Episode 3
“Ah! It’s my favorite bread! Nomnomnom!”
Mother said that and pretended to *bite* two strands of my hair, one after the other.
The ladies-in-waiting standing nearby burst into laughter.
The king—bold enough to deceive the entire nation for over ten years—was always tender only in front of his daughters.
*If she knew I’d been framed and killed… she would’ve been devastated, right…?*
Mother didn’t miss the flicker of sadness in my eyes. Her eyes widened.
“My darling, did something upset you?”
Hearing that made a lump rise in my throat.
*I mean, technically… didn’t I actually die earlier?*
The joy of seeing my mother again mixed with the injustice of dying once, and tears finally spilled out.
“Mommy… *hic…*”
Mother’s sharp gaze turned toward Beatrice, who flinched and quickly shook her head.
*Damn it, this isn’t what I planned.*
I didn’t intend to escalate things this far, but I had no excuse to fall back on.
Crying loudly, I whispered,
“Gabi… hurt. Very hurt…”
Mother’s eyes widened even more, and she asked softly,
“Gabi is hurt? Badly?”
Honestly, it wasn’t that painful yet—*but it will be soon.*
I nodded while crying. Mother’s face darkened.
*Probably because her holy power is healing-type.*
Despite her bold personality, Mother’s divine power was one of the weakest among all past monarchs.
She could only heal minor injuries; practically useless for a sovereign.
*Of course, she compensated for that weakness perfectly by marrying Father.*
Mother quickly regained her composure and called out,
“Icarus!”
A knight in pitch-black uniform strode into the audience chamber.
*Icarus Chenelli, the King’s First Knight.*
Called the Hound of Luella, he was the kind of lunatic who would rip out his own heart if Mother asked.
*He’s also the one who risked his life to protect our twin secret for fifteen years.*
Because he often handled secret royal orders, even the palace servants instinctively backed away whenever they saw him.
*Just like now.*
With the servants now retreating, Mother quietly ordered,
“Send a royal physician to the West Palace. Her health is as important as mine.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Without further explanation needed, Icarus rose from one knee and exited without even looking at me.
Phew. I sniffled mid-cry and sighed in relief.
*Hound? More like a rabid beast…*
In my previous life, Icarus wasn’t a loyal dog. He was a *mad dog*.
The problem was, since no one alive knew about our twin identity after Gabriella’s death, this rabid dog became the guardian of us twins.
*So many servants died because of him…*
Even remembering it now gives me chills.
Anyone who sensed something odd about us twins?
Icarus slaughtered them without hesitation.
That’s why Gabriella must survive.
*Absolutely.*
After Icarus left, Mother looked down at me with burning red eyes.
“Don’t cry, my baby. The physician will make Gabi all better.”
“R-really…?”
“Yes, really.”
I wiped my eyes bravely, and Mother smiled gently.
I quietly calculated Gabriella’s age.
*If she doesn’t get sick with tuberculosis… how long will she raise me?*
Please—just live a long time.
Please…
—
My precious alone-time with Mother was short-lived.
Suddenly, loud gusts of wind echoed outside.
Someone near the window peeked out and exclaimed,
“His Grace Grand Duke Nigel has returned.”
Ugh…
*Kildevért Delacroix Nigel.*
Married the King of Luella, yet when in Nigel Duchy, he was both king and high priest.
Father loved Mother so much he practically offered up a nation for her.
*Yet Mother sometimes treated him like a subordinate…*
Her relaxed voice immediately targeted Beatrice.
“Tris. The princess should take her breakfast now, shouldn’t she?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Beatrice kept her puzzled expression well hidden as she carried me out of the audience chamber.
*Right, I didn’t understand it back then either.*
For as long as I could remember, Father had always been busy.
After their marriage, Nigel became Luella territory, but Father still spent half the month there governing it.
And as the high priest serving the sky god, Bahar, Father always appeared solemn in my memories.
*Not to mention the mythical sky horse he rode when traveling between Nigel and here.*
It was easy to grow distant from such a complicated, rarely-seen father.
*I never imagined that Mother kept him away so he wouldn’t discover our existence.*
When we turned fifteen and the twin secret was revealed, Father was more devastated than anyone.
*Even as high priest—duty-bound to prioritize divine will—he couldn’t bear the betrayal and ran back to Nigel.*
But when the war became a long, brutal stalemate, Father returned to protect us.
*Because he loved us, more than anything.*
But unlike Rosa, who was always full of affection, I could barely look Father in the eyes.
*Because I felt so… so guilty.*
Beatrice set me down in the dining hall, pulling me out of my thoughts.
My favorite breakfast dishes were set before me.
“Your Highness, eat plenty today and grow big and strong, alright?”
Of course!
Life is unpredictable, and I have hundreds of reasons to grow stronger and healthier than Rosa.
I shook off thoughts of Father and gripped my spoon with determination.
—
Next was, unfortunately, class time.
*Seriously, am I supposed to relearn how to read?*
I glanced at Madame Silvia’s youthful face and read the vocabulary card carefully.
“Ga…ul.”
The biggest issue: I had no idea how much we knew when we were four.
*If I suddenly read too well, that’ll be suspicious.*
But Madame Silvia didn’t look surprised at all.
“It’s ‘fall,’ Your Highness.”
“Fa…ll.”
As soon as I corrected it, she flipped the page.
Silvia Pavel rarely showed emotion.
*But I didn’t think she’d be THIS unreadable.*
I cautiously read the next one.
“Whea…ther.”
“It’s ‘weather,’ Your Highness.”
Judging from her calm voice, I could probably read a little better without raising suspicion.
Another page turned.
“Acorn.”
When I read it correctly, she suddenly clapped her hands.
“My goodness, to remember all the words from yesterday so perfectly! I am truly moved, Your Highness.”
*That’s your moved face?*
Relaxing at last, I smiled with her.
We also had a unique class schedule because we were one person playing two roles.
*We had to learn two days’ worth of lessons in one day.*
And the next day, we reviewed the same lesson again with the teacher.
Problem was, classes always started on Rosa’s princess day.
*So I always joined the review… without ever learning the material.*
Of course, the teacher assumed she was teaching for the second time, so if I acted clueless, Rosa’s reputation would plummet.
So the only option was to study desperately in the annex with Gabriella beforehand.
*But being reborn has its perks.*
I don’t have to cry in my room while studying anymore.
*Because I brought all the knowledge with me.*
Madame Silvia smiled brightly and reached into a basket.
Her palm opened—full of candies.
*Complimenting me… with candy? Really?*
Still, I politely accepted them with both hands.
“Giving you this many at once is a secret from His Majesty. Shhh.”
With a rare, wide smile, she added quietly,
“You wanted one more yesterday, but I couldn’t give it to you. I felt bad about it.”
Oh? Is that so?
Well, that definitely wasn’t me.
*Rosa is still just a candy-loving kid, huh?*
I beamed.
“Thank you, teacha.”
