of Holy Ostarrîch Empire, Cecile Von Elysium, and soon to be Crown Princess of the Star of Gallia Empire."
The weight of those words crashed down upon her, rattling her very core. He, a han-uisa (traditional doctor) named Kang Taekyung, a 6-foot, bulky 32-year-old man, was now trapped within the body of Cecile. The historical events regarding her fate flashed through his mind: the Gallian Revolution, the downfall of the monarchy, and the gruesome execution that awaited her.
Overwhelmed and scared, Taekyung's vision blurred as his legs gave way beneath him. Darkness swallowed his consciousness, and the last thing he heard was the sound of the handmaiden's frantic voice calling for a doctor.
10 minutes later
Cecile's Bedchamber
When Taekyung regained consciousness, he found himself lying in a stark, dimly lit room. A figure in a brownish-red overcoat was hovering above him. The stern, concerned look on the healer's face only deepened Taekyung's anxiety as he struggled to sit up.
"I... I don't know what happened, and who are you? Tell me about myself!" Taekyung stammered, pretending to have memory loss, as he was questioned by the healer.
The Healer's reddish brown eyes widened in surprise and horror, his professional composure briefly faltering for a second before he composed himself. "Your Highness, I am your personal healer, Healer Laurent," he replied, his tone compassionate but tinged with confusion. "I think you were in stressed which caused you to pass out and You are Her Majesty, Cecile Von Elysium, and soon to be crown princess of the future Sun of the Gallia Empire."
Taekyung's heart pounded in his chest as he realised the gravity of his situation. The knowledge of the future and the cruelty that Cecile had suffered filled him with fear and determination. He couldn't allow himself to suffer the same fate. He had to find a way to escape the prison of this empire and change the fate that awaited him.
Should he run away later this afternoon?
If he did that, he couldn't survive in this era because he has no money or access to information, and he doesn't want to steal from here. It goes against his morals.
"Only steal from the fools or the corrupted people."
Maybe he should open up a business like every other Isekai character that he has seen in comics or novels?
not noticing the hush-hush talk between his handmaiden and the healer. He promised himself that he needed to escape the clutches of Gallian aristocratic society and the court, rewrite his future, and perhaps even alter the course of history itself. The road ahead was treacherous, but Taekyung, though filled with fear, was willing to take the gamble for the chance at freedom and redemption.
The handmaiden, who was introduced as Ms.Alicia, a maid who accompanied her all the way from her homeland and had been standing discreetly in the room, approached Taekyung with a mix of reverence and concern. Her deep blue eyes sparkled with a mixture of curiosity and sympathy. "Your Highness," she said softly, "it is time for you to get ready for the court. The court is eager to see the prince and the sun and Moon of the empire."
Taekyung, still grappling with the enormity of his predicament, nodded numbly with a soft smile. "Very well," he replied, his voice lacking any true conviction. "Lead the way."