"Are you sure you do not want to eat, Your Highness?" Krista asks for the tenth time.

I gently shake my head and say, "I'm not hungry."

"If Duke Delaney hears that you haven't eaten anything since waking up, he will be worried." She counters.

Please, I won't die for skipping one meal. These people are not used to their princess skipping meals but I am not in the position to think of food right now because, for some reason, I ended up in the body of a Crown Princess. If anyone finds out this unexplainable thing happened, it might mean my death. Food is really the least of my concern. I rack my brain for an answer to whatever is happening right now.

Let's say I'm not dreaming and I really transmigrated to that novel and into the body of the Crown Princess. what happened before then? The accident. The bus fell in the water. Didn't Krista say she and the Crown Princess fell in the water too?

"Krista, you said this girl, I mean, I fell into the lake. Where is that lake?" If I jump back into that lake, will it bring me back to my body?

Krista looks at me suspectingly. Reluctantly, she answers, "the lake? Just near the potters' village, Your Highness."

"Is it far?" I ask with fervent interest, which I know my company doesn't miss.

Krista shakes her head and says, "not so much. Why are you curious, Your Highness?"

"I need to see that lake," I say as I stumble off the bed.

I am pulled back by strong hands immediately. Krista cries, "no, Your Highness! I'm sorry but I can't let you!"

I try to get free from her strong hold but this new body is too light. If I were in my body, I could shake her off with no sweat. I try my hardest shoving and pulling, yelling, "let me go! I need to go there—"

We are nowhere near the door, Krista is that strong. She urgently says, "Lady Rowena said never to let you go anywhere until you're well enough!"

"This is important!" I try a different approach, unfolding her fingers clutched around this body's arms.

"Krista—" I successfully pry her fingers off of me but just as I am running to the door, Krista falls on the floor and grabs hold of my legs. I almost trip.

"Just kill me, Your Highness! If they find out you left and I let you, I will be killed anyway!" Which bastard would kill an innocent woman for something like that? I stop struggling for a moment to look at her tear-stained face. She's not joking, I tell myself. She whimpers and says, "please, Your Highness."

I feel needles poking my heart at the sight of her begging for her life. I suddenly think of the consequences which I should have known ever since I woke up in this body. This is not my body, this is not my world. Whatever dangerous things I do will not only endanger me but also the people of this girl. I need to be careful not only for myself but also for these people who did nothing to deserve death. For now, being cautious is the way to live.

Defeated, I turn to walk back to the bed. Krista automatically lets go of my legs. "Fine! I'm not going! I'm not!"

Krista does not seem to relax but she stands up and straightens her now crumpled skirt. She looks at me and asks, "you're not going anywhere anymore?"

"Yeah. But can you promise me not to get in my way from now on?" I fall back on the bed.

"What do you mean, Your Highness?" She sniffles and wipes her face.

"That's how it always has been, Your Highness—" I inhale sharply, she continues— "Yes, Your Highness! I will not get in your way!"

"Okay." Krista and I sit in silence. Fortunately, she does leave me to my thoughts, only answering my questions when I ask her.

Apparently, it is the 4th of May, 1431, and if I remember it right, the novel is yet to start. The events of the novel begin sometime in June 1431 and so I need to come back to my world before then. The answer lies in that lake, therefore, I need to go there as soon as I can.

Because the days before the novel begins were not written, I don't know what's going to happen. I am lost and I figure that the safest way to live until I am back home is to keep to myself, avoid meeting people at all costs.

The Crown Prince is not in the country at this moment, he is in an official business in the neighboring nation. His father, the King, is a busy man so I don't have to worry about stumbling across him. This girl's uncle, Duke Delaney, is apparently on a trip to the Northern Empire. There's the rest of the Royal Family to think about but if I just stay in this palace, the official residence of the Crown Princess, I'm sure I will not meet them. I read in the novel that the only people who dare come here are those three: The Crown Prince because he's the husband of the Crown Princess; the King, because the entire kingdom belongs to him and nobody will dare prohibit him; and Duke Delaney, because he raised the Crown Princess and he is the most trusted noble of the King.

