CHAPTER 8
"Uh, maybe you still need some more rest to remember things, Miss Diandra." Alice awkwardly stated and moved to the butler's side. "To think more clearly." She forced a smile at the confused woman on the bed.
"She's right, Miss. Just rest a little more. We'll get back to you later." Butler Jones seconded, and they got out of the room. Instead of locking the door, Jones assigned someone to guard outside the room. He requested the bodyguards. They wouldn't want her roaming around freely if she ever intended to leave her quarters. She could be a thief or something.
Diandra thought that they could be right. So, she lay down, and the soft mattress easily made her body surrender to another sleep.
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Kael was driving home. His fingers tapped against the steering wheel. His thoughts were tangled in the absurdity of it all.
The woman at his mansion portrayed Diandra perfectly. It wasn't just the red hair or her armor. It was the expression on her face when he'd seen her weak, the bruises that made her look like she had just stepped out of the battle—like she had lived the story.
And that was impossible.
The drama series was still in production. The story, the script—everything about it was confidential. No one outside the cast and crew should know the full details. And it was just newly announced yesterday. They've only given a brief detail of what to expect and what it was about for a little spoiler.
Even if she were a dedicated fan, how could she have replicated everything so perfectly? Fiona's dagger, the wounds, the exhaustion in her face…
Kael exhaled sharply. No.
It had to be a coincidence. A strange, elaborate coincidence.
But something in his gut told him otherwise. He would find out the truth soon.
His car pulled into the long driveway of his mansion. The moment he stepped out, Butler Jones was already waiting at the entrance.
"How is she?" He asked as they continued inside.
"She's feeling fine, sir. She's in her room. She was saying strange things earlier."
Kael adjusted his unbuttoned dress shirt. Somehow, he wasn't surprised anymore. "What is it now?"
"She was asking about an emperor."
That made him pause in taking off his blazer. Then he continued and sighed. "I'll be there in a few minutes. I'll freshen up first." He said and walked upstairs to his room.
He wanted to cool his mind first before entering another battle of insanity.
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Diandra lay still, as she had just woken up again a few minutes ago. Her mind was spiraling through the void in her memories. She felt a little woozy as some fragments emerged, but it was all shattered like a broken glass.
And everything was too strange. The room, the people, and the very air felt different from what she seemed to have always known. She should have been somehow familiar with things.
Her fists clenched. Frustration was bubbling beneath her confusion. There were things she should remember. But every single thing was out of reach.
Then she just realized something. The dagger. It was gone from her hand.
Her eyes widened. She had been holding it before she lost consciousness. It was beautifully crafted—clearly not a knight's weapon. The metal gleamed as if untouched by war, yet it had a trace of dried blood on it.
Was it hers? But she doesn't have any stab wounds. It was someone else's. She couldn't recall.
Her breathing hitched. She reached for her waist instinctively—
But her armor was gone too. Diandra froze. The weight of the metal that should have been there—the familiar press of leather belts securing her gear—was missing too.
She bolted to a sitting position and looked down at her body. She was dressed in light, modest clothing. She pulled up the blanket and checked her lower. A simple loose tunic and soft pants.
Her hair, which was usually tied up in a ponytail to keep it from her face during combat, was falling in soft waves down her shoulder to her back. It felt strange. Just wrong.
Then, as if on cue, there was a knock on the door, and the old man from earlier entered along with the familiar maid.
She looked at him. "Where is my dagger?" She demanded. She shouldn't lose it. It was the only thing she had as a weapon.
His brows briefly rose from her tone. But he regained his composure. "It is being kept safe."
"Return it to me." Her voice was sharper than before.
"That is not for me to decide, Miss Diandra."
Diandra narrowed her eyes. "Then who?"
Before Butler Jones could answer, there were loud footsteps. Heavy, purposeful, and coming closer. A presence that commanded attention. The door opened, and a tall man walked into the room.
Kael stepped inside. His gaze locked immediately on the woman sitting upright on the bed.
Her red hair cascaded over her shoulders, and some came to the front in gentle waves. A stark contrast to how he had last seen her. She was dressed in armor, clutching a dagger, looking like she had stepped out of his drama series.
But now, stripped of the battle-worn image, she looked different. Softer. Yet her presence was still imposing.
He met her gaze.
Her eyes.
A strange mix between light blue and silver. Unusual, striking. He couldn't decide which shade they leaned toward more. But he knew one thing—they were beautiful.
For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then suddenly—her eyes widened. Recognition flared across her face like a spark had ignited dry wood.
It was shock, and then realization. As if she had just remembered something crucial.
Kael frowned. "What?" His voice was sharp and demanding. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
Deep down, somehow, he knew what it was. No… She wouldn't… He could see himself shaking his head for what was about to come next. Already denying it before it actually happened.
Kael barely had time to react.
The woman moved. In just a blink, she threw the blanket aside and launched herself out of the bed.
Alice let out a startled gasp as Butler Jones stiffened.
Before Kael could step back, she had already dropped on one knee before him. Her head was bowed. A fist against her heart. Her posture was sharp and disciplined.
A knight's courtesy.
"Your Majesty." She said her voice was steady yet laced with something deeper. With devotion.
Kael groaned internally. As to what he'd thought she was about to do. Of course. Because he would play as Emperor Darius in the drama.