Reborn: The New Empress

"There's an injured person here." Someone shouted near me. I quickly made my way to where I heard the shout. It was crowded; the people were huddling over the injured person, making it difficult for me to come close.

"Please make way, I'm a doctor." I said, They all looked at me and within seconds, the path towards the injured person was clear. I made haste and quickly examined the patient; a bloody head, twisted arm and a dislocated shoulder; what a terrible sight.

"What happened?" I asked. The crowd of people started murmuring to each other. One individual came up and explained the situation. Apparently, this poor guy was run over by a speeding car. No one saw the plate number but they recognized the model of the car. The person was unconscious and he needed serious medical attention. I pulled out my phone and dialed the number of the nearest hospital. I briefly explained the situation and they responded accordingly.

"Good thing you were here, Dr. Fujiwara." The ambulance arrived almost immediately and the medic on duty recognized me. He was one of my former students. They quickly did their jobs and safely transported the injured person to the hospital. I called the police station to report the incident.

"Thank you for reporting this, Dr. Fujiwara." The chief of police gave me a salute before leaving. I'm very well-known throughout the force. Aside from being a doctor, I've worked as a field medic for the army and I've trained countless men and women under the force. I'm still in my early thirties but I've accomplished so much.

I was on my way to the barracks to conduct a seminar about the importance of basic self-defense for field medics when I ran into the accident by the main road. As a doctor, I couldn't ignore their calls. I arrived at the barracks 2 hours later than what I promised. The general greeted me at the door of the auditorium.

"I'm sorry for being late sir." I apologized. He smiled at me and shook his head.

"Dr. Fujiwara, I heard about what happened this afternoon. You don't need to apologize." He said, I slumped my shoulders and heaved a sigh of relief. I thought he was going to scold me for being late. I plastered a smile on my face and gave the general a salute.

"If it's alright with you general, I could still conduct the seminar." I offered. He looked at me and smiled.

"Well, your students are all waiting for you." He said in a joking manner. I giggled and excused myself. When I entered the auditorium, all the students turned their head towards me. Suddenly, they all gave me a round of applause. I walked up to the stage and thanked them for the warm welcome.

After the seminar, I decided to go back to my apartment. I had no other plans for today and so I decided to just stay at home and relax. It was around 8 pm when the seminar ended. It was a long journey but it'll be worth it once I'm back home. While on the road, I realized that I was passing by the same road where the guy I helped was ran over. I don't know what happened but my mind began to wander all of a sudden.

Out of nowhere, at the corner of my eye, I saw the same man by the side of the road. I knew it was him because he wore the same blood stained shirt from earlier today. I thought my mind was playing tricks on me. I turned to look again but he was no longer there. I thought I'd gone crazy from stress. When I focused my eyes back on the road, I was surprised to see a truck about to crash into my car.

Everything went black.

I woke up to an unfamiliar room. My instinct kicked in once I realized I was in unknown territory. I immediately sat up and surveyed the surroundings. It looks like I'm in a normal bedroom but something felt different. I felt a pang on the back of my head and I remembered the last thing I saw before everything went dark. I crashed onto a truck while driving back home.

"My lady! You're awake. Thank God!" I turned my head to where the voice came from. It was a girl who looked a few years younger than me. She was dressed in a traditional yukata but it was plain and of low quality.

Did she suddenly call me, my lady? I asked myself. I looked down on myself and noticed that my body has changed. My arms were thin and my c.h.e.s.t seemed to have doubled in size. Feeling uneasy and confused, I stood up and ran to a nearby mirror. What I saw startled me. I didn't see myself but at the same time I did.

I saw my face but my hair and eye color was different. My body was slender and not at all muscular like how I used to be. I started to panic. How did this happen? Suddenly, memories came rushing in my head. These were not mine but of the person who used to be in this body.

Her name was Namikawa Himawari. The beloved daughter of the minister of the Nanto Empire; she was an only child thus her father's attention was all on her. At an early age, she lost her mother to a disease. No one in the entire Empire knew of such a disease and no one was able to cure her. Due to the tragic death of her mother, the other ministers of the Empire wanted to bring down her father.

Minister Namikawa Sakonji was the most trusted partner of the Imperial family. In order to solidify his place as the Minister and to extinguish any ideas of revolt from the other ministers, he had to offer his beloved daughter to become the concubine of one of the Emperor's sons. Although Himawari was reluctant, she couldn't bear to see her father suffer. She wasn't completely at a loss. Himawari already had feelings for the prince even before their marriage was decided upon.

But alas, a tragedy occurred that cost Himawari her life. She suffered from pneumonia and because during this early period of time, there was no known cure for it and it was also a fairly new disease which was yet to be studied. Somehow, her death and my death coincided and my soul found her body. It would make the most sense if that happened but what is my purpose here? Why did I end up in this time period? Thinking about it too much just makes my head spin.

"My lady, are you okay?" My maid, Mei, asked me. I remember everything about Himawari's life. I looked at her and smiled.

"I'm fine, Mei. I'm just…overwhelmed." I answered. She smiled at me and came to my side.

"You should go back to bed, My lady. You're still not well. You need to become better so that you'll be able to meet the crown Prince." She said, I went back to bed as she ordered. She took a tea cup from the table and handed it to me.

"Here you are, My lady. Please drink it all. It'll help you recover." She said, I took a whiff of the tea she handed me. It smelled of GoldenRod. It was surprising that they've already discovered the medicinal benefits of GoldenRod. I drank it all in one sip and I handed back the cup to Mei.

"It's a good thing you've woken up, My lady. The minister has been praying to Buddha nonstop about your recovery." Mei said. I was about to say something when the doors flew open.

"My dear Hima!" My father came inside the room and ran to me, wrapping me in his arms. I felt his sincerity and I could hear him crying softly while I'm wrapped in his arms.

"Father…" I mumbled. It was a bittersweet moment. When I was living as Fujiwara Kaori, I didn't have a family. I was raised in an orphanage and was never adopted. At the age of 12, I left the orphanage and was found by a field medic. She became my mentor. She was never like a mother towards me; she was always strict just like how they should be since she was part of the military. She trained me until I was able to stand on my own two feet.

Somehow, her training made me who I was. I just wished she was a little soft towards me. I wanted to feel how it was like to be part of a family. Now, I finally get to know how that feels.

"How are you, Hima?" Father asked. I just smiled at him, trying to contain the happiness I felt.

"I feel fine, father." I answered. He slumped his shoulders and let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank the heavens! I thought I was going to lose you too." He said, I shook my head and held his hands.

"I promise to always stay by your side, father." I said, He tightened his hold on my hands and he kissed my forehead. After that short encounter, my father left to do his duties. I stayed in bed in order for my body to fully recover. I need to be in my best condition for when I set out my plan. It wouldn't be easy but I know I can do it. It wouldn't only benefit me but also benefit the whole Empire.