I am starting to think things will be okay when a thought suddenly pops in my mind, a question that will decide if all of this thinking even has a point. This girl fell in the water the same way as I did. If I ended up in her body, what happened to mine? Am I dead back in my world? Is there even a body I can go back to?

I shake these worrying thoughts out of my head and try to start a conversation with Krista to distract myself. I start, "so, what happened?"

Krista jumps slightly in her seat, surprised at my sudden speaking. She looks at me and asks, "excuse me?"

"Ah, well," Krista ponders for a moment then continues, "we were on our way somewhere and when we were passing by the lake, the horse started acting up. The coachman lost control of the carriage and it fell into the lake. I got out safely but you were nowhere to be seen. I was so worried, Your Highness. I thought I had lost you."

Krista blinks tears out of her eyes. This crybaby.

I ask, "where were we going?"

"I don't know, Your Highness," She shakes her head as she continues, "you wouldn't tell me. You don't remember then, Your Highness? The place you wanted to go to?"

"Ah, maybe I'm still confused." I feign having a sudden headache, clutching the right side of my head for more impact. I'm sorry, Krista. I can't let anyone find out about the situation.

"Of course, you are. Your Highness doesn't even like going into the water when we're out on a picnic by the river," Krista looks at me apologetically. She adds, "but you fell in the lake and almost lost your life. Of course, you are not well."

"I'll be fine," I try to console her.

Before Krista can even finish what she's saying, the door bursts open, and a man enters dressed in expensive and lavish clothing. Everything happens in a blur, the man rushes past Krista who stood up and stepped aside a moment earlier to give way, sits on the newly vacated seat, grabs my resting hand with gloved hands, and cries loudly, "Your Highness! Heavens! How are you feeling?"

I stare at him in utter confusion. Who is this middle-aged man touching the Crown Princess so familiarly?

"Your Grace, although the Royal Physician advised her to get plenty of rest, Her Highness the Crown Princess is well. Your Grace need not worry." I realize Lady Rowena followed him inside. Her head is slightly bowing as she speaks, indicating that this man is of high importance.

The man regards me with startling grey eyes. On a closer look, I realize he is a handsome gentleman. There are wrinkles at the side of his eyes but that doesn't make him any less striking. He has a sharp nose and angular face. His black hair with greying strands is neatly combed to the sides. Something tells me he was popular in his younger years.

The man is wearing what seems like a red and black military uniform under a long billowing maroon coat. Gold buttons and chains adorn his coat. Despite the lavish attire befitting a rich and powerful individual though, he has a calm and amiable countenance.

This man holds the Crown Princess' hands with great familiarity so I deduce that he must be Duke Delaney, the brother of this girl's mother. I try my best to reciprocate the fatherly affection he is exuding but it is quite difficult, considering I never had a father who would do the same to me.

"Oh, that's a relief. I rushed back to the country soon as I heard the news." He squeezes my hands and says, "Your Highness, please comfort my ailing heart. Is the Royal Physician correct? Are you really well?"

I awkwardly nod to his question and say, "of course, Uncle. The doctor knows best. Don't worry."

His face says he's still worried but he answers my question still, "oh, it was rather productive. I visited the remote villages on my way to the North and although the trip was cut short, I return with presents to the King."

"Weren't you going there for something important? I'm sorry for causing you trouble, Uncle," I say although my real concern was about his early return. I had hoped to never meet him at all.

He squeezes my hands once again as he says, "Oh, dear, no! It is nothing. Your cousin went on with the excursion so all is well. You only need to focus on recuperating, Your Highness."

The Duke lingers for a little more until sunset when the doctor arrives and advises that I be left alone to rest. With wishes of a speedy recovery, he reluctantly leaves with everyone. Krista remains to draw the curtains but I tell her to leave them be for the night. Heading my instructions, she tucks me in bed and finally leaves.

With the sun completely setting and shadows crawling in with the stars and the moon, I drift to sleep.