Chapter 7: Unexpected Visit

Xaervin's POV

"Xaervin?" The crown princess called out my name, raising an eyebrow. "Are you alright, Your Highness?" I asked, concerned. She nodded, slumping back into her chair.

It had been three long months since she had become bedridden, and she was often bored despite her and Hana's drawing sessions in the next room.

"Uhhhhh, how much longer do I have to pretend to be sick?" She groaned. My eyes widened, and I immediately shushed her.

"You'll get into trouble if someone hears you!" I whispered urgently. She rolled her eyes and absentmindedly played with her hair, showcasing her basic magical skills.

Lately, she had been learning magic from me, who was in turn being taught by the tower mage. Her progress was impressive. She quickly absorbed advanced magic and was even reaching my level. It was truly astounding.

"Xaervin," Her highness called out to me, "Yes, your grace?" I answered, she paused for a moment and stared at window at her side.

"Write a letter to the Falcon knights, observe their progress, and as usual, be discreet and do not be found." She ordered, keeping her eyes to the window, I nudge around to look at what she's staring for the past minute-

I took a pause,

It was the royal family having a picnic under the ytril tree.

The princess have been begging me to let her go outside for the past two months to observe that specific tree, I guess she can feel the mana radiating off of it.

I gazed at her eyes, her demeanor, her everything.

These past few months with her, I felt like I was with a different person than the first time we met. I'm glad, that before I become something that's something evil and vile, I met someone as pure as her

"Why are you staring at me?" Her eyes met mine, she chuckled playfully as her cheeks became a shade of a light shade of red. I grabbed the handle of the back of her chair to support the weight as she leaned back into it.

"I apologize your Highness," I smile back at her.

--

Anastasia's POV

It's been three months since I've been observing and supporting the falcon knights secretly, luckily the butler was a narcissist and easy to manipulate, I quickly got hold of this castle's finances and half of it is going to the knights while being under my name.

"Our princess Anastasia," I heard a voice called out from my window, I saw two little bunnies holding a flower as an offering to me with their tiny little paws.

"We are indebted to the goddess' daughter, Anastasia, may the goddess feel your kindness by saving my whole family from the devastating rain that destroyed our home." I giggled and gladly took their offering, they then left promptly as I returned my gaze to the ytril tree.

As by nature, my gaze then fell to the royal family. I don't have that many rage kept inside me, but why do they seem so happy while I had to struggle with a curse that wasn't my fault?

I was fine with Ariliana and the others, but the emperor and empress were the one I had hatred for. They were the adults in the situation whereas I was just an infant.

Will I feel that kind of joy? I shook my head to get rid of useless thoughts.

I should respect the original Anastasia, the one who had been ridiculed and neglected, it isn't right to make friends with the royal family while her and them were enemies..

Speaking of the original Anastasia, I never got to saw her after the first time I transmigrated to this body,

"My grace!" Hana gleefully opened my door, holding a bunch of deserts she bought for us when she went out in the market.

"I know that the head mistress tasked me to not give you sweets that might make you gain weight, but, you're too young to be this skinny!" She exclaimed angrily while I smiled, I don't really care if the mistress gets mad, my reputation is fine enough that I can report her for misbehaving and the royal family would take my word on it.

After a few minutes go by while me and Hana kept eating the desserts, my door opens. "Your highness?" Xaervin called out while I raised my hand.

"Their progress is good and their swordsmanship became better when they started getting fed well. Your decision is impeccable as usual." Hana chuckled at Xaervin's use of big words while I nodded at his investigation.

"Also," he added.

"The crown princess title had been shifted to the now crown prince, Calix."

.

.

Silence.

The room fell silent, I gazed at Xaervin, who had clutched his fists so hard it started bleeding.

"Xaervin!" I call to get his attention.

He gazed at me with eyes that contained such rage that I had never seen.

"Your fists are bleeding, it's not a big deal." I said, "But-" I cut him off.

"I do not want the title, it's better in Calix's position." I strictly said, he looked at me shocked, he bit his lip with contempt. I stood up and offered my hand to his, he quickly stop with his anger and handed me his bleeding hand.

