The Gentle Queen

Chapter 3

"Your Majesty, can you recognize these symbols?" An old man, not the previous one, introduced himself as Alfrek the royal physician, constantly questioned Hyejin. The symbols ranged from the same sun that she saw at the funeral-like event to basic numbers that were taught to children. As Hyejin was adamant to keep the guise of suffering from amnesia, she was very attentive with her answers.

The more that Alfrek asked, the more he looked concerned with his green eyes but maintained a professional atmosphere.

By the end of it, he cleared and said this was his final question. "Your Majesty, do you remember your name?"

Hyejin shook her head and it was the final strike. He sighed deeply and gave her a look that was filled with pity.

"How is she, Alfrek?" The plump woman from earlier anxiously asked when Alfrek opened the door after his private diagnosis of Hyejin.

"Her Majesty has forgotten everything. Although she can understand the fundamentals and can speak the language, her memories are gone. She cannot even remember her name nor her family. I believe that this is due to the accumulation of stress and heartbreak that lead to a psychological impact of wanting to forget the pain." Alfrek lowered his tone and Hyejin couldn't hear the last part of what he was telling the lady. She nodded understandingly and Alfrek dismissed himself.

The lady, who appeared in her late thirties, turned back to Hyejin with a gentle smile. "Your Majesty, my name is Helenda and I've been serving you since Your Majesty was fifteen years old, when you first entered the royal family."

Hyejin nodded and noted that in her brain. The current body had married into a royal family from a young age. Helenda a large mole on her nose, so she could use that to help distinguish her too.

"How old am I now?" Hyejin needed to know, perhaps the age would indicate who she occupied the body of.

"Your Majesty is twenty-seven years old." Helenda was very patient and added, "Your Majesty, please ask anything you wish to know and I'll do my utmost best to answer them to my capabilities."

I'm twenty-seven?

Shit.

I'm suddenly seven years older? My body is older than my soul.

In her mind, Hyejin couldn't complain. This body couldn't be too perfect. Although twenty-seven wasn't old, she had lost seven years of youth. Gone was the freshly entered university student and hello was the woman nearing the prime of her life.

"Was the man at the funeral my husband?" He was so handsome. A pity that he won't be able to open his eyes.

Helenda averted her eyes and nodded sadly. Her eyes were filled with unshed tears. "Yes, that was His Majesty, King Redian. Although it was not a funeral, for there is a possibility that Solaris can awaken him from his curse."

"Curse...?" Hyejin suddenly realized that she was in a fantasy world. The idea of curses was so silly but was so serious in this society, so that meant that magic existed too.

Helenda nodded and pursed her lips. "Please do not worry about the curse for the moment. Focus on being informed of the overall picture before the curse is and other deeper details are to be embedded in your mind. And truly," Helenda apologetically bowed her head, "I cannot explain it as well as an Estell."

Before Hyejin could ask what an Estell was, Helenda added, "An Estell is an Oracle of Solaris, the worshipped deity of our world. Estells are the representatives of Solaris and very familiar with darker magic concepts such as curses."