Mara could only stood there, letting the maid handle her. Her mind was still trying to process the sheer absurdity of the situation.
Transmigration? This shit was real? She'd always thought it was just a trope in fiction, a convenient plot device for wish-fulfillment fantasies.
No way.
She didn't know if she should freak out or be excited. On one hand, she was stranded in a strange world, with no idea how to get back home. On the other hand...Do I have powers?
"Huh?" the maid answered, her brow furrowing in confusion.
"Ah? What?" Mara stammered, mentally cursing herself. What a habit of hers – speaking her thoughts out loud.
"You muttered something, Princess..."
"No"
The maid slowly nodded, but Mara didn't miss the subtle change in her expression. Was that regret? Guilt? Pity? It was gone in an instant, replaced by a practiced neutrality.
Mara turned to face the mirror, her gaze scrutinizing her reflection. Surprisingly, she still looked like herself. Not much had changed, save for the different in hair type and the sickly pale skin that's a stark contrast to her previous tanned skin. So the myth was true after all – that we each have our own twin in every universe. She couldn't help but chuckle at the silly thought.
The maid finished brushing her hair and helped her into her new dress — a fitted gown of deep green and gold, wrapped neatly around her waist and adorned with gleaming jewelry. It was elegant, regal… and far too stiff for her liking.
So this is the life of a royal, she thought wryly.
She put on a few rings on her fingers, each adorned with sparkling gemstones, and a simple necklace to complete her look. They were a matching set of emerald jewels, clearly chosen to complement the dress.
The maid then opened the door, gesturing for Mara to follow. With a deep breath, Mara stepped out of the room and into the hallway.
She couldn't help but be in awe again. This place was enormous. As huge as the mall, maybe even bigger. Everything screamed royalty. Red carpets stretched down the seemingly endless corridors, massive windows offered breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape, and gold ornaments adorned every surface. Statues and paintings depicting scenes of battles and courtly life decorated the walls, adding to the overall sense of grandeur.
It gave her goosebumps.
The maid stopped in front of another set of imposing double doors, guarded by two stoic-faced soldiers in gleaming armor. The maid greeted the soldiers with a respectful curtsy and then opened the door for Mara.
Mara peeked over her shoulder, her curiosity piqued. Ah, a dining room.
When the door was fully open, she saw a single man sitting at the head of a long, ornate table. He was dressed in a simple but elegant tunic, and his dark hair was neatly combed back from his face. He had a regal bearing about him, an air of quiet authority that commanded respect.
Two other men, who looked to be around 20s, were seated further down the table. They both had the same dark hair and piercing blue eyes as the man at the head of the table, suggesting that they were her brothers.
Taking a deep breath, Mara forced herself to maintain her composure. She bowed slightly, hoping that her imitation of a noble lady was convincing enough. Luckily, she'd watched enough historical films to know how to act without making a complete fool of herself. "Good morning, everyone," she said, her voice sounding surprisingly steady.
When Mara lifted her head, confusion swept over her. Everyone at the table was staring at her with open bewilderment, as if they were seeing something they had no right to see.
Ignoring their gazes, she moved toward her place at the table, where a plate had been carefully prepared for her across from hertwo brothers.
"Did you have a nice sleep, Mara?"
Mara halted, her hand hovering on the table. So not only did they share the same face, but also the same name. This was getting weirder by the minute.
"Yes," she answered simply, trying to project an air of regal indifference.
She could hear a light scoff from across the table. She raised an eyebrow and looked sharply at the source of the voice. What was that?
She didn't press it further. Instead, she reached for the small bowl of water at her side, dipping her fingers in and rubbing them clean with a squeeze of lime. The fresh tang lingered pleasantly as she scooped up rice with her hand, letting the curry soak in before bringing it to her mouth.
The rice was surprisingly cold...
And that's when her eyes drifted toward the clock mounted on the far wall.
Her jaw slackened. It was past noon. Way too late for breakfast.
Before she could voice the thought, her father smiled warmly, as though he'd anticipated her realization. "We waited for you," he said, voice deep and tender. "It has been far too long since I've shared a meal with my lovely daughter."
The brothers shifted restlessly, their posture betraying impatience, but neither spoke against him. They had waited because their father insisted.
By the way, this food is really good and flavorful. Way better than the instant ramen she usually ate for breakfast.
"It's been a year since you left your room, Mara..."
Mara almost choked on her bread at her father's statement. A year? Oh hell. A YEAR? She didn't know that her other twin was such a shut-in.
"Are you okay?" Her father poured her a glass of water, his eyes filled with concern. She raised her hand as if telling him that she was fine.
"Y-yeah... I'm fine," she managed to stammer out, taking a large gulp of water to clear her throat. It fucking burns.
"You don't know how happy I am after seeing you now..." Her father's voice was thick with emotion.
Wah, this family must be insane. Or was the daughter the insane one? Maybe she had some kind of mental breakdown and retreated into her room for a year.
"I know it must be hard for you ever since that incident..."
Mara looked at her father for a moment, her expression unreadable. She didn't say anything, simply nodded slowly and continued finishing her last bite of the meat. Yeah, whatever that incident that happened to the OG owner of this body, it wasn't her problem. She had enough problems of her own to deal with.
