Episode 1
“Groom, His Grace Grand Duke Lankea Hunt Fidelanis, enter!”
From within the pure white temple, marked heavily by the passage of time, the loud, celebratory sound of trumpets rang three times, clear and solemn.
At the High Priest’s proclamation, the large golden doors opened grandly, and a man appeared—his black hair neatly slicked back, wearing a pristine formal uniform.
“Bride, Her Highness Princess Eos Ten Baeterinum, enter!”
Before me, the golden doors began to open, and I drew in a sharp, shallow breath.
The high heels clicked against the marble floor, and I nearly stumbled, but I forced strength into my ankles.
As the two of us faced each other, the High Priest began the ceremony.
“First, I ask His Grace the Grand Duke: Do you swear to take Her Highness Princess Eos as your wife, to love her faithfully in joy and sorrow, in hardship and happiness, without change?”
Lankea slowly parted his lips and answered in a deep, resonant voice, neither too cold nor too warm.
“Yes, I swear.”
The High Priest then turned his gaze toward me.
“Next, I ask Her Highness the Princess: Do you swear to take His Grace the Grand Duke as your husband, to love him faithfully in joy and sorrow, in hardship and happiness, without change?”
The question felt uncomfortable, and my lips twitched.
But I knew everyone was waiting.
“Yes, I swear.”
The words slipped out against my will.
The High Priest, unaware of this fact, nodded in satisfaction and raised both arms.
“Before all witnesses gathered here today, the Grand Duke and Princess have made their vows. I hereby solemnly declare their union complete.”
Thunderous applause and cheers followed, and I bit my lips tightly.
Because right now, the bride standing before Grand Duke Lankea—the so-called Princess Eos—was a fake.
In just one day, a nameless beggar’s life had transformed into that of a princess of the realm.
“Let’s see… blue hair and golden eyes.”
The day I first met Princess Eos, dark gray clouds had smothered the sun, and a torrential downpour swept through the streets.
I had been hiding under an old bridge from the sudden flood of rain when she approached me.
“What’s your name?”
“And who are you?”
She wore a refined, high-quality dress, and her words carried the kind of elegance that could only come from noble birth.
Of course, no such great noble would seek out a beggar here, so naturally, I chose to stay wary.
“How dare you talk back!”
A red-haired man behind her scowled and barked at me with hostility.
But for some reason, when our eyes met, his expression faltered in surprise—though he still pinched his nose as if to block out my stench.
This was a place where all the refuse of the kingdom gathered, a nameless slum.
In the time I had been living in the body of this beggar girl, I could count the number of people I’d met on one hand.
“I am Eos, Princess of this kingdom. And you… if my guess is right—”
“…I have no name.”
The towering red-haired man’s voice had made me flinch, but the woman—who introduced herself as Eos—stopped him from pressing further.
Still, there was one thing I couldn’t understand.
“Y-You’re a princess…? If that’s a false identity, I’ll report you immediately. Impersonating royalty is no small crime, even for a noblewoman.”
She only smiled.
“I knew you wouldn’t believe me. Here, take a look at this.”
Wearing a robe, Princess Eos approached and extended her hand toward my knee.
“Ow.”
Pain suddenly shot through me when her hand touched my knee, and I remembered I had fallen earlier while running away after stealing food from a back alley.
“If I heal your wound, will you believe me?”
Without hesitation, Eos bent down, placed her hand on my injury, and closed her eyes.
“—!”
Light flared from her hand, and when she lifted it, the wound—and the pain—were completely gone.
“Well? Do you believe me now?”
“N-No way…! Y-You’re the real princess?”
“That’s right.”
“Ah! I-I greet Your Highness!”
Eos was the kingdom’s sole hope, possessing the power of healing.
Rumor said her ability not only healed wounds without scars but also radiated light from her hands whenever she used it.
At first, I thought the rumors were exaggerated—but now, I realized they were entirely true.
“No need for such formality. In fact, I’m the one who has been desperately searching for you.”
She smiled gracefully, clearly amused at my sudden change in demeanor.
“May I… ask why you’ve been looking for me?”
Even so, I still couldn’t make sense of her words and actions.
It was only natural—after all, I had woken up in the body of a beggar in some strange, possibly fantasy-like medieval setting.
“Well, first… look at me.”
