Transmigrated into the body of a poisoned queen

Yvonne's POV

"My lady, please, do relax." one of the maids said, her voice gentle, but I frowned, wincing as they tightened the corset even further.

"It's night time. What's the point of all this?" I said in English, and they exchanged confused glances. I sighed, biting my lip. It was as though they were trying to suffocate me.

"Ahhhh, too tight!" I cried out in their language, and instantly, they released their grip. I staggered back onto my feet, my chest heaving as I tried to gulp in air.

The German maid stepped forward, concern flickering in her eyes. "My lady, what ails you? You always preferred the corset tight."

I leveled her with a glare, and she took a step back, her throat visibly tightening. "You're trying to kill me."

Immediately, the maids dropped to their knees, their heads touching the cold wooden floor, to my surprise and confusion.

"My lady, we would never!" the German maid cried out, her voice shaking with fear.

I sighed in exasperation. "It's a figure of speech. I didn't mean it that way." I bent down, raising her to her feet. Her body trembled as if she were about to cry.

I let go of her arm and turned to the other maids, all of whom were kneeling in fear. "Please, stand up," I said in Spanish, and they hesitated, glancing at one another, clearly frightened to the bone. But slowly, they rose to their feet, and I gave them a small nod of approval.

"What is a figure of speech, my lady?" the German maid asked, her brow furrowed in bewilderment. The phrase sounded foreign even as she spoke it in her native tongue.

"Nothing," I replied curtly, and she nodded, her face still marked with unease. As the maids moved to continue their work, I raised a hand.

"Please, take it slow," I said, and they nodded, grateful for my request.

For a few minutes, there was silence. Well, that wasn't entirely true. I groaned as they continued to layer on more material, each piece feeling like it was going to crush me. The fabric was so heavy I thought I might scream.

"My lady, be careful," one of the maids warned as I staggered under the weight of the cloth.

They guided me to the stool in front of a large, distorted mirror, where I sat, still panting. One of the maids released my hair from its constraints, letting the long strands cascade in loose ringlets down to my waist. They began brushing it meticulously.

As I sat there, I looked into the mirror and touched my face. It was so different from the mirrors back home. This one was cloudy and unclear, but I could still make out my reflection. I sighed as I examined the new features I had inherited. The face staring back at me was young, smooth, and surprisingly pretty. I caressed my skin with a finger, the soft texture unfamiliar. Not that my original face wasn't smooth, but this one was buttery smooth, like a baby's.

"You are most fair, my lady. The king is truly fortunate," one of the maids said, her voice filled with admiration.

I caught the glance of another maid, who nudged the first. I turned to them, but they quickly pretended like nothing had happened. I pushed the thought aside. It was none of my business.

I glanced back at the face in the mirror. It looked so youthful, perhaps the original owner had been no older than seventeen or eighteen. Disgusting.

Not the body itself, but the fact that this innocent-looking girl had been married to that cold bastard. That ice king. Yes, that's what I call him now. I hadn't seen a single emotion on his face, and the thought of it made him seem more like a robot than a man.

I continued to study my reflection when suddenly, a realization struck me. I had completely forgotten this important thought, overwhelmed by the weight of the ridiculous attire the maids had strapped me into.

Since I had switched souls with this body, wait, had I truly switched souls? I couldn't be entirely sure. The soul of this queen might still linger inside the body. But I couldn't dwell on that now.

I glanced down at my chest. "Hey, you in there?" I murmured to myself, shaking my head. Did I expect her to hear English?

"Hey, can you hear me? I want to know, are you still inside me?" I asked again, this time in German, not even realizing that the maids had stopped working and were staring at me.

I waited for a response, but none came. I looked back at the mirror and bit down on my lip.

"Hmph, it seems she's not there."

Even if she wasn't, the plan could still work. I just needed to find a large body of water, perhaps a lake, a river, anything, and jump in. That would bring me back.

But then another thought crept into my mind.

Is your body still alive? I pushed the thought away. No, I couldn't have died. My soul was still intact. I'd just return to my body. Sure, I'd be injured, but at least I'd be back where I belonged.

"It is done, my lady."

I looked back at the mirror, stunned by my appearance. The maids had styled my hair into an intricate bun, adorned with delicate flowers and a comb. I must have been so lost in thought that I hadn't even noticed the details."

"Now, my lady, the hour for supper has come."

As soon as the words left her lips, my heart thumped painfully in my chest. I didn't want to see that man. Of course, this was my chance to escape the suffocating room, but as queen, didn't that mean I had to dine with that bastard?

I stood up, turning to face the maids. "Do I have to dine with him?" I blurted out, my voice sharp. They exchanged uneasy glances.

A blonde haired maid stepped forward. "My lady, it seems you have forgotten, but His Majesty does not receive anyone once it has struck six. 'Tis the rule."

My brow furrowed.

What? What kind of ridiculous rule was that? Did he think himself so mighty, so superior?