Chapter 10

Gwendolyn was the only child born to the second concubine, who had been a countess. The king doted on her mother, and Gwendolyn, who resembled her mother, was also deeply loved.

Her father's excessive affection, which told her she didn't need to socialize or marry, seemed to have spoiled Gwendolyn. She rarely went outside, and it was only after her mother strongly insisted that she was finally allowed to start her education.

On the first day of her classes, her maternal cousin, Felicia, was there for some reason. They had similar hair and eye colors and similar builds, so it seemed that her father had proposed Felicia as a substitute to reduce the chances of Gwendolyn being seen by others, and Felicia had accepted.

Her father, both now and in the past, was someone who only flattered to avoid displeasing, but Gwendolyn was grateful that he hadn't separated her from her mother and that she had met and could stay with her best friend, Felicia.

Before meeting Felicia, her mother had thoroughly taught her the concept of "others are others, and we are we." Thanks to this, although she sometimes envied Felicia, she never expressed such feelings. After all, Felicia's marriage would be decided by her father, and she couldn't escape being a substitute. There were many things Felicia couldn't do, and there were people with more freedom than Felicia. Despite this, Felicia carried unnecessary guilt and still tried to be Gwendolyn's equal friend. Helping Felicia with her first love was natural for Gwendolyn, and she felt as if Felicia's freedom was her own.

Gwendolyn, who had been raised in a sheltered environment, turned 17, and her official duties were minimal, with half of them being done by Felicia as a substitute. The queen, the first concubine, and her two brothers had advised the king to reach this situation, but since Gwendolyn and Felicia were not involved, the king's political skills were sufficient to manage until the crown prince came of age. Gwendolyn had been repeatedly apologized to by various people.

***

One day, Gwendolyn and her mother were summoned by her father.

"Gwendolyn, what do you think about a marriage proposal from the fifth prince of the Holy Sword Kingdom?"

"...It sounds like a wonderful proposal..."

Her mother questioned her father.

"What are you up to? It would be better to say it now to avoid unnecessary hurt."

"Wh-What? I'm a parent too, I'm just thinking about Gwendolyn's happiness and the country's benefit!"

While feeling that one's daily actions are truly important, her mother stared at her father intently. If it were the queen or someone else, she could have been genuinely happy, but it was too suspicious.

"Is this how you look at your husband!? ...No, I've changed. However, if she doesn't want it, we'll stop."

"No, I didn't say that. Please proceed with the proposal."

The marriage proposal itself was a good one, and since it involved a neighboring country, it couldn't be stopped without a proper reason.

While trying to gather information, her father said with a smile she had never seen before.

"Then, since there might be people who don't like the marriage proposal with the neighboring country, you should stay in the summer palace for now. We'll take care of your official duties, so don't worry."

It seemed that preparations had been made, and after signing a contract, Gwendolyn and her mother were immediately pushed into a carriage and taken to the summer palace.

After investigating through intermediaries, they found out that there were no clear threats, the marriage proposal from the fifth prince had not even been made, and Felicia was acting as Gwendolyn. Reading the next letter, her mother's face twisted.

"Ugh... That stupid husband... Working with his stupid brother, this is the worst he's ever been. He must be aware that he's doing something bad to his sister-in-law, but if he were stupid, he shouldn't have done anything in the first place."

Her mother's curses were worse than ever. However, her next words made Gwendolyn lose her composure.

"Your father plans to switch you with Felicia and have you marry as Felicia."

The moment she understood, her face and voice tensed.

"Ah... I feel so sick..."

"Me too. After this is resolved, I'll get a divorce and work... But I don't want to go back to my stupid brother's place, so maybe a convent... Probably, because he doesn't want to marry you off but is concerned about appearances, he's come up with this bizarre plan... It's impossible...

Your stupid brother probably thinks that his daughter can marry a prince, gain favor, and strengthen ties with the royal family... It's difficult for two generations to marry into the royal family, but as the third concubine of the king who will soon abdicate, she won't be involved in politics or social affairs, so the influence from the outside won't change much."

