I was in the antechamber connected to Delphine’s room, waiting for the princess to summon me.
Last night, her head lady-in-waiting, Elly, had briefed me on her schedule.
“Here is Princess Delphine’s itinerary for tomorrow. You’ll accompany her throughout the day, Kate.”
“Understood.”
I memorized the schedule and handed it back to Elly.
“You know it by heart already?” she asked with surprise.
“Yes.”
Elly gave me a skeptical look before excusing herself from the room.
It was six in the morning, the time the crown princess woke up.
My room was adjacent to hers, with two doors: one leading to the princess’s room and the other to the hallway. You had to pass through an antechamber to reach the hallway, likely as a security measure against intruders.
I’d already eaten my breakfast and gotten changed, so I was ready to present myself to the princess at any moment.
I listened carefully for the sound of her glass bell as I looked around the room.
There were no hidden doors, no peepholes in the walls or ceiling. There were no ledges or beams outside the window of this third-story chamber—only smooth stone walls stretching down to the ground.
I quietly recited today’s schedule.
“The first item on the agenda is a meeting with the minister of internal affairs at ten. Lunch with Duchess Beatrice at noon. Tea with the marchioness at three. Dinner with the family at seven.”
The princess had two sons: ten-year-old Oscar and seven-year-old Lucas. I hadn’t met either of the young princes yet.
Just then, I heard the clear tinkling noise of the glass bell.
I stood up straighter and knocked on the door before entering.
“Good morning, Your Highness.”
“Good morning, Kate. Can you do hair?”
“Yes, I can.”
“Then I shall ask you for that. But please don’t pull too tight.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
I carefully brushed her glossy golden hair, smoothing it out neatly before gathering and twisting it into an elegant updo. I used as few pins as possible, making sure it was loose enough so as to not pull on her scalp.
While I worked, another maid who had entered the room with me began to apply a light layer of makeup on the princess’s face, while yet another massaged Delphine’s arms from the elbows down with fragrant oils.
Once the three of us finished with her preparations, Princess Delphine gracefully rose to her feet. We helped her change into her dress for the day, and I followed her to the dining room for breakfast.
Two strikingly handsome little boys were already sitting at the table. They immediately stood the moment they saw Princess Delphine.
“Good morning, Mother.”
“Good morning.”
“Good morning, Oscar and Lucas. Did you have pleasant dreams?”
“I don’t think I had any at all!”
“Me neither!”
All of a sudden, Prince Conrad entered the room with perfect timing just as the three of them had taken their seats. He was as stunningly good-looking as ever. With parents so gorgeous that they looked like they’d stepped straight out of a painting, it was little wonder Oscar and Lucas resembled porcelain dolls.
But of course, my Nonna was just as beautiful.
“Good morning, Delphine. You look gorgeous as usual today.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
From there, the family shared a peaceful conversation over breakfast.
I spent the entire time observing the princess—her tone of voice, the way she laughed, the gestures she made when speaking. She had a habit of tipping her head slightly to the right before answering a question. She laughed silently with only a smile on her face.
I burned every one of those gestures into my memory, determined not to forget a single detail.
After breakfast, Princess Delphine had her meeting with the minister of internal affairs.
The first item on the agenda was regarding the royal family’s charity initiatives, and the second was regarding a tea party with the goodwill ambassador from the neighboring kingdom of Randall.
As we headed into the meeting room, Delphine turned to me. “Kate, I don’t think I have many distinctive traits. Does that make it easier or harder for you to be my double?”
“You have plenty of notable traits, Your Highness. I’m learning them little by little.”
“Oh? What kind of traits do you mean?”
“It’s easier to show you than to explain.”
“I’d love to see it.”
I decided to mimic how she walked. First, I walked with my weight subtly shifted to the back, as though I was gracefully pulling along the hem of a long dress behind me. I kept my back and neck perfectly straight. Then I paused and mimicked how she addressed her attendants.
“How many guests will be attending today’s tea party? I see. In that case, prepare the usual tea. Oh, and Marchioness Hudson cannot eat nuts. Make sure to remember that.”
Delphine stared at me with a look of shock on her face.
“How was that, Your Highness?”
“You’ve memorized everything I said?”
“Just that one bit from this morning’s conversation.”
“Why, that’s incredible! I’m impressed. Do I really speak like that?”
“Yes, you do.”
“Hmm, perhaps I sound a bit too informal when addressing my attendants.”
“Not at all,” I said.
I meant it. The princess’s demeanor was refined and graceful, befitting of a woman born to be the queen.
Although I hadn’t spent much time with her yet, I was convinced Princess Delphine was the epitome of nobility, elegance, intelligence, and compassion.
There was a moment during her meeting with the minister of internal affairs where my heart skipped a beat, however.
The minister’s name was listed as Colin Haynes, so I’d assumed he was a relative of Lady Yolana’s, but the moment I saw him, it was clear he was her son; his resemblance to Lady Yolana was simply uncanny.
There was a chance I might run into him at Lady Yolana’s estate one day, so I lowered my gaze and tried to blend into the background.
During the discussion, Princess Delphine raised her voice once.
I had no idea she could speak like that, I thought, surprised.
“Colin, what’s the meaning of this? Why has the budget for the charity initiatives been halved compared with last year?”
“I’m very sorry. But the funds have been diverted to military expansion,” he said.