Chapter One: The Moment She Opened Her Eyes
In the Valliaña Empire, a powerful household resides and was ruled by a duke. The duke had so many great possessions that he was entitled as the wealthiest man in the land. He had a son and a daughter but comparing the two, the girl is the unfavorable one. She’s mean to the people around her and had a bad-temper so she was hated and disliked by many. She’s been unconscious for three days due to an accident which was caused by her wickedness and everyone thought that she deserved it despite her pitiful situation. The girl slowly opened her eyes and became confused as she saw the chandelier above her. She knew that she cant afford to have a chandelier in her room so she’s certain that she’s in a different place.
“W-Where the hell am I?”
She flinch and held her aching head as she remembered an unfamiliar memory. It was a girl who’s drowning in a lake. Although a lot of people surrounded the lake no one helped the girl who’s slowly sinking below. Its like she’s looking at a drama of a female lead who was in a worst distress. Seeing that memory made her heart heavy with pure anger. How can they ignore a damsel in distress?
‘How come no one helped her?’
She thought as she felt bad for the girl. The mild headache she had suddenly become severe.
“Ack!”
She fell on the cold floor holding her head. Her pretty face became distorted because of the pain. She doesn’t know what’s going on in her body and who’s the owner of these memories.
‘Am I going to die because of this headache? I need to drink medicine!’
She thought as she tried to stand up but failed because her legs were weak.
‘A-Am I really this weak before?’
She wondered but that doesn’t matter. What matters most is her head breaking! The pain subsided slowly. When it become bearable, she stood up and wipe a tear in her eye as she take a sit on the bed.
“What the heck was that?”
She look at the mirror not far from the bed. Unlike before her appearance change. She had this long messy ginger hair, a pale expression and a pretty face. The girl looks like a doll with those pretty amber eyes.
‘who the heck is this!?’
She became hysterical when she notice her appearance. She went to the mirror and touch the soft surface as she stare at her face.
“Who.. Who are you? And where am I?”
‘This girl is too pretty, did someone kidnapped me and perform plastic surgery while I was unconscious?’
But it would be too ridiculous.
‘Who would even do such thing?’
She thought that maybe she’s experiencing a nightmare right now and she needs to wake up this instance. She pinch her cheek and felt pain afterwards.
“Ouch.. Wait, I’m hurt.. I.. I’m not dreaming at all!”
The door suddenly opened and a woman in her middle twenties entered. She had brown hair which was tied behind her and wearing a black dress with a white apron. The girl look at her in surprise. The woman who entered the room almost drop the basin with the towels as she look at the girl.
“M-Milady!”
“..what?”
The woman immediately put the basin on the table and rush to her side. She assist her towards the bed and look at her full of worries.
“Milady you shouldn’t strain yourself. You’ve been unconscious for three days after falling from the Faszia Lake”
The woman notice her confused expression which made feel more worried. As she stared at the woman in front of her she recalled something important. The woman’s name is Merriam, the girl’s kind nanny. She is the woman she saw in that weird memory who’s begging to a knight to save her. She suddenly felt dizzy due to the odd situation she’s experiencing right now.
‘How did I end up here?’
“Milady? Should I call a doctor?”
She asked worriedly again to the girl who’s still staring at her. But despite of her condition, she’s more troubled about herself in a different world and waking up in a different body.
‘If I tell her that I am not the girl she’s serving I’m sure I’ll end up in jail or worst in a mental hospital.’
“..No. I’m alright.”
Merriam felt that the lady is just lying about her condition so her worries are still present, but all in all, she’s thankful that the lady is conscious now. On the other hand, the girl is processing everything inside her head. The events were unacceptable and unimaginable. She took fancy in fantasy novels but she did not imagined herself transmigrating to someone else’s body!
‘Why on earth are these happening to me!? Did I do something wrong? I remembered I’m just a normal woman who’s struggling in life. Wait, am I special in some way? Nah. I doubt that. But maybe, I really am special… Am I a lost princess? Or maybe a hero to save this world?’
She’s going crazy inside but she thought of the first thing she must do, and that is to thank the woman who took care of her.
“Thank you for taking care of me.”
Merriam became emotional as she heard the miss being thankful to her. Not in her whole life did the miss thank her for just a simple task.
“Uhm, why are you crying?”
“No Milady, I’m just happy you’re alright now.”
