Princess Elise had been protected all her life by the same royal guard—an old man who, despite his age, was a great warrior: gentle, wise, and mature. Growing up, she couldn’t help but fall in love with him.

As thanks for the knight’s service, the king granted him lands and made him a lord. The knight didn’t want to retire at all, but he was forced to. He was a man who had fought his entire life, and now he was expected to live as a noble. The news shocked Elise. She was happy for him, but she would miss having him by her side.

Before the knight left the castle for his new territory, Elise confessed her feelings to him. In a bold move, she even offered to marry him. She was an adult now, after all, and he was a noble, so it wasn’t impossible. Still, the knight simply sighed and hugged her, saying he was too old for her, that even if she was an adult, it just wasn’t right. Then he left. Elise scoffed—stupid knight. How was she supposed to stop loving him after he had just shown her such genuine care?

Months later, Elise visited the noble. She told herself it was just a simple visit, but after the knight made it clear he still wouldn’t marry her, she resorted to her plan B. She had brought with her a magic orb capable of swapping bodies. She searched around the mansion for an older woman to switch with, and that’s when she found Maria—a chubby woman in her fifties who worked there as a maid. She was perfect.

When Elise proposed the body swap, Maria didn’t hesitate to accept. Using the orb, their souls exchanged bodies.

Now inside Maria’s body, Elise pretended to be her for a few days while Maria left in her new form. Eventually, Elise went to the knight’s office to serve him tea. She noticed he was buried in documents, completely overwhelmed by politics. She giggled and casually said:

“Hmmm… those tax numbers are wrong. You should check them.”

The knight frowned in confusion, but Elise continued, correcting figures and explaining details with ease. He began to wonder if he was hallucinating—Maria was suddenly speaking with refinement and showing knowledge of politics she shouldn’t have. Then Elise started mentioning old anecdotes from when he had been her personal guard—things only she could possibly know.

Realizing the truth, the knight nearly spat out his drink. Elise giggled.

“Yeah… it’s me. Remember that orb that witch tried to use on me once? Well… I used it with Maria.” She smirked. “Problem solved. We’re similar in age now, so don’t you dare reject me again. I gave up my skinny, gorgeous princess body to be with you—take responsibility.”*

She crossed her arms, still smiling.

“Besides… you clearly need my help with this whole ‘noble’ thing.”*