Chapter 2 Where am I?
"Little Miss?" A woman's voice cuts through the silence. I can hear the sound of her footsteps crunching in the snow. From behind her, I can hear other people echoing her call.
A fresh wave of fear rushes through me again and I don't dare respond.
Tears begin to roll down my cheeks involuntarily.
As I wipe them away, I notice a woman dressed in muted blue robes appear from one of the arched stone entryways.
She gives me a concerned look and I notice she's the lady-in-waiting of Lady Sora.
What was her name again?
"I found her!" She notifies the people behind her. "You are dismissed."
When she tries to approach me, I scoot back in the snow. She frowns at me. In one hand she carries a lantern and in another a covered basket. Setting the lantern on a tree near us, she opens the basket to reveal another winter coat. She places it around my shoulders and takes a step back.
"Little Miss, why are you out here all alone?" She exhales as if this is a common occurrence. "You're supposed to be in bed, recovering."
My eyes widen when I realize I can understand what she's saying. I force myself to think of something to say. The only thing I can think of doing is dramatically grip my ankle.
"I wanted some fresh air," I lie as smoothly as I can. "And then I slipped on some ice."
She gives me an apologetic look and helps me up. Looping her arm in mine, she guides me out of the courtyard. A servant passing by greets us and I'm grateful she decides to use our names in her greeting. I glance at the lady-in-waiting. Her name is Ying.
"You mustn't do that again," Ying scolds me. "Your Father requests your presence for dinner. If he found out you snuck out again, we'd all be in trouble."
"I'm sorry," I say sincerely. "Thank you for finding me."
She launches into a lecture at how I should rest when I'm sick and I force the urge to roll my eyes at the irony.
As we stride through Lady Sora's estate, I'm impressed at how grand it is.
Painted stone statues of lions with dragon heads protect each entryway.
The curved tile rooftops and sleek columns feel sophisticated and grand.
"Did you hear anything I just said?" Ying complains. I shake my head. She groans in response. We pause in front of another courtyard which I immediately remember as Lady Sora's childhood quarters. The guards stamp their spears in acknowledgment of our presence.
The scent of calming osmanthus is almost overwhelming. I wrinkle my nose as she guides me over the winding bridge towards Lady Sora's quarters. She pushes the carved wooden door to reveal an elegant interior.
Lanterns cast an orange glow inside to illuminate scrolls and half finished pieces of embroidery. Finally inside, I kick the uncomfortable pair of shoes off. When Ying gives me a strange look, I pretend to shiver from the now soggy clothes I'm in.
"Sorry Little Miss," she murmurs. "I'll be right back."
She rushes off and quickly returns with a fresh pair of robes.
I don't protest when she helps me to change only because I have absolutely no idea how to get in or out of these clothes.
The pair of robes is just as luxurious as the ones I'd worn earlier.
This time they're a light pearlescent pink that glimmer in the lantern light.
I try my best to observe all the intricacies required of my ensemble, but give up quickly.
She ushers me into the cushioned wooden chair in front of the mirror and disappears again.
From where I'm sitting, I can overhear her giving orders to other servants.
I force myself to look in the mirror in front of me.
Will I recognize the person who stares back at me?
Mustering all the courage I have, I gaze into the mirror.
"Oh thank goodness," I mumble to myself when I realize I still look like me.
My tear-streaked face stares back at me and I lean closer to observe my face.
I look exhausted. The dark circles under my eyes and the slight nasolabial lines seem much deeper than they had back home.
As I lower my head to examine my hair, I notice what appears to be a tiny bald spot.
A horrifying thought crosses my mind. Is that what I always look like?
Ying returns and places a mini charcoal brazier next to me.
She sighs as she pulls a surprising amount of hairpins out of my hair.
I turn my attention to the carved wooden doors across the room not wanting to look at my reflection anymore.
No one would ever describe me as beautiful or stunning, but I had at least been pretty with glossy black hair and natural thick lashes that framed my dark brown eyes.
