Chapter 3: Moonlight Princess

In a room where the princess was asleep...
 "Your sister is awake. Are you okay?" Say a blond-haired boy, he sat on the chair beside my bed.

"Hmm, who is it?" My eyes are hazy. When I open my eyes, I know who it was. "Michael?" At that time, I open my eyes and look around the room. I wake up in an artistic room, where the royal princess usually sleeps. You could say this is the princess' room.

"I'm fine, Michael"

"Big sister usually wakes up early in the night, but this time big sister slept for most of the day. Don't you know it's already midnight?"

I immediately get up from my bed. My silver hair is loose. I look at my little brother then I immediately look at myself.

Right now, I am Scarlett? No, I wake up as Sophie, Princess of the Moonlight. The weak princess was exiled by the Stronghold Empire. I am known as Princess of the Moon because of my habit of being active at night and sleeping during the day like a nocturnal creature. A young girl, white, slender, silver-haired, ocean-blue eyes. Sophie is a very beautiful little girl. It's just that this body is not as strong as Scarlett's body.

But even so, my body has another advantage, apart from being beautiful, this body has a brilliant brain. Her thinking capacity is extraordinary. In fact, I can remember every event that I experienced every day in detail. Thanks to this ability, I can easily learn anything quickly and can do research in various disciplines.

No one knows that I was born with 2 bodies with 1 consciousness. I myself do not know why I was born with this condition. My body, Scarlett, is active during the day. While my other body, Sophie is active at night. Our bodies shared consciousness while I slept, switching from body to body. I am a girl who was born with 2 different bodies from 2 different mothers. With these two bodies, maybe we can work together to achieve what we desire. But on the other hand, I know this body was born from one of the most powerful tyrants in this country. I hate tyrants, in fact, my body was born from tyrants, isn't that irony?

"Hello, Sis. Do you hear me?"

"What? Sorry, I was daydreaming Mikael. I'm just tired. That's all." I honestly don't know what to do with my little brother. He's always been nice to me. But on the other hand, I know that he, Mikael Stronghold, is the crown prince who will inherit the title of the ruler of this country in the future. In other words, he would become the successor of the tyrant. There is a possibility that he will become my potential enemy in the future. I also don't know if his kindness is genuine or not, is he just being nice to me just because I am his family or is he also being kind to people who need help? I never knew. What is clear is that a tyrant is a tyrant, he was born a tyrant's child and will become the next tyrant, that's almost certain. If so, how do I deal with it?

"Be careful sis. Your body is weak. Sis has been sleeping for most of the day." Mikael helps me up. As my little brother, or rather he is the little brother of Sophie Stronghold. He was born 2 years younger than me. He should be the same age as my little sister, Yuna.

"Is Big Sister hungry, I have already ordered the maid to prepare food."

"Hungry?! Thanks, Mikael, I'll eat it later." Somehow my stomach feels hungry again. It wasn't long before I had dinner though. Maybe because this body is my other body, its physiological state is also different. Right now I'm really hungry and want to eat something.

"Take care, sis. I'll help you walk." Mikael tries to help support me to walk to the dining room.

"Thanks, Mikael. I can walk on my own." But I quickly turn it down politely. I walk first followed by a waiter.

"Sister, why?!", Mikael says in a low voice. He glance at her older sister who walked in first. He immediately shook his head. His face looks sad.

Arriving at the dining room...
I sat at the dining table. Mikael sits across the table so we face each other at the dinner table. A waiter was already setting a sumptuous meal on the dining table, there were beef steaks, white bread, fruit and wine.

"Anna, please make me some warm orange juice." Anna is my personal maid. So far, she has always taken care of me, or rather, take care of Sophie, who usually falls asleep during the day. In other words, I often left my body for her to look after when I switched to Scarlett during the day.

"Yes, princess. I will serve it immediately." Anna immediately left the dining room, leaving us both at the dining table.

I took a knife and fork, cut the steak, and then put the piece of meat in my mouth. After chewing it, I swallow it. At the same time, I see my little brother just sitting across from me watching me eat. For a few moments, silence envelops the dining atmosphere. I continue to enjoy my food. But after I think, it's better to lighten the mood and get rid of the awkwardness.

"Mikael, aren't you coming to eat?" I ask Mikael to break the awkwardness.

"No, sis. I've already eaten. Is the dish good, sis?"

"Hmm, delicious. You should try it, Mikael."

"Maybe another time, sis." Mikael answers while smiling at me.

While I am enjoying my meal, Mikael asks me.

"Big Sister, what were you doing before? Big Sister slept for most of the day. Even Big Sister woke up in the middle of the night."

For a moment I was silent. Before finally, I put my fork and knife on the plate. I reply, "Sorry, Mikael. Again, your sister is useless, I often bother you."

"No, that's not what I meant, Sis. It's just.."

"It is just?" I ask in surprise.

"It's just that, please don't push yourself. You know better yourself, your body isn't like that of most people. That's why please pay more attention to your health, Sis."

"Hmm. Thank you, Mikael." My answer is short. I go back to continue eating.

"Sis, are you going to continue with your research?"

"Of course, I think my research will be finished soon."

"Done? When is it, Sis?"

"Soon, you know I'm trying, right?"

"Why do you insist on continuing, Sis?"

"What's the problem? Isn't it better to do something than nothing? After all..."

"After all, what, sis?"

"This is all I can do to help the people of the Stronghold Empire, after all."

"But Sis, you don't have to do it alone, do you?"

"What do you mean I wasn't able to finish my research?"

"That's not what I meant, sis."

