Chapter 1: (1)

“What do I have to do for you to love me?”

Athanasia looked up at the person in front of her with a tear-stained face. But her father, Emperor Claude, coldly looked at his daughter, who was crying at his feet.

“Should I become like Jannette? Then will you love me? Then will you warmly call my name? If I just work harder….”

Her beautiful step-sister. As if it wasn’t enough to take what little honor Athanasia possessed, she also stole Claude’s love.

Athanasia was at her limits. She didn’t know what else she needed to do.

“Will you hug me in your arms instead of pushing me away?”

“Over my dead body.”

“How come!?”

But Claude didn’t hesitate. He didn’t even blink at the sight of his usually obedient daughter crying with despair.

“But I’m also your daughter! I was with you for longer than Jannette was!”

Athanasia begged with all the courage she could muster. This was Athanasia’s first and last plea. She had never asked for anything else. But her king, her father, was cold like ice to the very end.

“Foolish being.”

Claude pushed away the frail hand that was holding on to his leg. He looked at her with contempt. A cruel voice crept into her ears.

“I’ve never considered you my daughter.”

Athanasia felt more desperate than she ever had in her entire life. A deep despair was visible in her glimmering blue eyes.

– [Lovable Princess]

From Chapter 8, Twisted Fate

*** “Huh?!”

This was crazy.

She dropped the rattle that she was holding because she was suddenly reminded of a scene from a novel.

Why did this unlucky scene from a book suddenly pop up in her brain? It was a book that she had snuck a look at when a middle school student had left it behind during her late night shift.

It was an immature and drab book that was fitting of its title, .

Was it because her name was the same as the unimportant princess who had died on her 18th birthday? Ugh, what a bad omen. Bad thoughts, get out of my brain!

“Ugh, what the heck. Why does she keep dropping it?”

A woman that had been soundly sleeping was startled up by the sound of a rattle hitting the floor. And she started to curse. Of course, I was baffled.

What was she talking about, I didn’t even drop it that much! And babies usually drop things easily, right? “Please be quiet and play with this, miss.”

Wow, she was giving it to me without even wiping it? I didn’t know if it was because the knowledge of cleanliness was poor in this world or because she was looking down at me because I’m an outcast princess. It was probably the latter…sob, I convinced myself that it wasn’t.

“Uwaaa.”

I dropped the rattle again.

So the rude maid started to console me. I could tell she was annoyed. “What’s wrong? I’m busy because I’m sewing. Here, I’ll pick it up for you.” “Don lik.”

I don’t like this! It’s dirty because I already dropped it twice, and it’s not my taste! I know I look like this, but do you think I’d enjoy this with my current mental age?

“Is she tired of it?”

She placed me back in the crib and left. She probably went to the head maid. If you’re gonna come back with a rattle again, just don’t come back at all.

“Eung.”

I lifted my hand in front of the spinning mobile and looked at it. What a light and chubby hand. I still couldn’t get used to it.

I had definitely fallen asleep after taking some sleeping pills…but when I woke up, I was in this body! Did this make sense? I mean, we’re talking about real life situations here!

And from what I hear from the maids, I’m the princess of this land! This is completely crazy. “Princess!”

Ugh, that maid always does that! Does she have to barge in without knocking and start screaming? “The head maid said we don’t have enough funds. Just play with this.”

The maid forcefully put the rattle back into my hands and sat back in the chair to resume sewing. “I’m not gonna soothe you if you start crying again. I really am busy.”

I’m a baby! Do you think I’ll understand what you’re saying? This was so unfair!

I guess there were different levels of princesses. In my past life, I was an orphan, so it was nice that I was born as a princess, but did it have to be like this?

***

I used to be an orphan. An unnie [1] told me that I was found in front of an orphanage bundled up in clothes.

She was 18 and about to leave the orphanage, and I was 5.

I was abandoned without a name, so the manager of the orphanage named me Jihye Lee after finding the name in his contacts list.

When I first found out, I was like ‘oh well.’ There were plenty of kids like me in the orphanage, and I couldn’t miss my parents since I never had them. In the orphanage, children knew things that they shouldn’t know at their age.

I always had to fight for what I wanted in that crammed orphanage.

So when I was 18 and able to leave the orphanage like the unnie who told me about my backstory, I felt a sense of freedom.

But reality was harsh. I was an orphan who didn’t have any money or connections.

There was nothing I didn’t do to earn money. I worked at a convenience store, wiped cars at a car wash, and washed dishes at a restaurant.

I was pessimistic about my life.

I wanted to go to school like everyone else, but my circumstances didn’t allow me to. I was already overwhelmed from paying rent for a small apartment.

In the middle of winter, it was so cold that my entire body felt frozen.

I thought I would die from hypothermia because of the cold. I had already pulled several all-nighters because the freezing temperature wouldn’t let me sleep.

I begged the owner of the restaurant I was working for for some sleeping pills and barely got them. Once I took them, a wave of sleep lapped at my brain, and I slowly forgot all the worries and concerns I had.

And when I opened my eyes, I was a princess.

***

“Da-da.”

Today, like any other day, I was trying to talk. All I did was eat and sleep so I didn’t even know how much time had passed. Sometimes, I thought I was dreaming.

“Our pretty little princess, Athanasia.”

But the one thing that comforted me was that not all the maids were mean.

I widely grinned at the maid who was rocking my crib. She had brown hair and blue eyes. She looked like she was in her early 20s, and she became my exclusive maid.

Why, you ask, do I only have maids and not a nanny? That’s because I’m an outcast princess. “Grow up nice and tall, my princess.”

When I first saw her, she was so pretty that I actually drooled. Her name was Lilian, and she could pass for a teenager with her looks. Wow wasn’t this a great stroke of luck that someone like her was my maid?

“Ooah, buah.”

But Lily’s face was saddened. I became sad too, when I saw such a pretty face frowning. Lily often made this face when she looked at me.

Lily, don’t make that face! You’re prettiest when you smile. “Oh, my princess, it’s time for you to sleep.”

I started to kick and whine.

The Sun was still in the sky, but she wanted me to sleep? I’ll admit, I was tired since I was a baby, but not right now. Play with me some more! It’s so boring here.

“No, I can’t, my princess. You need to sleep well to grow up nice and tall.” But my little act of rebellion didn’t work.

“Lillain!”

Suddenly, a loud voice pierced into the room. Geez, that maid was so loud! I was faint hearted because I was a weak little princess!

Lily frowned at the actions of the foolish maid. She softly stroked me because she thought I might have been scared.

“Princess, I’ll be right back.”

I waved my hand to say bye. Although she probably couldn’t tell what I was doing.

I looked at the ceiling once I was alone. A fancy chandelier and a detailed design filled my view. When I turned my face a little, I could see shiny furniture and expensive looking decorations.

Every time I saw that, I wondered if it was real gold. Once my teeth grow in, I’ll definitely try biting that to see. Of course, if I’m still alive by then.

[1] Korean term for a female that’s older than you.