Reclusive Royalty: Serendipity

CHAPTER 1 HER REBIRTH

A royalty was bound to get everything that they want in the world, a wave of their hand and they could even bring happiness or terror upon their subjects. And yet, she was different. A princess was to be loved, cared and placed in the palm of their hand never to be soiled or hurt. She was far from that.

Useless, incompetent, stupid, coward and all the names that could be called an insult were thrown at her. There was probably not a word that was an insult that she hadn't heard of.

She was deemed an eyesore, and nobody even threw a kind gaze at her but more of their scornful, malicious and cruel look that would ruin even the toughest person there is.

Be more kind, be more responsible, be more mature, be more lovely, be more ladylike, don't say anything, don't make a mess, stay quiet as if you don't exist, study harder, learn this and that. Be more like Princess Irene. Why can't you be half as good as she is?

It was as if those words were a daily routine for her to listen to, a piece of painful music playing over and over again that the usual pang in her heart was replaced by a void.

She was done being hurt, sad and angry, that she could not even bat an eye against those words any longer.

She was dying, it was inevitable. The poison given to her over the course of several years since her sister's birth has spread throughout her veins and seeped through her bones.

"I was alone. There was not one single person to hold me, comfort me, or cry for me... I am all alone..." she mumbled as she watched the silhouette of the people she thought loved her through thick and thin, walking away intimately hand in hand.

They looked happy, the man's eyes mirrored his emotions and there was not even a tad bit of sorrow nor regret.

The cold air brushed through her chapped and pale skin as dried blood and tears were mixed and stuck to her body and clothes.

'In my next life, I don't want to love anymore. I want to live for myself. If there is a God. Please, don't let me suffer any longer and take me away from here. please.... anyone.' she begged as her eyes landed on the full purple moon that resembled her eyes and laid to rest.

Just as she breathed her last one, her body released what seemed to be gold and silver dust, wrapping her body with its mystical look that astounded a certain person's eyes.

"And so it begins, live well this time your highness." a cold and ethereal voice resounded washed away by the howl of the wind as if it was never there. It was from a person who had their eyes on the poor woman's body the whole time witnessing everything. With a lift of the person's slender finger, the hazy image of its silhouette vanished through the night.

She had never thought she would open her eyes once again, and when she did, time was bent and whoever heard her plea was keen on giving her another shot in life.

In this life, she would live a reclusive and peaceful life where the pain was of the past. A life that only happiness and tranquility would bring her.

Something that she failed to achieve in her last life after being keen on making people acknowledge and love her.

Long curved lashes fluttered like the wings of a butterfly and revealed eyes that resembled that of a gem, purple and blue eyes, as clear as the skies that would take anyone's breath away.

And yet this beautiful pair of orbs held no emotion. Like a lifeless porcelain doll.

She hitched her breath trying to assess why the usual pain in her stomach and all over her body was gone. It was just the feverish feeling she experiences every morning.

Out of curiosity, she touched her stomach and noticed that there was no blood on it, neither did her ruined face nor wounded skin could be seen. What appeared before her in the tall mirror was a young beautiful girl, looking back at her with an empty gaze.

She looked beautiful, but a fragile-looking beauty that would scare anybody thinking she would break with one wrong move. Her thin limbs and malnourished body diminished her supposed allure and instead of looking like the pampered princess she should have been, she became a ghastly looking one who needs proper care and nutrients.

From what she can see, this body should be her past self when she was just turning 18 in a few months. But this body, because of the lack of proper nutrition and care, was small and thin like a 13 years old girl.

"Princess Candace, the Queen calls for your presence." a servant followed by two others emerged through her huge double door, and without any word, they prepared her for the morning greeting and meal.

No one paid attention to the new and old bruises on her body since they were used to seeing them.

The Lady who was called Princess Candace did not utter a word the whole time and no one thought it was unusual. The princess would never speak unless she was allowed, not even to her servants. This is why most of the palace's workers don't respect or have any sort of affection for her because the royal family themself, does not pay any heed to her.

There was no need for her to wear a corset because of her frighteningly thin waist but they still had to put it on her, for it was expected of all women to wear and always look presentable.

The servants serving her quickly wrapped up and left at once, meanwhile, Princess Candace went straight to the dining place to meet the Queen.

"You're late for a minute and 30 seconds, rewrite the book of proper etiquette 5 times today." the cold and indifferent voice of the beautiful Queen clad in a ruby red gown while sitting on her chair gracefully. Beside her were servants appeasing her.

The young and beautiful Queen, Clara Eloizabeth Klor-Dione is the wife of the beloved and benevolent King of Dione Empire. Mother of three children and stepmother of the late first Queen's two children.

"Mother, do pardon my incompetence." She bowed her head and apologized just like how she was expected and waited until the Queen waved her hand before her.

"Tsk. I called you here to see if the Princess had prepared for the upcoming autumn ball, you will be expected to perform before the people of the Kingdom. I just can't leave you shaming the royal family again. That's why I will be foreseeing if your prepared performance is decent enough to proceed." The Queen could be seen as gentle and a loving person, but with her, she was always strict.

As the Queen's firstborn child, they believed it was all because she wanted the lady to be a perfect epitome of beauty and class but regardless of the Queen's effort, a rusty metal could never look just like a clump of jade.

No one cares about this particularly disappointing princess, although the King tried to understand why one of his offspring was an ugly duckling amidst all the beautiful and handsome swans he had. If it wasn't for the fact that she had the same eyes as him, he would have doubted that she was not his daughter.

The King was benevolent and a fair man, he loved his children equally, even in her last life, the man sadly passed away unable to reach out to his second eldest daughter.

It was not that she didn't want the King's affection, it was simply because her mother prevented her from getting the King's love. Up until now, she could not understand why, she could remember that before she died, the Queen said something to her, but her memory was hazy. She knew it was important.

Her head started to hurt as she tried to remember what she said that night, her face contorted into a frown and it just so happened that the perfect and lovely princess Irene arrived and witnessed her reaction. Quickly finding fault in such a small matter.

"Sister, I understand that Mother has been too tough on you, but you must understand that she only wants to look out for you. As a proper and dignified princess, you must not frown at your elders." Hearing this, the Queen's scrutinizing gaze landed on her face and quickly reprimanded her.

"My apologies, I had a slight fever and my head has been hurting since then, if I may ask, can I not attend this gathering? Besides, having me there will only sully the family's name." Her voice was calm and the Queen did not find fault in her since it was clear that she was even more pale than usual. Besides, it would be much better if she was not there.

"But Mother, even eldest brother who even went as far as traveling a week just to get back here would attend the gathering," Princess Irene was of course against this, without the ugly Princess Candace, there was no one that could stand on her shadows since she would look better if the outcast was there.

People would curry favor with her since she was the better princess and the one who dazzled anyone who laid their eyes on her.

Ever since she opened her eyes today and realized she went back to the past, she had been dying to get her hands on the Queen and Princess's neck, wrang it till they lose air, and stab them just like what they did to her, but she managed to hold herself back.

She knew better than to ruin this chance.

This rebirth would be meaningless if she won't let them pay for what they did; she won't hold them accountable for something they have done in her past life. Karma would do it for her.

But instead, her revenge would be for the things they did in this life, poisoning her, ruining her dignity and honor as the Princess of the empire. She would fight back if they dare to do those things again. She would not let her anger blind her, her topmost priority would be getting away from the Queen's grasp and living a happy life.

TBC

Maple Writes

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