*Tweet.*
The sound of a familiar bird chirping somewhere pulled me toward consciousness. I wanted to open my eyes, but the weight of sleep was pulling me back down.
'Maybe it’s better if I just don't wake up,' I thought.
My body was heavy, my eyelids even heavier. But the bird kept at it, and eventually the annoyance outweighed the exhaustion. I forced my eyes open.
'Ugh... everything hurts.'
It wasn't a sharp pain, but a dull, rhythmic throb that pulsed through my entire body. It felt like the kind of muscle aches that come with a severe flu. I groaned and pushed myself up.
'Wait... what?'
I moved my hands. Five right hands, five left hands. I stared at them for a long time, my vision blurry and doubled. I didn't have a mirror, but I was sure I looked ridiculous.
"I thought I was dead," I rasped, my voice hoarse and unfamiliar.
But I wasn't. I was very much alive, and surprisingly sober.
The memory of the night before came rushing back. I’d been so sure I was dying. The pain in my heart when Askin had abandoned me had been so intense I thought it would literally stop.
'Why am I still here?' I wondered, looking at the ceiling.
The last thing I remembered was the storm, the thunder, and the look of pure hatred in Askin’s eyes. It hadn't been a pleasant way to go, if it had been the end.
'Oh, right. The seal.'
My brain was still foggy from the fever, but I realized why I was still alive. The engagement hadn't been officially broken yet. It was a step-by-step legal process, and until Askin placed his seal on the official document, my "survival mission" wasn't technically over.
"He sounded so confident about returning the money," I murmured. "He must have found a way."
I stopped myself from wondering which family had lent him the gold. What did it matter to me now? The breakup was inevitable. I had no strength left to fight it, and no desire to.
If I’d already "died" once, I didn't want to do it twice. I just wanted to be done with it all.
I lay back down for a moment, then sat up again. 'No, this is a waste of time. I’m going to die soon anyway. Shouldn't I just live whatever life I have left?'
The door opened, and Susan and Anna walked in. Susan nearly dropped the basin of water she was carrying when she saw me sitting up.
"Princess!"
"Princess! You're awake!"
They rushed to the bedside, making a fuss about how glad they were. I watched them with a mix of indifference and mild annoyance.
"You’ve finally opened your eyes! How do you feel? Are you in pain?"
"I’m fine," I said, my voice flat.
They told me I’d been in bed for four days, burning with a fever so high that even the Duke’s exclusive mages hadn't been able to break it.
"Did you keep my illness a secret?" I asked.
"Yes, Your Grace. The Duke ordered us not to tell anyone."
'Of course,' I thought. 'He’s afraid Loxdian will use it as an excuse to take me away.'
"Listen to me," I said, my voice regaining some of its old sharpness. "Let no one know I’m awake until I give you permission. That is an order."
"Yes, Your Grace!"
I sent them out of the room, wanting to be alone. I needed to think. If I’d been out for four days, the rumors about Askin and me must have spread through the entire capital. I needed to know how close we were to the final breakup.
I was about to get out of bed when a cold breeze swept through the room. The windows were shut tight.
"..."
I looked up to see Noah standing there, a familiar rift in space behind him. He looked genuinely shocked to see me sitting up.
"What? Why do you look so surprised?" I asked. "Didn't you come here because you knew I was alone?"
"You... you're awake," Noah stammered, bowing politely. "I only came to check on your condition, as per His Majesty’s orders."
'So Susan and Anna aren't the only ones watching me,' I thought.
"Yes, I’m awake. You’ve checked. Now go away." I waved my hand as if shooing a fly.
Noah’s expression darkened. "You've... you've returned to your old self, it seems."
"Eh, that’s funny," I said, leaning back against the pillows. "Who are you to judge me?"
"I apologize, Princess." He bowed again.
I remembered slapping him when I first arrived in this world—a reflex from the original Charlize’s body. I felt a twinge of guilt, but I was too tired to act on it.
"Go on," I said, gesturing toward the rift.
"Princess... His Majesty has requested to see you the moment you woke up."
"Is that a joke? I’m a patient who just woke up from a four-day fever. Do you really expect me to go to the palace like this?"
"I beg of you, Princess."
"Fine. Let’s go."
Noah’s eyes widened at my sudden change of heart. I figured if I didn't go now, my grandfather would find out I was awake and I’d have to deal with *him* instead. Loxdian was the lesser of two evils.
"What are you waiting for? Open the portal."
"Ah, yes." Noah hesitated. "Don't you want to change your clothes first?"
I looked down at my long-sleeved nightgown. It was more like a simple dress than a pajama.
"Someone might think the Vicious Princess has truly lost her mind," I muttered. "Let’s just go. I don't care."
Noah approached me and asked if he could carry me. I nodded dismissively. I had no strength in my legs anyway. He picked me up and jumped through space.
He lowered me carefully in a deserted hallway, then took off his own coat and draped it over my shoulders before picking me up again. I didn't argue. I just closed my eyes and waited.
"Your Majesty."
We arrived in Loxdian’s office a few moments later.
* * *
Loxdian’s office was freezing. I huddled into Noah’s coat, my body still sensitive to the cold. I felt a sense of resignation, as if my body were no longer my own.
Loxdian looked up and froze when he saw me. My face was pale, my eyes sunken. I probably looked like a ghost.
"Hey... you're already so thin. Are you trying to disappear?" he asked, his voice unusually soft.
"Are you saying my face looks small? Thank you for the compliment," I replied, my voice dripping with insincerity.
Loxdian shuddered. He looked at me, a deep frown creasing his brow. My attitude was different—there was no energy left in me, no spark of the person I’d been before the banquet.
"Are you all better now?"
"You ordered Noah to bring me here. Why are you asking?" I nodded toward him. "Why did you want to see me?"
"..."
"If you have no business with me, I’m leaving." I turned to go.
Loxdian stood up and walked over to me, examining me as if I were a strange specimen.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"Are you missing a screw or something?" he asked. "What happened to you?"
"What kind of shit is that?"
"Is there a screw loose on your tongue, too?"
"Why? Do you want to kill me for it?" I asked, looking him straight in the eye.
Loxdian’s expression stiffened.