Chapter 22. There’s No Such Thing as a Coincidence Without a Reason
It was only natural for Jane to react this way to Elle’s appearance.
Though she had worked in the palace for a long time, this was the first time she had seen Elle up close, let alone spoken with her.
She had only ever heard rumors, but seeing her in person, Jane could feel—just from her presence alone—that Elle was far more extraordinary than the stories suggested.
And many of those rumors weren’t good.
People belittled her for being a commoner, whispered that she had powerful backers, and even spread things too vile to repeat.
But seeing someone who wasn’t even an acquaintance help her so readily, Jane began to wonder if all those rumors had been lies.
“Does this sort of thing happen often?” Elle asked.
“Yes. I have nothing, no status or connections to speak of. So it’s only natural that people think I’m easy to push around.”
Jane, having never had someone to talk to about these things, found herself opening up to Elle despite just meeting her.
Having no one on her side in the imperial palace had left her exhausted and lonely. She had only been telling herself she was okay just to get by.
Then Elle, who had been listening quietly, spoke firmly.
“No one has the right to treat someone like that.”
“But this is the imperial palace, and…”
“I understand that feeling more than anyone. I’ve been through something very similar to you.”
“You have?” Jane couldn’t believe that someone as strong as Elle had gone through the same thing. Maybe if Elle had crushed everyone around her from the start, she might have believed it.
Elle noticed the doubt in her eyes but simply smiled.
The reason she had stepped in to help Jane earlier was because she had seen her past self in Jane.
“That’s why I became strong—so that no one could treat me that way again. It wasn’t easy, but I gritted my teeth and worked hard, and now I’ve made it this far.”
“So you’ve had times like that too…”
Jane was convinced—Elle was the person she was now because of those efforts.
At the same time, a small wish blossomed within Jane: she wanted to become strong like Elle.
“If someone like me, who had absolutely nothing, could do it, then I’m sure you can too. And when you do, those people won’t scare you anymore.”
“Do you really think so?”
“Of course. Aren’t I proving it right now, right in front of you?”
It wasn’t just anyone telling her this—it was Elle. That alone gave Jane the courage to believe she could do it. And she desperately wanted to prove herself, just as Elle said.
“I’ll try my best too, just like you.”
“I think you and I will get along quite well. We have a lot in common.”
“Do we? Oh, and my name is…”
Just as Jane was about to introduce herself, a voice from afar called out to Elle.
Elle smiled as she recognized who it was.
“My companion is calling for me. I should go.”
With a quick farewell, Elle hurried over to the fellow knight who had called her. Jane felt a tinge of regret at not being able to say her name.
Still, since they were both in the palace, surely there would be another chance. She decided to look forward to that.
‘Next time we meet, I’ll definitely tell her I want to be friends.’
But back then, she didn’t know.
That would be her first and last conversation with Elle.
“It wasn’t long after that when it happened.”
When Jane heard the news that Elle had died, she was in shock. At first, she couldn’t even believe it.
The person she had met couldn’t possibly have committed such a horrific act. She had even taken the time to listen to a mere maid—someone so kind.
But Jane had no power. She was just a maid, and back then, everyone was avoiding the subject.
Instead, she never forgot Elle’s words, worked harder than ever, and eventually caught the eye of Borens.
And just like Elle said, the bullying gradually stopped. Now, it was completely gone.
‘It’s become just a memory now.’
Hearing Elleura’s passing comment had brought back that nostalgic memory of Elle.
She wished she could’ve told her how grateful she was, how much strength Elle had given her—that she was still trying her best.
‘Even if I can’t say it now…’
Comparing what Elle had said to what Elleura said, Jane found it strangely coincidental.
“I never imagined Her Highness would say the same thing.”
But that conversation only solidified her belief—Elleura was far more admirable and beautiful than she had expected.
“Alright. I’ll work hard from now on.”
Her determination to serve as a handmaiden flared up once more.
Meanwhile, at the dining hall, Elleura took her seat and soon, dishes began arriving one by one.
Though the meal had started, something felt… off. The food was excellent, but—
When she looked around, she realized she was sitting all alone at the long table.
‘Have I already gotten used to that life?’
Ever since she awakened as Elleura, meals had always been with family.
She had grown used to eating in such a warm, cheerful atmosphere, so this silence now felt incredibly awkward.
The head chef, who had prepared this meal with great care for the princess’s first day, began to grow anxious at her lukewarm reaction.
Unable to bear it, he carefully approached her.
“Does the food not suit Your Highness’s taste?”
“No, it’s truly delicious. I think it just feels strange eating alone again after so long.”
