The sunlight in this world felt different.
Softer. Warmer. Gentle… almost comforting.
It flickered through the curtain and cast a golden glow across the room, as if it weren't trying to scare me, as if it wanted to tell me everything was going to be okay, and that I should just relax.
My body said otherwise.
The moment I tried to sit up, a sharp weakness ran through my arms and legs. Not pain—just… emptiness. My limbs felt like soft noodles that had never carried weight in their lives.
"My lady, please don't force yourself," the maid from yesterday said, hurrying to my side. Her name was Valerie, and I had learned it last night.
That title made me freeze every time I heard it. My Lady. That title didn't belong to me. This bed, this body, this world—they didn't belong to me.
Valerie adjusted the pillows behind me, moving carefully as if I might break at any sudden movement. And honestly… I wasn't sure she was wrong.
"Cook prepared a light breakfast," she said, lifting a tray. "Soup and tea. The doctor says you must take things slowly."
Slowly.
That word made me want to laugh. My old world had never given me that luxury.
I nodded, and she helped me sit up more. When she placed the silver bowl in my hands, I almost dropped it. These fingers… too thin, too fragile. Not the hands I remembered having, and I didn't know if I liked that or not. Silver hair spilled over my shoulders in waves, glowing faintly. My skin was a soft brown tone, warm and sun-kissed, but pale beneath exhaustion. And my eyes—her eyes—dark blue like a storm that had just passed. No one in my past life had these features.
All I could think was… she was beautiful.
"My lady, your soup is getting cold," Valerie's voice pulled me out of my trance.
"Right… sorry," I muttered, lifting the spoon to my lips.
The faint smell of herbs hit me. It tasted good—amazing, even. Normally, I grabbed whatever I could before school, which wasn't much. Having this—even if it was just a light breakfast—felt like a dream. Before I knew it, I had finished, and Valerie looked at me with something in her eyes… relief?
As she lifted the tray from my lap, I couldn't help but ask, softly, "May I… ask? What happened to me?"
Her expression fell. "My lady… do you truly not remember? About the engagement? His Highness?"
His Highness? Of course. If her parents were a Duke and Duchess, there had to be a prince.
I shook my head. "My memory is… a bit hazy."
Her lips tightened. "You had taken the prince's broken engagement very hard. You… became weaker each day," she whispered, her eyes flickering with concern. "We feared you wouldn't wake again."
Ah. That partially explained this body. Hollow cheeks. Weak legs. Still, it wasn't the full story. There had to be more. But I doubted anyone would tell me now, so this would have to be enough.
"Thank you," I said quietly. "For the food… and taking care of me."
She smiled and bowed her head. "That's what the servants are here for, my lady."
At least Aniwa had seemed to have a good relationship with them. That was something I could be grateful for.
Valerie helped me to the bath. I insisted I could walk on my own—and promptly stumbled. She caught me before I kissed the floor.
"Perhaps I could help you just for today, my lady," she said, trying to hide a smile.
The bath was warm, and steam curled gently from its surface. The scent of roses drifted through the air, calming but unfamiliar. Everything here felt unfamiliar, and I hated it.
Clothes I didn't choose.
A room I didn't recognize.
A face that wasn't mine.
"This water was prepared for you, my lady," Valerie said gently. "If it's too hot or too cold, just tell me."
Too hot? Too cold? That made me want to laugh. I used to shower in water that could barely decide what temperature it wanted to be. This—this was luxury. But luxury was suffocating when you felt like an intruder in someone else's skin.
I stepped in slowly, letting the warmth soak into my weak legs. My body shivered—not from cold, but from… something else. Something I couldn't name.
Valerie helped wash the long silver hair, brushing it with careful hands. The sound of the brush moving through the strands was oddly satisfying.
"Your hair is beautiful, my lady," she said softly.
I blinked. "Is it?"
She looked shocked that I even questioned it. "Yes. It's so vibrant and healthy—I'm honestly jealous."
I stayed quiet, watching my reflection in the surface of the water. That girl looked back—the girl with storm-blue eyes and skin like sunlight caught in brown and gold.
Someone who had always been loved.
Someone who had value.
Someone who had a place.
Someone who wasn't me.
My chest tightened.
After the bath, Valerie helped me into a light dress—soft, airy, comfortable. Not my style, but… cute. My body felt lighter, but still weak. My legs shook with every step, and I had to hold the wall to stay upright.
"I really can do this," I insisted, taking one stubborn step forward.
I almost toppled over.
Valerie didn't bother hiding her smile. "Of course, my lady."
She guided me back to bed, and once I sank into the mattress, I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. Recovering a body that had been neglected for so long wasn't glamorous. It was exhausting.
But this was also the first time anyone had ever cared if I could stand or not.
Almost scarier than waking up in another world. Almost.
Later that afternoon, after a little more soup and tea, Valerie told me about the estate—where the garden was, the library, the training grounds for knights. She explained it patiently, like she was guiding a child learning to walk.
"All this…" I murmured. "It's so big."
"The Silva estate is one of the largest in Korvania, second only to the royal family," Valerie said, smiling with pride. "Your father is known for his strength and influence."
Strength. Influence. Two things I never had.
"And the prince… Arien?" I asked carefully.
Her expression softened, sad but not cruel. "You were very close, my lady, since childhood. But sometimes, closeness is not the same as love."
I looked down at my hands.
The original Aniwa loved him.
This body remembered him.
But I… didn't.
And maybe… that was a blessing.