Describe the feeling of becoming a criminal overnight.
It's hard.
I'm in no state to put my current mood into words.
Not only had I woken up transformed into a woman, but I'd been summarily arrested on charges of attempting to assassinate the princess. I was utterly dumbfounded.
Was this some bizarre nightmare?
That was the only thought I could manage.
But every step I took sent my breasts jiggling and bouncing, a vivid reminder that this was no dream.
"Um, excuse me... Could I please have something to cover up with?"
I cautiously asked one of the knights.
With my arms bound behind my back, there was no way to hide my chest.
I'd thought I wouldn't feel embarrassed showing my breasts to others since I used to be a man, but having these massive things swaying all over the place felt just like dangling my balls in front of everyone. Mortifying.
And it didn't help that the knights kept stealing glances.
One of the female knights unclasped her cloak and draped it over me.
"Thank you."
The knights dragged me to the emperor's audience chamber.
This was my first time here, aside from when I'd attended the emperor's birthday celebration with the Magic Tower Master.
Back then, it had seemed so grand and beautiful...
But now, it felt stark and barren, like stepping into a dragon's lair.
"We've brought her!"
The knight flung me to the floor.
"Raise your head."
A low, resonant voice boomed from above.
I lifted my gaze and looked ahead.
"Gasp...! I-I pay my respects to the Father of the Empire...!"
The moment I saw the emperor, I immediately bowed my head to the floor.
"You fool! His Imperial Majesty told you to raise your head!"
No sooner had I bowed than a knight barked at me.
I lifted my head again.
Emperor Absol von Bluefield.
The warrior who had single-handedly eradicated the troublesome ice pagans of the north, amassing countless other great achievements that earned him the title of absolute monarch.
Because of him, no one dared reprimand the princess, no matter what atrocities she committed.
I looked up at the emperor.
Our eyes met.
I wanted to look away, but averting my gaze would probably get me yelled at again.
I'm scared...!
His gleaming golden eyes, sharp like those of a bird of prey, were unmistakably those of a predator.
The vertical scar across his left eye only amplified the terror.
"State your name."
"E-Esther Withbel."
His face twisted at the sound of my name.
The already stern features creased even deeper, making him look even more intimidating.
"Don't lie, wench!"
A mustachioed minister roared.
"Esther Withbel is a man! Tell us where that man has fled to!"
This is so unfair.
"It's true! I really am Esther Withbel! I have no idea how this happened either... I woke up this morning looking like this!"
The minister glanced at the emperor.
The emperor nodded, and the minister spoke.
"Bring it here."
Moments later, a knight arrived carrying a stone tablet.
The empire's registry slate.
Every imperial citizen dripped a drop of blood onto one at birth to register and prove their identity.
"Eek...!"
The knight pricked the tip of my finger with a dagger.
I couldn't see with my arms twisted behind me, but blood must have welled up.
"Reading complete!"
The knight took the slate to the minister.
"This woman really is Esther Withbel."
A murmur rippled through the room.
Everyone knew.
That Esther Withbel was a man.
I was a fairly well-known mage, heir to the Green Magic Tower.
Anyone who mattered knew.
And most people here had exchanged greetings with me at the emperor's birthday.
"What happened?"
the emperor asked.
"I truly have no idea. I just went to sleep and woke up like this."
I'm curious too.
"Hmph..."
The emperor stroked his chin.
Creases deepened between his brows.
"Do you know why you were brought here?"
"I heard it was because I tried to assassinate Her Highness, but I swear on my mana that I've never attempted to assassinate the princess."
A mage swearing on their mana.
That was staking their entire life as a mage.
Practically the same as death.
I'm innocent.
"I see the report was worded that way."
The emperor gestured with his chin.
"Come in."
The doors to the audience chamber opened, and a tall man entered.
Black hair, golden eyes, just like the emperor.
Even to another man, he looked handsome.
Wait, that face...
The man stood stoically beside me.
"You're not late today?"
His voice was surprisingly feminine, at odds with his looks.
"Anyway. Looks like Lady Withbel's turned into a woman, huh?"
No way.
I glanced at the emperor to confirm my suspicion.
He squeezed his eyes shut and nodded.
"I woke up this morning and found myself turned into a man."
What in the world is going on?
Overnight, I'd become a woman, and the princess had become a man.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
After a grueling 12-hour interrogation, I finally proved my innocence and was released.
Or so I thought?
The moment I was freed, I was summoned to the princess.
"It looks like we've swapped genders, huh?"
The princess leisurely sipped her black tea.
