CHAPTER 13

“My lady! An invitation from the palace has arrived!”

“Liza, don’t run around so wildly.”

Liza pushed back her sweaty hair and handed me a stack of invitations. Bell sharply scolded her.

“How many times do I have to tell you? Don’t look at the letters before the lady does. Even if you recognize the seal, don’t show it. That’s the basic rule for a servant.”

“But I just…”

Bell pinched Liza’s arm before she could finish. I pretended not to know anything and looked through the invitations one by one. I could immediately tell which one was from the royal family, even without reading it.

It was made of high-quality paper, and the wax seal sparkled with gold powder. The unique emblem on it was unforgettable — a book in the center with a sword and a pen crossed over it. It looked like the royal crest. I thought most royal emblems used lions or eagles, but I pushed that thought away.

Bell quickly placed a letter opener on my hand.

I carefully opened the seal. Liza tried to get closer, but Bell stopped her.

The letter was very simple. “Dear Carla,” and a time. It wasn’t really an invitation — more like a royal command. I swallowed dryly.

“…Hmm.”

Carla once worked as a lady-in-waiting for the king. The king was one of the people who opposed Carla’s marriage. I’d read in her diary that the marriage only happened because Carla cut ties with her family. I thought they weren’t on good terms.

Carla had never met the king again after her wedding. At least, that’s what her diary said.

My heart beat faster. No one had noticed that I wasn’t really Carla. The king wouldn’t either.

“My lady?”

When I didn’t say anything for a while, just holding the invitation, Bell gently called me. I snapped out of my thoughts.

“His Majesty has summoned me.”

“Oh my! Are you going to the palace?”

“Yes. We don’t have much time to prepare.”

Bell and Liza couldn’t hide their excitement.

“Shall I start altering your clothes?”

Bell asked naturally. She was very skilled — she could change the sleeves or hem of a dress and add fake jewels to make it look like a brand new outfit.

I believed Carla must have rewarded Bell often. Bell even used expensive lace — the kind nobles wore — on her own handkerchiefs or inner sleeves.

I didn’t know how much lace cost, but in this world, anything handmade was expensive. Even if I didn’t know how much Carla cared for Bell, it was clear she valued her talents.

I shook my head.

“This time, I’ll wear a newly bought dress.”

I now had several new dresses. That meant Bell didn’t need to try and fix up old ones with embroidery.

Liza insisted I try on all the new dresses and pick the prettiest one. Bell usually didn’t like how noisy Liza was, but this time, she agreed with her.

So I nodded.

Yes, I was excited. Even though I wasn’t really interested in dressing up before, wearing something fancy and putting on makeup made me feel excited. But I also worried about making a mistake in front of royalty, so I memorized the etiquette book.

The day before, I did a honey massage and woke up early to get ready. I even hummed while getting dressed, which surprised Bell.

That’s how much I never imagined something like this would happen.

I didn’t even understand the king’s question at first.

“Your Majesty, I’m sorry… what did you say?”

The teacup was cold. I held it tightly so I wouldn’t drop it.

“I asked who you are.”

The king’s eyes were cold. She didn’t look much older than Carla, but her presence was overwhelming. My fingers shook. I put the teacup down, and the sound seemed too loud. I forced myself to smile.

“I’m Carla, Your Majesty.”

“Are you trying to make a fool of me?”

She snapped at me. I glanced at the black-haired knight standing behind her. He had a sword on his belt. Dozens of bad thoughts rushed through my mind.

What mistake had I made? I had to fix it. I desperately thought. There was no obvious mistake. I had practiced the greetings for days. Even when I kissed her hand and said words of loyalty, everything went smoothly.

Everything seemed fine until she sent away the maids who were serving tea. Our talk was light — compliments about my dress, the weather — even saying I was beautiful.

“You’ve become even more beautiful. You might be the most beautiful in the palace.”

It was a polite compliment, but it was the first time someone had praised my appearance since I entered Carla’s body. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t happy. I answered humbly.

“It is all thanks to Your Majesty’s grace.”

That’s when her expression changed. She started tapping her fingers on the table.

The repeated sound made me nervous. I wanted to break the silence. My throat felt tight.

I couldn’t look her in the eyes and just swallowed dryly.

“You really do look like her. Where did you find such a perfect copy?”

She glared at me like she wanted to rip me apart.

Then she ground her teeth and shouted,

“Go tell the Count: The only reason you’re allowed to breathe in this capital is because of my love for Carla! Tell him he’ll pay for the arrogance of thinking he could fool my eyes!”

Her voice was filled with rage. I trembled as I looked at her. Her face was frozen cold, but her eyes blazed with blue fire.

She knew I wasn’t Carla, but didn’t know who I really was.

Even the idea that someone had possessed Carla’s body probably never crossed her mind. Even I couldn’t imagine it when it first happened.

Luckily, it didn’t seem like she would kill me right away. She even said she loved Carla dearly.

My brain spun. The queen might be an ally — or at least, someone who hated the Count.

I clenched the lace on my dress and forced a smile on my twitching face.

“Carla cannot come back, Your Majesty.”

I took the risk. It was a gamble. The queen slammed the table.

“Theo!”

She shouted. In an instant, a sword was at my throat. The black-haired man behind her had moved. I looked at him.

‘I’ve seen that face before. He’s too handsome to forget.’

Maybe it felt unreal, but the shiny sword didn’t scare me. The young man had a blank expression. His bright blue eyes were intense. I found myself thinking, there sure are a lot of blue-eyed people in this world.

“Is she dead?”

“No, Your Majesty.”

I lifted my chin. I couldn’t act scared — not if my life was on the line. The sword at my neck felt cold, and one push could pierce through me.

“I am Carla, Your Majesty.”

“I wonder if that tongue will still move after I cut your throat.”

“Oh my, how scary.”

I laughed and added playfully. My fingers kept trembling. I had to force my face to smile, or else I’d cry.

“Your Majesty, please lower the sword. Aren’t you curious what this tongue has to say?”

I believed she wouldn’t kill someone she invited — especially someone she once cared about before becoming queen. If she thought I was just a look-alike sent by the Count, she would’ve sent me away quietly, not this way.

She didn’t kill me even after realizing I wasn’t Carla. The queen wasn’t the type to act recklessly.

“Theodore.”

When she said his name, the knight lowered his sword and stepped back. Only then did I feel cold sweat on my back.

“Please allow a private conversation, Your Majesty.”

I glanced behind her, hoping she’d send the man away. But instead, she said,

“Theodore, take the Oath of Silence.”

“I swear to the gods, I will never speak of what I hear or see in this room.”

I didn’t know what the Oath of Silence was, but it seemed he promised to keep this secret. Still, I had to be careful about what I said.

“Where is Carla?”

“She is right in front of you, Your Majesty.”

The queen’s eyes gleamed sharply.

“I don’t like repeating myself.”