Lina looked around once more, trying to make sense of her surroundings. The place didn't resemble a forest or a valley as much as it did an enormous garden. A distant wall was faintly visible through the trees, and beyond it stood several pavilions partially hidden by the thick foliage. The surroundings were remarkably quiet, with only the chirping of birds and the rustling of leaves breaking the silence. Either the grounds were exceptionally large, or she was somewhere far from the city.
As she sat beneath the tree, Lina began organising the possibilities in her mind.
The first possibility was that she had travelled back in time, or perhaps her soul had somehow crossed into a foreign country during an earlier historical period. Judging by the clothes she wore and the objects around her, this world had not yet experienced the Industrial Revolution. Her dress reminded her of the Rococo period, but that alone wasn't enough to determine whether she had arrived in the real historical world or somewhere resembling eighteenth-century Europe. She couldn't even be certain that the country was France.
The second possibility was that she had transmigrated to an entirely different continent, perhaps even another world. If that were the case, there might be magic, dragons, and all sorts of extraordinary creatures she had only encountered in stories. Perhaps there would even be a great quest involving demons or the fate of the world. The thought was almost amusing, but whatever grand adventure awaited her, she doubted it had much to do with her immediate predicament.
The third possibility was that she had entered the world of a book or a game. If so, the rules would depend entirely on the world the author had created. She might have become a supporting female character destined to rise to power, or perhaps the heroine of a story about rebirth and revenge. However, she had yet to encounter any system or receive instructions explaining her circumstances, so there was no reason to assume that was the case.
There was also the possibility that none of this was real. Perhaps she was still unconscious somewhere, her mind trapped in a virtual world created by a machine. Everything around her could be an elaborate simulation, and the only way out might be to complete some ridiculous quest or defeat a final enemy. If that were true, she hoped the person responsible had at least made the rules clear.
Unfortunately, no matter how she looked at it, every possibility led back to the mysterious guardian who had appeared before her after death.
Lina began to suspect that she had fallen victim to some kind of supernatural contract scam. Stories about demons tricking people into surrendering their souls had existed for centuries, and although she had never taken them seriously, she was beginning to understand why people feared such bargains.
Damn it! I only wanted a fresh start. Who said anything about becoming an empress and conquering the world?
If she hadn't been worried that shouting might attract unwanted attention, she would have cursed the guardian from beginning to end. Instead, she picked up the parchment again and carefully examined the contract, hoping to find some loophole that would allow her to escape the ridiculous arrangement.
At the bottom of the document, she found her name alongside another name written in an elaborate script she couldn't decipher.
Lina stared at the signatures in disbelief.
When had she signed anything? At most, she had verbally agreed to the guardian's offer, and even that had been done under the assumption that the entire conversation was nothing more than a hallucination. Did supernatural beings no longer understand the importance of consent? Where was their sense of integrity? Even a contract ought to have some standards.
She continued reading, only to discover that the document didn't mention anything about taking her soul. It simply stated that she had agreed to become an empress and that the contract would end once she achieved that goal. There was no clear explanation of what she was required to do, how much assistance she would receive, or what conditions she would have to satisfy along the way.
The more she thought about it, the more suspicious the arrangement became. What exactly constituted a successful empress? Was ruling a kingdom enough, or did she have to conquer an entire continent? If the requirement was to unite the world, who had decided what counted as the world in the first place? For all she knew, the contract might not be fulfilled until she had conquered every known territory, and perhaps even the heavens themselves.
Lina pressed her fingers against her forehead, feeling a headache coming on. She desperately needed someone to explain the setting of this world, the identity of the body she inhabited, and the actual objective she was expected to accomplish. Yet after sitting beneath the tree for quite some time, she had received no answers. She even tried calling out softly, hoping the guardian might appear again or that some mysterious voice would speak inside her head, but nothing happened.
Her only companion was the increasingly frustrating silence.
Just when Lina was beginning to despair, she heard voices approaching from a distance. There were quite a few of them, and they were growing louder as the group made its way through the garden. She immediately became nervous. She knew nothing about this world, had no idea who she was supposed to be, and couldn't even explain why she had been left alone in such a place. The fact that she hadn't already broken down in panic was an achievement in itself.
As the voices drew closer, the parchment in her hands began to turn transparent. Lina stared at it in alarm, but before she could examine what was happening, the entire document vanished into thin air.
She remained frozen, looking at the empty space where it had been.