Only then did the chef realize that she was homesick. Understandably so—she had come here all alone, after all.
“I’ll make sure to prepare some food from Zebenica next time.”
“Thank you for being so thoughtful.”
After finishing her meal in good spirits, Elleura returned to her room and sat at her desk, organizing what she needed to do next. She needed to survive here, even if only for a short while.
“First, I’ve got to get through the banquet. I’ll see some familiar faces there.”
With a sigh, she leaned back and closed her eyes. The part she dreaded most was that nobles would be attending.
Back in Zebenica, she had always made excuses to avoid such events whenever she could.
People might grow suspicious of her changes if they saw her.
‘Maybe I should be grateful my family hasn’t questioned me yet.’
Then, at that moment, she suddenly remembered something important she had forgotten.
“Oh, right. I have to go there too. They must be worried—there’s been no contact until now.”
Originally, she had planned to visit after settling everything, but she had been suddenly imprisoned and hadn’t had the chance to reach out.
She was even more worried, knowing they likely needed her help.
‘I’ll go right after the banquet.’
With her plans settled, Elleura lay down early in bed and closed her eyes in the darkness.
The first night in this unfamiliar, yet not unfamiliar place, quietly came to an end.
Just as dawn was breaking, Elleura woke up and immediately sat up.
She changed into comfortable clothes she’d brought from Zebenica, tied her hair up in a single braid, and stepped outside.
She headed for the large open space behind the palace.
Even after several days in Ruvane, she hadn’t skipped this daily routine. Her stamina had improved a lot, but compared to when she was Elle, she still had a long way to go.
“This isn’t good enough yet.”
There were perks to being here. It was easier to train without worries.
In Zebenica, no matter how many times she said she was fine, people kept fussing over her, and there were always too many eyes watching.
But here, she didn’t have to worry about others or unexpected visitors—it was far more comfortable.
“Let’s think of this as a field training expedition.”
Once she finished stretching, Elleura began running around the grounds. She no longer got tired from just running.
“Was this body always this light?”
At first, training in the princess’s body had been grueling, but strangely, over time it felt as if her old abilities had naturally transferred over.
As if her old self, Elle, had been fully absorbed into this body.
She ran until the sun began to rise, and when she finally felt satisfied, she stopped to catch her breath.
On her way back to her room, she ran into Jane by chance.
“Good morning, Jane.”
“Good morning, Your Highness. Did you go for a run again?”
“Yeah. It’s a habit now.”
Jane had seen her do this every morning since she arrived, so it no longer surprised her—but the first time, she had been a little shocked.
Expecting that kind of reaction, Elleura had offered a plausible excuse.
‘I do this every day, so don’t worry. As you know, I wasn’t in good health before. So I’ve kept it up since I woke up.’
Since Jane already knew about Elleura’s prior condition, she accepted it without suspicion.
“But you came back a little earlier than usual today, didn’t you?”
“Of course. You didn’t forget what day it is today, did you?”
“Of course not. I definitely remember.”
‘I’ve been counting down the days.’
Today was the fated day—the grand banquet welcoming Elleura to Ruvane.
One small mercy was that she hadn’t run into Terban even once since arriving. Though she’d mostly stayed in the palace, it was still lucky.
She’d also been getting along well with the other palace staff, aside from Borens and Jane.
If things stayed this peaceful, she might just make it through her stay.
But after the banquet officially announced her arrival, who knew how things might change?
‘I just hope they’ll let me live quietly, like I’m barely there.’
Though her early days here had been calm, the recent days had been filled with banquet preparations.
When she was Elle, all she had to do was wear her uniform—there hadn’t been much to prepare. But now, as the princess and the center of attention, there was a mountain of tasks.
First, she had the boutique brought to the palace to prepare dresses, accessories, and everything else she’d need—and honestly, she’d have preferred a hundred training sessions over that.
The only ones excited during that time were the palace maids.
Elleura, who had no interest in social trends, couldn’t even tell which dresses were supposed to be pretty.
Dragged along by the maids, she tried on dress after dress, until she was completely exhausted.
Even her groaning had no effect—they were determined to dress her up.
Eventually, she barely managed to finish all the preparations, completely drained.
As the day of the banquet approached, she reminded herself that she couldn’t avoid it, so she might as well face it calmly.
‘I’m attending as the Princess of Zebenica. I’ll just do it my way.’
As she was bracing herself, several maids entered and bustled about the room.
Normally, Jane alone would have been enough, but today required extra attention.
Sinking into a bath filled with fragrant oils, surrounded by maids, Elleura officially began her banquet preparations.
