The door opened with a soft creak, and a young woman stepped inside. She had copper-red hair braided intricately around her head and wore a pure white dress with a golden flower etched at the left breast.
She bowed—not in any style he recognized—then looked up, confused to see him still in his nightgown. "And I thought you said you were naked? You should be getting dressed for the trade meeting, not standing there in your nightgown."
Jack's mouth opened, but he wasn't sure what lie he wanted to spin. He'd only said he was naked to keep her out. Should he have actually stripped to make it realistic? No, that made zero sense! Maybe he should claim illness so she'd leave him alone?
Fortunately, he didn't need an answer. The woman—still unsure if she was friend or servant—shifted her attention to the mess he'd made on the floor.
"My goodness, Araya! What happened here? Why are your coronation selection clothes scattered around instead of in the chest?" She moved swiftly across the room, already heading for the golden chest to open it and stuff the clothes back inside.
No! He couldn't let that happen. He stepped in front of the box, trying to redirect her attention without arousing suspicion.
"The trade meeting starts soon, right? Let's get ready quickly." Sweat formed on the back of his neck.
He unconsciously sniffed the air. The scent of blood hung faintly in the atmosphere. He hoped she didn't notice.
"You still haven't told me why you did this though. You know you can't bring out your coronation clothes just yet." She grumbled, moving to another wardrobe—a tall closet with glossy wood twisted in elaborate patterns. Then she looked at him, and shock flashed across her face.
"Araya. Why is there blood on your dress?"
"Huh?" He looked down at the thigh of his cream-colored nightgown.
A smear of blood, unmistakable in the morning light, stained the fabric.
His heart stopped. The room spun as shame washed over him—shame for a crime he didn't commit. He felt like collapsing when an idea crawled to his lips.
"I'm on my period."
A wild gamble. He'd never had sisters or close female family, but he knew how periods worked, how they stained clothes. And now he was a girl. Even girls in other worlds had periods, right?
Was it believable?
The shock on her face shifted to relief, then confusion. "Oh okay, I thought you'd hurt yourself for a moment."
In a lower voice: "But I thought your cycle restarts two weeks from now?"
He released a small breath of relief, then remembered the task at hand.
The trade meeting. Whatever that was. He needed to get ready without arousing suspicion from other royalty. If his guess about being a princess was correct, he had important duties now.
And he desperately wanted to get away from that corpse.
"Here, let's get you into something more appropriate," she said, rummaging through the wardrobe. "Trade negotiations require something showing strength but also grace. Can't have the water emissaries thinking we're pushovers."
She pulled out an ocean-blue bodice with swirling patterns like veins encrusted on the sides. The bodice gave way to a darker blue high-waist mermaid skirt with flowing waves at the hem. "You haven't worn your Haza island dress in a while, and it always looks good on you. Okay?"
"Right." Jack agreed. From how this person spoke to him, they were clearly close. Her taking the lead suggested Araya was agreeable, so he had to adopt that persona. Then he blanked as she handed him the dress, realizing he had no idea about dressing protocol here. The most complex clothing he'd worn was a suit and tie. He'd never seen anything so exotic and was scared he might rip it.
"Uh, am I supposed to put this on myself, or...?"
She laughed softly. "I'll help you."
As she helped him dress—involving several layers he never would have figured out—she kept up running commentary about court gossip. He tried absorbing as much as possible without seeming too interested in things he should already know.
"...and of course, Lord Abiho still insists the Erudite States are trying to swindle us with crystal prices, but everyone knows he's just bitter about Lady Odili choosing their ambassador over him..."
"What do you think?" he asked, trying to sound casual while she worked on his hair. He had to act like Araya would.
She paused, meeting his eyes in the mirror. "I think... you're acting different today. Not bad different," she added quickly. "Just... more present? Usually you don't care about this stuff and I do all the talking."
"Besides," she shrugged, continuing with his hair, "you know I'm not a politics girl. These are just things I've heard from Abi and overheard from nobles. No one expects you to negotiate, but it'd be embarrassing if you knew absolutely nothing."
"Maybe I'm trying a personality change," he said, forcing a smile. "Speaking of change... what exactly happens at this meeting?"
"Change. Hmm. Never would I have expected personality growth from the princess in our five years together!" She finished pinning his hair with golden chopsticks adorned with small bells that chimed softly when he moved. "The usual boring stuff. Harbor city wants better trade terms for their steel and gold, we want better prices on spices and corals."
Jack tried following the rapid-fire information. Lord Abiho, Lady Odili, Erudite States, corals and gold... too much to track, though it sounded like the original Araya wasn't up-to-date either. Maybe it wouldn't be suspicious if he was questioned about these things and didn't know them all?
She finished and stood before him looking proud.
"Now just a little makeup." She applied lotion to his face, patting it with a brush infused with strange powder, then used a paintbrush on his eyebrows and lips.
"And a touch to your hair." She twisted and turned his silky blonde locks into intricate designs.
"And we're done!" She positioned him before the mirror.
He looked completely different. When he'd first awakened, though prettier than most girls back on Earth, he'd still had bedhead and crusty eyes. Now he looked like an actual princess. Not that this body wasn't already beautiful—now he looked regal.
He still couldn't process this fully. This had to be a dream, right? The concept of living as a woman for the rest of his life baffled him, but there were bigger stakes and too many things to consider.
What would he do with the body? What if it started decaying? What if people searched for her? Did Araya kill this person? But he'd woken up in bed—if Araya had killed her, she would have fled or disposed of the corpse. Or was she actually a psychopath who could sleep after murder?
The thoughts made him sick. His brain felt ready to split if he didn't control these spiraling thoughts.
"Almost forgot!" she said, interrupting his inner monologue as she approached with a necklace and placed it on his neck.
No. Araya's slender neck. This wasn't his body—it was Araya's. Would he have to start thinking of himself as Araya? Would he need to use she/her pronouns?
It was shorter than a regular necklace, extending only to his collarbone. A single green jewel glinted in the morning sun.
"Now you look ready for the meeting you probably won't participate in, Princess Araya of the od-Abidi kingdom," she said, resting her hands on his face as she smiled.
He looked into her eyes. She seemed happy, obviously unaware of the murder he was hiding.
Should he tell her? Maybe she'd understand and help him get to the bottom of it. Maybe she'd understand he wasn't Araya—just a boring nineteen-year-old accounting student from another world who'd found a stabbed maid when he arrived.
No. Obviously he couldn't tell her. It was stupid to even consider. He couldn't even believe it himself.
He continued staring at her. Then she lowered her eyes gracefully and leaned in. Almost like...
"We should get going then?" he said awkwardly, stepping back as she stumbled.
"Right, right. The other two are already waiting for her majesty at the entrance of the meeting room." She righted herself awkwardly, more reserved now.
She walked gracefully to the door and opened it with a bow and wink, trying to brush off what had just happened. "Shall we, milady?"
She opened the door and they walked out. This was it. He was trapped in a murder case he had to solve while keeping the victim hidden.
And there was no hope of getting home.