Wonderful. Even the only piece of evidence I have has decided to abandon me.
She wanted to cry, but she knew that doing so wouldn't solve anything. With no other choice, she set the matter aside and focused on the approaching footsteps.
Soon, a group of men and women emerged from among the trees. The women wore dresses similar to hers, their ages ranging from young girls in their early teens to mature women in their forties and fifties. The men were dressed in styles reminiscent of the European clothing she had seen in historical films, with fitted coats, embroidered waistcoats, and carefully tailored breeches. Fortunately, none of them wore the extravagant wigs or heavy makeup often associated with certain historical periods. They varied in age as well, and the oldest man appeared to be in his sixties or seventies, with thinning hair and an almost completely bald head.
Lina had no idea what to do, so she decided that the safest course of action was to remain calm and behave with as much dignity as possible. She picked up the book beside her and held it casually, using it as a convenient excuse to observe the newcomers without appearing too curious. Then she arranged her expression into one of innocent confusion, hoping that whatever role she had been given in this world would not require her to speak too much before she understood the situation.
The middle-aged man leading the group looked particularly strange. His face was flushed with excitement, and although he appeared to be making an effort to look solemn, the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth betrayed him. He looked like someone who had just won an enormous fortune but was being forced to attend a funeral before he could celebrate.
When he finally reached Lina, he bowed respectfully, his expression settling into something that only vaguely resembled grief.
"Your Highness, please forgive me for bringing you such terrible news. A messenger from the capital has just arrived with word that all three of your elder brothers have passed away."
Lina stared at him.
Thank goodness I can understand what they're saying. Otherwise, I would have been completely lost already.
Her mind immediately began piecing together the information contained in his announcement. The man's words were straightforward enough, but his expression, along with the barely concealed excitement of the people accompanying him, suggested that the news was not nearly as tragic for them as they were pretending.
Three princes had died, and the only surviving member of the royal family was a young woman.
Lina didn't need to be particularly clever to guess what was coming next.
It seemed that her luck had taken an unexpected turn. She had barely arrived in this unfamiliar world, and already an opportunity to change her circumstances had fallen directly into her lap. Of course, she had no idea whether this was a blessing or the beginning of another disaster, but she couldn't deny that the timing was suspiciously convenient.
The middle-aged man apparently mistook her silence for shock. His expression became more sympathetic, although the excitement in his eyes remained difficult to conceal. He stepped closer and lowered his voice as though he were offering comfort to a grieving child.
"I understand that this news must be devastating, Your Highness, but you must gather your strength. You are the last surviving child of the late king, and your position is more important than ever. We are all deeply saddened by the loss of your three brothers, but there is no time for you to remain here in grief. You must return to the capital immediately to preside over their funerals and attend to the affairs of the kingdom."
He paused, and the solemn expression on his face finally gave way to the excitement he had been struggling to contain.
"You must also prepare to inherit the throne!"
Lina lowered her eyes, hiding the surprise that threatened to show on her face.
Well, that was surprisingly efficient.
The guardian had apparently delivered her straight into the main storyline. She hadn't needed to navigate a complicated succession dispute or spend years fighting her way through palace intrigues. Instead, all three princes had conveniently died, leaving her as the only surviving heir to the throne.
If the gods intended to compensate her for the injustice she had suffered in her previous life, they had certainly chosen an unconventional method.
Of course, she had no idea whether the kingdom would actually accept her as its ruler or whether the men standing before her were already plotting to use her for their own purposes. The middle-aged man's enthusiasm was hardly reassuring, and she had enough experience with people to know that a respectful bow did not necessarily indicate loyalty.
Still, she had no intention of revealing her suspicions before she understood the situation.
Lina lowered her head and forced a suitably sorrowful expression onto her face, pretending to mourn three brothers she had never met. She wasn't sure whether she looked convincing, but judging by the reactions around her, nobody seemed particularly concerned about the authenticity of her grief. Their attention was already fixed on the opportunities that her unexpected rise to power might bring.
The women quickly surrounded her, helping her to her feet and offering words of consolation as they prepared to escort her away. Meanwhile, the men gathered around her, each eager to demonstrate his loyalty and secure her favor. Some offered solemn promises of support, while others assured her that they would devote themselves entirely to protecting the royal family.
Lina listened to the overlapping voices, trying to keep track of the people addressing her while struggling to understand what was expected of her next.
Her reign had not yet begun, but the trouble surrounding her throne already had.