She gently lifted my chin, and my gaze followed her touch upward.
When she removed her hood, hair the color of the sky and golden eyes identical to mine stared back at me.
The rest of her features were also exactly the same.
My breath caught.
“I told you I finally found you—someone who looks exactly like me.”
After that, my mind felt like it was wrapped in fog.
A doppelgänger? Is that even possible?
I tried to process what was happening.
“In the Baeterinum Kingdom, right here in the capital of Hivellian… to think someone exists who looks so much like me—it’s truly astonishing.”
The names “Baeterinum” and “Hivellian” only reinforced that I wasn’t simply in the actual medieval past.
In fact, they sounded… made up.
Made up…?
That thought led me to one conclusion.
A country I didn’t know. A body I didn’t know. Yet the setting and scenery felt strangely familiar.
Could it be… I transmigrated into a novel? A medieval romance novel?
I swallowed hard.
It was the only answer that made sense—the style of clothes, the words I could somehow understand, all of it pointed to that.
A transmigrator…? Me?
Everything was confusing. I had always questioned my existence, but I never expected to find my answer this way.
And apparently, I wasn’t the only one bewildered—the red-haired knight was also clearly unsettled.
Seeing my gaze shift to him, the princess gave a pleasant laugh and introduced him.
“This is Sir Libed, my personal knight. Sorry, Libed—it was top-secret information, after all.”
“Your Highness… how can such a person exist? They even sound exactly like you…”
The knight, Libed, stammered in disbelief.
Eos only shrugged, still smiling.
“I was just as shocked when I first heard about it. Anyway… the reason I’ve come to find you is simple: I want you to take my place.”
“…What?”
Libed’s eyes went wide.
It was like a bolt from the blue for me as well.
“M-My place?”
We moved into a carriage, but nothing about the situation, the people before me—none of it made sense.
Still, Eos didn’t pause.
“I want you to take my name, my position, my reputation—for a short while.”
“Wait, all of a sudden? That’s… impossible—”
“Just once. Please, just once. I’ll reward you generously—please, just lend me your freedom for one month.”
“…My… freedom?”
“Yes. If this works, I’ll give you enough money to live in luxury for the rest of your life, and if you wish, I’ll even grant you a new identity so you can start fresh in another country.”
Seeing that I wasn’t immediately convinced, she sighed softly.
“I know it’s a lot to ask. But only once. One month. I’ll give you anything you want—please…”
Her golden eyes pulled me in.
“…Ah…”
I barely let out a small sound, but she seemed to take it as agreement.
Fearing I might change my mind, she quickly grasped my hands and continued.
“One month from now, I’m to be married to the Grand Duke of the Kansvine Empire. But… I already have someone I love—and a child.”
“!”
“If I go through with this marriage, I’ll never see them again. So please… just give me this one last chance to see them. I promise, there will be no danger to you.”
Tears welled in her eyes and spilled over. Libed silently offered her a handkerchief, but she didn’t even glance at it.
“If you help me, I’ll grant you anything. I swear it, on my name.”
For someone like me, whose life held no future, her proposal was tempting.
If caught, impersonating her would mean death—but if I succeeded, I could live in comfort forever.
“One month. It’ll pass quickly. I’ll guarantee your safety, wealth, comfort… even the authority to use my Third Order of Knights if you wish.”
“…Ah…”
“And since I’ll be away for the wedding, all my political duties are already delegated to my aides—you won’t have to worry about any of that.”
Her sweet offers poured out without pause, and I found myself opening my mouth almost without thinking.
“Alright, I—”
“Really?!”
Before I could finish, she beamed brightly, unlike my ragged, dirty self.
Maybe that’s why… maybe I wanted, just once, to live like her.
With a wry smile, I nodded.
I already knew this was a romance-fantasy world. As a reader who once loved such stories, I had hoped that if I ever ended up here, I’d be the heroine—or at least an important side character.
But reality had made me a beggar.
Now, the noble, beautiful person before me—who had everything I once dreamed of—wanted me to become her.
Perhaps that little bit of greed was enough to justify my decision.
“But I don’t know how long I can keep it up.”
“That’s fine. I’ll be back soon, I promise.”
She held out her pinky finger.
I linked mine with hers, and she smiled like a child.
But that was the last time I ever saw her.
