Prologue

When I jumped up and woke up with a gasp, the scenery around me was completely different from what I had anticipated.

There was a large window with heavy-looking curtains, and the bed cover had delicate embroidery that stood out.

As I lowered my gaze, I noticed that my hands were small and my hair, which fell softly from my shoulders, was a pale golden color.

…Huh? … Golden?

“Princess Liselotte, you woke up early.”

A woman wearing an apron dress and drawing back the curtains turned around and smiled gently.

For some reason, she didn’t ask who I was.

It was Nakia, the maid.

And the name she called me by was familiar to me as well.

But something was off.

I was a black-haired Japanese woman living alone in a two bedroom apartment, and my name wasn’t Liselotte.

I was supposed to be a respectable unpopular woman, who was dedicated to her work and found solace in reading internet novels in the bath every day.

In fact, just a moment ago, I was taking a bath and had fallen asleep due to drowsiness, so I should have been completely submerged in the water…

As I took a deep breath, the suffocating feeling I had just experienced seemed to have vanished completely, and the flowers displayed in the room emitted a soft fragrance.

The sunlight streaming in through the window painted the room in vivid colors.

“Do you have a fever?” a gentle voice asked.

I felt a warm sensation from the palm that was gently placed on my forehead.

If this wasn’t a dream, then what was it?

I understand it now.

I drowned in the bathtub and was reincarnated.

……N-no way…

Drowning, of all things…?

Naked…?

When and who will find me?

What about work?

I haven’t even started on the records of proceedings for today’s meeting.

I need to prepare for the upcoming practicum in a week, and I was supposed to present a research paper for the grant I received by the end of the year.

I haven’t even finished grading the reports yet, so, wait, what am I supposed to do…?

Despite my overwhelming emotions, Nakia arranges my outfitting.

“Could it be that yesterday’s fatigue caught up with you? If you’re not feeling well, should I call a doctor?”

Her calm voice soothes me as she carefully combs my hair, which reaches down to my back.

With each stroke of the comb, my racing heart gradually settles, and my thoughts become more composed.

The colors, temperatures, scents, and sensations all convey to me that this is the reality now.

…Even though I may have inconvenienced my workplace and the apartment manager, there’s nothing I can do about my past life anymore.

First, I need to confirm what kind of world this is.

According to my recollection, I left my territory for the first time yesterday and endured a long carriage ride until I arrived at the royal capital’s villa.

Today was supposed to be a day for exploring the royal capital, so it should be the perfect opportunity to grasp the current situation.

“No, I’m fine as planned.”

“Understood, then let’s proceed. There, you’re all set now.”

Reflected in the large mirror that was presented to her was a young girl with striking emerald green eyes that seemed spirited.

Her golden hair, which formed loose waves, was softly braided, and a pale peach-colored dress suited her delicate frame.

Eliselotte von Lotus, aged 10.

I think it’s one of the novels that I’ve read here and there, but unfortunately… I don’t know which character from which novel it is.