Vivia stared at the stranger in the water - a reflection that wasn't hers. She pinched her cheeks, splashed water, rubbed her eyes, but the reflection remained.
How is this possible? Who is this woman?
Vivia dropped her gaze to the dress her new body had donned on. Her eyes popped out of her sockets in response.
Though the fabric had gotten dirty and torn at places here and there, it was evident that the dress was far from ordinary. Made out of exquisite silk, its royal burgundy color screamed of the owner's wealth and status. Intricately embroidered motifs and floral patterns told Vivia of how an expensive artisan was behind this creation.
A pearl bracelet adorned her delicate wrist, making her cough out blood by just thinking of the amount of gold coins spent on this purchase. The finely crafted velvet shoes with a beautiful white pearl embedded at the toe was grander than anything she had ever owned.
I never earned that kind of money to enjoy this luxury…
Vivia pinched her hand and a stinging pain erupted. She jerked her head back toward the handsome demon. "I actually feel pain!"
He, who had already approached her, got struck to his jaw for the third time today.
Dark clouds of displeasure and frustration immediately surrounded him.
"Must you always turn like a startled goat?"
"It's one shocking thing after another. How am I supposed to contain it?" Vivia was baffled.
How am I alive? The arrow had clearly pierced my chest and I fell dead on the stage. But now I'm alive and breathing, yet the face is somebody else's.
Did I perhaps…reincarnate? Is that even possible?
No, no, no! This cannot happen! Then what about my life as Vivia? I cannot live as somebody else!
Seeing the confusion and panic spread across her expression, the demon leaned closer, his golden eyes narrowing.
"You're not Princess Clairette."
Princess Clairette? Wait. Why do I feel like I have heard this name before? The name tugged at her memory.
Vivia cleared her throat. "Of course, I'm Princess Clairette."
"I think you forgot about the part where you didn't recognize your own face."
"..."
"It's too late to feign ignorance anyway. You, no, Princess Clairette was dead when I took her."
"...Where was a demon taking me anyway?"
"To the Demon Realm, where else?"
Vivia looked at him, aghast. "You were taking a human to your realm? Are we not allowed to cross into each other's realms just like that?"
"I wasn't left with a choice. I cannot simply cross into the Human Realm and carry a human's dead body with me. Entering the other territory is a matter of national security and people with only proper permits can do so. Unfortunately, I didn't have one with me today."
"But what about the time when my family learns of the news and comes searching for me? You'll get into more trouble by taking my 'dead body' without permission."
"I couldn't let you just lie around there. Wild beasts could have followed the scent of your blood and eaten you. By the time your family would've reached here, you'd already be in a beast's stomach," his smile chilled her.
First died, then eaten…That would have been a terrible fate.
He continued. "They wouldn't be in the dark for long anyway. Once I reach my realm, I would've notified the royal family. With our authorization, they'd send a convoy right away."
...What royal family? She wondered.
"The Emberlain royal family to which Princess Clairette belongs," he smiled, reading her confusion.
Vivia was forced to gather every last bit of her strength to stop the shock from reaching her expression. But only she knew how dangerously close she was to losing her sanity.
Emberlain family? Is she that Clairette Emberlain? No wonder I felt her name was so familiar! I…I reincarnated into the royal family princess's body!?
The Emberlain royal family ruled the Human Realm from the capital city of Orseth with Clairette's father as the King of Emberlain.
Zerath narrowed his eyes. "I must say you're doing a fine job in hiding your disbelief, but it's a little late now."
Vivia's breath hitched. She could only curse herself for not thinking through things calmly before and giving herself out with her panicked reactions.
This is even more horrifying than before! If it came to light that some other woman's soul is possessing Princess Clairette's body, I'd be labeled as an imposter and executed as a murderer!
The mere thought of a death sentence was enough to sink her heart into the depths of cold abyss. She had barely come to terms that she was somehow alive, only for a cold realization of an imminent second death to be thrown at her face now.
But that was a faraway concern for now when the immediate threat was this demon standing before her. For somebody from a race humans held clashes with to know about the royal princess's death and somebody else's reincarnation within her - the situation had suddenly escalated to become a matter of grave concern.
Though Vivia didn't wish so, it was impossible to not see him in a suspicious light, not when Princess Clairette was concerned and not when a demon was taking her right into the enemy's territory.
Vivia took a deep breath and turned on her heels to escape at a moment's notice, but barely taking two steps forward, pain suddenly jolted in her legs and she tripped down.
Zerath arched his brow with interest, watching this spectacle unfold. He crouched beside her with a smile.
"That's hurtful, Princess. Was it an attempt to run away from me when I only had pure intentions to save you from a wild beast's claws?"
Vivia didn't respond.
"You're too injured to even walk, much less run-"
*Swoosh*
In one fluid motion, Vivia yanked his sword from its sheath and pressed the blade to his throat.
"Who is the pitiful one now? It's hurtful to see you so gullible."