She said as she wipe her tears and smile at her.
‘I really made her worry so much. But why is this room so cold?’
She wonder as she roam her eyes around the room. Its big and pretty with so many expensive things. Her eyes went to the jewelries on the dressing table.
“I’ll go get something for you to eat Milady. Please rest again.”
“Alright”
Merriam took the basin with the towels and went out from the room. The room became silent again and it made her feel anxious.
‘What happened to me? I remembered I fell asleep after I overworked.’
She suddenly stood up as she realized something.
“That’s right, what happened to my body? And where’s the original owner of this body?”
She read something like this in fantasy novels wherein a person’s soul was transferred to another person.
‘Transmigration. I’m sure this is it. Wait, am I dead?’
Her thoughts give her goosebumps. Why would she die? And if she really died then what’s the cause of her demise?
‘I am too healthy to die suddenly!? Why did I die? What’s the reason I died?’
She racked every corners of her brain until she become exhausted. She lay back on the bed and covered herself with the blanket.
‘Lets rest first and think of a solution after.’
She close her eyes and fell fast asleep. Hours later, she heard someone called her.
“Milady..”
She slowly woke up and saw Merriam beside her. She sits on her bed as Merriam put the tray with a soup on her lap. She felt hungry and drained so she ate the food without having a word. She needs to gain strength so that she can think straight. When she felt that her strength is slowly going back, she asked Merriam.
“What time is it?”
“Its already three o’ clock in the afternoon Milady.”
“I see.. Merriam, what happened after I drowned?”
“T-That’s..”
Merriam became hesitant to tell her the truth because she knew that she’ll be hurt if she know it.
“Merriam?”
“M-Milady, after you drowned the duke and the first master became very angry not because milady drowned and almost die but because you caused a trouble during the rose blooming party at the palace.”
She said truthfully. Merriam is scared to feel the girl’s anger again. She was used to be abused by her master. Thinking of the past events made Merriam tremble in fear. She doesn’t want to feel that kind of pain again.
“I see.”
Merriam raise her head and look at the girl’s expression. She cant see neither sadness nor anger in her face.
“What’s my name?”
“M-Milady?”
“I said what ‘s my name?”
Merriam’s forehead crease as she heard her question.
‘Why would the lady asked her name?’
She wondered before answering.
“I apologize milady. Milady’s name is Lady Viviene Allysa Cruel”
‘So that’s the full name of the owner’s body. Viviene’
She thought.
“Merriam, from now on I will change myself.”
“What?”
“I’ll be different from now on.”
Merriam cant believe what she heard from Viviene. She knew how wicked Viviene is and thinking of what she said makes her anxious. Not to mention that she still had to send apology letters to the palace and to the House Walmeir for causing so much trouble.
“First, lets write apology letters for my actions in an important event. Merriam, go get me a pen and paper including a history book.”
‘I need to know what kind of world is this.’
She thought as she referred herself as a person with a similar situation to a heroine in a fantasy novel who’s transmigrated to an unfamiliar world.
“Y-yes milady.”
She cant believe it. The Viviene she knew was irresponsible and lazy. This event is so rare for her that she thought the end of the world is near. Thinking of her words and tone before made her had a realization that Viviene is really serious. She hopes that she’ll achieve what she wants and that she’ll become a good person so that people will slowly like her. She look at Viviene’s determine face and smiled. She never thought that she can make an expression like that.
“Miss, I’ll support you the best as I can.”
Hearing those words from her made Viviene very happy.
‘Viviene, wherever you are, I’m going to make you a fine lady of this house!’
She sips the tea from the teacup with a smile in her lips but it immediately disappeared as she tasted the tea.
‘It tastes bad!’
She thought as her face become distorted.
“Milady?”
Merriam asked when she notice the her sudden change of expression.
“What’s the name of this tea?” She asked.
“That’s Oolong Tea Miss.” She answered.
‘I don’t want to drink this tea again.’
She said trying herself not to puke.
“Is the tea not to your liking milady?” she asked her.
“Unfortunately, yes.”
She said as continue sipping the tea.
She knew that being picky is bad and for sure she cant avoid drinking this kind of tea in the future. She finished her meal and Merriam took the dishes away. As she close the door Viviene stood up and look at the view outside. Below is a garden full of roses.
‘Its pretty’
She thought as she look at the garden from her room.
‘When I get better, I’ll take a walk in there.’