Originally, Mara never had a real family. She was an orphan, raised in a series of foster homes. She had been working hard since she was a kid, so as soon as she graduated from high school, she immediately moved out from her last foster home.
This could very well be her first time having breakfast at a formal dining table with a family. My family, she thought, but in another universe.
"I'm finished," Her brother to her right suddenly announced, pushing his chair back from the table. He stood up in a hurry and approached their father."I'm going now, Father... might not be home for a week." Their father nodded, his gaze filled with pride. The brother kneeled and held their father's hand, bidding his goodbye with a touch of his forehead on their father's hand. Mara noticed this as a gesture of respect and ask for blessings.
"Good luck on your raid, Arya," their father said, his voice filled with warmth.
Raid? As in, a dungeon raid? Does that mean this world has inhuman powers? Mara grew excited at her own thought.
Arya, the brother, stood up again and shook hands with the other brother, exchanging a few words that Mara couldn't quite make out.
And then he came up to her last, holding his hand out in front of her. "I'm going on a dangerous raid, won't you bless your brother on his journey?"
She stared at his hand for a moment, unsure of what to do. This was clearly some kind of family tradition, and she didn't want to mess it up. Remembering what she had just seen Arya do to their father, she took his hand and brought it to her forehead, mimicking the gesture of respect.
Only for her brother to bump his hand on her forehead, a playful smirk on his face. "Ack—!" Mara yelped, stumbling back slightly.
Arya snickered and walked out of the dining room, leaving Mara rubbing her forehead in confusion and mild annoyance. Like, what was that for? Was that some kind of weird sibling bonding ritual?
She glanced at her father, who was still sitting at the table, a faint smile playing on his lips. With a sigh, Mara stood up as well. "Dad, I'm done too," she announced, pushing her chair back from the table.
As she was about to walk away, she heard a loud cough from across the room. She turned back to see her other brother, the one who hadn't spoken a word during breakfast, looking at her with an expression of thinly veiled disappointment.
Mara, of course, was completely confused. Until she saw him subtly gazing at their father, as if giving her a sign. Mara understood instantly. Oh, right. She was supposed to show some kind of filial piety or something. Muttering a quick apology under her breath, Mara kneeled down beside her father and kissed the back of his hand, mimicking the gesture that Arya had performed earlier. Then, feeling thoroughly awkward, she scurried off to tail after Arya, hoping that she can still catch up to him.
"I'm going too, Father"
Father looked at his first son and nodded, accepting the hand as he kissed the back of his hand with respect.
Mara hurried after him, her footsteps echoing on the polished stone floors. Fortunately, he hadn't gotten far yet. As she drew closer, Mara slowed her pace, trying to appear casual and nonchalant."Um, brother," she began, trying to sound as natural as possible. "How is the Gate?"
Arya snapped his head around, a look of surprise and concern on his face. "Why do you ask, dear Mara?"
"Just curious, brother..." she replied, shrugging her shoulders.
He suddenly reached out and gently combed a stray strand of hair away from her face, his eyes filled with a mixture of affection and worry. "Well, it's still as dangerous as ever. I don't think it will ever stop appearing, unfortunately."
Mara nodded slowly, trying to process the information. So, this "Gate" was some kind of recurring phenomenon, a source of constant danger and instability.
"It's safer here, don't worry," Arya said, his voice soft and reassuring. "Just stay inside the castle, where you're protected."
Mara walked next to her brother, not exactly telling her intentions why she followed him. it's not like he asked either.
But Mara still needs to gather more informations about this world without making it obvious that she's from another world. She can't let everyone knows that she has replaced their real family. The real Mara.
Now it suddenly appeared in her mind. What happened to the original Mara? is it a coincidence that she has the same name as the real owner?
She looked at her brother, and he looked back at her, one eyebrow raising. Mara's glad that she at least transmigrated as a daughter with a seemingly loving family. Less drama, I guess.
"Why do you keep looking at me, sis?" Arya asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.
Mara blinked, snapping back to reality. She thought for a moment, realizing that she had a lot of questions she wanted to ask. But she couldn't ask everything at once, unless she wanted to arouse suspicion. She needed to be careful, to gather information slowly and subtly. "Can you tell me more about what's inside the Gate?" she asked, trying to sound casual and curious.
Arya raised his eyebrow again, his expression thoughtful. "Why do you want to know?"
"It's just... I'm curious," Mara said, shrugging her shoulders. "I've been cooped up in my room for so long, I want to know what's going on in the world."
Arya sighed, his gaze softening. "It's just an extremely dangerous place with lots of monsters," he said, his voice tinged with sadness. "Just stay inside the castle, Mara... the Gate could appear anywhere, at least if you're inside this castle, you will be protected by the knights."
Mara hummed thoughtfully. Based on what he said, it seemed like something terrible had happened to the original Mara, something that had caused a deep trauma for the family. He seemed so eager to keep her safe, to protect her from the dangers of the outside world. Thanks to that, now she's even more intrigued.
She has to get into that Gate somehow...