A small faint song left my mouth as his injury healed quickly, I grabbed his shoulder for support after singing. Even healing a small injury like this takes too much of my energy, Xaervin quickly held me by the waist, his angered eyes replaced with worry.

"You are my master, it would be better if I was the one suffering, not you." He muttered, my eyes widen at what he said. I felt anger within me, why is he talking about my situation as he doesn't get tortured everyday because of his 'fellow' knights? As if he isn't the fallen prince of a kingdom that my blood related father destroyed?

"Never say such things again, you hear me?" I grabbed his chin to face me, he was taken aback but nodded.

"Lady Hana please accompany her Highness's bath, she needs to prepare for her nap." Xaervin gently handed me of to Hana, as I sat down onto my sofa, head in my hand.

--

"Goodnight your highness, may the sun and the stars guide you to wake up to another beautiful morning." Hana proclaimed while I nodded my head, turning off my lamp.

"Your highness," Xaervin called out. "I will be going somewhere tomorrow and won't come back until two weeks, I have already prepared and ordered the falcon knights guarding your door and is in your order starting now." Xaervin opened my door, my brows furrowed.

"Glory to the princess that guided us to salvation." Sir Hendrick, the captain bowed.

"Sir Jer and Greg didn't accompanied you this time?" I raised a brow while he shook his head,

"The emperor needed more men in the frontlines, the border is still in a heated silent war these past few months." He sighed, he's been getting more dark circles around his eyes because of the war.

He then proceeded to call out somebody, a feminine silhouette came to view as she had a brown cloak hiding her body and face.

"Greetings your highness," The red haired woman smiled at me gorgeously. Me and Hana blushed a little as Xaervin left.

"This is the woman you tasked me to find a month ago, I found her information in the guild like you said." He smiled as I nodded.

Henrietta Lockes, a illegitimate daughter of the prestigious grand duchess, Alicia Lockes.

She's been banished from their ducherry since she was 13 years old, she's now 23 and in this period, she was supposed to meet with the male lead.

But I need her much more.

"I'll be guarding you your highness, please be at ease, my skills and magic is on par with the highest level assassin." I smiled at her comment, she is the high level assassin.

I bid them goodnight as Henrietta guarded me by my sofa.

--

Am I dreaming? I opened my eyes only to be meet with a white like sky, ground and nothingness.

"The new Anastasia?" A voice laughed out loud somewhere, my eyes then widen to see the original Anastasia appear in front of me.

"W-where have you been!" I asked at her while she raised a brow.

"I've been living as Seo Mae-rom, I've been living as you." I raised a brow unexpectedly while she chuckled.

She then opened a portal like hole, I glanced in to see my old body sleeping peacefully in a room I did not recognize.

"You're wondering who's room is that right?" I nodded at her.

"Your mother."

.

I went speechless, "What the hell do you mean?!" I almost yelled at her, I was an orphan and got adopted by a negligent family, my father and mother chose to focus all their attention to their blood children and never to me.

"Didn't you ever wondered why you were always shut off to elite people your age?" She smirked, she's much different to the Anastasia I knew from the novel.

"You're so different as the villainess in the novel." She raised her brow, "And you're so different as the second female lead in the book I read!" She hmphed as I rolled my eyes.

"Your real, biological mother was a CEO in a law firm, unfortunately you were born out of wedlock." She exaggerated her frown while I stared at her with dead eyes.

"I came to her with the whole you're a deadbeat mother thing, she felt guilty and took me in. We're now known as the infamous missing daughter of the CEO of Lerin." She smirked.

"And I finally can execute your revenge." ...

We went silent.

"REVENGE??" I yelled while she looked stunned,

"Wasn't that the whole deal?" She raised a brow.

"We switch bodies and execute our revenge?" My mouth widen, the memories finally came back too late as Anastasia seemed pissed.

"You ARE planning my revenge, aren't you?" She 'smiled' at me.

I nodded my head repeatedly as she sighed.

"I need to go back, our mother is gonna come wake us up at anytime now," she said hurriedly, I grabbed her arm quickly before she can disappear.

"When can we talk again?!" I yelled, she smiled and pointed to my forehead.

"Call out to me when you're about to sleep, and practice relaxing your core." Was all she said before I woke up.