The Curse Crown

Chapter 9

Clariza woke up slowly, her mind struggling to shake off the remnants of sleep. **"I thought we already returned to our bodies?"** she asked herself, confusion clouding her thoughts as she lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling of Theodore’s room. The surroundings were unmistakable—the elegant furniture, dark wooden bedposts, and rich tapestries hanging on the walls. Everything was familiar. Too familiar.

She blinked, trying to piece together how she ended up here again. **"Why am I in Theodore's body again?"** Her heart raced as she sat up, glancing around the room in disbelief. Had they not returned to their own bodies? Had something gone wrong?

It was 6 a.m. when Clariza glanced at the clock, the soft morning light seeping through the curtains. A memory flashed in her mind—they had returned to their original bodies the previous evening, precisely when the clock struck 6 p.m.

**"Could it be the same at 6 a.m.? Did we switch again?"** she wondered, her thoughts racing. The timing seemed too coincidental, leading her to conclude that perhaps every 6 o'clock, whether morning or evening, triggered the body swap again. The idea settled uneasily in her mind as she tried to make sense of it all.

She immediately rushed to call the maids, instructing them to prepare clothes and a bath for her. Clariza knew she had to do this since she was in Theodore’s body again. Even though the thought made her uncomfortable—she wasn’t used to having maids assist her—there was no other option. Before she even opened her eyes, she knew they were likely waiting outside the door, ready to assist at a moment's notice.

After dressing and eating quickly, Clariza hurriedly went to find Theodore. However, before she could even leave the palace, she overheard the maids talking about a woman who was persistently trying to enter the palace and causing a commotion with the guards outside.

As soon as she heard the maids' conversation, Clariza realized it must be Theodore causing the disturbance. Panic surged through her; she was worried that Theodore might be harmed by the guards. Her greater concern was for the body she was and was particularly concerned because he was in her body. She didn’t want him to get hurt, knowing it would worry his family if he ended up with bruises or injuries.

She even let out a small laugh upon seeing herself, dressed in a long skirt, pinning the guards to the ground with a masculine demeanor. The contrast was both amusing and surprising to her.

"Enough!" she called out to Theodore. He immediately looked up at her. Clariza quickly approached him and intervened, stopping him as the guard struggled in pain.Theodore immediately released the guard.

"From now on, you will allow Theo--I mean , Clariza, to enter the palace whenever she wishes. Is that clear?" she commanded the guards.

"Yes, Your Highness," the guards replied, struggling to stand despite their obvious pain.

**Theodore's POV**

I was in the middle of pinning one of the guards when I heard Clariza’s commanding voice. My head turned around, and there she was, in my body, dressed in princely attire. The sight of her, trying to assert control while wearing a formal suit, was both strange and oddly humorous.

I tried to stifle a laugh at the absurdity of the situation—seeing her handle the guards with such authority, even though her actions were clumsy in a body that wasn’t hers. It was clear that she was taking charge, but her unfamiliarity with my physique was evident.

“Enough of this!” she commanded, her voice firm. The guards looked up at her, surprise and confusion in their eyes. I released the guard I was pinning, who quickly got to his feet, looking both relieved and pained.

Clariza approached me, her eyes scanning my bruised and scratched form with concern. “Are you alright?” she asked, her tone softening despite the authoritative command she had just given.

“I’m fine,” I replied , glancing back at the guards who were trying to stand straighter despite their obvious discomfort. “We need to figure out our next move. This situation isn’t going to resolve itself, and we need to be coordinated.” she said in a low voice

“Agreed,” I said. “Let’s get somewhere private and sort this out. I need to assess the damage and we need a plan.”

As Clariza and I made our way to the palace . I asked her to call for the steward to check on the status of the private office I’d requested from the king. The steward arrived promptly and informed us that the office was ready.

We headed straight to the private office. As soon as we entered, Clariza looked around with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension. The room was elegant and functional, designed to provide both comfort and practicality for the duties of a crown prince.

I took a deep breath and turned to Clariza. “Alright, let’s get to the bottom of this. We need to discuss our next steps and how we’re going to manage this situation.”

Clariza nodded in agreement, her expression serious. “First, we need to determine exactly when we switch bodies. We need to track the times we swap to understand the pattern—if there is one. This will help us anticipate and control the transitions. Also, we have to make sure the guards and everyone else understand not to interfere with us. We need to maintain control and keep things as normal as possible until we figure out how to reverse this curse.”

"I think we switch back to our original bodies at 6 PM and switch again at 6 AM," Clariza said, deep in thought. "We’ll need to observe this pattern over the next few days to confirm it."

"I think you're right," Theodore said, recalling the events. "Yesterday, when the clock struck 6 PM, we switched back to our original bodies. And this morning, when I woke up, I was back in you're body."

I handed her a notebook and a pen. "Use these to jot down any details you need to remember, especially about the people you'll be interacting with. It's important to get to know them well."

"Also, tell the king that you'll be appointing me as your private secretary. We need to stay close to support each other, especially when you're unsure of what to do." I added.

I noticed a flicker of hope in her expression from my suggestion. I knew that Clariza would find it much harder to pretend to be me than I would to be her. After all, I was a far more significant figure in this scenario than she was.

