A cute girl with red hair pulled into a bun, wearing a classic black and white maid's uniform, entered. She looked startled to see me sitting up in bed.
"Oh, Princess, you're up early."
'How laughably outdated,' I thought, meeting her gaze with a blank face. I didn't feel the need to respond.
Although I recognized the girl from Arianthé's memories, I didn't know her name. Perhaps even Arianthé hadn't. After being separated from her family and imprisoned in a foreign land under the guise of being a 'guest,' it was hardly surprising if she hadn't been able to handle the pressure and had sunk into depression. She had probably ignored this maid entirely, who was clearly planted by the Empress to keep an eye on her.
In fact, I doubted she had done much more than lie in bed like a corpse and stare out the window. I could feel how frail the body I now inhabited had become.
The maid helped me wash my face with water from a basin, then brought the breakfast tray to my bed. I frowned at her. "Are you trying to starve me to death?"
I wasn't claiming to have a beastly appetite, but honestly, who would these meager portions feed? Was the Empress hoping I'd simply waste away here, making war inevitable and dragging her own empire into the mess? That would be incredibly stupid—I could only hope she wasn't that foolish.
'Please don't disappoint me, Empress.'
The maid froze in astonishment and stammered an explanation. "W-well, Princess, you asked for this much. You said that seeing too much food on your plate ruined your appetite, and that you were… selective."
I tried to suppress the urge to grimace as I looked at her. I guess Arianthé really was trying to starve herself to death here. The Empress didn't even need to intervene. "My appetite is good today. Bring more."
I learned her name was Lilia during breakfast, as I couldn't keep calling her 'Hey.' She watched me eat as if I were the most astounding thing she'd ever seen. I didn't know if women couldn't eat much in this backward society or if this was or if this was simply the first time Arianthé's body had been fed properly. Either way, I didn't care. After the boring breakfast ordeal, I questioned Lilia about what I was curious about.
According to my memories, Arianthé hadn't left her room since arriving, which meant about two months. No letters had reached her from her kingdom in all that time. I couldn't tell whether her family hadn't written or if the Empress had blocked the letters. As a hostage "guest" princess, I was quartered in one of the palaces set aside for the Empress's visitors, and the Emperor himself wasn't to involve himself in any of it.
"I want to go outside. Are there any places I can visit?"
I was subtly trying to gauge just how much freedom I had, given that I was hardly a 'free guest' here.
'When are you going to stop looking at me like I'm an interesting specimen and get over your shock, Lilia? I feel my patience running thin.' I forced my most gentle smile, though I couldn't be sure I succeeded.
Shaking herself, Lilia blurted. "The Crimson Flower Palace gardens are the gardeners' pride and joy. If the Princess wishes, I can show you the gardens."
The Crimson Flower Palace was the palace where I was being kept as a "guest." I wasn't planning on immediately rushing the Main Quest and storming all the palaces. In fact, I intended to let the timer run out and see what the penalties were. In other words, I wasn't going out to chase after our annoying little boys. Seeing the surroundings and understanding the situation was always wise. Besides, I was too impatient to spend all my time cooped up between these walls like Arianthé.
"Then accompany me to the garden, Lilia."
"Oh my... Yes, Princess. I'll prepare your dress right away."
Lilia spun among the clothing and jewelry chests—which were being opened for the first time since I arrived from Kylessa—showing me dresses and asking me to choose. They reminded me of the medieval gowns I'd seen in old paintings on Earth—but the thought only made me grimace. Just looking at them, I could tell how suffocating they would feel.
'Utterly hideous.'
"I want to wear the simplest dress, Lilia," I said with an irritated sigh. Being smothered under layers of fabric like an onion was the last thing I wanted to do. Would I have to change my entire wardrobe, or wait to start a fashion revolution for women's clothing? Probably the former.
Lilia pulled out a pink dress. I stopped her before she could say anything. "No pink."
Every time I closed my eyes, the confetti of pink-glittering emojis danced in my mind. A truly horrible combination.
I finally settled on a simple green dress. Lilia didn't look happy about the trouble I'd put her through. I might be annoyed if I were in her shoes too, but I wasn't. That's life.
'Come to think of it, how old is Arianthé's body? She must be younger than my real age. Don't tell me I'll have to deal with a pack of teenagers… Ugh. If so, I'll just ignore them.'
After the short, uncomfortable moments Lilia spent brushing my hair and attempting to add jewelry, I was finally free to leave the room. Brushing my hair was something I could do myself. I didn't know why a maid had to do it for me.
Lilia was giving disapproving looks to my simplest dress and lack of jewelry. Maybe she considered it shameful. I wonder what she would say if I asked to wear trousers? Her reaction would probably be amusing.
The garden was indeed as beautiful as Lilia had described. I might have fully appreciated its beauty if the palace's unnecessary size hadn't made reaching the garden such a hassle for this weak body. Still, it made sense that this was where guests were first received and hosted.
Sitting in a flower-covered arbor, I let my eyes wander over the clean, endless-feeling garden. Lilia's presence beside me quickly grated. Why would having a pair of eyes constantly on you be pleasant, even if I didn't think too much about it? Even without all of Arianthé's memories, it was obvious this girl was an inexperienced, lowly maid. The Empress certainly wouldn't waste one of her senior ladies-in-waiting on a captive princess.
"You may go if you like, Lilia. I'll stay here for about an hour. Just be sure you're back to escort me to my room."
Looking visibly relieved, she hurried off as if wanted to escape me, but my unease didn't fade. Shortly after she disappeared from sight, a chime rang in my ears and the pink System screen popped up with a burst of confetti:
[You have encountered your first soulmate candidate!]
"Hello, Princess."