The Loyalist is the Abandoned Princess - Chapter 3

After Kayneth left, I was finally alone in the room.

I immediately turned my head to the mirror on the left.

The face reflected there was unfamiliar, leaving me gaping in shock.

‘What… is that?’

Fiery red hair cascading in waves, clear and pale skin—the reflection was a fierce beauty with cat-like features. Her clear blue eyes sparkled like sapphires. The face of the lovely woman in the mirror grew pale with shock.

That was when I truly realized that I had been “possessed” in this foreign body.

But no matter how much I pulled at my hair or pinched my innocent cheeks, nothing changed… except that it hurt, a lot.

***

It had been about three hours since I had woken up in this new body, unsure if it was possession or reincarnation.

I was now at the prince’s residence to sign the divorce papers.

I couldn’t understand anything about my current situation—not a single thing. After fainting, 200 years had passed, and I’d woken up in the body of some strange woman.

What had happened to Leonardt? Had I really died? What happened to the original owner of this body, Agnes? And how did any of this even work?

But this wasn’t the time to calmly work through these questions.

Maybe it was my soldier mentality kicking in, but I knew I had to put out the immediate fire first.

‘Let’s just sign the divorce papers and then think.’

If I didn’t, it seemed like I would be locked in the basement.

Besides, it didn’t seem like such a bad deal after all.

I knew well what usually happened to those who caused a scandal and were divorced. Most of them ended up being forced into monasteries or convents.

‘…Maybe this is actually for the best. If I can get divorced and spend my old age peacefully in a convent.’

In that case, this current situation might as well be a second chance.

***

“Why are you not saying anything?”

“…Huh?”

“Hah. You have the luxury to daydream in front of divorce papers?”

Caspian’s voice, as cold as ice, barely pulled me back to reality.

Oh, right. I was here at the imperial palace to sign the divorce papers.

‘Now is not the time to daydream. I have to stay focused.’

Maybe because it hadn’t been long since I had possessed this body, I found it hard to concentrate.

As I blinked and tried to catch my breath, Caspian sighed. Born and raised nobly, even his sighs carried a hint of elegance.

Clicking his tongue softly, he urged me again. “…I would prefer if you didn’t waste any more of my time. I’ve already wasted enough of it over the past year and a half.”

Tap, tap.

As I remained silent, Caspian started tapping on the desk.

Tap. Tap.

His long, white fingers moved almost as if they were dancing—elegant, delicate hands that had never known hardship.

I stared blankly at those fingers, then nodded.

“I’ll sign right away.”

Without realizing it, I slipped into my soldier’s tone, but Caspian didn’t seem to care. In fact, it seemed like he didn’t care what I did, as long as I signed.

He gave me a slight nod of his chin, and I picked up the pen and began signing at the bottom of the document.

I focused, careful not to make the mistake of writing “Leonardt.”

As I got to “AG,” a sharp pain shot from the back of my head to my forehead.

“……?”

The pen I was using to sign came to a stop. Caspian looked at me, frowning in confusion.

He sneered at me. “Did you forget how to write? I knew you were lacking, but I didn’t think it was this bad. Perhaps I should get more alimony from Count Barbouquet for this fraudulent marriage.”

‘Damn it…’

But I couldn’t even retort to his sarcasm.

The pain splitting my head in two paralyzed me.

‘Damn it.’

I tightly closed my eyes and set the pen back down.

Then, leaning forward, I rested my hands on the desk.

‘Why, all of a sudden…’

The problem wasn’t just the pain—I felt like I was going to die right there.

I knew I had to sign, but I didn’t even have the strength to pick up the pen again. I desperately called out to the man in front of me.

“Your Highness.”

“…Hah. Didn’t I tell you not to test my patience, Agnes Barbouquet?”

Caspian’s voice grew sharper and rougher, like a once-leisurely beast suddenly baring its fangs.

But I couldn’t afford to worry about him.

If I didn’t get help immediately, I felt like I would die.

“Just… a moment, Your Highness.”

Each word was a struggle to utter, my mouth tasting bitter as bile rose up my throat.

It was only then that Caspian fell silent. Whatever he saw, he must have realized that something was seriously wrong.

“…What is happening?”

I clung to the edge of the desk, staggering.

Caspian rose from his seat and approached me.

His voice sounded alarmed as he spoke, finally realizing I wasn’t faking it.

“What on earth… is happening?”

“Your Highness, just… please wait a moment…”

“Agnes? Agnes!”

Everything around me started swirling into complete darkness.

-Thud.

I felt my forehead hit the hard floor. I had fallen off the chair and hit my head.

Was I going to die again here?

I hadn’t even been in this strange body for long.

If it ended like this, there really was no point in being possessed.

‘No matter how I think of it, dying from a head injury twice is just too much.’

Before I had time to complain, my consciousness began to fade, and the world was swallowed in darkness.

***

It took quite some time before I came to my senses again.

“Ugh…”

My entire body ached as if I had been beaten.

My eyes felt sticky from tears that had dried around them, and to make matters worse, the headache still lingered.

‘Damn it… My head is killing me…’

As I tried to roll over and lie on my back, I heard two men arguing beyond the door.

“It seems Your Highness pushed my frail sister too far.”

It was Kayneth’s voice. I was startled by how sharp and cold it sounded.

It was so different from the pushover voice he used when talking to me.

Of course, Caspian wasn’t any less harsh.

“Cease your presumptuous questioning. The signing was done properly, with a witness present. It’s me who should be questioning her behavior.”

Caspian continued pressing Kayneth.

“I don’t know how much she drank last night, but to fail to even sign a document properly…”

“Your Highness.”

“I am growing tired of indulging the vulgarity of you siblings. Young Count, how far are you willing to go to cover up your sister’s disgraceful conduct?”

The temperature around them seemed to drop several degrees—it was a truly tense moment.

An icy silence passed, and Kayneth bowed his head first.

He replied calmly, pretending not to have heard Caspian’s insult, “I apologize, Your Highness. It is indeed my fault for failing to look after Agnes. However, her condition is poor today, and I humbly ask for a few days’ rest for her.”

“That is not possible. Who knows what Agnes might do at that time? She could run off to the northern border, trying to throw herself into my brother’s arms.”

Caspian scoffed, his voice dripping with scorn.

“I’m fed up with this constant betrayal. Agnes will rest here, in the annex of the imperial palace, until the divorce is finalized. She won’t take a single step outside the palace.”

“Your Highness, that is too—”

“Did you not just admit to failing to care for your sister properly? Therefore, she will be looked after here in the palace.”

Caspian was determined to keep me confined to the palace.

Kayneth was just as determined to take me back to the estate.

As the confrontation dragged on, the atmosphere grew even colder and more dangerous.

Despite Count Barbouquet being favored by Duke Cilius, Caspian was still an imperial prince.

If this continued, Kayneth would definitely do something reckless, and that would spell trouble for me.

I had no choice but to step in first.

In a sleepy voice, as if I had just woken up, I called out.

“Is anyone… there?”