Discovering yourself

‘Let me straighten this out first!’

‘I am the Princess.’

‘The Princess is a boy.’

‘How could this be?’

‘Something must be terribly wrong!’

Just then, a knock echoed through the room.

Knock, knock, knock!

“Your Royal Highness, I’ve brought in your change of clothes.”

‘…’ My heart pounded erratically as I stared at the door, its frantic rhythm now louder than the insistent knocking.

The door creaked open.

“I’ll just leave your clothes here, Your Highness.”

“Uh… yes… thank you for your trouble.”

Submerged in the bath, I had narrowly escaped exposure.

I watched her retrieve the nightgown I had just discarded and then leave the bathroom, finally allowing myself to breathe a sigh of relief.

‘That was close… I almost gave myself away.’

I looked up, silently questioning the heavens: ‘Do these maids even know that I, the Princess, am actually a boy?’

If they knew, it wouldn’t be so bad.

But if they didn’t, I absolutely couldn’t risk it!

After all, a princess couldn’t possibly be a boy, could he?

What if I was an impostor?

If anyone discovered I was impersonating the Princess, I would never leave the palace alive!

Even if there was some hidden secret, with no information at my disposal, I had to keep it strictly confidential.

‘So, I have to pretend to be a girl?’

‘Ugh… how annoying! Of all times, why can’t I remember anything now?’

I gazed at my sorrowful reflection in the water.

‘No matter how I look, I seem completely like a girl!’

After bathing and changing into fresh clothes, I meticulously examined myself in the mirror, ensuring no hint of my secret would be revealed.

‘Hmph, as long as I’m dressed, there’s absolutely no way I’ll be exposed,’ I thought, emerging from the bathroom with newfound confidence.

“I heard the Princess has awakened?”

A steady voice drifted into my ears.

A small girl entered, her golden hair a mass of curls like instant noodles.

Our eyes met instantly.

‘She…’

‘Who exactly is she? Isn’t she around my age?’

Yet, the profound depth in her amber eyes certainly didn’t match her youthful appearance.

I pointed at her. “You’re not, by any chance, the doctor here to examine me, are you!?”

At my words, everyone in the room froze.

“Your Royal Highness, do you not remember me?”

“Uh… no, of course not…” I stammered, unsure how to respond.

‘Oh no! Am I being suspected?’

“Your Emperor Father sent me to check on your condition. Now, it seems perhaps the high fever has addled your mind?” She casually placed her hand on my forehead.

“Then… where is my Emperor Father?”

“He is quite busy, currently granting an audience to envoys from Britannia.”

“I see…”

A pang of disappointment bloomed in my heart.

I had been unconscious for seven days and seven nights, yet my Emperor Father hadn’t come to see me personally.

Did he perhaps have so many princesses that he didn’t care much for me?

After checking my forehead, the young girl turned to the maids. “The Princess is in recovery. Take her for more walks in the garden.”

The maids bowed respectfully to her. “As you command, Prime Minister.”

‘Prime Minister?’

‘She’s actually the Prime Minister? And so young?’

I stared in disbelief at her retreating figure, naturally noticing her pointed ears.

A jolt went through me.

‘She’s not human?’

I then overheard the maids behind me whispering amongst themselves.

“How could His Majesty the Emperor place so much trust in a half-elf?”

“I heard the Prime Minister is a witch…”

“Hush! Watch your tongue!”

“Alright, that’s enough! I want to walk around by myself. Stop following me!”

Upon reaching the garden, I eagerly shook off my “attendants.”

The constant presence of a retinue, no matter where I went, felt incredibly unnatural.

At this point, I desperately needed more personal space.

Otherwise, constantly surrounded by maids, my secret regarding my gender would surely be exposed, wouldn’t it?

I turned my face into the petal-scented breeze and gazed up at the sky.

‘Wow, it’s so blue.’

Even in this beautiful garden, I was in no mood to appreciate the scenery.

A wave of despair, akin to wanting to cry but having no tears, washed over me.

I had woken up as the Princess, discovered I had amnesia, and then found out I was a boy!

‘Could things possibly get any worse than this!?’

“Hey—”

A voice sounded from behind me.

“Are you my fiancée?”