She said as a smile formed in her lips but it vanish when a memory suddenly came in.
Four girls are in the garden arguing about something.
‘This again.'
Its like she’s watching a movie and she’s the VIP spectator who’s going to give a very important critique to the movie.
“According to my father, your father and brother are both evil because they sided the monster crown prince.”
“That’s not true!”
“It’s the truth!”
“You’re lying! Father and brother are not monsters! They’re good people!”
The bully suddenly tripped as she moved towards Viviene ended up hitting her face on the grounnd.
‘Haha! I thank karma for avenging little Viviene’
She thought as she laugh at the bully’s sorry face. As she stand beside them, she look like an evil spirit who’s acknowledging young children to do bad things. She cant help it when she really likes how karma slaps mean people.
“Are you al..”
“Hick.. Hick.. Monster!! You pushed me!”
“N-no I did not. You fell on your own.”
“Liar! We saw it too!”
‘What the!? These brats! You fell because of your stupidity.’l
She felt really, really annoyed watching beside them. She cross her arms as her face crumpled in anger. Faye Anne, the girl who possessed the body of Viviene had an ordinary face. She had a messy, ugly hair and a pair of black eyes. Because she’s always lack of sleep, dark circles are always under her eyes which made her look like a human-panda. To sum it all, she’s too plain.
The bullying stopped when another kid entered the scene. He had a white hair and pretty blue eyes. Faye Anne admired his cute looks and cool aura.
‘He looks like a prince charming who’s going to save hid princess!’
To her disappointment, the boy did not fight for the girl instead, he did the opposite.
“I apologize for what my sister did. A letter of apology will soon be send to you.”
“B-Brother..”
“Let’s go.”
“Ah!”
The boy grab Viviene’s wrist and drag her out of the garden.
‘What the? D-Did I just say he’s a prince charming?’
She thought dumbfounded of what she saw. Her blood is boiling and her face reddened in anger.
‘Why did he not defend her!?’
She exclaimed.
The unpleasant memory vanish but her anger remain.
“Calm down Faye Anne. Too much stress can kill you.”
She said and tried herself to cool down. A knock can be heard on the door.
“Milady, its me.”
Merriam said on the other side.
“Come in.”
She answered as she went back to the bed. Merriam saw her looking outside the window. She thought of something for the lady as a smile appeared on her lips.
“Milady, here’s the things you asked.”
“Thank you Merriam”
Merriam put the things she’s carrying on her table and face Viviene still smiling.
“Would you like to take a walk in the garden when you get better milady?” She asked politely.
She look at her for a while and thought that maybe she brought that topic all of a sudden because she saw her looking at the view outside the window. She think of the memory she saw earlier and felt her blood boil again.
‘My blood pressure might rise if I walk in the garden.’
She thought and sigh caring for her poor nerves.
“Where’s father and brother?”
She asked.
“His excellency is in a business trip while the first master had matters to discuss with His Highness, the crown prince.”
She answered.
She felt bad for Viviene who almost die from drowning. In her point of view, her father and brother were heartless. Viviene’s actions before were all turned into wastes and that made her angrier.
“Jerks.”
She whispered furiously as dark auras spread from her body.
“M- Miss?”
She covered her angry face with a smile as she face Merriam. She cant let her see her angry face for she might run away or faint because of fear.
‘Lets avoid that.’
She thought.
“Right, lets walk in the garden when I get better.”
She muttered cheerfully and tried to burry the ugly memory she saw in the garden.
‘Lets avoid stress and live longer. Right. Lets live longer.’
She repeated inside her head and imagined every pretty things she can to make her mind calm. As she and Merriam talked with each other, the door suddenly opened. Both of them glance at the white haired, blue eyed man who's standing in the doorway. She can feel her mouth hang wide open because of his good looks that could charm every woman.
‘Oh! Who could this lovely man be?’
Her flirty mode turned on but suddenly malfunctioned when he glared at her. She felt goosebumps all over her body and her face turned pale. She remembered something crucial all of a sudden. The man in front of her is none other than Viviene’s brother, Arthur Johann Cruel. The man who possess a breathtaking heavenly beauty but had a heart of glaciers. His eyes as cold as ice and bluer than the oceans. The man who can boil her blood dramatically and can cause severe high blood pressure in her.
‘Its that jerk from Vivi’s memory!'
She yelled mentally.