Her mother had a distant look. After a while of escaping reality, they started to organize the situation and plan their response.

The goal was to switch Gwendolyn and Felicia back and cancel the marriage proposal between Felicia and her father. If Gwendolyn could marry into the neighboring country and her father's new plans could be stopped before he abdicated, it would be even better.

This had to be done without the neighboring country finding out, as it would cause a major diplomatic issue. In other words, the enemies were her father and uncle, and possibly the neighboring country.

While being confined to the summer palace, Gwendolyn's movements were more restricted, but the king's surveillance of her was the least she had ever experienced, making it easier for her to move. On the other hand, Felicia's surveillance was stricter, so they decided that the best plan was for Felicia to continue acting until the last moment, and then switch places just before going to the neighboring country.

While the maids left in the palace searched for security gaps, Gwendolyn learned to act as a maid in the summer palace. However, the reports from the palace were not good, and the security was tighter than expected. They needed a small gap to switch or at least to get Felicia out, but the situation was not moving forward, and her mother was getting anxious.

"Our maids' faces are known, but if you, Gwendolyn, are disguised, you might be able to find a gap. Have you passed the test? Gwendolyn, go ahead."

Thus, Gwendolyn infiltrated the palace as a maid named Maria, and surprisingly, she wasn't discovered. At first, she felt a sense of liberation from her sheltered life.

One night, while serving food at a banquet, she heard her name called, and there was Felicia smiling. Felicia, who was so different from her usual self, was acting as Gwendolyn, and no one, not even her father or brother, seemed to suspect anything.

—That's not me, I'm right here!

She was surprised by the sudden surge of emotions. It felt like a nightmare. Even though Gwendolyn was enjoying her life as a maid, she felt as if her existence was being stolen. It was a different kind of discomfort from when she learned of her father's plan. Switching places would mean that Felicia would also experience the same feelings. She had to stop the switch at all costs, but Felicia was tightly guarded, and she couldn't make contact. The frustration of not making progress and the fatigue of living as someone else accumulated, and she had to be careful not to make mistakes that would expose her.

***

Just then, she learned that her father had finally proposed the marriage to the neighboring country, and an envoy was coming. Felicia would have to meet the envoy directly. The queen was planning a tea party to welcome the envoy, and it seemed to be on a large scale to create a gap.

Even though Felicia's mother, the Countess of Abercrombie, was invited, it might be a bit too relaxed in terms of security for the neighboring country, but considering that Felicia had not been discovered at the same banquets many times, it seemed that the priority was to increase the chances of contact with Felicia.

Gwendolyn was unsure whether to attend the tea party as a maid, but she decided to attend and look for an opportunity to contact Felicia. If it was difficult, she planned to leave early and look for something to place in Felicia's room.

At the tea party, she didn't expect her father to come. He probably intended to pressure the queen and others regarding contact with Felicia. Indeed, he left a few of his aides with Felicia and left.

Just as she was about to leave, she was called.

"Excuse me, but I need to tidy up a bit. Could you please guide me to the rest room?"

Turning around, she saw a maid in a high-necked dress, probably one of the envoy's from the neighboring country. She guided her to the guest rest room. Thinking it would be better to help her tidy up or check on her, she was stopped.

"Thank you. ...Please, wait a moment."

Only then did Gwendolyn realize her mistake. She shouldn't have guided a foreigner alone in the palace. If she wanted to explore the room, she should have handed it over to someone else at that point. However, finding a reason to hand it over without arousing suspicion might have led to more mistakes, so it might have been the best option. Thinking there would be another chance to explore the room, she was surprised when the foreign maid came out of the rest room looking dejected.

"I couldn't fix it here. My master told me to wait in the carriage if I can't return, so could you please guide me to the carriage?"

Not finding it suspicious, she guided her to the carriage area. As a maid, she walked to a carriage far from the gate, talking along the way. When they reached the indicated carriage and were about to say goodbye, the maid stepped closer, her face near Gwendolyn's ear. A cold, hard object touched her neck.

"Hey, Your Highness, will you get in this carriage with me? I want to talk to you more."