"Then what? Are you going to forbid me from doing something I like?"

"Not like that, sis."

"Why do you insist on setting me up, Mikael?"

"It's not like that, Sis. It's just.."

"Just what?"

"It's just that Big Sister's body is weak, do you know what happened today? Big Sister slept almost all day. Sister's body is not as strong as normal people. Big Sister is a princess. Big Sister doesn't have to do such menial work. Why can't Big Sister understand? "

"Michael, you..."

"Excuse me, princess, the orange juice is ready. Please drink it before it gets cold."

When my anger peaks, Anna comes to give me orange juice. I don't know why my little brother insists on not letting me do my research. This body is weak, but I'm not that weak to be pitied or forbidden not to do this and that. After all, she's not my mother why is she trying to control me who is her older sister? Worried about me? Come on, don't joke. In this Empire, the strong rule, and the weak are marginalized and oppressed. Wasn't the Empire built on such a foundation? After all, he was a potential successor to the tyrant, the absolute ruler of this country. There was no reason to worry about this weak Senior Sister of hers. Even if I'm family, that shouldn't mean anything unless my existence is important to his interests. If not, why am I exiled? Why am I a prisoner in this castle anyway? Sure enough, the Empire had no mercy towards the weak. Tyrants are still tyrants. That's how this world works. Because of that, I hate that.

I thought why he's been kind to me, maybe it was because he wants to use me later as his political tool. After all, even though this body is weak, this body is still that of a beautiful princess who can be used as a political tool such as being used as a tool for a political marriage, maybe.

"Thank you, Anna. I am indeed thirsty." I take the orange juice that Anna gives me to quench my thirst and divert my emotions.

"Princess, Prince is only worried about Master's condition. Hope you understand."

"Hmm, yes, it seems that way." I put down the glass and then I immediately clean my mouth with the wet cloth provided on the table. After that, I stand up.

"Mikael, let's finish today's conversation. Sis, I'm tired. I want to rest. Good night." I finish the conversation and quickly left the room.

"Yes, good night, Sister."

"Good night, sir." Anna also says goodbye to Prince Mikael and immediately followed Princess Sophie.

"Good evening, Anna." Mikael stares at the back of his sister who left him alone in the dining room. With a sad face, a moment later he says, "Sister, why don't you understand? I just want to protect you." His voice is so faint that it was impossible for Princess Sophie and her Maids to hear it.

A while later in the princess's room...
I return to my room. "Anna, you must be tired from a hard day's work. Please rest." I tell Anna to rest instead of just standing still in front of my bedroom door. A personal maid is not allowed to rest unless the master allows it. She must have worked hard to take care of me from early morning until late at night. Because of that, I feel sorry for her. she should get more rest. I also don't want to become a selfish master who commands her servants as she pleases. I'm not a tyrant after all.

"Thank you. Good night, Princess."

"Good evening, Anna."

I quickly close my room meeting. Then I walk to my study table. I open the cupboard. There I put the ancient book I've been researching. This is a very special book written in an ancient language. Scholars of History have long tried to research it. But the language is too complex to translate. The letters use ancient letters that are different from the Latin letters that are commonly used in the Empire. Not to mention that it contains hundreds of thousands of unique vocabulary. Practically very difficult to translate. Even if it were possible, Scholars would take tens of years just to translate it.

Then why am I still trying to research it? Short answer, because I already understand this ancient language. With my memory and thinking capacity, I can quickly search for patterns in this ancient language. Then translate this book into Latin which is easy to understand. From the start Sophie's brain was brilliant. Translating this kind of book was not a problem for her. More than that, I've actually thoroughly read this ancient book. It's just that I didn't release the translation to the Empire except for a few parts.

Of course, there's no way I'd let the Empire grow any stronger. Who wants their enemies to grow stronger? Therefore, so far I have only published the results of her research little by little. Nor was it the part that would make the Empire strong. Instead, I only published the historical account of this ancient book.

Whereas in this ancient book contains various knowledge that is so riveting and related to the progress of an ancient civilization that reached the peak of its glory in its time. It happened 1000 years ago. Just before the Stronghold Empire was founded.

Imagine a civilization that has magnificent building architecture with advanced technology and is environmentally friendly. It was even explained that at that time, the night was illuminated by shining balls that illuminated cities, settlements, and villages. At that time humans were able to conquer the darkness of the night.

Furthermore, this ancient civilization also had a powerful military. They say they have armoured vehicles, and steel birds that humans can ride on, they even have weapons that can kill someone without physically touching them with a sword or something.

This really is a crazy civilization. Furthermore, humans in this era can live for hundreds or even thousands of years, it is truly extraordinary.

But somehow this civilization disappeared without a trace, I don't know why this civilization could disappear. There is no explanation whatsoever in this ancient book. And the most interesting thing is that some of the ancient technology is described in this book.

So fabulous. I can't imagine what it would be like if this book managed to be completely translated by the Empire. Perhaps the Empire will become an invincible superpower. Not with tyrants it would be humanity's most terrible nightmare. Therefore, I try to keep this secret. What's more, thanks to this book, I managed to develop some very useful inventions to realize my dreams. Yes, I will keep this secret no matter what even if it threatens me.

On this night, I continue to study this ancient book. I write a selection of several articles that were translated as the progress of my research. I write the research report until morning dawned before I know it. It's time for me to go back to sleep. I immediately close the book and put it in the cupboard. I put the paper report on the table. I immediately rushed to bed. Then I close my eyes and my consciousness faded. In the next moment, my consciousness shift to another body.