I went through the list of important nobles in the kingdom, detailing their names and roles, including dukes, viscounts, and others. Clariza listened intently, diligently writing down each name and position. Her focus showed how seriously she was taking her new role.

"And finally," I said, my tone serious, "you need to be especially careful around my brother, Prince Rahjid. He’s incredibly sharp and can spot even the smallest mistake. His keen observations are like a hawk’s, always on the lookout for any slip-up. He can sense a lie or a slip in behavior like a bloodhound on a scent. If there's even the faintest hint of inconsistency, he’ll sniff it out and he'll find it and use it to his advantage. So, be extra cautious with what you say and do around him." I warned her. Clariza nodded in understanding. I recalled the book the king had given me, which contained information about previous crown princes and kings who had fallen victim to similar curses. The book was a crucial resource for understanding the curse and finding a solution.

I read the book last night, hoping to find something that could help with our situation. I came across a record about a crown prince who became the third king recorded to have fallen under this curse since it first began and had also experienced a body switch. He ended up in the body of a girl named Clairette, the daughter of a rival king. Interestingly, her name is quite similar to Clariza’s.

The record didn’t provide much detail on how or when they switched bodies, nor did it offer any clues about lifting the curse. It only mentioned that, in the end, he returned to his original body, but his life was never the same. He reportedly wished he had never returned to his former self. It’s strange—why would anyone wish for something like that? His last words before he died were a riddle: In realms where reflections intertwine,

A heart must shift, its essence redefined.

Within exchanged vessels, a cost must be paid,

What mends the curse, where true love's glow cascades?

What does this mean? Could this be the answer to lifting the curse? I looked back at Clariza, who was still writing in the notebook. I decided to hold off on telling her what I had discovered from the book.

We were interrupted by a knock on the door. One of my personal maids spoke up, "Your Highness, Lady Euphemia is here and wishes to speak with you." I immediately stood up from my seat at the study table. Since I was still in Clariza's body, it would be inappropriate for her to see me sitting there. I signaled to Clariza to take my seat. She quickly understood and sat down at the study table, while I opened the door for Euphemia.

Euphemia immediately showed an irritated expression, clearly displeased that I, in Clariza’s body, was the one who opened the door for her.

She entered quickly, almost brushing past me. She immediately grabbed Clariza’s arm—or rather, my arm. Clariza quickly pulled her arm away from Euphemia’s grasp. I had advised her earlier on how to handle herself in Euphemia’s presence. I actually told Clariza that she could act however she wanted around Euphemia. Among everyone I knew, Euphemia was the most dense and apathetic, and it was clear she was infatuated with me.I also told Clariza that most people know me as someone who is indifferent and detached, so whether she acts cold or unaffectionate towards others, they wouldn't find it surprising.

“Before I explain why I’m here, answer me first: Why is this commoner here? I thought you didn’t like commoners, considering you said they are ignorant and of low value.” Euphemia said with full of arrogance.

Well, she’s right. That’s indeed how I view commoners, and I’m just stating the fact,I turned my back slightly as if I didn’t hear them to avoild looking at Clariza. Disapproving look was evident on her face clearly upset by Euphemia’s words.

****Clariza's POV****

I took a deep breath, maintaining my composure. I refused to let Euphemia's harsh words about commoners affect me.

I could barely hold back a laugh at the sight of Euphemia’s visible irritation, but I managed to keep a straight face.

“I’ve hired Clariza as my personal assistant,” I said firmly. “So, you’ll be seeing her every day from now on.” I emphasized the word “every day,” enjoying the slight hint of mischief in making Euphemia uncomfortable.

“And whatever her status or who I wish to hire, is none of your concern anymore,” I added sharply. I really just wanted to get under Euphemia's skin. I still hadn't forgiven her for nearly running me over that day.

“Fine!” she said, clearly struggling to hide her irritation. “Anyway, I’m here to remind you about the Grand Hunt this afternoon.” Her tone shifted to a flirtatious one. “Could we be partners for the hunt, Prince Theo? It would look better for both of us, especially since we’re engaged.”

*Grand Hunt? What’s that?*I thought to myself, feeling puzzled. I glanced at Theodore, who gave me a quick signal to dismiss Euphemia without letting her notice.

“I’ll think about it. You should go; I still have work to do,” I replied to Euphemia. She seemed reluctant to leave, but Theodore grabbed her arm and firmly guided her out. Euphemia resisted briefly, but Theodore’s grip was resolute. Euphemia was dragged outside the door.As she began to protest, he shut the door in front of her. I thought to myself, *Wow, that was harsh. I don’t think I’d be able to perfect my act as Theodore. Only he can pull off being so brutally indefferent

“We need to get you ready for the Grand Hunt. I almost forgot—it’s a tradition . Royals and invited nobles participate to showcase their skills. As part of the royal family, you’ll need to take part, so we need to get you prepared.” Theodore explained everything I needed to know before the Grand Hunt. He detailed the traditional aspects and how this year's event had changed due to Rahjid’s suggestions. Theodore also warned me to be cautious later. He mentioned he had a bad feeling about the day’s events and advised me to stay alert.