Someone had once told me I had the purest eyes they'd even seen.
Now though I don't recognize the prettiness I used to have. It's not that I need my beauty to define me, but that I can't seem to recognize myself when I look in the mirror. Nothing feels familiar anymore. Anger rushes through me. Is the voice actually right? Was my job robbing me of my life?
"Little Miss, your medicine," a servant I don't recognize says. "We added extra honey like you asked."
She hands me a small ceramic bowl with what appears to have goji and jujube mixed with honey into what smells like tea. I take a small sip, surprised at how delicious it is. Already, my throat feels relieved and my body less heavy.
"Thank you," I say sincerely.
The servant bows politely and disappears with the bowl. When I glance back into the mirror, I can tell Ying's observing me. I give her an inquisitive look. She gives me a knowing look as she oils a hair comb.
"I hear your Father has found a worthy match," she informs me as she brushes my hair. She gives me a confused look in the mirror when I don't respond. I raise an eyebrow remembering she doesn't know I know this part of the Webtoon.
"Has he?" I ask calmly. She nods in response as she twists and pins my hair with a silver hair pin. When she's satisfied with her work, she continues.
"The Emperor's favorite son," she confirms. "Prince Jin."
I rack my brain as I try to recall what I know of the prince.
Besides what I'd heard my favorite influencers say about his good looks, I hadn't learned anything else except that he was the Emperor's favorite son.
I tap my fingers absent-mindedly on the table trying to think of what Lady Sora would say.
"Prince Jin?" I echo. "I know nothing of him."
"No one does," she answers in a way that sounds final. "He is hidden away because of his status. For all we know, Prince Jin isn't even his real name."
"What a lonely existence," I hear myself say out loud.
She silently places a final glimmering hairpin into my hair. Turning me towards her, she gives me a long look. Right when I think she's about to say something, she wipes my face with a surprisingly warm cloth and picks up a brush. She begins to fix my makeup. The silence drags on between us.
"Are you okay, Little Miss?" Ying asks with a serious tone. "You haven't been acting like yourself."
I give her a soft smile and silently compliment her.
At least she knows Lady Sora enough to know that she's acting out of character.
With a dramatic sigh, I turn back to the mirror and observe my face.
She's somehow thinned my eyebrows and gotten rid of the dark circles under my eyes.
Once she's finished, I know I won't recognize myself.
"I don't know what the future holds for me," I answer honestly as I whirl back around. "It scares me."
For the first time, she breaks into a smile. She waves off response as she bursts into laughter. Still she does her job by rummaging through the rouge on the vanity. Once she selects a color she's satisfied with, she expertly applies it under my eyes and on my cheekbones.
"Your future is bright," she says dismissively. "You don't have to worry."
She laughs as she goes to find me another pair of shoes. Her nonchalance feels unsettling to me. If I know anything about the creators of this Webtoon, I know they love a good betrayal no matter what time period they're writing in.
"Thank you," I say as she helps me into a new pair of shoes. "For you."
I hand her one of the prettiest hairpins on the vanity for her to keep just to see what her reaction is like. I know I've barely read the Webtoon, but it seems like something Lady Sora would do. The hair pin glimmers under the lantern light.
It's the type of hair pin someone would wear if they wanted everyone's eyes on them. The shiny yellow gold and the vibrant rubies glitter under the lantern light, even outshining the robes I'm in. Her eyes widen in response.
"Thank you, Little Miss," she says as she bows. "It's a blessing to have received a gift of this caliber from you for the first time in years."
I can't help but give her a soft smile at the back-handed compliment. From now on, I'll have to tread lightly around her. She's just slipped the hairpin into her hair when the guards arrive to escort me to dinner with Father.
"Follow me, Little Miss," a man in lavender robes announces. When Ying follows me, he shakes his head. A glimmer of something flashes across her face before she takes a step back. If this were my Webtoon, I would have loved this scene.
But now as Lady Sora, I hate it.