I was still flustered.
She seemed utterly relaxed.
A faint smile played on her lips, as if she were actually enjoying this mess.
"I underwent a thorough examination, but no traces of magic were found."
"I suspect it's a high-level curse that leaves no traces. Or maybe a legendary artifact was used."
"Who would do such a thing?"
"No idea."
There was one suspect, though.
Given the princess's notoriety, she had mountains of enemies harboring grudges.
One of them might have tried cursing her and accidentally dragged me into it.
I couldn't voice that thought.
"You were thinking someone who holds a grudge against me tried to curse me and swept you up in the process, weren't you?"
My eyes widened.
"N-No! H-How could I dare think something so irreverent... Ha, haha... No!"
Demon woman.
No.
Demon guy.
Right?
Whatever.
"Anyway."
The princess set down her teacup, leaned forward, and propped her chin on her hands.
"Lady Withbel, you don't seem fully aware that you've become a woman."
"Huh?"
"Parading around with those vulgarly shaped breasts on full display."
I startled and looked down.
My cloak had come undone.
I'd forgotten I was only wearing pajama bottoms and the cloak.
"Or have you already accepted it and feel proud of those huge tits?"
I hurriedly pulled the cloak closed.
Things a man wouldn't be embarrassed about, but I was.
"Oh my, look at those blushing cheeks. How cute."
"Stop teasing me!"
"Sorry. You looked so serious, I couldn't resist playing a little."
The princess covered her mouth and chuckled.
"For now, let's wait and see until tomorrow."
I nodded.
It could be a short-term curse.
I might wake up normal tomorrow morning.
That would be great.
"And if we're still like this tomorrow, Lady Withbel, you'll be stuck with those vulgarly shaped breasts for the rest of your life?"
I jumped.
"Your Highness!"
Vulgarly shaped breasts.
It wasn't wrong, technically.
Even from a man's perspective on my own body, my breasts were big enough to warrant the term "vulgar."
And the way my nipples were inverted only added to that impression.
"Ahaha, you're so fun to tease, Lady Withbel."
"Your Highness, this is a serious situation."
"Is it?"
"Yes."
"It's not life-threatening, so I wouldn't call it that serious."
"We don't know that yet. A curse powerful enough to swap genders might interfere with the soul."
That would be truly serious.
A soul-interfering curse.
If the caster wanted, they could destroy the soul entirely.
"No need to worry about that. The saintess examined me, and she said my soul is pristine."
Lies.
The saintess must be lying.
No way the soul of a princess whose hobby is murder could be clean.
"You don't believe me, do you?"
"O-Of course not."
I can't even think freely in front of the princess.
She doesn't have mind-reading powers or anything.
But it feels like she does.
"So relax."
She said confidently.
I could probably trust her.
The princess would have undergone thorough checks by multiple experts.
I hadn't found anything life-threatening when I examined myself either.
"Your Highness, could you please put my tutoring duties on hold for a bit?"
I mustered my courage and asked.
"Why?"
"Right now, curing you seems more important than teaching you magic."
This was all for the princess's sake.
To turn her back into a woman.
Well, mostly for mine, but still.
"I'll look for a way to break this curse."
"If it's something like that."
The princess nodded.
"Go ahead."
"Thank you."
"I'll help too."
"Thank... What?"
"I'm under the same curse, so I can assist in some way. Come to the Imperial Palace every day from now on. We'll research curse-breaking methods together."
Uh-oh.
Oh no.
This isn't good.
"B-But Your Highness... with magic, you..."
"Are you refusing my help?"
"Even without magic knowledge, you'll be a huge help. No, please, I beg you to help."
I changed my tune the moment I saw her hand on her sword hilt.
"If you want it that badly, I suppose I have no choice."
The princess smiled.
Was she always someone who smiled this easily?
First time noticing.
"I'll send a carriage early tomorrow morning too."
"Th-Thank you."
"No."
She tapped her desk as if struck by a great idea.
"You should just live here."
"Pardon?"
"It'll cut down on travel time, let you focus more on research, and you can get my help right away."
The princess looked at me with a smiling face.
"Sounds good, right?"
I felt like spitting blood.
Living in the Imperial Palace would suffocate me to death.
Not everyone there was scary, but knowing one tiny mistake could cost my life made my head spin.
I might die by the princess's sword before breaking the curse.
"Don't like it?"
The princess stared at me blankly.
"N-No, I love it! As expected of Your Highness! So wise!"
I flashed double thumbs up and grinned like an idiot.
Inwardly, I was bawling my eyes out.