That night, the palace bells rang three times, a sign that someone from the royal family had just breathed their last. A black flag was raised at the palace gate. At that moment, news of Princess Cecilia's death immediately spread throughout the kingdom.
The entire capital of Magenta entered a seven-day mourning period after that. The streets were strewn with red flower petals, the same color as the Magenta Royal Family's crest. Torches were lit along the streets. No one was allowed to use the streets until the seventh day, the day when the funeral ceremony for 'Princess Cecilia' was finally held.
What they did was a form of belief among the people of the Magenta Kingdom. When a member of the royal family died, they believed that the spirit of that person would pass through the red flower-filled streets to circle the kingdom for the last time.
On the seventh day, in the middle of the main palace courtyard, a funeral had been prepared. On it lay the fake body of Princess Cecilia, wrapped in black silk cloth and a small crown on the side of her head. Anyone who didn't know would believe that the princess's body was resting inside the black cloth. King Arkadion stood at the front. He was dressed in black, a symbol of a ruler's deepest mourning.
But none of the nobles, envoys from other kingdoms, or the people present would have guessed that the princess was watching everything from behind a dark cloak and a mask. She stood at the end of the line of nobles, tall and sturdy, though her movements felt like she was still adjusting to her new identity.
Behind the mask, Cecilia's eyes scanned the crowd sharply. She caught every glance, every whisper, and every pretense of grief. It was there that she could tell who truly respected her and who had been hiding behind a mask of drama.
"Pay your last respects to Her Highness, Princess Cecilia Magenta!"
When 'Cecilia's' coffin was lowered into her grave, everyone saluted solemnly. Only when the coffin had completely sunk into the ground did Arkadion step forward to drop the red flowers held by everyone attending the funeral.
"Rest in peace… Cecilia."
Arkadion looked genuinely sad, though Cecilia knew his sadness was for another reason. Arkadion had always mentioned that Cecilia had beautiful hair like her mother. But in order to become 'Cecilion', Cecilia had cut her beautiful hair short.
Whatever the reason, Cecilia was relieved that Arkadion truly looked like he had lost half his soul. One by one, the nobles began to present their flowers after Arkadion. Then, after a while, it was finally her turn to come forward.
Cecilia's steps were steady, there was no trace of hesitation as she advanced. Boots whizzed softly over the white marble. Heads began to turn. The nobles stopped breathing for a moment as they watched Cecilia approach the altar and drop her flowers.
"Who is that?"
"I've never seen her before. Is she really a noble?"
"Wait. She's wearing the royal crest. Is that..."
"No, no. Isn't Princess Cecilia the only descendant of King Arkadion?"
Gossip spread faster than fire. And Cecilia let it grow and spread quickly. Cecilia stopped a few steps away from the grave, then bowed elegantly. The way her body moved reflected the education of a noble class. Too refined for a common noble, but different from Cecilia, who was taught to be a perfect princess.
Arkadion glanced at Cecilia but was speechless.
Then, the deep voice of Prime Minister Barley broke the silence created by it.
"May I know who you are, my Lord?"
Cecilia did not answer immediately. She straightened her body, then bowed politely. Her voice came out softly but clearly, changed from her natural tone, lower, heavier, almost like the male voice she knew.
"I am Cecilion, the second son of the late Queen Arlene. I am the twin brother of Princess Cecilia Magenta, a deformed prince who has been exiled for a long time."
The surprise was not only heard from the guests. Even the knights at the side of the altar simultaneously held their sword hilts as if worried about an intruder in the royal palace.
"Impossible..." whispered one of the servants. "Didn't the late Queen Arlene only have one child?"
"An old royal tradition," Cecilion continued without being asked. "According to royal tradition, one of the twins born into the royal family must be hidden to maintain the stability of the throne. I am the child who was sacrificed in that tradition. With my deformed face, I am not someone who is considered worthy of the throne when Cecilia is alive."
Cecilia looked straight at Arkadion, and he responded with a short nod. Arkadion's gesture was indeed simple. But that simple reaction had just solidified the big lie that Cecilia had just uttered.
There was no cheering. There was no applause. Only a thick silence hung until Cecilia finally continued her words.
"Currently, I am the only surviving descendant of my father. The death of my twin sister is indeed unfortunate. However, the kingdom must stand even without her."
Cecilia's eyes turned cold when she could see someone she recognized from the crowd nearby.
"I, Cecilion Magenta, swear to protect the Magenta Kingdom as the legitimate heir to the kingdom from now on," she said as a closing.
***
Cecilia's funeral ceremony became something phenomenal. Not because of 'Cecilia', but because of the confession of someone who claimed to be her twin brother. The nobles quickly asked for clarity from Arkadion. Everything had been well prepared. When they asked for proof, Arkadion showed them the evidence.
The Magenta Royal Family always had red hair, and Cecilion had it too. No one dared to question Cecilion's authenticity anymore when Arkadion had guaranteed his own identity. Like it or not, everyone had to recognize Cecilion as the legitimate heir to the throne from then on.
The nobles looked at Cecilion, who was wearing a mask, and then sighed in their hearts.
Those people might be fighting with their hearts. But the object they were paying attention to was focusing their attention on something else.
Cecilia turned around and found a pair of green eyes staring at her for a long time.
Cedric.
Of course, as a prince of a neighboring kingdom, he also attended the funeral ceremony on behalf of his kingdom.